Fictional animals constitute a unique literary device to let familiar things appear in a new light. Yet despite the fact that a number of dystopian texts utilise animals to convey manifold criticism, very little scholarly attention has been paid to this. The present research paper discusses the varied effects and overall significance of animal ‘Others’ in eight relevant dystopias from late Victorianism to Postmodernism in consideration of Edward Said’s ‘Otherness’. The results reveal that dystopian animal ‘Others’ represent a powerful tool to convey manifold social criticism. Moreover, most of the selected literature deconstructs animal ‘Otherness’ by jeopardising the otherwise generally unquestioned Western animal-human paradigm. This effect intensifies the dystopian impulse and, even more importantly, potentially sparks off a thought process that exposes the pejorative mechanisms underlying non-fictional ‘Others’. While real-life social out-groups may benefit from the emancipatory analogy, anthropological self-criticism by questioning one’s own judgmental authority appears to be even more significant.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction: The Animal-Human Paradigm and Dystopian Literature
2. The Theoretical Concept of the ‘Other’
3. The Depiction of Animals in Relevant Dystopias against the Backdrop of the ‘Other’
3.1 Animals within the Naturalistic Register
3.2 Animals as Dramatis Personae
3.3 Animal-Human Inversion
4. Principal Effects of Utilising Animals in Dystopian Literature
4.1 Questioning the Animal-Human Dichotomy
4.2 Emphasising Inherent Human Vices
4.2.1 Evil Human Nature
4.2.2 Selfishness
4.3 Questioning Human Culture and Society
4.3.1 General Societal Criticism
4.3.2 Animal Experiments and Abusive Animal Treatment
4.3.3 Politics
4.3.4 Exploitation and Racism
4.3.5 Religion
4.3.6 Anti-Utopian Criticism
5. Conclusion: About the Overall Significance of Dystopian Animal ‘Others’
6. Works Cited
Objectives & Core Themes
This thesis examines the varied effects and significance of animal "Others" in eight relevant dystopian literary works from the late Victorian period to postmodernism. By applying Edward Said’s critical concept of "Otherness," the study explores how authors utilize animal representations to deconstruct the Western animal-human paradigm, ultimately questioning human society and criticizing moral and political failings.
- The intersection of animal representation and the critical approach of "Otherness."
- Deconstruction of the Western animal-human dichotomy in dystopian fiction.
- Social criticism, including themes of totalitarianism, selfishness, and exploitation.
- The use of "defamiliarization" as a literary device to spark anthropological self-reflection.
Extract from the Book
3.1 Animals within the Naturalistic Register
Utilisation of animals within the naturalistic register renders literary effects least overt and functions for the most part on a traditional symbolic and allegorical level as applies to Lord of the Flies, The Old Men at the Zoo and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. Golding’s novel, to begin with, places a stranded group of schoolboys on a small, deserted island in the Pacific. Here they have to organise themselves while awaiting rescue, but most of them gradually fall into savagery, almost prompting their total extinction had not a ‘deus ex machina’ in the shape of a naval officer saved the remaining survivors at the last minute.
Albeit not too frequently, some living animals inhabiting the island are mentioned from the outset and throughout the narration - “… a bird, a vision of red and yellow, flashed upwards with a witch-like cry; and this cry was echoed by another” (Golding 1) - most prominently, however, pigs. Pigs occupy the wooded centre of the island whereas the boys dwell on the beach. Golding thus establishes a division of space. Man’s supremacy becomes soon manifest when the choirboys around their leader and antihero Jack Merridew begin to hunt pigs for want of meat even within the first chapter (35). Hunting pigs is what constitutes the boys’ dominion over animals and consequently instates the common animal-human paradigm, a notion not subjected to change during the course of the plot - at least not on a shallow level of meaning.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The Animal-Human Paradigm and Dystopian Literature: Establishes the dichotomy between humans and animals in Western thought and introduces the relevance of dystopian literature as a platform for social critique.
2. The Theoretical Concept of the ‘Other’: Explains Edward Said’s anti-essentialist notion of identity and the discursive process of ‘Othering’ used to construct social hierarchies.
3. The Depiction of Animals in Relevant Dystopias against the Backdrop of the ‘Other’: Categorizes animal representation into naturalistic, allegorical, and inverted roles within various key texts.
4. Principal Effects of Utilising Animals in Dystopian Literature: Analyzes how the animal ‘Other’ serves to deconstruct the animal-human dichotomy, expose human vices, and criticize social and political systems.
5. Conclusion: About the Overall Significance of Dystopian Animal ‘Others’: Summarizes how dystopian animal representations offer a unique tool for deconstructing biased worldviews and fostering anthropological self-criticism.
6. Works Cited: A comprehensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources used in the research.
Keywords
Dystopian Literature, Animal Studies, Otherness, Othering, Human-Animal Dichotomy, Defamiliarization, Social Criticism, Anthropocentrism, Totalitarianism, Postmodernism, Literary Analysis, Speciesism, Identity Construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this research paper primarily about?
This thesis explores the symbolic and thematic significance of animal representations in eight dystopian novels, examining how they are used to challenge the perceived boundaries between humans and animals.
What are the central thematic fields covered in this study?
The study focuses on the intersection of human and animal identity, social criticism, the ethics of animal treatment, and the political implications of power dynamics as presented in dystopian fiction.
What is the primary goal of this research?
The primary goal is to analyze how the inclusion of animal "Others" functions as a tool for "defamiliarization," helping readers look at societal ills and human nature from an outside, critical perspective.
Which scientific or theoretical framework is utilized?
The paper primarily employs Edward Said’s theoretical framework of "Otherness" to interpret the discursive construction of identity and the power dynamics between in-groups and out-groups.
What core topics are examined in the main section of the paper?
The main section investigates the depiction of animals through the "naturalistic," "dramatis personae," and "inversion" registers, and discusses their roles in highlighting human selfishness, totalitarianism, and institutionalized abuse.
Which specific keywords define this scholarly work?
Key terms include "Othering," "Animal-Human Paradigm," "Dystopian Literature," "Defamiliarization," and "Social Criticism," among others.
How does the author characterize the role of pigs in Golding’s "Lord of the Flies"?
The author notes that pigs serve as symbols of "natural innocence" that highlight the boys' eventual descent into savagery, where the "Lord of the Flies" itself becomes an emblem of human sadistic cruelty rather than animal nature.
What is the significance of the "chimpanzee parallel world" in Will Self’s "Great Apes"?
The author argues that the inversion of the human-ape hierarchy in "Great Apes" forces a constant renegotiation of perceptions, effectively unmasking anthropocentrism as an arbitrary and potentially biased construct.
- Quote paper
- Ulrich Schaeffer (Author), 2013, From Beast Folk to Great Apes. About the Significance of Animal Others in Dystopian Literature, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/288707
