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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
WU Li-min
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DOI:10.17265/2159-5836/2025.07.001
Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China
Unlike traditional literature where animals are often portrayed allegorically as mere symbols, in Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley’s The Horses of Oak Valley Ranch series, the portrayal of horses underscores their distinct individuality and autonomy. Focusing on three novels in the series—A Good Horse, True Blue, and Pie in the Sky, this paper analyzes how Smiley crafts a narrative that resists anthropocentrism and validates the subjectivity of nonhuman animals. By examining the unique reactions of horses in various situations, such as their differing facial expressions before a jump, their various responses to feeding and grooming, and their individualistic moving behaviors, this study reveals how Smiley highlights the psychological and physical diversity within a single species. The horses’ individual traits are portrayed not as mere animal instinct but as conscious, intentional responses that signify their agency. Drawing on Marc Bekoff’s defense of animal individuality, Val Plumwood’s condemnation of anthropocentrism, and Cynthia Willett’s critique of speciesism, the paper argues that Smiley’s representation of equine individualistic behaviors is an affirmation of the inherent subjectivity of animals. Through these detailed descriptions, Smiley challenges the Cartesian notion of animals as mere automatons and encourages readers to recognize animals as complex individuals. Ultimately, this study emphasizes the significance of acknowledging animal subjectivity in fostering a more ethical and harmonious human-animal relationship.
animal subjectivity, individualistic behavior, anthropocentrism, nonhuman agency
Journal of Literature and Art Studies, July 2025, Vol. 15, No. 7, 521-525
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