Oppressive Construction of Animals: an Ecocritical Perspective in Linda Hogan’s People of the Whale

Abstract

Abstract

In the 21st century, the world is manifested with a poignant predicament of ecological disasters; deforestation, animal extinction, and extinction of countless species of flora and fauna etc. In the global environmental degradation both human and nonhuman life are in vulnerable situation because of human’s anthropocentric behaviour towards non-human world. In deep ecological principle ?the equal right to live and blossom? and respect for the non-human life is losing the significance in contemporary world. In ecocritical theory ?deep ecology? as a part of environmental philosophy, explores the ?intrinsic value of human and non-human life on earth?. The present paper attempts to focus on the human’s excessive ?interference with the non-human world?. In this paper I have chosen contemporary Native American novelist and an environmentalist Linda Hogan’s novel People of the Whale (2008) which explores the matter of brutal exploitation of nonhuman animals for the benefit of human. The indigenous ways of life recognized for worshiping nature and giving respect to nonhuman beings, but in modern world it has been disrupted by people’s anthropocentric attitude. This paper will explore with deep ecological perspective the issue of native people’s detachment from their cultural values and ecological wisdom and connection with non-human world in modern world.