': Shock Therapy Epiphanies in Annie Proulx's Wyoming Stories

Silent Nature as a “Claw in the Gut”: Shock Therapy Epiphanies in Annie Proulx’s Wyoming Stories Bénédicte Meillon

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Bénédicte Meillon. Silent Nature as a “Claw in the Gut”: Shock Therapy Epiphanies in An- nie Proulx’s Wyoming Stories. Revista Canaria de Estudios Ingleses, 2018, 77 (77), pp.105-125. 10.25145/j.recaesin.2018.77.08. hal-02406840

HAL Id: hal-02406840 https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02406840 Submitted on 12 Dec 2019

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Palabras clave círculo. ysagrado intrincado un en naturaleza la yconvirtiendo individualismo, del mito nocivo al opuestos ymitologías paradigmas nuevos de necesidad la de conscientes sean que lectores los yhacen naturaleza, la con relación de real marco el en que sitúan se ya ecoliterarios,” “textos denomina Rainbow lo que Adrian Hunt, o Alex de término el tomando mejores los de ejemplosuno narrativa,” “ecología de ofrecen Proulx de Wyoming de historias concluye que las artículo Este mundo biocéntrica. del visión una asimismo que provoca choque, de terapia de suerte una lectores, sus en produzca se epifanía que la hace narrativas voces sus de sarcasmo yel brutal poética justicia una de extensivo uso su personajes, sus de epifanía una veces muy pocas sugieren Proulx de relatos los de fatalistas Si finales los ambiente natural. ysu humanidad la entre interconexión la de imperiosa consciencia a una apelan Proulx de los relatos contraataca, que en ésta forma la yde naturaleza la de silenciamiento del poderosas metáforas que esas con demostrar Intento Proulx. Annie de sobre Wyoming historias de colecciones tres las que cohesiona ydespiadada asombrosa naturaleza una de representación la en centrado está artículo Este Resumen Keywords hoop. sacred intricate an as to nature pointing and of individualism, myth noxious the against working mythologies and paradigms for new need of the awareness readers’ about bring and nature, with relationship areal in engage they that in texts,” “ecoliterary calls Rainbow Adrian Hunt, or what Alex by coined term ecology,” up the of “narrative to take examples one best of the offer stories Proulx’s Wyoming that argues article world. ofThis the view a biocentric prompting thus therapy, shock and as working epiphanies, reader about bring voices narrative sarcastic and justice poetic of brutal uses her overarching characters, of the part on epiphany the an gest sug rarely endings story short Proulx’s If fatalistic environment. natural its and humankind between interconnectedness of the awareness for urgent calls Proulx’s fiction short back, strikes latter the way of the and of nature silencing of potent humans’ metaphors with that is My Proulx’s claim stories. Wyoming of Annie collections three the together welds which nature unforgiving and awesome of an representation on the focuses article This Abstract Revista Canaria de Estudios Ingleses Estudios de Canaria Revista DE CHOQUE EPIFÁNICAS EN LOS RELATOS DE WYOMING DE ANNIE PROULX ANNIE DE WYOMING DE RELATOS LOS EN EPIFÁNICAS CHOQUE DE TERAPIAS TRIPA»: LA EN «ZARPAZO UN COMO SILENTE NATURALEZA LA : Annie Proulx, Ecopoetics, Ecofeminism, Biocentrism, Short Story, Short Epiphany. Biocentrism, Ecofeminism, Ecopoetics, Proulx, : Annie SILENT NATURE AS “A AS GUT”: THE CLAW IN NATURE SILENT ANNIE IN EPIPHANIES SHOCK THERAPY : Annie Proulx, Ecopoética, Ecofeminismo, Biocentrismo, relato, epifanía. relato, Biocentrismo, Ecofeminismo, Ecopoética, Proulx, : Annie PROULX’S WYOMING STORIES DOI: https://doi.org/10.25145/j.recaesin.2018.77.08 DOI: University of Perpignan, France of Perpignan, University Bénédicte Meillon Bénédicte , 77; november 2018,, 77; pp. november 105-125; e-2530-8335 ISSN:

REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 105 REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 106 motifs, some even casting the same characters. same the some casting even motifs, and voices, patterns, narrative themes, recurrent cast and place on same the focus all They interconnected. simultaneously are autonomous, narratives self-contained present-day way to postmodern, the these Wyoming, all century of nineteenth the Russell Banks and Bobbie Ann Mason’s Bobbie and Ann short stories. Banks Russell writers to neoregionalist Anderson’s similar ways many Ohio, in Winesburg and of into Sherwood tradition the one in collections long cycle, three short story these Missouri Review manners” ( and time flip kind book of of–a place, onto views different but related opening each ahouse of inside reader windows, the way to take agood short stories is of acollection or period place, aparticular to illustrate trying writer is the it, “[if] toward moving the story forward.” ( forward.” story the moving toward works that punctuation and title strong dialogue, tighter characters, fewer of events, palette a limited images, and words of use accurate and economical more dictates story the of brevity comparative The few options in order to rise on the social scale. social on the rise to order in options few with and poor, uneducated, of them most of society, fringes on the living Americans lower-class and communities rural representing characters on ordinary is focus the cases, three all In state. same the one and in grounded collections three Proulx’s to similar sense that in are and Kentucky, in place take all they Mason’s stories, Ann Bobbie for As characters. and settings different with stories of separate Park Range Range superior toas her novels, stories short her regards nevertheless she novel– a Shipping for The –again Prize News recipient for her award of PEN/Faulkner novel the Postcards Library Roundup 7). Of the least populated state in the United States, Annie Proulx Proulx United the Annie in state States, Roundup populated 7). least the Of Library (Wyoming veer into denial” easily “can they her that in is stories, illustrates and most people”. residents and argues The problemProulx of place, with mythologies force for “a as sustaining recognizes Proulx to ponder which of place, mythologies power the of in literature Roundup faith 7). Her representation suggests of nature Library (Wyoming out rolls of story landscape” the and forth– so and livings their peoplemake food they what eat, how affects that place done particular is –the that description. when Only the climate, the with Istart landscape. the with Istart write, I thing “Every imprint single along-lasting on her left writing: has her background School, major. the a history Annales Muchby as influenced French training initial of her descriptions. Wyoming nature from one when to brutality it another connections the story to comes interpreting of Proulx’s haveattentionthedemic studies paid rhizomatic to scholars fiction, few , constitutes a true short story cycle set in Catamount, Massachusetts, rather than a collection acollection than rather Massachusetts, Catamount, in set cycle story short atrue , constitutes (1999), 4 3 2 1 woman first the was Proulx writer Annie American Even North though Annie Proulx’s apparent interest in history and place finds its roots in her roots its finds Proulx’s place and Annie apparent history interest in

