How to Read Fishes: Science, Empathy, and Salar the Salmon

Abstract

Abstract Despite the interdisciplinarity of human-animal studies, there has been little research about the interactions between science and literature in relation to nonhuman animals. This paper explores the representation of Atlantic salmons (Salmo salar) and brown trouts (Salmo trutta) in Henry Williamson’s classic work of animal fiction, Salar the Salmon (1935). In particular, the analysis focuses on depictions of mental states and subjective experiences in fishes. This work offers the first animal-centric analysis of the text, while also addressing the marginalization of fishes in literary animal studies. The wider purpose is to identify the ways in which fiction can influence public perceptions and encourage empathy in readers. The ultimate aim is to improve our methods of communicating about fishes in both literature and science.