We The Animals

We The Animals is the 2011 debut novel by Justin Torres. The novel tells the story of three brothers living in upstate New York, and it’s narrated in the first person by the youngest brother, who goes unnamed. In this summary, he will be called, “the narrator.” The novel’s structure comprises 19 vignettes that function as windows onto the lives of the brothers and their family. This study guide uses the 2011 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Edition of the text. Please note: The text contains instances of physical, sexual, and mental abuse.

Plot Summary

The first chapter, “We Wanted More,” underscores the titular theme. The boys—Manny, Joel, and the narrator—are hungry, destructive little animals who will stop at nothing to get the things they need and want. The chapter suggests that they are modeling their behavior after their father, Paps, who is a brutal, muscular beast himself, a dealer of spankings and other, worse punishments. Ma was 14 when she had Manny and Paps was 16. If the narrator is now 7, that makes his parents 21 and 23. The ensuing chapters provide an introduction of sorts, outlining ideas of birth and growth.