50 pages 1 hour read

J. M. Coetzee

The Lives of Animals

Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 1999

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Key FiguresCharacter Analysis

Marjorie Garber

Marjorie Garber is a renowned professor at Harvard University, where she teaches English and Visual and Environmental Studies. Garber is also an author and editor. She has written on diverse subjects including Shakespeare, gender and sexuality, and literary studies. Her professional achievements also include holding both national and international offices, and she holds a membership with the American Philosophical society.

As a respected Professor of English and author, Garber offers a strong literary analysis of The Life of Animals. She explores the novella’s use of figurative language and focuses on the implicit meaning of the text rather than the literal message of animal rights. Her essay carries a strong academic tone that reflects her background in literary analysis, writing, and teaching.

Peter Singer

Peter Singer is a professor, author, editor, and the founder of an organization—The Life You Can Save—geared toward educating people about extreme poverty. He is a prominent activist for animal rights and against poverty, and he adopted a vegetarian diet in the 1970s. He has worked on more than 50 books, either as an author/co-author or editor/co-editor, and his notable works include Animal Liberation (1975), Rethinking Life and Death (1995), The Ethics of What We Eat (2007), and The Live You Can Save (2009).