More-than-human voices: Animal subjectivity and ecocritical empathy as seen in Sara Pennypecker’s Pax

Abstract

This study examines the representation of animal subjectivity and the construction of ecocritical empathy in contemporary children’s literature through Pax (2016) novel. The study is motivated by the increasing scholarly recognition that literary narratives can shape children's ecological consciousness by challenging anthropocentric perspectives and promoting ethical engagement with nonhuman beings Drawing on Greg Garrard’s ecocriticism and posthumanism frameworks, the research explores how narrative strategies—particularly the dual perspectives between human and nonhuman characters—challenge anthropocentric worldviews and foster ethical awareness toward the more-than-human world. The study focuses on how the novel presents animals not merely as supporting figures or symbols of human emotion, but as conscious beings capable of thought, emotion, memory, and agency. Using a qualitative descriptive method, this research analyses dialogues, narration, and character interactions to identify representations of animal subjectivity and ecological interconnectedness within the novel. The analysis particularly examines Pax’s sensory experiences, emotional attachment, survival instincts, and relationship with Peter to reveal how the text constructs animal subjectivity. In addition, the study investigates how environmental destruction and war influence both human and nonhuman lives, emphasizing the ecological consequences of anthropocentric actions. The findings suggest that Pax destabilizes traditional boundaries between humans and animals by portraying animals as emotionally and cognitively complex beings with their own perspectives and experiences. Through Pax’s perspective, readers are encouraged to develop ecocritical empathy toward nonhuman life. The study highlights children’s literature as a means of fostering environmental awareness and ethical human–animal relationships.