Decentering anthropocentrism: human-animal relations in Aminatta Forna’s Happiness

Abstract

In this paper, I argue that Happiness focuses on interspecies relations by decentering man from a position of superiority over animals to interdependence between humans and animals. I contend that Happiness provides a basis for exploration of the theme of interspecies relations, while it articulates Forna's concerns for the environment and its connections to ecocritical theory and post-colonial studies. I use her essay, "Wilder Things," in tandem with selected critical works, to explore her depiction of the relationship between humans and animals. My paper examines the concept of anthropocentrism using key incidents and events that reflect man’s attempts to control and destroy animal populations, and, at the same time, explores the survival strategies and resistance of animals. In the process, humans are animalized and animals are given human attributes to show the interconnectedness of the species. I argue that the novel demonstrates human-animal coexistence in a shared space.