Animals

Jake encounters many animals throughout the novel. Some of these are friendly to her, some are neutral, but most seem to be wary if not outright antagonistic. In most instances, animals seem to represent a sense of guilt for Jake, who often ends up inadvertently hurting or even killing them. This is particularly grievous to her, since animals often are associated as innocent creatures that aren't responsible for what happens to them.

Some of these animals that Jake kills include Kelly, the guard dog that Otto uses to keep her trapped in his homestead. In Jake's haste to escape, she ends up accidentally backing up over Kelly and killing her. As she continues to drive away, she also hits a kangaroo while traveling down the highway, and has to stop to finish it off. When Jake sets the fire to her town, she sees several birds...