Vol-10,Issue-6,November - December 2025

Author: Noor Muhammad, Dr. Rafiq Nawab, Muhammad Ramzan

Keywords: Animals studies, Zoocriticism, Anthropocentricism, Man-animal relationship, Animal agency, Ethical delimmas.

Abstract: This study scrutinizes Paulo Coelho’s novel The Alchemist (1988) from a zoocritical perspective. It focuses on themes such as man-animal relationships, interconnections, interdependence, mutual understanding, and moral and ethical problems related to animals. The man-animal relationship is one of the most important relations in the world, they are connected in different ways, and can impact each other lives to a great extent. They rely on each other for their coexistence in the ecosystem to keep the balance of the ecosphere. Furthermore, it investigates the violation of animal rights and delves into the moral and ethical considerations of animals because animals are considered inferior to human beings. By applying a qualitative method for the analysis of man-animal relationships in the novel. This study reexamines The Alchemist from the perspective of animal studies, adding to the expanding field of zoocriticism. It draws attention to the ways that literature both challenges and upholds prevailing narratives about nonhuman life, providing fresh perspectives on the moral implications of storytelling. This study ultimately promotes a more sophisticated interpretation of animal representation in literature. Using Huggan & Tiffin, work as a theoretical framework interpret how the man-animal relationship is important and how often human considers animals as others in the ecosystem. This study presents the contribution of literary fiction and the impacts of literature on the representation of animals, challenges and advocates for animal rights.

Article Info: Received: 01 Oct 2025; Received in revised form: 04 Nov 2025; Accepted: 08 Nov 2025; Available online: 12 Nov 2025

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.106.7

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Page No: 041-049

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