Book Review: Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat
A subjective literary analysis of Owls in the Family.
Overview
adventurous, emotional, funny, informative, lighthearted
Pacing? Fast
Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Every child needs to have a pet. No one could argue with that.
But what happens when your pet is an owl, and your owl is terrorizing the neighbourhood?
In Farley Mowat’s exciting children’s story, a young boy’s pet menagerie — which includes crows, magpies, gophers and a dog — grows out of control with the addition of two cantankerous pet owls. The story of how Wol and Weeps turn the whole town upside down is warm, funny, and bursting with adventure and suspense.
Review (5/5 stars)
Owls in the Family set out to do something very simple, and it did it very well. The author paints a boyish and youthful picture of life in the Canadian prairies, with an interesting and heartfelt twist: the owls. I loved how most of the characters in this book were animals and not people. You can tell that Mowat had personal experience with raising owls and potentially other wild animals because of the detailed descriptions of how to catch them, and how they behave (often child-like and human-like).
Throughout the novel, there is a deep love for Saskatchewan, nature and wildlife. Reading through it reminded me of all the times I tried to interact with nature (or capture it) as a child. I was surprised at how much I actually learned from this book, and I’m now interested in reading more autobiographical works from Mowat.
I did find that while all the characters had a lot of unique personalities, there wasn’t a lot happening in the development department. Everyone stays exactly as they are, and the book almost feels like a snapshot. I don’t think this is a particularly bad thing, however. Again, it never felt like the story was trying to be anything more than what it was: a fun, lighthearted children’s book that explores what it would be like to have an owl as a pet, while simultaneously representing the culture of growing up in Saskatchewan.
I do also think the book shows its age with its language involving Indians and some of the actions taken. For example, the kids are looking to steal an owl for themselves, which in the first place isn’t a very moral thing to do. (But is a very kid thing to do and definitely aligns with Billy and Bruce’s characters.)
Character(s)
Something unique about this book was its characterization. Most of the characters were actually animals, and despite not being able to talk and not having actual thoughts written down on the page, they oozed personality.
Our main character is Billy, although I actually forgot his name and had to look it up, since the book is written in first person and I could only picture the author as the main character given its heavy inspiration from Mowat’s early childhood. Billy is boyish and always out having fun in nature with his animals. He is very kind and empathetic toward his animals and often thinks of them as people.
Bruce was a little lacking as a character, but he shared a lot of the same values as Billy involving nature and animals, which was probably why they were such good friends. The owls had lots of character, more so than even the humans: Wol was a fighter, a prankster, with a tender and lonely heart. Weeps was always weak, fragile and needy.
I will say that there was little to no character development. While all these different diverse characters shone in their own unique way, they never changed. I felt like I was reading a snapshot of them over one summer without ever seeing them grow.
Moral Argument
I think the moral argument for Owl’s in the Family was if you’re kind and respectful to nature and animals, if you let them be the way that they are and don’t try to control them, they will respect you in return and offer you true companionship.
A part of me does wish the story had taken a deeper dive into this, especially considering that Wol killed a neighbour’s cat. In the real world, there would be negative consequences to this, such as animal control arriving at your door and threatening to remove the owl.
But I don’t think that’s what this story was truly about. It wasn’t necessarily a discussion on wild animals being domesticated, or having to choose between the natural world and the human world; it was about companionship, something that was explored very effectively and lovingly in this novel.
Story World
The story takes place in the prairies in rural Saskatchewan, Canada. There were lots of references to Canadian culture there, such as a Chinook, which is a type of wind or storm from what I understand. The characters are often surrounded by nature and the elements.
Symbolic Development
I would say that the owls Wol and Weep are definitely the strongest symbols in the story. It’s a stretch, but you could say that they represent the fine line between captivity and companionship. Wol (the definite favourite of the two) was very outgoing and fun to be around, always causing interesting events. Wol could fly and was very much his own person.
Weep, on the other hand, was dependent on Billy from the day he brought him home. He never learned how to fly and was very reliant on the family. Weep could possibly symbolize the other side of the coin when domesticating wild animals. It opens up a discussion, at the very least.
Plot
Again, this whole book felt almost like a snapshot: it’s barely under 100 pages and takes place over a single summer, albeit a very meaningful summer to the main character. Despite nothing too crazy happening in the book and no major plot beats, I was very entertained while reading this. I loved the connection between Billy and his owls and it was very engaging watching their relationship develop into a bittersweet ending that most children can relate to.
The relationship between Billy and the owls was the primary plot, and I was just along for the ride.
Prose
Mowat’s prose is simple yet strangely detailed at the same time. It was very easy to picture everything and despite it being a children’s book, I didn’t feel “talked down to.” The writing was bursting with love for the prairies, the owls, the animals and nature itself.
Story Structure
Hero: Billy, although I’m also going to include Wol and Weep, because the story was really about them.
Weaknesses: I didn’t feel that Billy had any true weaknesses. I guess you could say that he cared a little too much about the owls, letting them consume his life.
Wol could be headstrong, stubborn, and quick to react negatively; Weep was very reserved, shy, and weak.
Psychological Need: Billy needed to find a life outside the owls. Wol needed to be more patient and understanding. Weep needed to believe in himself.
Moral Need: Billy needs to accept that the owls have negative and stressful situations in the human world. Wol needed to control his wild nature in order to live in society. Weep needed to overcome his shyness in order to live on his own.
Problem: A storm has caused the destruction of an owl nest, forcing Billy to take care of a baby owl.
Desire: He wants to have a pet owl.
Opponent(s): The ravens, the society/civilization, the bullies.
Plan: Billy will take the owl home and raise him with all his other wild pets.
Battle: There is a fight between Billy, Bruce and some bullies, but other than that there is no physical battle or battle of words.
Psychological Self-Revelation: Billy realizes the owls can’t come with him to the city.
Moral Self-Revelation: Billy realizes that it’s best to prioritize the health and safety of the owls over their companionship.
Moral Choice: Billy has to leave the owls behind with Bruce when his family moves to the big city in Ontario, so the owls will be happy. He has to choose between that companionship and what’s best for the owls.
New Equilibrium and World Change: Billy goes on to live in the city, and the owls stay behind with Bruce, missing him, but thriving. Billy hopes that one day he will see them again, but it is not confirmed or denied.
Notable Quotes
“There was Mutt, my dog — but he wasn’t a pet; he was one of the family.”
“Good-by, old owls. You look after each other. Someday, maybe, I’ll be back…”
Content Warnings
Graphic: N/A
Moderate: N/A
Minor: Animal death, Violence
