THE WAYS of the BIRD RISING by © Amy Donovan a Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of Th
THE WAYS OF THE BIRD RISING by © Amy Donovan A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts , English Language and Literature Memorial University of Newfoundland October 2018 St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador Abstract The Ways of the Bird Rising centres on a small Scottish island community threatened by offshore fracking. It takes the idea of “community” in the widest sense, extending its reach to the narrative voices of animals, plants, stones and the island itself in an attempt to evoke the consequences of resource extraction on a more-than-human world. The human story centres on Alana, who grew up on the island and is, with mixed feelings, moving back there after years away; and Comgall, a Canadian geologist who comes to the island as an employee of the company in charge of the fracking. In their own ways, both are reconciling their relationship to the land and to their respective rural homes, while being opened to the lively multi-species world around them—a process mirrored in the reader’s experience as the island’s many inhabitants contribute to narrating their home. ii Acknowledgements I have been constantly and repeatedly amazed by the wisdom, generosity, dedication, patience and support of my supervisor, Dr. Robert Finley. His sense of wonder, and his orientation to the world and to teaching, have made me a better writer and human. Without him this novel would not exist. My gratitude and admiration overflow. I am bedazzled every time I encounter Lisa Moore in person or in the written word, and this novel benefited greatly from her keen eye for character, sensory detail and the ever-elusive “tension.” Thank you, Lisa, for everything you’ve taught me about writing, and for believing in this project.
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