Notes for an econarratological theory of character
- Authors
- Type
- Published Article
- Journal
- Frontiers of Narrative Studies
- Publisher
- De Gruyter
- Publication Date
- Nov 22, 2018
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- s1
- Identifiers
- DOI: 10.1515/fns-2018-0037
- Source
- De Gruyter
- Keywords
- License
- Yellow
Abstract
Scientists and scholars in multiple fields have been discussing the current geological epoch under the heading of the “Anthropocene” – an era marked by the planetary impact of human activities (Crutzen and Stoermer 2000). The epistemological shift brought about by this notion exposes the latent anthropocentrism of narrative practices, raising a challenge taken up by narrative theorists such as Erin James (2015) and Alexa Weik von Mossner (2017) in the context of an “econarratology.” In this article, I examine the prime suspect for anthropocentrism in narrative – namely, the notion of character as intrinsically human-like. My point of departure is A. J. Greimas’s (1976) actantial model of narrative, which I revisit and revise in light of work in the field of ecolinguistics (Goatly 1996). I thus explore five strategies through which narrative may integrate nonhuman characters that challenge both anthropocentrism and the subject-object binary that anthropocentrism entails. I exemplify these strategies by discussing contemporary novels that deal with the Anthropocenic entanglement of humanity and the nonhuman world.
