The planet heals itself: The overkill of Homo sapiens in contemporary literature

Abstract

Both in the perception of the academia and in the eyes of the public, the overflow of human civilisation on the Earth is considered potentially pernicious, not only for the planet but also for humanity itself. Literature has recently addressed the issue of threats posed by the overabundance and overindulgence of human population. Speculative dystopian fiction is perhaps the most appropriate genre to undertake the discussion of this topic. This paper analyses four selected contemporary dystopian novels by critically acclaimed writers, which develop the theme of the overflow of human civilisation and examine the menaces that it causes on several levels. The works analysed are as follows: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (2003), Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (2004), The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006) and Stone Gods by Jeanette Winterson (2007). Each of the novels presents some form of a post-apocalyptic framework and can therefore be located within the context of ‘overflow’ of human race, which destroys its natural habitat and undermines its own civilisational advances. As I argue, the eradication of the human race is part of the self-purification process undertaken by the planet. By using different literary devices, the four writers suggest that although history repeats itself in circles, human beings are incapable of learning from past mistakes. In the article, I refer to Lovelock's metaphorical use of the concept of Gaia to discuss the ethical and political function of the dystopian literature.