Creaturely Forms in Contemporary Literature: Narrating the War Against Animals

Literature can help us rethink human-animal relations by challenging the fictions of human supremacy and crafting alternative, creaturely forms of relation. Dominic OKey's Creaturely Forms in Contemporary Literature argues for a new formalism in light of our obligation to fellow creatures.

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 13 January 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

We are living through a period of planetary crisis, a time in which the mass production and consumption of some animals is made possible by the mass extinction of many others. What is the role of literature in responding to this war against animals? How might literary criticism read for animals?

Dominic OKey's book "Creaturely Forms in Contemporary Literature" offers a bold argument that deep attention to literary form enables us to rethink human-animal relations. Through chapters on W. G. Sebald, J. M. Coetzee, and Mahasweta Devi, as well as close readings of works by Arundhati Roy and Richard Powers, OKey reveals how literary forms can unsettle the fictions of human supremacy and craft alternative, creaturely forms of relation. An intervention into both the humanism of literary theory and the representational focus of animal studies, this provocative work makes the case for a new formalism in light of our obligation to fellow creatures.

OKey begins by examining the ways in which literature has traditionally represented animals. He argues that traditional literary forms, such as realism and naturalism, have often perpetuated the idea that animals are inferior to humans and that their lives are merely a means to human ends. However, OKey suggests that literary forms can be used to challenge these assumptions and create a more nuanced and complex understanding of animal life.

One of the key ways in which OKey achieves this is through the use of metaphor. Metaphors can help us to see animals in new ways and to understand their experiences and emotions. For example, OKey uses the metaphor of the "animal kingdom" to describe the interconnectedness of all living things and to highlight the fact that animals are not just passive objects but active participants in the world.

Another way in which OKey uses literary forms to challenge human-animal relations is through the use of narrative. Narrative can help us to understand the experiences of animals and to empathize with them. OKey uses the example of the novel "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy to illustrate how narrative can create a sense of urgency and vulnerability in the reader and how it can help us to understand the human-animal relationship in a new way.

OKey also argues that literary forms can be used to create a sense of wonder and awe in the reader. He uses the example of the poem "The Tiger" by William Blake to illustrate how poetry can create a sense of wonder and awe in the reader and how it can help us to see animals in a new light.

However, OKey also acknowledges that literature can also be used to perpetuate harmful attitudes towards animals. He uses the example of the novel "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins to illustrate how literature can create a sense of excitement and violence around animal consumption and how it can contribute to the perpetuation of animal exploitation.

To address these issues, OKey suggests that literary criticism should be read for animals. He argues that literary criticism can help us to understand the ways in which literature represents animals and to identify the ways in which it perpetuates harmful attitudes towards animals.

One of the key ways in which literary criticism can be read for animals is through the use of animal studies. Animal studies is a interdisciplinary field that examines the relationship between humans and animals and the ways in which animals are used and exploited. Animal studies can help us to understand the ways in which literature represents animals and to identify the ways in which it perpetuates harmful attitudes towards animals.

Another way in which literary criticism can be read for animals is through the use of ethical analysis. Ethical analysis can help us to understand the moral implications of animal exploitation and to identify the ways in which literature can contribute to the perpetuation of animal exploitation.

In conclusion, Dominic OKey's book "Creaturely Forms in Contemporary Literature" offers a bold argument that deep attention to literary form enables us to rethink human-animal relations. Through chapters on W. G. Sebald, J. M. Coetzee, and Mahasweta Devi, as well as close readings of works by Arundhati Roy and Richard Powers, OKey reveals how literary forms can unsettle the fictions of human supremacy and craft alternative, creaturely forms of relation. An intervention into both the humanism of literary theory and the representational focus of animal studies, this provocative work makes the case for a new formalism in light of our obligation to fellow creatures.

Weight: 464g
Dimension: 163 x 241 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350189621