Challenging Anthropocentrism: Saki’s Use of Animism in His “Sredni Vashtar”
Journal Title: Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi Dergisi - Year 2018, Vol 58, Issue 1
Abstract
Despite their close relationships since the earliest times, human beings have always marginalised and exploited animals due to the anthropocentric mind-set. Derived from the Greek word anthropos, which stands for human, anthropocentrism privileges human beings as the centre of the universe by marginalising all other life forms. Since such an approach justifies itself by privileging human beings due to their agentic capabilities, and by denying the agency of more-than-humans, anthropocentrism legitimises the ruthless use of natural resources and animal species as a means to human needs. Contrary to anthropocentrism, however, an animistic belief acknowledges soul and agency not only in human beings but also in more-than-humans; and therefore, appreciates their intrinsic values. Despite the dominant anthropocentric ideology of his time, the Edwardian short story writer Hector Hugh Munro (1870-1916), who writes his work with the penname Saki, evinces his sensitivities to the exploitation of animals in most of his short stories by challenging the anthropocentric viewpoint. Saki’s direct challenge to anthropocentrism manifests itself with his use of animism in his “Sredni Vashtar,” where the author problematises the notions of human and animal by blurring the boundaries between them through the child protagonist Conradin’s formulation of an animistic religion with an animal god. Accordingly, the main objective of this article is to discuss how Saki challenge anthropocentrism, and tends to step outside of the traditions and dominant norms of his society by incorporating an animistic view into his “Sredni Vashtar.”
Authors and Affiliations
Adem BALCI
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- EP ID EP617393
- DOI 10.33171/dtcfjournal.2018.58.1.14
- Views 85
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