Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

The Art of Perspective: Writing From an Animal’s Point of View

In this activity, students will write a personal essay with an animal narrator, written to emulate the perspective, style, and themes in The Art of Racing in the Rain

Throughout The Art of Racing in the Rain, the reader sees Denny and the world from Enzo’s unique point of view. At the outset of the book, the reader quickly learns that Enzo is smart and thoughtful and that his worldview includes reincarnation. Enzo is prepared to depart this life because he believes he will be brought back as a human being.

In this exercise, you will reflect upon a relationship you’ve had with an animal—perhaps a family pet, like Enzo, or maybe an animal that’s a fixture in your neighborhood. You may even choose a fictional animal. Then, you will compose a personal essay, that touches upon the larger themes in The Art of Racing in the Rain:

• Reflect on an animal. Select an animal to be the narrator of your essay. Spend time thinking about how that animal views the world, and how you interact with this animal.
• Reflect on a moment in your life. The themes of The Art of Racing in the Rain relate to some big questions in life: What does it mean to die? What does it mean to be loyal? Consider the book’s themes and think about how they relate to your own life. Pick one moment in your life that touches upon these themes and use that as the focus of your essay.
• And now—write! Finally, as with The Art of Racing in the Rain, write from the first-person perspective of your chosen animal, as they bear witness to the moment you’ve chosen to focus on. Be sure to give a unique personality—and feelings—to the animal of your choosing.

When you’ve completed your essay, discuss as a class: Which animal did you choose to write about? Did reflecting on the situation from their perspective allow you to see the situation differently?

Teaching Suggestion: Encourage students to take a poetic license with this assignment: The animal of their choice need not have been a witness to whatever moment they selected to write about. For students needing some guidance on how to compose short stories, you may want to have them read the essay “How to Write a Short Story in 5 Steps: Writing Tips for Great Story Ideas” from MasterClass. Students may also want to look to other stories, A Wolf Called Wander for instance, to help them come up with ideas for writing from an animal’s point of view; if so, encourage them to check out this list of other Stories Told from the POV of Animals, compiled by the Oakville Public Library.

Differentiation Suggestion: For advanced classes, you may want to consider having students add a scientific element to their story by having them research the biology of their animal of choice. As inspiration, have them review Chapter 7 of the book, which is when Enzo first notices a bad smell coming from Eve’s head; this is the sort of biological detail that they will want to add to their essay.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. The title—The Art of Racing in the Rain—alludes to deeper themes in the book.

• What, exactly, is the “art of racing in the rain” and how is it connected to racing? (topic sentence)
• What are some examples from the text where Denny’s racing philosophy is seen as a metaphor for life’s events? Provide no fewer than 3 examples.
• In your conclusion, explore how unexpected challenges and the unpredictability of race car driving inform Denny’s view of The Philosophy of Racing, which parallels his philosophy on life, as well.

2. Eve has an important influence on the development of both Denny’s and Enzo’s characters.

• How does Eve’s relationship with Enzo and Denny change throughout the novel? (topic sentence)
• How does Eve’s illness reveal or change Enzo’s and Denny’s personalities?
• In your conclusion, describe how Eve’s death ultimately affects both Denny and Enzo and how her passing speaks to the overall themes of Death and Rebirth in the book.

3. Denny has numerous roles in the novel: race car driver, Enzo’s caretaker, and father.

• How does each of Denny’s relationships test his endurance? (topic sentence)
• What are 3 ways in the novel where Denny is tested?
• In your conclusion, connect how Denny’s experiences as a race car driver and The Philosophy of Racing have given him the ability to see issues through to the end.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Why did Stein choose to have Enzo narrate the book? What are the pros and cons of having him as the narrator? Consider how Enzo’s narration emphasizes The Bonds of Loyalty that exist between a dog and their owner.

