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Title THE ARBOREAL NARRATIVE: AN ECOLOGICAL POSTHUMANIST READING OF ELIF SHAFAK’S THE ISLAND OF MISSING TREES

Author(s) Sana Azeem

Abstract Title: The Arboreal Narrative: An Ecological Posthumanist Reading of Elif Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees This research explores Elif Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees (2021) from the perspective of ecological posthumanism. It investigates the strategies used for the configuration of ecological posthumanist elements in the selected text by focusing on the arboreal narrative of the novel. I invoke Serpil Oppermann’s concept of "ecological posthumanism" and Rosi Bradotti’s idea of "contemporary critical posthumanism" in order to analyse the selected text. Oppermann draws on Braidotti’s theorising which incorporates 'ecology' and 'environmentalism' with a special emphasis placed on all “earth-others''. I have been able to employ Oppermann and Braidotti’s concepts to advantage by exploring the arboreal narrative in Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees. I do it by focusing on the interconnectedness of humans and nonhumans (plants and animals) and subverting anthropocentrism through the idea of ‘becoming-with’. Thus, this study explores the mutual relationship between the two (humans and nonhumans) in an ecologically sustainable mode and the consequences of the problematic enmeshment of the two entities. For this research, I use Catherine Belsey's textual analysis as my research method. My analysis of the novel uncovers various strategies it employs to depict ecological posthumanist elements. These include the arboreal narrator, interconnectedness, becoming-animal, becoming-earth, and matter’s effectivity. These strategies decentralise human agency and challenge anthropocentric hierarchies. They also highlight the interdependence of human and nonhuman entities in an ecological framework. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that human-nonhuman enmeshment results in both harmonious and disruptive consequences; while mutual coexistence fosters ecological balance and sustainability, neglecting interconnectedness leads to disruptions in ecological equilibrium. The novel also explores ecological sustainability through symbiosis and regeneration. Since Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees has not been studied from the perspective of ecological posthumanism in the available critical scholarship, this investigation fills this research gap and contributes to the production of knowledge in this domain. It also contributes to discussions on ecological sustainability and narrative agency.

Type Thesis/Dissertation

Faculty Languages

Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2025-02-26

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