Struggles for Environmental Justice in John Burnside's Living Nowhere, Christie Watson's Tiny Sunbirds Far Away, and Marcel Theroux's Far North

Abstract

This dissertation examines the literary representations of environmental justice struggles in John Burnside’s Living Nowhere (2003), Christie Watson’s Tiny Sunbirds Far Away (2011), and Marcel Theroux’s Far North (2009) by reflecting particularly on the entwined issues of class, race, and gender. The importance of these novels resides not only in their portrayal of environmentally damaged ecologies but also in their fusion of these ecologies with social and ideological toxicities, thereby creating what this dissertation terms “sociotoxic ecologies.” Hence, against the backdrop of environmental justice theories, this study claims that nature, as depicted in the selected novels, is a “sociotoxic” terrain, that is an unjust terrain of social contamination and ecological degradation, disrupted by even relations of power and oppressive ideologies. The first chapter of the dissertation delves into the theoretical framework of environmental justice, alongside an exploration of the concept of sociotoxic ecologies. The second chapter examines Burnside’s Living Nowhere, questioning the interrelated and complex problems of industrial capitalism, contaminated workplaces, and class discrimination. Burnside depicts a sociotoxic ecology where working-class people struggle with industrial pollution that leads to health issues and mental devastation. The third chapter analyses Watson’s Tiny Sunbirds Far Away, focusing on the ecological and social violence caused by the oil business. Watson illustrates a sociotoxic ecology where oil pollution and unjust (neo)colonial relations involve the Niger Delta communities in a fierce battle against multinational companies. The fourth chapter explores Theroux’s Far North, scrutinising the inequalities and individual struggle for survival in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by climate change. Theroux presents a dystopian future where gender oppression, slavery, and radioactive contamination have merged to create a toxic social and ecological landscape. Taken together, all three novels provide thought-provoking insights on how environmental justice and societal inequality intersect with ecological challenges and demonstrate that environmental justice is far from being achieved unless social equity is reached.