2. Denny experiences two tragic losses in the book, first losing Eve to illness and then Enzo to old age. Compare Enzo’s death with Eve’s. How are they similar? Different? What role, if any, did Denny play in each? In your conclusion, assess how Eve and Enzo’s deaths both say something unique about the cycle of Death and Rebirth.

3. Control is important to Denny, whether that be as a race car driver driving in the rain or as a father trying to regain custody of his daughter. Describe one situation where he had control and one where he did not. What were the factors involved in each situation? In your conclusion, connect Denny’s view of The Philosophy of Racing to how he asserts or relinquishes control, depending on the situation.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following best paraphrases the reason why Enzo is ready to die?

A) He is emotionally unhappy with his life.

B) He is in a great deal of pain.

C) He wants to be reincarnated as a human.

D) He is excited to see the afterlife.

2. Which of the following statements best describes Enzo’s feelings about humanity at the end of the novel?

A) He no longer envies humans; he appreciates being a dog.

B) He no longer despises humans; he learns to love them.

C) He no longer thinks humans are funny; he treats them as deadly serious.

D) He no longer wants to be friends with humans; he would rather live among his own kind in the wild.

3. Which of the following best describes Enzo’s first reaction to Eve when the two meet in Chapter 4?

A) Wary

B) Thrilled

C) Indifferent

D) Confused

4. The book’s theme of The Philosophy of Racing asserts that racing is a metaphor for what?

A) The future

B) Life  

C) Consumerism

D) Capitalism

5. What is significant about Enzo’s presence at Zoe’s birth?

A) It teaches him to trust doctors.

B) It is when he first hears the phrase “good boy.”

C) It shows him the wonder of the miracle of life.

D) It is when Eve truly earns his loyalty.

6. Compared to Denny and Enzo, which of the following best describes how Eve feels about race car driving?

A) They find it to be prestigious; she finds it to be low-class.

B) They find it to be mysterious; she finds it to be obvious.

C) They find it to be exhilarating; she finds it to be toxic.

D) They find it to be engrossing; she finds it to be boring.

7. What is the correct order of events?

A) Enzo gets hit by a car; Zoe is born; Annika develops a crush on Denny.

B) Zoe is born; Enzo gets hit by a car; Annika develops a crush on Denny.

C) Annika develops a crush on Denny; Zoe is born; Enzo gets hit by a car.

D) Zoe is born; Annika develops a crush on Denny; Enzo gets hit by a car.

8. Which of the following symbols is most associated with Eve’s progressing illness?

A) Crows

B) Zebras

C) Money

D) Cars

9. When Zoe refuses to eat her chicken nuggets in Chapter 14, what does this make Enzo feel?

A) A sense of fear: He worries that she is not going to get the nutrition she needs.

B) A sense of empathy: He knows she’s unable to express her distaste.

C) A sense of envy: He wishes someone would offer him chicken nuggets.

D) A sense of parental duty: He wants to take care of her, so he tries to help her eat.

10. What adjective best characterizes Denny’s relationship with the Twins?

A) Flighty

B) Unbreakable

C) Hostile  

D) Neutral

11. Why does Enzo eat one of Maxwell’s hot peppers in Chapter 39?

A) As an act of self-harm

B) As an act of revenge

C) As an act of humility

D) As an act of goodwill

12. Throughout the book, money is used primarily to symbolize what?

A) Control  

B) Capitalism

C) Greed

D) Selflessness

13. Which of the following best describes Eve’s attitude as she approaches her death?

A) Confused

B) Fearful

C) Happy

D) Tranquil

14. For what car company does Denny get a 3-year commitment to work?

A) BWM

B) Ferrari

C) Mercedes

D) Porsche

15. Which of the following best encapsulates how Enzo feels just before he passes away in Chapter 58?

A) Unafraid

B) Eager

C) Wary

D) Terrified

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Particularly in Chapters 4-6, what is the larger symbolic reference of Denny’s love interest being named “Eve”?

2. How does the book’s Epilogue contribute to the book’s larger themes around Death and Rebirth?