See “Short stories are at once more interesting and more difficult to write than longer work. work. longer than write to more difficult and more interesting once at are stories “Short This is mostly the case in Bad Dirt case the is mostly This Trailer collections, One of his England. New in set are stories Banks’ of Russell Most with Annie Proulx, p. 1. Proulx, Annie with Interview Review Paris The Bad Dirt (2004), Way Just Fine the Dirt and Bad It Is (2008). 2-3). The common setting in rural Wyoming thus welds together thus together welds Wyoming 2-3).rural in common The setting 1 especially her three volumes of her Wyoming three Stories, Close especially The Missouri Review . 4 Despite the growing number of Despite aca growing the 2-3) 3 Spanning the pioneer the era Spanning and has won the Pulitzer won Pulitzer the has and 2 The way she sees way Theshe sees The The - more-than-human habitats. their and humans between of interconnectedness the into readers shock awareness how Proulx’s assesses as to attempts maystories read Wyoming part last This back. Tennyson’sreinvests here vision of endowed nature, agrotesque power with to strike imaginatively which tales her in plotting Proulx’s with together symbolism powerful broach some Finally, of most the Iwill places. or wilder in areas rural in whether nature, within place to humans’ pointing ethos, environmental to voice acertain serve characters on way the light the cast then stories. I will these in it, prevails which claw,pinpoint and Tennyson tooth in red sublime vision as of the anature once put first ultimately, and, non-human Iwill itself. nature treats humankind which in for prompting therapy shock her readers, one as register to upon meditate ways the end the voices in may of her narrators wry of peculiarly humor sense the and dark Moreover, her story, with violent together and Proulx’s endings after story fatalistic of. parcel and not entirely part are removed, are but they humans which which from wildness unyielding an to for confronted reader be epiphanies with the brutal stories. of these many in resurfacing symbolism the voices, and irony of narrative the dry the interpretation pave way for of plotting, the which an the leitmotifs and echoes significant the helps reveal stories– of unrelated collections three as than –rather acycle Moreover, throughout. as fates corpus the characters’ studying the marking the reiterationpattern of effect tragic the of a and symbols and themes overarching my to study approach of here scope one the seeks article, stories in single many so tackling of In stories.spite these difficulty the of violencethe of pervading effect and significance the gauging nature, representationthe awesome unforgiving of and an humility,” Weltzien as contends. “a in lesson teaching in participate which tropes and strategies to elicit literary the of(110). world” abiocentric the view take andseeks idea, prolongsthis article This to admonished we are “[in] that of concluding stories, landscape, spectacle the facing these in caricature” and landscape determinism, about “geographical the written (194). of sustainability” story anew Weltzien of capable be writing O. has also Alan we must of to enough onto write civilization, astory land the visionary we are if that cooperation” to agree (5). community seems “Proulx of Hunt that local states Alex on and values on land the laboring and of living ways sustainable environmentally on ofbased place “environmental for ethos,” an “an ethics is that calls Hunt argues, ecology, Alex and as Proulx’s of fact, landscape, amatter to(xix). place, sensitivity As environments” their and nonhumans, exploit that forces humans, socioecological broad the work then to reveal from nature, emerges where place culture middle at the look ahard take come must questions home environmental wilderness, and from the social difficult to most our answers to help find who us wish activists and critics, ers, alism of the nineteenth century as its basic characteristic“ (The Paris Review Review 11). (The Paris characteristic“ its basic as century of nineteenth the alism individu ideaof rugged to the the clings its isolation and “Wyoming likes laments, My claim in this paper is that Proulx’s that is paper Wyoming stories rely this on of in a series My claim explores article Proulx’sAnnie on this stories, Wyoming specifically Focusing In her influential work, ecocritic Joni Adamson’s central claim is that that “writ is work, ecocritic Adamson’s Joni herclaim In influential central - -

REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 107 REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 108 foreground, ominous and malevolent: and ominous foreground, the in looming always are Proulx’s terrain and weather Wyomingthe both stories, fanged landscape that [seems] that at them” to ( coming be landscape fanged “to a “mima west observe mound in the county”, where for characters instance as threatening, and unrelenting ungraspable, beastly. here Itis typically perceived as is Proulx’s dysphoric nature writing, highly much ecofeminist amongst practice current is which body female– –often human the with nature representation associating sublime in its highest degree; the inferior effects are admiration, reverence, and respect.” (Burke 53)(Burke respect.” and reverence, admiration, are effects inferior the degree; highest its in sublime the of effect the is said, Ihave as Astonishment, force. irresistible on byan us hurries and sonings, rea our it anticipates by them, produced being from far that, sublime, of the power great the arises Hence it. employs which object on that reason other, nor byconsequence any entertain it cannot that object, its with filled entirely so is mind the case of this horror. In degree some with suspended, are motions its all which in soul, of the state that is astonishment and astonishment; is powerfully, most both dread and awe: and dread both of a feeling inspires it Burke’sand terrifying, Edmund idea of sublime. Infinite the which Burke associates with the sublime in nature. sublime in the with associates Burke which terror of and astonishment rac[ing],” feelings the translates “hiss[ing]”) or “the air music”. here wild at play “land’s the (with as fallacy “cloud Theshadows pathetic (“a herad but be flet”), is cannot note deep Mark what that defines Treddinick matter living of vibrancy the translates ecopoetically atmosphere.language The and landscape surrounding the in takes and or omniscient narrator, the observes VISION ASUBLIME WILD: THE WITH 1. ENCOUNTERS Annie Proulx’s harsh and barren Wyoming wildness stands on side the of stands Wyoming wildness barren Proulx’s and Annie harsh 5 stopped.” ( It really never snow remained. loose little what air the into sweeping avid, and brutal it returned, aspen, over the climbed sun the as then hours, for few a ceased it mornings early the In gusts. terrific shook it with and log house heavy the into teeth its set wind The flame. agas blue as chill same the showed sky wind-damaged the and threads as needle and long fine out as drew clouds few The sculptures. glossy snow into tight, remaining the polished plant, sage side lee of on each the dunes private snow into small the built wind terly cold [...] by violent worse winds. made bit cold, and Dry wretchedly was December (“You”), it ahuman, seems description of nature, above, synaesthetic the In ( gut. the in aclaw it but like felt, is is heard be cannot that noteshudder. deep a like is It spiritual a provokes sky– of roll flaring the ies, cit fallen like stones tumbled everlasting, plain grassy of mountain, jags –indigo country wild The earth. of the turning the from of wind sweep harsh great but the breeze and islocal no it hisses air The rash. ground a mottled queasy, casting film, as a projected stacks rock over buff race Cloud shadows braced. You there, stand

“THE PASSION “THE OF NATURE, RED IN TOOTH AND CLAW AND TOOTH IN RED OF NATURE,

caused by the great and sublime in nature, when those causes operate operate causes those when nature, in sublime and great bythe caused 5 Far from the anthropomorphic from the Far Close Range Close Close Range Close 214). Annie In Bad Dirt 184) Dirt Bad , 99) , - - - family –the name of whom hardened: name obliquely emotionally –the being to refers their family Stone savage prolongs of rather the story the suggestively thus and bestiality, lines under passage closing The over place. the claim to holda fox seems last which the aWyoming be vision ends story.on a well andof very bloodof could It significantly it sense, that In to from incest. hunting going forms, animal and human various in “Stone one is of City” Proulx’s place landscape. stories where many predation takes Songs Proulx’s stories Heart in descriptions lies of these England New of universality the the pastoral mode, but it is however laden with a dominantly allegorical dimension. allegorical adominantly with laden but however it is mode, pastoral the along depicted indeed is story, nature this In one for another. attraction homosexual their enjoyed and discovered first have they where bliss and world of innocence the from fall tragic their marks season the end the of at the mountain from descent shepherds’ two The world. prelapsarian Edenic, harmonious, as a story short the in symbolically functions that place afictional in set is story the for an idealization of a peaceful, harmonious ranching life. ranching harmonious of apeaceful, idealization for an flame”. blue agas as chill “the same simile oxymoronic the in of Wyoming’s suggested to evoke hell, as seems winter harsh character’s vision the of magnitude, such aclimate bitterness. Confronted with and cold”, onlooker’s the “bitterly cold of wind,”) wretchedness betraying feelings own wretchedly (“December was a number of with hypallages of paired Wyoming is and sky,”from outside is hereperceived character “thegusts”) by a wind-damaged “terrific (“violenttheclimate might Theof winds,” nature. animal an possessing wind the even with inherent nature, in quality ruthless savage, the symbolizing throughout, leitmotifs out to later, back to powerful get be turn these Iwill as indeed; claws and claw”, once and put poet tooth the in “Red it, as Proulx’s teeth with comes nature Tennyson. into à la decor log the the house set its teeth” [setting] “wind avid” and castrating calves, pronghorn, and other men alike, cutting out animals’ tongues or tongues out animals’ cutting pronghorn, other men and alike, calves, castrating baby, stillborn up a freshly-buried, to men eat coyotes digging scouts, girl reaping thereby of capable most violent and the unempathetic of lions forms savagery, with beasts, wild as areand presented often men animals Throughout hershortstories, , where nature is no less inclement, despite the rather different climate and inclement, no is less climate , where despite nature different rather the Proulx’s offers an anti-pastoral vision. Clearly, Proulx’santi-pastoral allow an not does nature her offers or a“brutal landscape” descriptions of “a fanged animated these Already 6 embody wildness. metonymically man and Proulx’sIn world, animal both 40) Songs Heart not mine, (Italics feathers. dabbled blood afew with away leaped bird and for the darted others, bolder than vixen, ash-dark a small, last, At cubs. it to the returned broke one and leg it again, old fox the caught before brambles the gaining nearly ran,terror. bird The flapping the from cowered teeth, milk in still cubs, The wooly pinwheel. afeathered like ground to the bird rolled the and dragged boneand muscle thesmashed but to fly; tried grouse cock year-old the wing Despite broken cubs. its his amongst prize his released foxThe gently [...] jaws. his in delicately something carrying farm, abandoned the to hillside the down fox smoothly loped bastard The

