50 pages 1 hour read

J. M. Coetzee

The Lives of Animals

Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 1999

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Essay Topics

1.

Examine the relationship between Elizabeth and Norma. How do they interact with each other? How do they view each other? Why do they not get along?

2.

Analyze The Lives of Animals as an allegory. How do the scenes of the text function differently when read as an allegory for the importance of literature? What is the relationship between humans and animals an allegory for?

3.

Discuss the analogy between the Holocaust and animal cruelty. Is it an accurate analogy? Why or why not? Does this analogy have any basis in the novel’s themes, literary allusions, or symbols and motifs?

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