Youssef, R. (2024). From Anthropocene to Symbiocene: Gaian Dynamics in Indra Sinha’s Animal’s People. CDELT Occasional Papers in the Development of English Education, 85(1), 55-73. doi: 10.21608/opde.2024.341377
Rania Samir Youssef. "From Anthropocene to Symbiocene: Gaian Dynamics in Indra Sinha’s Animal’s People". CDELT Occasional Papers in the Development of English Education, 85, 1, 2024, 55-73. doi: 10.21608/opde.2024.341377
Youssef, R. (2024). 'From Anthropocene to Symbiocene: Gaian Dynamics in Indra Sinha’s Animal’s People', CDELT Occasional Papers in the Development of English Education, 85(1), pp. 55-73. doi: 10.21608/opde.2024.341377
Youssef, R. From Anthropocene to Symbiocene: Gaian Dynamics in Indra Sinha’s Animal’s People. CDELT Occasional Papers in the Development of English Education, 2024; 85(1): 55-73. doi: 10.21608/opde.2024.341377
From Anthropocene to Symbiocene: Gaian Dynamics in Indra Sinha’s Animal’s People
College of Language and Communication Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport
Abstract
The Anthropocene, the current geological epoch in which human activity is the dominant influence on the Earth's climate and ecosystems, poses a serious threat to the planet. This threat is rooted in our anthropocentric worldview, which sees humans as separate from and superior to the natural world. In recent years, however, there has been a growing movement to shift to a more symbiotic worldview, one that recognizes the interdependence of all life on Earth. This paper traces the emergence of a new theory that supports this shift by focusing on the Gaia hypothesis and on Albrecht's notion of the Symbiocene. It argues that these theories offer a more hopeful and sustainable vision for the future of our planet. The paper then builds its premise on the interchange between ecology and literature by examining the novel Animal's People by Indra Sinha. This novel depicts a post-apocalyptic world in which humans and animals have been forced to cooperate in order to survive. The paper argues that Animal's People offers a powerful example of the potential of a symbiotic worldview.
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