Is the Revolution Doomed? The End of Rebellion in The Carhullan Army

Description

“Is the Revolution Doomed? The End of Rebellion in The Carhullan Army

Much contemporary critical literature explores the relationship between humanity and the ‘Anthropocene’. The Anthropocene is defined as the point in which humans can determine the beginning of their effects on the earth. This coalesces with the domination of world news and media by war, climate change and the acceleration of the wrongs of capitalism. These themes are, of course, interlinked, and pervade their way into contemporary literature. Interrogations of the detrimental relationships between human and nature have become more popular in recent years, though of course such literature has existed since the age of the American Pastoral. Intriguingly, recent research conducted by the WHO has shown that women are more likely to experience subjugation as a result of the effects of the Anthropocene than men. There are literary depictions of such subjugation, such as within Sarah Hall’s The Carhullan Army. As a result of unparalleled, uncontrollable climate change, draconian measures are imposed on the citizens of Rith to curb energy use and promote population control. The protagonist, Sister, lives in Rith and is at the mercy of the Authoritarian quasi-governmental body of the ‘Authority’, who subject her to a forced contraceptive coil and numerous sexual assaults from its members, including recruited medical staff. In an act of resistance, Sister escapes, seeking the mononymous figurehead Jackie and her all-women off-grid commune of soldiers and farmers. As the novel evolves, Jackie and Sister plot a rebellion against the Authority control in Rith, culminating in a doomed final battle. This paper will explore the cultural significance of this formal ending using the critical theory of Anthropocene feminism, concluding though the text affirms the fruitlessness of this rebellion, acts of resistance should continue to be practiced in political, social and cultural manners.
Word Count: 288

Biography
Ben Hammond is a PhD student in Literature at the University of Northampton.
Ben’s doctoral thesis focuses on representations of utopian resistance in dystopian literature written by women in the context of the Anthropocene. Ben also researches into reader response theory and conceptions of psychology and language within dystopian literature. Ben has successfully submitted a conference paper to the University of Hull on the subject of infertility and the deconstruction of the indigenous family unit in Louise Erdrich’s Future Home of the Living God (2017).

Ben received his BA(Hons) from the University of Winchester and his MA from the University of Surrey, where he received an award for writing excellence and academic achievement, including a Distinction in his thesis. Ben will be due to complete his PhD in October 2025.

Period	Nov 2023
Held at	University of Worcester, United Kingdom