Kensuke's Kingdom

Stella Artois functions as a symbol of The Essential Need for Friendship and Companionship. In the first chapter, the narrator describes Stella as a “one-ear-up and one-ear-down black-and-white sheepdog, who always seem[s] to know what [is] about to happen before it [does]” (5). Stella’s prescience provides foreshadowing, such as when her immediate attachment to Kensuke indicates that he will be a good friend to Michael. 

During their time on the Peggy Sue, the sheepdog is the family’s “greatest comfort” as they endure storms, sickness, and other stressors, establishing Michael’s love for animals and laying the groundwork for the bond he develops with the orangutans on the island (15). Structurally, Stella leads to a major turning point in the story because Michael falls overboard and comes to live on the island with Kensuke after trying to keep her safe during a storm. During Michael’s first weeks on the island, Stella’s ebullient company breaks up the monotony and misery of the boy’s isolation. Later, she is a steadfast presence for Michael and Kensuke through joyful experiences like the soccer game and fearful moments like hiding as poachers prowl across the island. At the end of the story, Stella doesn’t “come at once” when Michael has to leave Kensuke (94).