Open AccessThe Posthumanist Dimension of the Novel Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
Author(s) -
Małgorzata Kowalcze
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of posthumanism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2634-3584
pISSN - 2634-3576
DOI - 10.33182/jp.v1i2.1397
Subject(s) - posthumanism , vitality , uncanny , perception , aesthetics , dimension (graph theory) , agency (philosophy) , criticism , non human , epistemology , cognitive science , philosophy , psychoanalysis , psychology , sociology , environmental ethics , art , literature , mathematics , theology , pure mathematics
This commentary aims to place the novel Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk within the framework of posthumanism, focusing on selected aspects of the theory. Particular attention shall be given to Tokarczuk’s criticism of human attitude towards nature, notably animals, as well as her unique perception of material objects which in the novel are endowed with uncanny agency. Not only does the novel’s protagonist exist in a close interconnectedness with all sentient beings, but she also displays a profound sensitivity to matter’s vitality. Tokarczuk stresses the importance of human corporeality which unites us intimately with all of existence and provides us with a deeper understanding of the world.