The Modernist Anthropocene explores how modernist writers responded to planetary conditions and emergent ideas about nonhuman life, environmental change, and the human species, using ecocritical analysis, posthumanist theory, archival research, and environmental history. It argues that the early twentieth century is pivotal in our understanding of the Anthropocene as a planetary epoch and a critical concept, positioning James Joyce, Djuna Barnes, and Virginia Woolf as theorists of the modernist Anthropocene.

Format: Hardback
Length: 252 pages
Publication date: 31 May 2022
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

The Modernist Anthropocene is a study of how modernist writers responded to rapidly changing planetary conditions and emergent ideas about nonhuman life, environmental change, and the human species. It draws on ecocritical analysis, posthumanist theory, archival research, and environmental history to resituate key works of modernist fiction within the ecological moment of the early twentieth century. The author argues that the early twentieth century is pivotal in our understanding of the Anthropocene as both a planetary epoch and a critical concept. He positions James Joyce, Djuna Barnes, and Virginia Woolf as theorists of the modernist Anthropocene, showing how their oeuvres are shaped by and actively respond to changing ideas about the nonhuman that continue to reverberate today.

The Modernist Anthropocene: Exploring New Ways of Responding to Planetary Conditions and Emergent Ideas about Nonhuman Life, Environmental Change, and the Human Species

The Modernist Anthropocene is a groundbreaking study that examines how modernist writers responded to rapidly changing planetary conditions and emergent ideas about nonhuman life, environmental change, and the human species. Drawing on ecocritical analysis, posthumanist theory, archival research, and environmental history, the book resituates key works of modernist fiction within the ecological moment of the early twentieth century, a period in which new configurations of the relationship between human life and the natural world were migrating between the sciences, philosophy, and literary culture. The author makes the case that the early twentieth century is pivotal in our understanding of the Anthropocene both as a planetary epoch and a critical concept. In doing so, he positions James Joyce, Djuna Barnes, and Virginia Woolf as theorists of the modernist Anthropocene, showing how their oeuvres are shaped by and actively respond to changing ideas about the nonhuman that continue to reverberate today.

Exploring the Ecological Moment of the Early Twentieth Century

The Modernist Anthropocene begins by exploring the ecological moment of the early twentieth century. This period was marked by significant changes in the relationship between human life and the natural world, as well as the emergence of new ideas about nonhuman life and the environment. The author argues that the early twentieth century is pivotal in our understanding of the Anthropocene as both a planetary epoch and a critical concept. He suggests that the early twentieth century is a turning point in our understanding of the relationship between human life and the natural world, and that it is essential to understand this period in order to understand the Anthropocene as a whole.

James Joyce, Djuna Barnes, and Virginia Woolf as Theorists of the Modernist Anthropocene

The Modernist Anthropocene positions James Joyce, Djuna Barnes, and Virginia Woolf as theorists of the modernist Anthropocene. The author argues that these writers were deeply influenced by the ecological moment of the early twentieth century and that their oeuvres are shaped by and actively respond to changing ideas about the nonhuman. Joyce's "Ulysses" is a prime example of this, as it explores the relationship between human life and the natural world through the lens of a modernist hero who is forced to confront his own mortality and the fragility of the natural world. Barnes's "Nightwood" is another example, as it explores the relationship between women and the natural world through the lens of a feminist perspective. Woolf's "To the Lighthouse" is a third example, as it explores the relationship between human consciousness and the natural world through the lens of a stream-of-consciousness narrative.

Changing Ideas about the Nonhuman and Their Impact on Modernist Fiction

The Modernist Anthropocene explores how changing ideas about the nonhuman have impacted modernist fiction. The author argues that the early twentieth century is a pivotal moment in this regard, as it was during this period that new configurations of the relationship between human life and the natural world were migrating between the sciences, philosophy, and literary culture. This migration of ideas had a significant impact on modernist fiction, as it led to the development of new literary genres and styles that were more attuned to the ecological moment of the early twentieth century. The author provides examples of how these new literary genres and styles have been used to explore the relationship between human life and the natural world, including the use of nature writing, environmental fiction, and posthumanist fiction.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Modernist Anthropocene is a groundbreaking study that examines how modernist writers responded to rapidly changing planetary conditions and emergent ideas about nonhuman life, environmental change, and the human species. Drawing on ecocritical analysis, posthumanist theory, archival research, and environmental history, the book resituates key works of modernist fiction within the ecological moment of the early twentieth century, a period in which new configurations of the relationship between human life and the natural world were migrating between the sciences, philosophy, and literary culture. The author makes the case that the early twentieth century is pivotal in our understanding of the Anthropocene both as a planetary epoch and a critical concept. In doing so, he positions James Joyce, Djuna Barnes, and Virginia Woolf as theorists of the modernist Anthropocene, showing how their oeuvres are shaped by and actively respond to changing ideas about the nonhuman that continue to reverberate today.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474481960