Deconstructing the Chain of Being in Laura Jean McKay’s Animals in That Country
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25130/Lang.9.3.P2.14Keywords:
Animals in That Country, Australian fiction, deconstruction, Ecocriticism, empathyAbstract
The current study intends to explore the concept of deconstruction in Laura Jean McKay‘s novel Animals in That Country. It argues that the relationship between humans and non-humans leads to the deconstruction of the chain of being. The novel shows that a virus creates a bridge between humans and non-humans, enabling people to understand the emotions and thoughts of animals.
In addition, the study aims to analyze a different formal strategy to break down the boundaries between humans and non-humans through conventions. It relies heavily upon the theoretical framework of Ecocriticism, specifically the concept of deconstruction. Laura's language is characterized as a complex tapestry, wherein language transforms into a dynamic entity, serving as a conduit between the human and the non-human, as well as the natural and the artificial. The study concludes that language is a dynamic tapestry that connects humans and non-humans, natural and artificial, transforming into a complex tapestry.
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