Writing in “The Midst of an Unfolding Disaster”: Ecocritical Perspectives on Contemporary Imaginative Representations Of
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Writing in “the midst of an unfolding disaster”: Ecocritical Perspectives on Contemporary Imaginative Representations of Tasmanian Wilderness By Vivienne Condren (Hamilton) BA, B.Litt (Hons), MA Figure 1 Smelterscape by Isla MacGregor (taken Zeehan, Tasmania) Writing in “the midst of an unfolding disaster”: Ecocritical Perspectives on Contemporary Imaginative Representations of Tasmanian Wilderness By Vivienne Condren (Hamilton) BA, B.Litt (Hons), MA Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy PhD School of Humanities, University of Tasmania 31st October 2016 ii Declaration of Originality This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for a degree or diploma by the University or any other institution, except by way of background information and duly acknowledged in the thesis, and to the best of my knowledge and belief no material previously published or written by another person except where due acknowledgement is made in the text of the thesis nor does the thesis contain any material that infringes copyright. Vivienne Condren 30th October 2016 Authority of Access This thesis is not to be made available for loan or copying for two years following the date this statement was signed. Following that time, the thesis may be made available for loan and limited copying and communication in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968. Vivienne Condren 30th October, 2016 Vivienne Condren iii ABSTRACT This thesis argues that in the midst of an unfolding ecological disaster contemporary Australian authors and filmmakers are eschewing stereotypical Gothic and Romantic depictions of Tasmania’s wilderness, and instead, are repositioning the nonhuman—the environment and wildlife—as more threatened than threatening. Emerging from colonial discourse Tasmania’s particular aesthetic heritage developed around a series of double visions involving the representation (or absence) of Aborigines in the landscape. Ian McLean captures this tension in the concept of the “fractured aesthetic,” which provides a point of departure for my analysis. I adapt and apply the fractured aesthetic through my ecocritical readings of eight contemporary fictional texts, all set in the Tasmanian wilderness. In contrast to McLean I focus on the representation (or absence) of anthropogenic degradation, resulting from exploitation of the island’s natural resources. Ultimately, representations of human/nonhuman kinship, rather than intra-human relationships of power direct my textual analysis. To this end, and drawing on the work of Lawrence Buell, Kate Rigby, Serenella Iovino, Greg Garrard, Richard Kerridge, Emily Potter, and other leading scholars of ecocriticism, I synthesise posthumanist ideas of shared materiality that engage recent theories of kinship, entanglement, nonhuman agency, affective narration and ideas of hope through environmental prophecy. Tasmania’s rich literary and environmental history is apparent in the body of work analysed. The selected texts are: The Tale of Ruby Rose (1987), a film directed by Roger Scholes; Death of a River Guide (1994) and The Sound of One Hand Clapping (1997), both written by Richard Flanagan; The Hunter (1999) novel by Julia Leigh and the film adaptation, The Hunter (2011), directed by Daniel Nettheim; The World Beneath (2009), by Cate Kennedy; The River Wife (2009), by Heather Rose and The Blue Cathedral (2011) by Cameron Hindrum. Ecocriticism of these novels and films remains scarce and I address this gap by exploring ways Vivienne Condren iv in which these texts represent nonhuman agency while also acknowledging the sense of shared materiality at the core of human/nonhuman kinship. After a contextual discussion of wilderness ideology generally, and Tasmanian wilderness representation particularly, I explore the lingering “Tasmanian Gothic” aesthetic which depicts the environment as threatening, as enemy and/or “monster.” The textual analysis demonstrates a shift in consciousness apparent in residual Romantic aesthetics, reworked to include ecocritical perspectives on the sublime and nonhuman agency. Genre is examined, through the power of fairy tale and magic realism, to represent unfolding environmental disasters, and also through satire, to represent the ethical ambiguities of “showcasing” wilderness. In addition, I explore how co-presence between human and nonhuman communities can become toxic co-dependence. The ethical implications of dystopian and/or more optimistic representations of extinction, loss of biodiversity and environmental degradation generally are at the centre of my analysis. The final main chapter returns to the Gothic theme but this time I give a contemporary ecoGothic reading which recasts the monster as the human threat to fragile wilderness ecosystems. Underpinning this thesis is the idea that literature and film play a crucial role in shaping society’s ethical response to environmental crises. These narratives, I argue, need to be read ecocritically to reveal new paradigms of thought that constitute environmental advocacy. I further argue that writers’ and filmmakers’ representations of Tasmanian wilderness offer opportunities for reflection that exceed local interests and national mythology. They function as a regional lens into understanding ecological and cultural tensions and ambiguities of global relevance. Vivienne Condren v Acknowledgments A scholarship from the University of Tasmania, and the encouragement of many people have made this research possible. Gratitude also goes to the Faculty of Arts team who approved my temporary reduction of hours so I could accept the professional development opportunity. In addition, I acknowledge some of the many wonderful individuals who supported me. In particular, I would like to thank my three supervisors: Dr Robert Clarke who worked patiently with my early ideas and again with their development, over many drafts, in my final year; Dr Mitchell Rolls who wisely guided me through the wilderness, both ecologically and metaphorically; and Associate Professor Elle Leane who focused on broad structure and argument and who was so very generous with her time. Gratitude also goes to the many university colleagues who gave encouragement and support. They include: postgraduate students—Eilin, Laura, Elle, Mel, Jenni, Ashlin and Jason; Faculty of Arts colleagues—Anita, Vicki, Julie, Richard and Nigel; Dr Wendy Aitken and Dr Chris Wareham for sharing their PhD journeys; Dr Mike Powell who introduced me to the work of Bill Gammage; and to Dr Carol Freeman and Dr Sally Borrell for sharing an early research paper on The Hunter. I am especially grateful to Professor Rob White and his colleague Diane Heckenberg for their inspiring work on environmental justice and green crime. Rob sent me an article, one of his books and some research contacts. I also received interest in my project from colleagues external to the university: I thank Isla MacGregor for her research on pollution in Tasmania and for her guidance through some detailed science reports. Most significantly, Isla granted copyright permission to use her photo “Smelterscape” which appears on the cover of this thesis; and thanks also go to Liz Dombrovskis for copyright permission for two of Peter’s photos and to Jon Addison (Curator at the QVMAG) who facilitated this. Vivienne Condren vi Finally, I thank my wonderful partner and best friend Chris for his tireless encouragement and frequent offerings of almond croissants. Sadly, Chris died suddenly, just a month before submission, but I will always remember how much he believed in me and in this work. I also thank other close friends for understanding my PhD time constraints: especially Janine, Diane, Anne, Patricia, Ian, Christina, Barbie, Lynne, Brenda, Rose, Gray, Will and Michael. Vivienne Condren vii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 1 Declaration of Originality .................................................................................................................... ii Authority of Access ............................................................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................. v List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................ x MAP ...................................................................................................................................................... xi Abbreviations and Primary Texts ..................................................................................................... xii INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 1 Reading Ecocritically in The Twenty-First Century .................................................................... 12 Pioneers and The Romantic Legacy .............................................................................................. 13 Fiction as Environmental Advocacy .............................................................................................. 22 Environmental