War Horse

One recurring motif in War Horse is Albert’s special call for Joey: his owl whistle. Albert uses this whistle to summon Joey to him, and it is first introduced at the very beginning of the novel. Joey recalls, “[h]is whistle imitated the stuttering call of an owl—it was a call I never refuse and I would never forget” (8). Joey’s response to the owl whistle throughout the novel proves his loyalty to Albert and is further evidence of the animal-human bond prevalent in the book. The whistle is something uniquely shared between the horse and his master. While there is a great deal of love between Joey and his other various owners throughout the book, there is never so much loyalty and understanding between them as between Joey and Albert.

The whistle is what eventually convinces Albert that Joey is his very own. When he and David clean Joey off after he’s been trapped in no-man’s-land, Albert is hesitant to hope that the horse with four white socks, a red coat, black tail and mane, and a cross on his forehead is the horse he loves so well. What finally proves it is when Albert “turn[s] and walk[s] away to the gateway before facing [Joey], cupping his hands to his lips and whistling” (130).