Date of Award

2012

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Department

English Language, Literature, and Creative Writing

Keywords

Philosophy, religion and theology, Language, literature and linguistics, Biological sciences, Beaulieu, Braydon, Fiction, Kleptoparasitism, Literature

Supervisor

Nicole Markotic

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

Field Guide to Kleptoparasitism is a collection of episodic fictions centring on a protagonist, Tony Gordon, who perceives himself as both human and ant. Tony's situation within the liminal space between human and nonhuman positions Field Guide to Kleptoparasitism in the absurdist tradition. The stories use various styles, formats, and lengths - mimicking the frenetic movements of insects within their structure - in order to explore nihilism and meaninglessness, as well as the importance of self-acceptance. Field Guide to Kleptoparasitism depicts a character that self-actualizes because of his unique metamorphoses and faults. The stories' focus on individualism serves to forward a posthumanist philosophy about the intrinsic value of the self, whether that 'self' is a human being or the smallest of ants.

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