The only exception may be found in “Brokeback Mountain,” where the beginning of beginning the where Mountain,” in “Brokeback found be may exception The only 6 One of the indications One of indications the -

REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 109 REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 110 (Translation 17). mine us” to is “hierophany,”term revealed sacred Eliade: “something Mircea by defined the in encapsulated as sacred Proulx’s encounter the to close with an comes nature of sublime in world. the spectacle Triggering the astonishment, natural the within Western about human’s assumptions challenge position that dominant epiphanies offer reader her stories nevertheless falls, tragic via mostly understanding to gain and, on the other hand, cruel, indifferent, rugged and yet resilient life: and resilient yet rugged indifferent, cruel, on other hand, the and, celebration, and respect needing beauty on natural one the as, hand, wilderness the bone.” “smashed muscle and and abroken bird with wing asmall no other than flappingbeing terror”–the fromlatter [cowering] the teeth milk in “wooly still cubs, the with thesense of fromhorror slaying, derived grotesque inversion often deflating jaws,” his moreover narrator Therather in a underlines delicately gently released”). smoothly,” (“loped something quite natural something “carrying suggests language for the food, Proulx’s to killing cubs stories. As his fox these initiates throughout violence animal as light same the in or violence not might assessed be unnecessary to later, One back wonder, concepts. get might human her whether men’s Iwill as Evidently, of Preying. Great purely be Chain well pity may and notions of cruelty aruthless Proulx’s rather was end, of Annie the version Being of Great Chain the if, It in women as is girls. and killing and raping, out, abusing, eyes their stabbing time perhaps to take a different and better course.” (Underlining mine mine 334) (Underlining course.” better and adifferent take to perhaps time this again, once stand and join and emerge will things living somewhere, how long, no matter time, the sunlight will filterthrough here, be still will rocks and springs the hills, and canyons gas–the of lethal acloud in planet entire to the desert coming, our staying or our going. our absence, our presence, our to manifest indifference the is landscape desert this animals, and plants these stone, this of quality finest The vanity. of human One more expression departure? our for “Grateful ture: does notdoes much owe ( beyond us that” God light. that flood ter.of repeated morning see to endlessly the You Only begin mat sky and earth the Only disappeared. and here awhile have camped cultures “Other delivered by omniscient one narrators: of amnesia herand Abbey-sounding, Western arrogance lofty against warning the through mer clear of comes hope, as glim any off ward at may first endings tragic systematically and cynicism pervasive Annie Proulx’s landscapes have inherited from Edward Abbey’s vision of have from Edward inherited Proulx’sAnnie landscapes 7 Proulx’s Annie civilization, regards Abbey’s as skepticism Edward Echoing ( light. of morning flood the delays towns of mining courts trailer reckless the in or or seventeen, of three populations bare their with crossroads isolate or atthe ranches little on the occurs nor nor cruelty, no accident that murder slaughter No past everywhere. are of misadventure signs the although for nothing count people of tragedies the mass fixed its against ground: indifferent and Dangerous See See 99) Range Close . Let men in their madness blast every city on earth into black rubble and envelop the the envelop and rubble black into on earth city every blast madness their in men . Let Desert SolitaireDesert , water will form and warmth shall be upon the land and after sufficient sufficient after and land the upon be shall warmth and form will , water as Abbey contemplates the land’s potential relief following his depar his following relief potential land’s the contemplates Abbey as

Whether we live or die is a matter of absolutely no concern whatsoever whatsoever concern no absolutely of amatter is die or live we Whether Close Range Close 99). seem Proulx’s If characters 7 - - - paper was presented. was paper of this version earlier an of where Place,” Representations American Expression: to Environment an of 2013,Lifting “The March in Toulouse GENA in by the organized of a conference title the riority of nature’s power. The realization can be fatal in some stories; in others, like somelike in stories;in others, fatal be ofriority can nature’s power. The realization of supe reminded the invariably are characters Proulx’s collections, individual three one’s living of ( absurdity The life?” of gnats. swarm greater from the isolated reduction gnat of to diminution self, asingle aphysical the when saw Mitchell he what went “Was long on this nature: those drives, in immersed when revelation of numinous the of Mitchell’s thrilling a brief moment inkling an of her York for New she acquires safety toon life, the Wyoming business to return her “a gut.” back the story, with in the claw in turns Mitchell’spared Later as wife com and shudder” by induced “spiritual nature the earlier echoes landscape to the response spine”his Mitchell’s up coursing current andmultisensorial electric flesh by proxy, of “shuddering experiences the reader consciousness the embodied with that ashock sublime. It when ofthe confronted as astonishment comes with feeling (22). realm” human more the than with engages that literature “is apply well may to Proulx’s that terms in writing,” stories. “Nature hewriting says, Music Wild book eloquentlyLand’s his In entitled The with ence environment of an to expression”: “lifting infralinguistic of akind music constitutes beloved to classical his he contemplates listening while sublime landscapes to the response His wild. encounter the the in with pleasure before human beginnings” (169). beginnings” before human to “ drive the verbalize Mitchell’s thoughts ur- to the transported been he had that time same at the and on earth the never beforegeologic seen time”: into stumbled alandscape he had “He though felt as of “monstrous scale this ofperceptive eye one’s against microscopic own existence the reminding humbling, and world exhilarating both is prelapsarian seemingly of a Cather’s immensity of the Willa reminiscent Westerna way also landscapes, (23). awork writing” behind of nature In ticking you“Geologic what is hear time Mitchell’s numinous experience again echoes Burke’s echoes descriptions of the again Mitchell’s experience numinous intense finds Mitchell protagonist the outsider England, from New An 8 writing, echo an of assessment nature as of almost Tredinnick’s comes This ( time. of geologic scale monstrous the of peaks, fan distant buttes, abrupt the ground, tawny the to music this fit of perfect it, the bear hardly could spine he his up coursing current electric and flesh shuddering With landscape. this for instrument correct the made it the powerorgan The of merged. all organ roaring the dinosaurs, the [...] music, roars. this mind his In ghastly the again then returned, notes wandering frail The screamed. he almost that dinosaur-like intensely so seemed sound The chest. to blow ahole seemed his in him, stunned Thehim. loudness smote and snorting huffing bass agigantic Without warning

” nature which Tredinnick believes is at the heart of nature writing (23). writing of nature heart at the is Tredinnick which believes ” nature I am here quoting a sentence from a letter by William Carlos Williams which inspired inspired which Williams Carlos byWilliam aletter from a sentence quoting here I am 197) Throughout her her 197) Dirt Throughout Bad , Tredinnick defines nature nature , Tredinnick defines 8 Bad Dirt landscape landscape experi 190) - - -

REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 111 REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 112 yellow haze lying over the Wind River range.” over Wind ( the River lying yellow haze of source “a the filthy to explain by one used of locals the image ecofeminist cally typi thecrude, in forinstance clear made is pollution. and This mining by asphalt, untouched unexploited fewer and fewer lands, United the in has States places wildest Eugenie’s and Mitchell story,even Proulx’s that onethe of conveyssense a fiction WayJust the It Is 158) numbness ( ongoing to ecocide. the from a general call a wake-up as read well wild,” may which vanishing the of of“theglimpses remnants stories offer fleeting world ( time” wild and end the of this seeing of loss encroachment he habitat was and on routes.with He ancient migration knew [...], creatures wild the through were sweeping teamed diseases Awful under assault. was country undisturbed the as well as of place the “He wildlife the understood of nature: despoiling gradual the to expose He habitats. serves their and humans between points interconnectedness to the joyment Mitchell’s of wild, character the to confront us with reality as we perceive it most profound our as in moments” reality to with (142). confront us theadequate form most is Theshortstory destroyed. momentarily and disrupted lead usually we life systematic and secure thesafe, find thus concern, and dread, “[the loneliness, short story] presents moments of we anxiety, become aware which in in KnowledgeShort Fiction,” of “The Nature in May argues E. Charles As awareness. moments of correspond gut,” to often the devastating revelations in a claw these “like Furthermore, of quotidian. the life beyond profane, everyday the something onto opening about of sacred bring the asense they for instance, Mitchell’sin case comes through Wade Walls’ cynical assessment of an overexploited of an assessment land: Wade through comes Walls’ cynical thegovernment-sponsored of exploitationpicture The theland capitalist bleakest of at you. violent, rather images or obscene sometimes language coarse flaunt brutally and offensive”raw image finds “the character (191), unapologetically many a story outsider told the is reader Mitchell the that case, very this in Although greed. and their with it men submitting to lust forces, for profit abused and patriarchal by awoman’s with body, earth the controlled associates clients)ing characteristically position the in of humiliat prostitute developers analogically exploited by industrial metaphoric into mapping here a subaltern degraded at playis (i.e. land feminine the As illustrated by the coyote roaming in the airport parking lot end at the of parking airport the in coyote by the roaming illustrated As As opposed to Eugenie who cannot quite her fathom opposed who to husband’s cannot Eugenie en deep As The insider’s testimony of recent change in the climate combined with the combined with insider’sThe theclimate in testimony change of recent say,her and dick.’” ( ‘suck his thepole prod putto they by comes jeans his in five bucks with tinhorn any and ahold knees gotof her.got onher her down They whoremasters The to die. start You’re Wyomin. in smog before that seen Never her acres. ten ever seeing One well project. gas methane infill Jonah “Pollution. It’s goddamn that from smog. Comes 2. MOVING TOWARDS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ETHOS ENVIRONMENTAL AN TOWARDS MOVING 2. Bad Dirt 191) 192). Dirt Bad Here Proulx’s there, and 190): Dirt Bad Fine Fine - - - industry, here vociferously exposed as an environmental plague: environmental an as industry, here exposed vociferously Wade to beef denounce the activist Walls serves wrencher” (224) vegetarian and ( brutes’’” disease-spreading shit-smeared, fly-covered, of Wyoming”: “ Wade monkey-wrenching Walls’ through herGovernors voice predecessor “The in tributethe in she pays exemplified as talk, provocationmuch rough Abbey-like and jelly-fish,” force (“an iridescent incandescent and haze”, yellow “filthy “stained”). apoisonous, polluting dirty, as condemn civilization descriptions of nature these resources, plundering of the natural and industrialization with hand in hand Going ( of civilization” orange weak the darkness mountainy the stained and jelly-fishFox formedabove “At incandescent Swift an like of aglobe dusk light over Fox, light “the the of town Swift population tiny describing seventy-three”: when by style her poetic captured furthermore is on nature of capitalism impact ing The devastat climate. and of level the ecosystems just on moreinterrelatedness than offered by Proulx’s perspective thus emphasizing stories, economic historical and much of socio- the encapsulates passage house”), this atrailer in life jobs atough and represented her those in fiction (“and as such forcommon people on individuals no Proulx’sin stories.Moreover, of economic the system consequences the underlying in one political of most explicitly the passage of Wyoming’sabuse and this make land violent neighbor. for own on Shy, ending his for turning punished thus arather suggests story neighbor’s the their fence in cutting pastures, caught getting destroy, and rant only to end up characters extremist two Yet, these cattle. as beef at sabotaging Shy,accomplice, conduct operations underground aiming stealthily a97 It house. was a trailer in life a tough people no for jobscommon and and talent, and bleed-out of brains the billionaires, assorted and music stars up by country bought old ranches the ad valorem and severance royalties, mineral federal from income take-it [...] state’s the about landscape. lie-back-and- empty He knew deceptively by the disguised all railroads, mess, Amoco the dams, ruinous plants, methanol-processing pipelines, rivers, contaminated farms, tank rigs, drilling and jacks pump mines, trona mines, coal mines, uranium land, disturbed refineries, field, junkyard vast its in off flare Cave Gulch the of column fiery the place, the about all But he knew Densely poetic in its own, harsh way, in its own, harsh in brings poetic Proulx’sDensely nevertheless style use industrial of instances list of long toneand remarkably Theaccusatory ( scenery. and ranchers Republican Inspired byInspired Abbey’s Monkey Gang The Wrench ( lifestyle. century anineteenth live can afew So income. state’s gross of this percent three for? Apitiful what –and cows world-destroying stupid, polluting, stinking, of us, to all people, to the belong that Forests National the ruining gas, methane ozone-destroying creating banks, stream trampling plants, out rare wiping habitat, riparian range, public destroying cows gas-bag their and ranchers subsidized These 218) 218) Range Close ‘You about don’t cows said Abbey what know you –‘stinking, 000 square-mile dog’s breakfast of outside exploiters, of outside exploiters, dog’s breakfast square-mile 000 213) Range Close Close Range Close , Wade renegade his and 224). “Monkey- 224). 171). 171). Dirt Bad taxes, taxes, -

REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 113 REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 114 Backlash: Gender and Sexuality in the Americas the in Sexuality and Gender Backlash: ORDA ing most of Proulx’s parodic imitations and pastiches of folktales and fairy tales, fairy and of folktales most of pastiches Proulx’sing and imitations parodic Is ( arrows” or horses and bows had “centuries Indians before the ago, some years band 2,500 ancient Native an American amongst ritual hunting value? end, moral lend the in stories their which, the outcomes pave way for tragic the the not ferocious plotting actually But this does and Wyoming. barren harsh in of fittest the for survival the brother struggle the in on turn brother impressionwill that rather is remaining the that true it certainly is atight-knit community, as and cooperating one than rather abusing another time Dirt help and your bitterest even to enemy astranger, aid give when he down” is ( you –that of country the rule out to of “the underline Trees” cardinal serves also Mitchell’s voice Crawling “Man culture. in and nature continuumthe between underlines precisely determinism Proulx’s geographical contrary On the Adamson. Joni by reproached ecocritic been with has Abbey as wilderness, the and humans or culture, and of opposing nature avoids pitfall thus the Proulx future. the and present, the past, the between civilization, and wildness between culture, and nature between neighbors, their and farmers interdependence the to do with ing between overgrazing: avoid to approach ranching new mother their to his Skipper Birch explains land. the toward on, show yet and more thrive help may ranchers respect that practices able farming Americans and their environment. First, it is made clear that the thoughtful killing killing thoughtful the that environment. their it clear First, made and is Americans her Native between relationship give-and-take the emphasizes Proulx cliff. off a entire herd an of bison driving in consisted old which of bison-hunting an ritual tone alegendary in tells and it stories, and re-imagines ways by Native American inspired of Admittedly Proulx’svoices. ironynarrative characteristic dry the flaunting without ritual and myth from Native American draws “Deep-Blood-Greasy-Bowl” 123). dysphoric tone atmosphere overall and opposed caustic pervad to the As 195). spend Proulx’s more overall, that characters one argue might course, Of Resisting Norms and Confronting Confronting and Norms Resisting Stambolis, byMichael edited issue aspecial in journal, One of the stories reverts to multiculturalism as Proulx pictures abison pictures Proulx as to multiculturalism One of stories reverts the 9 hav point,Proulx’s variations, in one in essential stories to do hammer seem ( matters. that thing only We] the is long run the to come feel about [... thinking is and up.me It’s crusted is Hulse run the soil long The brittle. of water. Now it’s and kinds Hard brittle. here, all growed that agrass kinds the –all century of the part early at the for back reports agricultural county a look at the take Mama, down, water’s You an run been how land much to the know want grass. [...]– bare been ground’s it’s old alkali softer, mellow. hard It’s that where makin it –places left and piles little into these hay the we raked Where results. Showing point story to more reason this Conversely, in of other set characters the

