We the Animals discussion

When I first started reading We The Animals by Justin Torres, I was confused. Right from the start, the reader is thrown into the story with no background. I initially thought the boys were actual animals, wolves maybe. Once I began reading though, I could see that even though the brothers were boys, they lived and behaved like animals—like savages. Justin Torres does a wonderful job at creating these characters: 3 brothers who would literally fight for each other, pick on each other and stick together. The message of camaraderie is clear as we see the boys protecting one another and even speaking as one unit.

In my opinion the use of brotherhood in this novel was to show how even though you feel like you’re one of the pack, you can still feel alone. As we learn throughout the novel, the narrator who is never named, starts feeling very different from his brothers as the years go on. He doesn’t understand why but he knows that he is not like them. He wants to be part of the brotherhood but seems to always point out their differences. It isn’t until the end that we find out who he truly is.

Another message that was clear in this novel was domestic violence and how it is passed down through generations. Beginning the book as a reader, you don’t think twice when you hear about bruises after coming from the dentist, but as a victim of domestic violence it is easy to think twice about those kinds of injuries and be skeptical to what is offered as the truth. As we read on, we can see that domestic violence is very present and very accepted. The boys hurt each other and eventually are able to put their hands on their own mother and no one stops them. The inclusion of this violence and the kids starting the pattern at such young ages makes the novel very emotional and relatable. Torres uses this as a tool to try to get readers to think about things twice and analyze what is really going on. Just like in real life, things seem one way but really happen differently.

This novel was short but very to the point and full of information. I would recommend reading it once to get the information and then again to really open your eyes and mind to what could really be going on.