Ecological Consciousness Regarding Human-Animal Relationship in Randall Jarrell's The Animal Family

Abstract

Jarrell's views towardsworld's organismrest on the positive, as well as the negative aspects of human beings in relation to animals.Humans as the creatures of higherlineand animals as the creatures oflowerlineis a thinking of human chauvinism. So, Jarrell tries his best to breakdown this view of human in order to bring arelation of balancebetween humansand animals. He puts forward his attention on friendliness, togetherness, connectedness, interdependence, and peace and harmony between and among the human and animal characters of the novel. Taming animals for the betterment of both human and animal can be seen from a good eye, but taming the animals only for humans' benefit cannot be acceptable. Jarrell has this view towards human and animal implicit within him as an ecological consciousness.