Drawing on Donna Haraway’s “companion species” theory and Laurie Shannon’s concept of “the domesticated animal as political subject,” this paper analyzes three recurring narrative frames in romantic animal story collections:
In romantic fiction, animal companions are used strategically by authors to enrich the plot and character development:
As Elena searched for her book, Julian helped, Thimble occasionally batting at his stray curls. Barnaby, usually a chaotic ball of energy, sat perfectly still at Julian’s feet, resting his heavy chin on the man’s boot. "He’s a good judge of character," Elena noted, surprised.