I have written elsewhere on this subject, in a paper to be published in the international international the in published be to apaper in subject, on this elsewhere written I have . . Fine Just the Way JustFine the It 231-32) Range Close Bad Bad - - - 9

onto bowl: totem-like, sacred the eponymous and of bison projected the herd motivated not is but metonymically by greed by as need, Annie Proulx draws on the traditional motif of the Sacred Hoop: of Sacred motif concept the “The on traditional the draws Proulx Annie world around: expression of natural to attentiveness the the human suggesting biosphere: the in forms life ofweb made all interdependent the perpetuating order of things, of natural the parcel and part as is the scene nonetheless presented of The brutality beings. living of all relatedness inter the underlining for while food, killing massive the with violence associated bison’s look onto warm unsentimental necessary the the heightening still corpses, Clearly inspired by American Indian ways and stories, this short story by short story this stories, and ways Indian by American inspired Clearly ( to about happen. was long-awaited something that promised and quiver bedrock made that abellowing earth, the inside deep of bison roaring the sensed they [...] heartbeat, and ocean. suspirations their Below distant the from were advancing storms when of seaweed smell briny by the tell movement. Some could subterranean showing air calm in of grass blade of asingle the quiver skin, over drawn afinger like sky the against rubbing clouds world: string natural of the nuances to the sensitive exquisitely them made them toward slinking winter the hungry against to store putto food The fat, need on ear. inner but the all remote fortoo sounds those point, vanishing The men the aural for [...] strained wayin a and hypallages Proulx’sThird, synaesthesia to descriptions resort one. ( next the in them aid would and drive last the remembered birds the No one doubted that ledge. high on the on abroken animal to feed down gliding old pair the overhead, gently and sweetly meat. rich cried [...] good the away,for eagles eager The distance some path cliff a precipitous down scrambling began The hunters pots. clay and bags deerskin in blood the caught and throats tore, still-pulsating cut and sliced others, the with she, her and not reached yet had news But the kill. massive not the would rejoice in wife into mud. bloody His herd, now pulverized running to the gone close too had who man young of the remains trodden the top, discovered hunters the the At thebison. other to cliff invisible of the secret the tell would for they None live, must survivors. the killed stoneaxes and spears with bottom at the women.Men waiting by the eviscerated now some were being even impact; by the killed slope, talus the to way the all or rolled fallen bison had of Most the down. spiraling ravens and wounds atopen were pulling magpies afew Already pelvises. shattered or with legs on broken to rise tried they where ledge on aprojecting fallen Some [bison] had on the feeding instantly eagles and magpies in brings ritual the Second, It 128-29) Is Way lip. cold to its the Just (Fine brim would that blood for the thirsty bowl the bison closer, the pulling force grey its [...] feel fat. could needed Marmot Small It Itblood. bowl. craved the from stone. Power the emanated darkened further which fat with rubbed bison hunt it was [...] asuccessful past. distant After the in to come them had stone that bowl adeep treasure, sacred band’s the see He could Fine Just the Way the Just ItFine Is 131) Fine Just the Way the Just ItFine Is 124) -

REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 115 REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 116 hitting it to the ground with an axe: an it with ground to the hitting about butchering goes Head asteer, Tin named after how grotesque character the relates narrator, story the told steer. intradiegetic by As an of ahalf-skinned tale gruesome the Proulx’safter in is entitled story collection opening Wyoming first of repercussions one’s to concluded be tragic from the actions. than or foolish selfish for is rather once a positive shown in light, beings living all between connectedness theinter Thus, at represented one nature. are as with story this in humans times, to back Going legendary offering. an of bison fat the blood the as the receive and will bowl that greasy totem-like,visible the eponymous, hungry, powerful, in and most material, 59).whole” (Gunn Allen story, mythical recuperates this Proulx In living and ordered, of balanced, an parts of mother, our necessary children as and [...] relatives, as as the creatures cocreators,Great of as Mystery, offsprings all as sees Indian American philosophy: “The Indian abides by American ancient ritual of an Proulx’s re-imagining things, of harmony all essential the Acknowledging world. thenatural thevisionof rest relationship to different of humans’ strikingly a offers by Proulx story for dominion, this astruggle in nature against humans ting most of in her Pioneer born stories, from the Spirit pit lifestyle ranchers’ and the opposed to 56). As (Gunn of Allen life” that aspect, its most essential in contained is that all including encompassing, and dynamic is that unity oneis of singular bawling” (30) of the animal metaphors expressing nature’s speechless voice. nature’s metaphors expressing speechless (30)bawling” of animal the the cut-off andthe “mutetongue, mouth” “empty dirty the of silencing nature, and vanished: altogether steer, never forget the indeed has which will Illustrating the opposite, inconsiderate and cruel treatment of nature, the opposite, the the of treatment nature, cruel inconsiderate and Illustrating The half-skinned steer thus forpotent a man’sprovides steer synecdoche abuse half-skinned The done is for ( kids their and kids of his done he is for, he knows all and and athim, coming arrows like hate teetotal pure at him, glaring eyes red its and wide open no tongue without mouth empty the and muscles shoulder the and head of the meat raw the see can Head Tin distance that all And [...] back. it it looks and stops then just over hindquarters. its And down hanging wet it’s and bunchy and raw It looks along. got something stumbling andslow, stiff moving, something he sees mountain side of on the the west the [...], old tracks cow but except there’sor footprints but in nothing over way there atit. [...] marks dog licking for tire the of around and blood tub He looks the and straw, and dirt with covered all ground on the It’s laying tongue, the gone. Only thathis jobfinds he up he out intends Head Tin dinner, to finish as After aforget-me-notin (32) teacup. Head’s mustard Tin Mrs. with cold eat up and cooked all favorite dish his is which the tongue outcuts he but first kitchen, into the he goes and ground on the there skinned half steer the he leaves So dinner. about thinking starts and halfway about [... off hide the back. hide gets the H]e peels nose, to the eye the past down poll of the back cuts head, the with it, starts skinning starts it and down he lets good it. [...] sticks it up and hoists it’s legs, When back up the bled outHe ties pretty Close Range 35-37) Range Close - - American Women’sAmerican Literature in Inheritance of Questions Dowry: Thy be Then Thy in Stories” Truth Wyoming Proulx’s Annie in of Recycling Art the Junk”: ‘Dump Trash and White Dirt,’ ‘Bad “Inheriting my paper see Songs” other regionalist writers. regionalist other many for grid areading as uses moreover Asquith which itself, in Frontier mythology of the digest good a It provides online. available some of workmy previously including on fiction, Proulx’s far so out work carried academic of the much together bringing while of novels, her of afew aspects some Lost Frontier The work: of his title the in encapsulated West, as of the mythology of the and determinism of geographical lens the through mostly landscape Proulx’s studies Asquith Mark him, before scholars many Like article. present in violentin end agony at the of story. the Pioneer the in alone and Spirit, who faith perishes and unquestioning with sociated as CowboySongs”Old ‘Them comeswho in hamartia to embody Rose century nineteenth of young instance case for the is This for endings. sordid, horrific making twist hit tragic by get some deadly of wilderness the dangers the underestimating way. hard alesson, characters the albeit foolish or ignorant, learn Many awareness about her capacity to fend for herself in the wild –a capacity which is clearly denied denied clearly is which capacity –a to wild fendabout the for in her herself capacity notions by Romantic her and euphoric, encapsulated her misguided hubris, initially price for high the she up ends paying outdoor whofond is An enthusiast of hiking, diet. organic of Donkey,” on the a strictly vegetarian a self-righteous, postmodern live upon it: it molds their lives even while they alter it.” alter uponlive they it: while it even lives molds (33) their who inhabitants of the astate reciprocity in with product, existing cultural dynamic a ‘noun’; of power of agent asymbol It power, relations. a an becomes than rather than a ‘verb’ rather practice; form of cultural adynamic in aprotagonist backdrop; a player than rather asocial study, becomes Proulx’s in Wyoming “landscape stories, published recently his in argues doom Asquith for Mark generations the to come. As of aresult, as and, cruelty about of gratuitous asense brings eponymous story the one.”). next the in steer of half-skinned treatment the Comparatively, reckless the in them would(“No aid and drive one remembered birds last doubted the the that species for living cooperation among reward of afuture and gently”) and sweetly of by euphoria asense (“eagernevertheless meat,” rich for good cried the “the eagles bloody mud,” subsumed is “[the throats”) women] cut still-pulsating and sliced wounds,” “some [...] “trodden eviscerated,” were being remains into pulverized violence at open (“brokenof scene the legs” “shattered pelvises,” “magpies pulling the ritual, end the of for bison-killing At needed the food. oftreatment animals of humans’ consequences on future the as well as nature and humans between 3. NATURE SHALL STRIKE BACK WITH A CLAW IN THE GUT THE ACLAW IN BACK WITH STRIKE SHALL 3. NATURE In Proulx’s cynical world, the characters do not quite able world, seem to gain characters the Proulx’sIn cynical The endings of the two stories cited above both insist on the continuumthe twostories cited on insist above theboth of The endings 11 10

For more on this very summary analysis of the tragic elements in “Them Old Cowboy Cowboy Old “Them in elements tragic of the analysis summary very For more on this This recently published book was signaled to me during the reviewing process of the of process reviewing the to me during signaled was book published recently This , edited by Stéphanie Durrans. byStéphanie , edited . It provides many detailed analyses of Proulx’s stories and and of stories Proulx’s analyses detailed many . It provides 11 The same goes for Catlin in “Testimonyin forCatlin goes same The 10 -

REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 117 REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 118 both predator and predator both as place, his to know wisdom and humility the he probably has plotting, because by Proulx’s one ones out spared as of rare the stands ruthless Mitchell’s character slow, Tellingly, of prolonged her the death. in excruciatingly miserable narrative demanded a high price from its takers, let alone from those who surrendered it.” (xxiv) surrendered who those from alone let takers, its from price a high demanded has continent The hard. and brutal [...]been experience has American The murderous. and empty it finds rancher former elderly But an of itself. essence the country this to seemed has West that the called “Tick,” literally gets eviscerated by a “waspy emu” with “its big razor claws” claws” emu” by big a“waspy razor “its with eviscerated “Tick,” gets literally called by John selected Updike. Century, of the Stories Short American Best the amongst for its presence accounts partly which power itself of story-telling points lasting to the Range gone ( wrong” a cattleman well, as revulsion of his aspect comic the saw ing, white he plate couldn’t and mute in bawl mouth agape help it, beast, he the saw brought woman when it he the blood cut and into the meat the spread across the “[He] of undercurrent guilt: sense but ordered an asteak of steer, the revealing thus the andterrible fate ranching between analogy theabout vision a horrific bringing steer, when he endures of half-skinned the story the hearing after should occur ian that Mero’s It significant is into sudden tales. a metamorphosis and vegetar symbols power in haunting of the my to opinionpointing metafictionally, works animal The a protagonist. Mero with as heroic mock frame narrative the in resurfacing keeps Annie Proulx’s Wyoming Stories.” Wyoming Proulx’s Annie English in Story Short the of Journal he can simply run away from. simply run he can exploitation not is something of nature reckless the in participation guilty family’s Mero his and that realization the in a warning as read may which and ominous ( time” this all for him watching been steer’s had eye red half-skinned the that again, wrong he been he’d saw light wintry power “... in of symbols: haunting the with wake howling the his in reader the and protagonist the both confronts case any illusion, in anamorphic optical, of an result or the whether real whether narrative, end at of steer the parition of frame the the of one’s awareness world.and impossible more-than-human The the in ap place for humility, attentiveness, most of calls Proulx’sLike tale her stories, metadiegetic 30). This symbol of a muted nature, at the heart of “The Half-Skinned Steer,”Half-Skinned 30).“The of the symbol of a at heart mutednature, This 13 12 Steer,”Half-Skinned It “The in no is coincidence that Rollo, whose son is title thestory its giving Steer,” image Half-Skinned “The In traumatic the ( wildernesses. roadless unforgiving, most of these ignorance by his defeated but was lowstone backcountry, into [...] lions, mountain and Yel the grizzlies were still there where Absarokas, the of terrain difficult on He to go into foot the longed late. too he was that and abrupt topography, to music fitting and roads back driving than place the standing much more to under was there that truth; the face on he drove he himself let As

John Updike explains in the introduction: “The Half-Skinned Steer” [...] revisits the West, the Steer” [...]West, revisits Half-Skinned “The introduction: the in explains Updike John For a more detailed discussion of this interpretation of the story, see my article in the the in my article story, see of the interpretation of this discussion For amore detailed prey: , “Unreal, Fantastic and Improbable Flashes of Fearful Insight in in Insight of Fearful Flashes Improbable and Fantastic , “Unreal, Bad Dirt 13 Close Range Close 191) 40). In the end, there is something 40). something end, is there the In Close Close 12 - - - - -

backlash against lustful and greedy abuse. For Annie Proulx’s For abuse. greedy Annie and to stories seem oppose lustful against backlash performancesexual enhancers. as markets sold are on Asian gallbladders and claws bear since afortune bring can We hides. the with don’t poaching bear novel the (246). have time’” reveals, As weout don’t Hell, gallbladder, cut most of out time, the the claws. the bother even “‘It’s business: unscrupulous awork,his take open cut just and them heavy not that Proulx’s in recurs novel ( scimitars” like claws with bellies one in huge wounds another’s kicking trees, from tropical foliage tearing swamps ancient the been in heresteamy had “They of mind dinosaurs: in puts him scenery the Trees,” of Muddy north contemplates Mitchell and Gap,” west as “the reaches empty out of Crawling “Man in other stories. Indeed, in observed Wyoming landscapes of monumental the out of prehistoric the quality materialized to haveseem magically story fanciful teeth,” (143-44). claws” this “greatin and [curling] dinosaurs The teeth,”are endowed with “ghastly “shark creatures dinosaur evil the Significantly, Hell. humorously Wyoming, with on postmodern presented in apar birds as dactyl to ptero life gives “Swamp comic Mischief,” playfully very the in where Devil the or of world. the diegetic, textual, elements, them be unrelated apparently between intraconnections deep, rhizomatic attentionthedraws to frighteningly Steer”,passage Half-Skinned this toship “The stories”point (108). these in relation in when read Iwould argue, that, More than any as at as of theme loudly the nature’s indifference expresses and parasitic, and Weltzien’scontemptuous “That metaphorendeavortiny renders analysis: human ( ticks” off to scrape wanted its human rattlesnakes, and Would of Furniture Kind Pick?”: dunes go sand to wanted to Jesus country “The “What metaphorin asignificant through expressed of as enactment nature’s will aliteral Rollo’s as Dirt. reads indeed Bad collection from death the a later story chosen for Rollo’s name in suggestive rather The son, passage a adumbrates Tick, collections. three the throughout related intertextually her stories are as formally appear of Proulx’s also heart at the representationtanglements of naturecultures his kids and their kids is done is 35-37). for’” Range kids Close their and kids his (“‘and steer he done he is vanished knows for, of all and magically mutilated, the prophesied by Mero’s of tale step-mother, to her line punch tall embedded, the as generations of ranchers third on second and the retaliation Biblical-sounding the steer. adouble The emuaccomplishes indeedas for eponymous half-skinned the the Thus emumurderous in Proulx’s reads story way from Australia. the all imported “Wyoming Down-Under”, called trap, quite tourist ironically emus with a hyperreal into Wyoming ranch family failed the transforming in part take they other things, amongst order as, natural the Tick disrupt of Rolloand being. chain of great the Nature’s vision with indigenous and Hoop, Sacred rhizomatic anon-hierarchical, some retribution, of sort poetic for through meddling cursed get obliquely suggests, ( Close Range Close Thus, Proulx’s formidable claw leitmotif comes to catalyze Gaïa’s Thus, powerProulx’s to catalyze comes claw formidable leitmotif to of humor sense wry arather using it oneProulx’s further step takes writing Tick’s name then significantly relies on onomastics. The multispecies en multispecies The on relies onomastics. significantly then Tick’s name 22-23). In a Shakespearian-like way, 22-23). story family, the his Tick and aShakespearian-like In Postcards , as a rich bear trapper tries to offer Loyal a deal in a deal Loyal to offer tries trapper bear a rich , as 189). This overarching claw symbol also 189).also Dirt Bad symbol claw overarching This 111). Dirt Bad To up take - - -

REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 119 REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 120 Faris’ Faris’ Enchantments: Magical Realism and the Remystification of Narrative Ordinary Wendy see Faris’ agenre, as realism For more on magical diegesis. the into worked magic the with along go simply and disbelief suspend to readers prompting narrative, arealistic within accounts for the Devil’s smug sense of smug anticipated sense satisfaction: for Devil’s the accounts thenarrator Anthropocene– point the of thestarting as current debates in identified revolution often is and of industrial the beginning the invention marks that –an ogy Watt’s to James Referring self-destruction. development technol engine of steam for headed is modern civilization so-called a point that makes Proulx character, order of things. natural the with hybrid of aconsequence meddling avid, into the degenerate as an plant turns the that it possibly ecopoetically, is suggested Read child. asurrogate as sagebrush the to taken who has woman barren by ahysterical, scraps and gravy meet fed been has into it after a monster metamorphoses thesagebrush Significantly, disappearances. human and out of to animal series responsible be turns endless for an sagebrush Kid,” story,where carnivorous grotesque, a Sagebrush “The realist other, magical quiteis enjoyable for reader. probably the is an Nature in at its most treacherous by proxy, and, warden, the in pleasure deep ostentatiously power induces which –a nature against retribute crimes power endowedmomentarily the to directly with is character themain as evident, rather is case this in thestory value of The moral lot forobliterated to concrete tourists. build... over poured land with the aparking it fellow-wardens, gets as his and protagonist the disempowering thus awhile, after disappears Ironically, hellhole unexpectedly the at close will. open and he can which hole ground the amagic in via to hell directly poachers power to send animal magic his discovers warden fish and a Wyoming game as laugh good a truly gets at last cally retributed in Proulx’s stories, it must in the end appear as morally condemned. Proulx’s retributed in morally as stories, itendcally the appear in must poeti or cosmically be to formviolence latter The need. of failing never than rather greed and from stupidity form of violence, apurely human springing other hand, on and the continuum the of in existence, representedparticipating by and need as on onea Tennysonian the hand, vision of motivated a violence inherent nature, in of Fearful Insight in Annie Proulx’s Wyoming Stories.” Wyoming Proulx’s Annie in Insight of Fearful Flashes Improbable and Fantastic “Unreal, above, mentioned my article, see stories, Proulx’s Annie in realism For more on 7) magical identity.” and (Faris space time, about ideas received disturbs realism magical finally, and, realms; different merges narrative the fourth, of events; understanding contradictory two reconcile to effort the in doubts unsettling some experience may reader the third, world; phenomenal of the presence astrong details realism magical in descriptions the second, magic; of element irreducible an contains text the “First, mode: a literary as realism of magical acteristics Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community MagicalHistory, Theory, Realism: In one of her truly comic stories casting the Devil in Hell as the main main the as Hell in Devil the one stories comic casting In of her truly In another cynical and magical realist story, realist magical and cynical another In 14 into asavagely agriculture– alittle scratch and to hunt, gather control, suited pulse im poor with creatures clever –selfish, species a booted had epiphany kettle The

In using the term “magical realism” I am referring to the merging of magical events events of magical merging the to referring Iam realism” “magical term the using In . In short, Faris lays down the five main char main five the down lays Faris short, . In 14 “The “The Hellhole,”the reader , and Lois Zamora and Wendy and Zamora Lois , and - - - - - “ of case writing. is a It allegorical the seriousness Dante’s of deflating thus original comparisons, to trivial resort tales her in Wyoming these stories, prevailing guage lan sharp the with contrast In collections. the in most amusing the them make become would Plus”Hell part, with labor his no (36). on itself, earth The casing. asausage it out inside of as using intestine and alength would do, turning much like asimple inversion weredamned, inevitably humans all nearly extension; since an probably was there no to long need “In build the run concludes quite sarcastically: businessmen,” number he most of American of eventually ing them Total Bastards, increas contemplates a tenth “to circle an ofidea the adding accommodate Devil the As Hell. postmodern world, par our with of satire a comic thus offers ona Thestory We’re inundations. comparison”glaciers, melting in to(36). look frumpy starting who [... now love features. environmentalists such are Deserts,] of yesteryear–there gloomy do not frisson and forests negative have the of Slimyrocks Hell. think they for It’s place eons. damn done old-fashioned, this with it’s people when yawn passé, been has “Nothing comparison: in tedious seem Hell Upper the with world making competition it more make infernal, and Hell to need modernize the established has Devil the it Fork. goes, As demon Duane his secretary, and version Devil the are Proulx’s of in Hell circles nine the exploring characters main the Virgil, and Dante Dante’s rewriting Inferno poeic palimpsest logical revolution that many scientists predict humanity has been headed toward. headed been has humanity predict revolution scientists many logical that of geo scenario –a parasites rid of its human getting of Gaïa scenario apocalyptic global, to the here gestures inscription, story neoregional Proulx’sa local, satirical beyond Going of West, the myth. Cowboy Pioneer the the dream and the ethos, as such civilization, American fabric of form the North that myths the deconstructing sagebrush he has come to measure out document 91). (2008 come and to measure he has sagebrush it Could then, be carnivorous of monstrous, the branch” warm strangely and “muscular toence the refer a foreboding with thefromoutpage blanked literally is Kid” Sagebrush “The in Thebotanist grotesque fates. rather biologist dealt are bear defeated the as such Proulx’s too, that From telling it be scientists might point of the of academia, view 147). (2008 world croutons the throughout like a salad” demons in were sprinkled that marrow his when in he understood truth “[he] searing the grappled with had of epiphany mock end akind at the of biologist “Swamp Mischief”: experiences bear when comparison, the funny quoted unexpectedly simile above, another or with casing thesausage with forinstance clear intention.made is This a more satirical more with and with common themes, alowly in of language, atext rewriting and travestissement burlesque Proulx’s light, sardonic tone and unrealistic mode in these Devil stories Devil these mode in Proulx’s tone sardonic unrealistic light, and 136) (2008 humans. those by manipulating himself he amused harvest self-reaping for the he waited while And me,” murmured. here with be [the Devil] all they’ll “A years, hundred few End. The toward blundering sent them and out of hand gotrapidly that civilization technological In the same collection, “I’ve Always Loved This Place” comes as a mytho comes Place” “I’ve collection, This Loved same the In Always other, the One her after ignorance, man’s stories and bluntly expose arrogance ” to take up Gérard Genette’s term, that is an imitation Genette’s imitation up Gérard an is term,” to that take from the Divine from the Comedy . Instead of . Instead - - - - -

REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 121 REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 122 any redemption in sight, can themselves feel to the reader at times like a“claw like in at times reader to the feel themselves redemptionany can sight, in if little, with stories, cynical end, and Proulx’s the In retaliation. ruthless cosmic poetico- requited be through invariably shall nature against transgressions that sense a frightening her stories with all imbuing realism– of magical use disturbing out a via (eco)poetic carried of –often humortesque sense scathing justice and the implied writer on storytelling as a subtle art of make-believe. asubtle art as implied writer onthe storytelling comment aself-reflexive from words as Devil’s the it to tempting close, read then is fold them” brought 146). (2008 being to Proulx’s a simultaneously is story While to hold steady. bastard concludes: [...] areal “Illusions are You got when to to know the Devil the rows lake” over flew dinosaur birds, (146). his of evanescence Aboutthe spar Four shower a teeth. Therewas shark of changed. forms: “Abruptly everything initial into back their metamorphosing vanish, suddenly from hell birds pterodactyl dimension,the as metafictional ble this moreover matter. ending to Theadds story into now tangi turned my for soul apterodactyl”), sell bird. I’d abigis dangerous I need (“What expressionfrustration an simplyof at first here was what literalizing myths, metaphors,idioms, in and contained possibilities into imaginative taps the Proulx inherent language, in potential on performative the capitalizing Poetically theof fit herstory. needs that bits pieces recuperated hybrids patched and up with to grotesque life giving experiments, with herself writer amuses Devil/implied the doing, habitat. so In birds’ natural to dinosaur approximately the recreate cicadas and swamps adding thewherelives, ornithologist landscape thenatural modifies He museum. history stolen fromnatural a teeth shark with fitted sparrows English horrors”mouthed flying (142),enlarged” and modified “biologically from made machina ex of Deus kind 138). (2008 a my for soul apterodactyl” sell As bird. I’d abig is I need dangerous people. What kill can that big animals with who deal guys the count are ones that “The bears: lions,and wolves, in mountain specialized colleagues to his compared to ornithologist’s about afriend how attention little ranting he gets frustrated mail, into He inspiration. taps a intercepts people’s for mischievous looking Devil emails etc. nature, sion against violence, cruelty, greed, of one’s abuse foolishness, brother or neighbor, transgres blindness, to punish of as so events plots indeed sordid Proulx turns wand, magic her metaphor own for retribution Proulx’s her of in sin stories. Brandishing devilish indeed a provides use poetic of justice TheDevil’s of her characters. failures lectual emotional, moral, or the intel relation (136), with in humans” falls out metes tragic those by manipulating “[amusing] himself writer, demiurge Devil the the who like of activity to the not is without similarity sins– proportionately their contrast with of contrapasso use ning we humans use to make sense of world. the sense to make use we humans the the we approachis which myths with world, that discourse of type a different Proulx’s Overall, to stories invite tackle us exploiting nature? and categorizing, ing, measur it with is as of modern science, obsessed Proulx’s vanity the that stories cast In most of her Wyoming stories, Annie Proulx resorts to amordant, gro resorts Proulx most ofIn her Wyoming Annie stories, The reading. paradigmatic a telling offers “Swamp Mischief” light, this In Besides, these Devil stories offer metadiegetic hunches. The Devil’s cun Devil’s The hunches. stories offer metadiegetic Devil these Besides, , the Devil concocts makeshift pterodactyl birds, or birds, “shark- pterodactyl makeshift concocts Devil , the –inflicting punishments on humans which reiteratewhich or on humans punishments –inflicting ------as a medium for a good read, but a good read which also serves to raise awareness. awareness. to raise serves also but which for read read, agood amedium agood as to seem rely writers on both Kingsolver’s story-telling because Barbara contemporary of land. the preservation and respect urgent advocating thus areas, certain of despoliation of industrial the but also nature, sublime in the and of beauty the experiences provides visual album Wyoming’s the with lands, endangered Dealing of a Place tory non-fiction the in book,coffee-table Red Desert: exposed are His concerns political vein, Proulx’s same the In about change. bringing in participate can demonstrates, worldwide. Fiction, Proulx’s analyzed and writing adapted, translated, being keep will resonance universal with writers United it ecoliterary to and hoped be is that States, to the limited than rather global, be well may change and for need urgent awareness [...] require “Americans one desperately is that century.”(110) twenty-first the in The Proulx’s contains fiction humility” in 4). Weltzien “lesson the O. that ventures Alan [...] issues. ( about change” social bring can trumps fiction And “Storytelling impact: social its potential experience,” acknowledges Proulx reading [...] “the short story Aware that mythologies. and apowerful be paradigms can new of for need about the bring readers’ awareness world. the they doing, so with In relationship areal in engage they that in texts” “ecoliterary calls Rainbow Adrian of ecology,” “narrative Hunt,examples or by coined what term up Alex the to take ( “Testimony ofDonkey”: the “Traveler, by walking” made are Paths no is path. there in of arrogance stubborn story ironic epigraph to her an tragic as Antonio Machado of Proulx’sthe meaning be mayquotationremapping well This of oftions nature. concep very our reterritorialize and to deterritorialize us inviting open space an as here Clearly, nature. functions literature regards as policies and attitudes current horror, of our limitations the awe, humor, her with confronts and readers cynicism control exploit Proulx’s and world he at will, shall which fiction, by dentnatural of on top as Western of Undermining a holding man philosophies ideologiesrun. and over therapy long shock the as working about voices epiphanies, bring rative reader nar sarcastic and justice poetic of brutal uses her overarching of characters, the part jargon, biocentric” the to use (24). is, ing [...] shape. also they which weathers, writ and So, nature landscapes by the shaped were they of fate of women men the though rivers, lives and the as animals, plants, world.includesgeology, with The human world the weather, contains it deals that beyond, goes before, that came that universe to the it extends bybounded society; is with not engages writing follows: worldnature “The that as latter posits the envisioned (54). Treddinick’s writing of Mark nature contribution analysis to the Tredinnick Mark has which of humility, amovement“literature beyond self” the the example of an offer well very may that implicit stances and moral symbolism, haunting descriptions, nature forceful with readers confronts itmatic, nevertheless quite trau as Proulx’s experienced If reading be short may fiction significance. and of plot terms in both possibilities, to over reader muse the various forces the that away in understated, and gut”.the abrupt, ambiguous often are endings Her story Fine Just the Way JustFine the It Is 151). Thus, Proulx’s stories offerWyoming best onethe of Interestingly, Annie Proulx’s neoregionalist writing can be likened to her likened be can Proulx’sInterestingly, writing Annie neoregionalist epiphany on an the suggest rarely endings short story Proulx’sIf fatalistic , which she has edited, with landscape photographs by Martin Stupich. photographs by Martin landscape with edited, she has , which 14, 14, Review Paris The - - - - -

REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 123 REVISTA CANARIA DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 77; 2018, PP. 105-125 124 and of our roles within it. of roles our and within of world the sense we in live helping society,make thus us postmodern and within of mythology functions the with story-telling to do, used reinvesting myths what replace to gradually form, destined mythopoeic is and story, its postmodernist in short the idea that the investigating dependent furthermore and I am on nature. superior but from and to within nature, no separate longer are perceived as humans which in abiocentric perspective spreading scholars, ecology narrative and writers amovement in nature part including taking are Proulx and Kingsolver like writers that it my is claim myths, and folktales from history, as ecology,Drawing well as Revised paper accepted for publication: 20 July 2018 July 20 publication: for accepted paper Revised Reviews sent to author: 5 May 2018 5May author: to sent Reviews Hunt May Adamson The Missouri Review Wyoming Library Roundup Hunt Eliade Proulx Proulx The Paris Review Burke Asquith Allen Abbey Proulx Proulx Weltzien Updike Tredinnick Rainbow Proulx Proulx , Charles, E.: “The Nature of Knowledge in Short Fiction.” Thein Short NewShort StoryKnowledge Theories of Nature “The E.: , Charles, The Geographical Determinism of Annie Proulx: Rethinking Rethinking Proulx: Annie of Determinism Geographical The of Narrative.” Ecology “The , Alex: Lexington (ed.):Geographical The , Alex Determinism of AnnieRethinking Proulx: Lexington Regionalism. Desert Solitaire Desert , Edward: Beacon Indian Traditions. American in Feminine the Recovering Hoop: Sacred The Gunn: , Paula A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origins of Our Ideas of the Sublime and the Beauti the and Sublime the of Ideas Our of Origins the into Enquiry APhilosophical , Edmund: Le Sacré et le profane le et Sacré Le , Mircea: The Best American Short Stories Short American (ed.): , John Best The , Annie: Heart Songs , Annie: Potscards , Annie: , Annie: Bad Dirt , Annie: Range Close , Annie: Red Desert: History of aPlace of History Desert: Red [Photography]. Stupich (ed.): Martin , Annie Way It the Is Just Fine , Annie: The Lost Frontier: Reading Annie Proulx’s Wyoming Stories Wyoming Proulx’s Annie Reading Frontier: Lost The , Mark: Regionalism 2005: 5-8. Books: [2009] 2011. ful Place Gang views/5901/the-art-of-fiction-no-199-annie-proulx com/archives/bbarticle/an-interview-with-annie-proulx/ 1994. Press, University Ohio Ohio: Locations, Revolutions Alex Hunt. Lexington Books: [2009] 2011. Books: Lexington Hunt. Alex Ed. Regionalism. Rethinking Proulx: Annie of Imagination Geographical The cature.” 2014. [1986] Boston, Press: 1992. Texas Press: Austin, 2008. , Adrian: “Ecoliteracy, Enchantment, and Consilience.” ( Consilience.” and Enchantment, “Ecoliteracy, , Adrian: , Joni: American Indian, Joni: Literature, Environmental Justice, and Ecocriticism: The , O. Alan: “Annie Proulx’s Wyoming: Geographical Determinism, Landscape, and Cari and Landscape, Determinism, Geographical Wyoming: Proulx’s “Annie , O. Alan: . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992. Press, University Oxford . Oxford: The Land’s Wild Music Wild Land’s The , Mark: . Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 2001. Press, Arizona of . Tucson: The University . [1975] 2000. Perennial, York: New Harper : “Annie Proulx.” Proulx.” : “Annie : “An Interview with Annie Proulx.” Spring 1999: http://www.missourireview. Spring Proulx.” Annie with : “An Interview . Lexington Books: [2009] 2011. Books: . Lexington . Scribner: New York, New [1992],. Scribner: 2003. . Thorndike Press: Waterville, [2004], 2005. [2004], Press: Waterville, . Thorndike : “More Reader than Writer: A Conversation with Annie Proulx.” Fall Fall Proulx.” Annie with Writer: AConversation than : “More Reader . Scribner: New York, New [1999]. Scribner: 2003. . Fourth Estate Limited: London, 1994. London, Limited: Estate . Fourth . University of Bucharest Review, vol. xiv vol. Review, of Bucharest . University . [1968] New York: Ballantine Books, 1971. Wrench Books, Monkey . [1968] The York: New Ballantine The Art of Fiction of Art The WORKS CITED WORKS . Paris: Gallimard, 1957. Gallimard, . Paris: . New York: Harper Collins, 2008. Collins, York:. New Harper . San Antonio: Trinity University Press, 2005. Press, University Trinity Antonio: . San . Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999. Mifflin, Houghton . Boston: . N° 199:. N° . http://www.theparisreview.org/inter . M)Other Nature (vol ii (vol . New York: Bloomsbury, York:. New Bloomsbury, – new series) 2012, 1. series) –new . University of . University ? Inscriptions, . Athens, Athens, .

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