Pax

How important is it to follow one’s assigned duty? What does duty mean in the wake of what’s right and what’s wrong? Is it more important to follow your heart?

How deeply connected do you think human beings really are to animals and the environment? Can they live side by side? Do human beings have a responsibility to protect animals and the environment? What will happen if they don’t?

Why do you think Sarah Pennypacker never gives her readers specific details about the war in Pax? Why do we never get any information about the two sides who are fighting? How does this creative choice shape the story?

How does Pax’s character change and grow over the course of the novel? What qualities does he have to master out in the woods in order to survive? How do the other foxes challenge his sense of self and force him to evolve? In what ways does he stay the same?

In what ways does the story of Sinbad and the Roc parallel the experiences Peter shares with Vola?

Peter carries his mother’s bracelet with him at all times to remember her and her love of the phoenix which Peter associates with rebirth. How does the theme of rebirth play out throughout the novel? Which characters are reborn?

In what ways does “Two but not two” (better known as the Buddhist concept of non-duality or oneness) work throughout the novel? How do the characters experience it, and how does Pennypacker thread this motif into the characters’ lived experiences?

Peter remembers the tragic death of a baby rabbit in his mother’s garden. How do you think this experience changed Peter? Do you think this episode served as impetus for Peter to go and rescue Pax? If yes, why? Lastly, how does the death of Peter’s mother work on his psyche throughout the story, affecting his choices and decisions?