“We call ourselves lords of the creation” : hubris masculin et apocalypse féminine dans The Last Man de Mary Shelley

The aim of this article is to highlight the proto-ecofeminist undertones of Mary Shelley’s 1826 novel The Last Man. The novel depicts the annihilation of humankind due to a mysterious plague spreading at the end of the 21st century. The plague is associated to a feminine principle and appears to be...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Garance Abdat
Format: Article
Language:fra
Published: Pléiade (EA 7338) 2022-04-01
Series:Itinéraires
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Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/itineraires/10284
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Summary:The aim of this article is to highlight the proto-ecofeminist undertones of Mary Shelley’s 1826 novel The Last Man. The novel depicts the annihilation of humankind due to a mysterious plague spreading at the end of the 21st century. The plague is associated to a feminine principle and appears to be a natural reaction meant to punish the Western “master mentality” and its consequences upon the natural world. This dynamic ecology posits the necessity of the apocalypse to cleanse the Earth of man’s actions, and reveals the secondary role played by humankind. It also develops a counter-utopia promoted by women and based on the extension of the ethics of care towards the natural world.
ISSN:2427-920X