Of all the motifs in the novel, one of the most meaningful is the regular presence of animals. One of the most important figures in Robert’s life is Rowena, who is inextricably linked to animals. She and Robert share happy memories of riding a horse together and defying her disability. Her rabbits were her indulgence; she cared for the rabbits despite her family’s indifference to them. When she dies, Mrs. Ross immediately decides that the rabbits should be killed. They no longer have a reason for being alive, in her view, without Rowena to care for them. Robert instead sees the rabbits as representative of Rowena’s innocence and purity. To kill them would sever one of the few connections he has to his dead sister and the hope that individuals can do good things for each other and enjoy small blessings in life with simplicity. When they are inevitably killed, Robert leaves for the war the next day.

While in Europe, Robert meets another person to whom animals are very important. Rodwell is an illustrator; he draws animals for the purpose of placing them into children’s books. This has imbued him with a great appreciation for animals. He has scoured the battlefield and has collected together the injured animals that he finds.