Animals are stylized characters in a kind of old saga --stylized because even the most acute of them have little leeway as they play out their parts.
Source: Dogs and the Tug of Life, in Harper's (New York, Feb. 1975; repr. in Heart's Desire, 1988).
-- Edward Hoagland, (Dec 21 1932-____), US novelist, essayist, nature writer; He frequently writes about animals including lions, turtles and snakes.