Other Nations: Representations of Animals and the Anthropocene in the works of Michelle de Kretser

Abstract

This doctoral thesis investigates the emergence of a sub-genre of literary fiction centred on the experiences of humans and nonhuman animals in the Anthropocene, contending that the proliferation of these texts reflects a heightened literary engagement with the challenges and anxieties of life on a warming planet. This analysis is framed by Michelle de Kretser's representations of contemporary life in her novels The Life to Come (2017) and The Lost Dog (2007), giving particular attention to de Kretser’s representation of non-human animals and arguing that animals can be depicted authentically and empathically in fiction. This study considers how literature enables us to navigate the concerns of anthropogenic climate change both as readers and writers, particularly in regard to thinking through individual culpability and privilege, and aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of Anthropocene fiction and its implications for contemporary literature and society.