CAN THE NON-HUMAN SUBALTERN SPEAK? ADDRESSING INJUSTICE THROUGH PARAKEETS, PENGUINS AND BLUE MACAWS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24193/subbphilo.2022.2.13Keywords:
eco-criticism, linguistic, environmental, post-humanism, post-anthropocentrism, non-human, critical animal studies, semiotic, contact zoneAbstract
Can the Non-Human Subaltern Speak? Addressing Injustice through Parakeets, Penguins and Blue Macaws. Anthropomorphic animals have formed a staple part of the human imagination across space and time, creating a liminal space that offers scope for eco-critical narratives in which anthropomorphic animals offer a counter-gaze to human activities and environmental injustice. The purpose of this study is to look at the characters of Rio, Happy Feet, and Delhi Safari to highlight how talking animals in each of the three animated films voice environmental concerns, and to delineate linguistic factors which regulate the dynamics of power, agency, and care. The article looks at Delhi Safari, which centres on the non-humans’ use of the human tongue to voice their woes before human authority. At the same time, it aims to delineate human attempts to talk to birds in Rio and delve into the very idea of endangered animals being companion species. It seeks to shift from linguistic modes of communication to analyse the narrative and meta-narrative messages conveyed through the dancing penguins of Happy Feet. Finally, the article hopes to address the use and misuse of care by both humans and non-humans, look at the implicit anthropocentrism in such a depiction, and consider the possibility of a truly post-human form of environmental ethics.
Article history: Received 16 February 2022; Revised 1 May 2022; Accepted 6 May 2022; Available online 30 June 2022; Available print 30 June 2022.
REZUMAT. Poate vorbi subalternul non-uman? Despre nedreptate cu ajutorul papagalilor, pinguinilor și macau-ilor albaștri. Animalele antropomorfe fac parte din imaginarul uman de pretutindeni și din toate timpurile, formând un spațiu liminal ce oferă amplitudine narațiunilor eco-critice în care animalele antropomorfe propun o contra-privire asupra activităților umane și asupra nedreptății în mediul înconjurător. Scopul studiului de față este să analizeze personajele din Rio, Happy feet și Delhi Safari, pentru a evidenția modul în care animalele vorbitoare din cele trei filme de animație exprimă preocupări în privința mediului, și pentru a contura factorii lingvistici care reglementează dinamica relațiilor de putere, acțiune, și grijă. Articolul discută filmul Delhi Safari, care se concentrează asupra vorbirii umane a personajelor non-umane pentru a da glas suferințelor lor în fața autorității umane. În același timp, lucrarea dorește să circumscrie încercările umane de a vorbi cu păsările di Rio și să ofere o incursiune în însăși ideea de animale aflate în pericol ca fiind specii de companie. De asemenea, trece de la modurile de comunicare lingvistică la a analiza mesajele narative și meta-narative transmise de pinguinii dansatori din Happy Feet. În fine, articolul dorește să discute uzul și abuzul grijii, atât de către oameni cât și de către non-umani, să ofere o perspectivă asupra antropocentrismului implicit într-o astfel de prezentare, și să ia în considerare posibilitatea unei forme cu adevărat post-umane de etică a mediului.
Cuvinte-cheie: eco-critică, postumanism lingvistic și de mediu, post-antropocentrism, non-uman, studii critice despre animale, semiotică, zonă de contact
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