Climate Literacy in Education

Friends or Tools?

The Duality of Horses in Shaun Tan’s Tales from the Inner City

Martyna Obodyńska

Keywords: horses, art, animal suffering, wit(h)nessing

Abstract

This article explores the complex relationship between humans and horses in Shaun Tan’s short story about horses included in Tales from the Inner City, focusing on the blurred line between viewing animals as tools or as companions. The article highlights how Tan evokes empathy by presenting the horses’ historical suffering through a non-verbal, emotional connection. The concept of "wit(h)nessing," introduced by Bracha Ettinger, is used to frame the child's role—not as a passive observer, but as someone who shares and acknowledges the horses’ suffering. To deepen this engagement, the article presents my poetic response to the story and discusses their personal experiences with horses, illustrating how direct interaction with animal suffering can inspire artistic expression and emotional growth. Real-life examples emphasize the importance of acknowledging animal pain as the first step toward compassion and change. Finally, the article argues for the pedagogical value of integrating creative practices into education to nurture empathy towards animals, which may enable humans to move beyond instrumental views of animals and embrace relationships based on empathy, respect, and mutual presence.