The book review The lives of animals”

Literary Theorists and “The Lives of Animals”

Literary theorists who work in the area of animal studies can benefit greatly from the text “The lives of animals.” This work was originally intended to be a contribution to the 1997 Tanner Lectures at Princeton. Coetzee chose to create a novella called Elizabeth Costello, which is highly meta-fictional and features his alter ego, rather than using conventional talk in his distinctive voice. (Coetzee, 2004).

Essential Ideas about Behaving Towards Animals

The main character in this literary piece is Elizabeth Costello. Elizabeth, a well-known and celebrated novelist, is offered the chance to present a number of lectures at a small liberal arts college. The greater part of the book consists of these lectures which issue essential ideas about the manner in which we should behave towards animals. The writing captivates the reader’s imagination and one is left to wonder if Coetzee can participate in giving such lectures.

Semi-Fictional Texts and Ecologically Conscious Conduct

Furthermore, this literary work refers to the critical study of the lives of the saints which are often used as motivational stories established on biographical accounts of specific saints. In order to promote coveted values and beliefs by virtue of role models taken from life, the author used texts which are semi-fictional. This manner of writing was meant to enlighten and improve people’s behavior. The main character of the novel, Elizabeth Costello, advocates for ecologically conscious conduct. This is clearly demonstrated when she indicates strong disapproval of meat-eating, promotes environmental ethics, disapproves farm factoring and encourages vegetarianism.

The Role of Reason and Sympathy

Elizabeth Costello has a very specific charge which is not in favor of her primary reason. In the initial part of this literary work, Elizabeth says that reason plays a key role in introducing and sanctioning the qualitative differences amongst those who have it and those who do not possess it and thus it is often used to condone the violent behavior towards animals by men. When it comes to assessing the importance of life, reason needs to be disregarded as the main point of reference so that the outcome is the decision is termed as fair (Coetzee et al., n.d.). Moreover, Elizabeth recommends for a similar factor that is in accordance with other animals. Even though this is a considerable suggestion, she does not indicate in this part of the novella what this factor may be. Elizabeth emphasizes that men ought to put into consideration the likelihood that something like can occur. In addition, people need to develop more sympathy instead of reasoning thus this will enable them to identify the status of the morals of fellow creatures, their rights, needs and code of conduct around them. This will allow mutual understanding because one will develop empathy.

The Poets and the Animals

When it comes to the second part of the book, which is called The Poets and the Animals, Elizabeth decides to be more specific. This further leads her to address the feelings of the fullness of being, the embodiment, and immediacy of the being as the elements that animals and people have in common (Leist & Singer, 2010). Furthermore, these elements can be tools for fair discrimination among living things. Elizabeth is convinced that these feelings can be found in literature especially in poetry. This is because, in order to make an aesthetic or artistic effect, feelings have to be present in order to bring them to human consciousness. In addition, literature provides insight on how other non-human creatures explore the world through partaking in it thus making the discovery that there is not much difference between their survival tactics. This will lead to human beings valuing the lives of animals. She believes in sympathetic imagination.

Shortcomings of Elizabeth Costello’s Arguments

Nonetheless, there are shortcomings when it comes to Elizabeth Costello’s exaltation of sympathetic imagination and her disapproval of reason. Even though she urges people to forsake the act of correlating men and non-humans, she contradicts them all the time. Her principal altercation is on the basis of a similar comparison. Even though she is of the opinion that reason should be rejected as a main point of reference, her mode of speech is evidently from a Western position or from an Anglo-Saxon one. In either one of the modes of speech, reason is given priority as the main faculty. Thirdly, when it comes to the sympathetic imagination, which is promoted through literature, it is impelled by intellectual effort. Intellectual effort is the attempt to analyze, read and reflect upon literature. Lastly, it is evident that Elizabeth repudiates herself in that she desires to abolish reason but there is only one way in which she can do it and that is by making use of reason.

An Allegorical Nature of Storytelling

In addition, there are various observations in Costello’s storytelling. Once she shares a story, what she narrates is not considered literally for example, as a thing in itself. The reason being it is a story of such a thing, Furthermore, the actual truth is not usually contained in the story; it is merely a representation thus making it allegorical. This means that the meaning is deferred. Second, this reasoning insinuates that Coetzee’s story of Elizabeth Costello, the lives of animals, and anything that he asserts in it cannot be considered literally either. In as much as he seems to be conscious of that, he allows his own characters to enfeeble his notions, which are expressed vocally via the mouthpiece of Elizabeth Costello. In this particular way, he blurs the confines intermediate to fiction and non-fiction thus making it less obvious. The reader is no longer certain with the novelist’s purpose, what his notions and which notions he belittles. He clearly teases the reader by presenting parts of non-fiction reality into fiction to the extent that the allegorizing purpose of fiction enfeebles the factuality of non-fiction. Third, Coetzee’s play with words causes the reader to comprehend that it is impossible to religiously reflect reality in literature since literature invariably allegorical. This means that it does not give an account of reality objectively.

Works Cited

Coetzee, J. (2004). Elizabeth Costello (1st ed.). London: Vintage.

Coetzee, J., Gutmann, A., Garber, M., Singer, P., Doniger, W., & Smuts, B. The lives of animals (1st ed.).

Leist, A. & Singer, P. (2010). J.M. Coetzee and ethics (1st ed.). New York: Columbia University Press.