The Anthropocene and the Posthuman in The Back of the Turtle

Abstract

The Anthropocene is our current geological epoch in which humans are the primary agents of environmental change. Inherent in that agency is the possibility that humans could bring an end to the world, at least as we know it today. The Anthropocene is thus a drama in which humans at once play the role of protagonist and antagonist; how can we achieve a happy ending to this drama if these two roles are played by the same actor? To find tentative answers to this question, I analyze Thomas King’s 2014 novel The Back of the Turtle through the lens of posthumanism. The Back of the Turtle follows the trials and tribulations of Gabriel Quinn, an Indigenous scientist who journeys to the town of Samaritan Bay to commit suicide after a botched deployment of his experimental defoliant led to an ecological disaster in the region. However, after failing his initial suicide attempt, Gabriel lives awhile among the region’s remaining human and non-human inhabitants. Through them, Gabriel reconnects with his once-lost Indigeneity and discovers a posthuman alternative to the human subjectivity that drives the Anthropocene, showing how the protagonist may survive and the antagonist be defeated.