Pandemic Panic and the Fear of Death: An Ecocritical Read of Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake and Jack London's The Scarlet Plague
Author
Nielsen, Asger Martinus Schjødt
Term
2. Term (Master)
Education
Publication year
2023
Submitted on
2023-01-18
Pages
36
Abstract
This thesis uses close reading (careful, detailed analysis of the text) to explore how two works of speculative fiction (stories that imagine alternative futures or disasters), Oryx and Crake and The Scarlet Plague, portray fear as a force that drives irrational and self-interested behavior. It argues that these imagined worlds mirror present-day worries about what defines humanity and what can happen when certain areas of science go unchallenged. While both novels use apocalyptic storylines, they differ sharply in their view of scientists: The Scarlet Plague casts them as lifesaving heroes, whereas Oryx and Crake presents scientists and bioengineering as the cause of humanity’s downfall. The thesis places these portrayals alongside patterns seen during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, examining how people and societies navigated a shared fear of death and uncertainty about personal safety.
Dette speciale bruger nærlæsning (en omhyggelig, detaljeret analyse af teksten) til at undersøge, hvordan to værker inden for spekulativ fiktion (fortællinger, der forestiller sig alternative fremtider eller katastrofer), Oryx and Crake og The Scarlet Plague, skildrer frygt som en kraft, der driver irrationel og egeninteresseret adfærd. Specialet argumenterer for, at disse forestillede verdener spejler nutidige bekymringer om, hvad der definerer menneskelighed, og hvad der kan ske, når visse områder af videnskaben ikke udfordres. Begge romaner har apokalyptiske fortællinger, men de adskiller sig markant i synet på forskere: The Scarlet Plague fremstiller dem som livsreddende helte, mens Oryx and Crake præsenterer forskere og bioteknologi som årsagen til menneskehedens undergang. Specialet sætter disse skildringer i relation til mønstre under den nylige COVID-19-pandemi og undersøger, hvordan mennesker og samfund navigerede gennem en fælles frygt for døden og usikkerhed om personlig sikkerhed.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]