“What happens when there’s no chance for redemption, when the species’ survival is no longer possible,” Sarah McFarland asked.
Sarah McFarland, a professor at Northwestern State University, spoke in Grise Hall, Tuesday, on eco-collapsing fiction, discussing how speculative literature can help us address the potential of human extinction due to climate change. McFarland is the author of “Eco Collapse Fiction and Cultures of Human Extinction” and has published numerous articles and books on eco-criticism.
During her presentation, she analyzed novels “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy, “The Wall” by John Lanchesterand and “The Dog Stars” by Peter Heller to demonstrate how these narratives challenge human superiority and traditional storytelling.
McFarland said that these stories, with their uncertain, often bleak endings, can help people understand the complexities of climate change and the potential fate of our species.
“The hopeless endings in some cases here are the point,” McFarland said.
McFarland said she was inspired to research this topic from a combination of personal reaction, literary analysis and a desire to challenge conventional narrative interpretations of survival and extinction.
She said that novels can provide unique insights into climate change and human extinction. By presenting diverse perspectives and immersive storytelling, these literary works can help readers understand the psychological and emotional dimensions of environmental transformation.
“Stories can help us,” Olivia Wolfe, a freshman psychology major, said. “We can put ourselves in their shoes.“I think it opens our eyes to what we would do in that position.”
McFarland hopes readers will take away a sense of wonder and resilience even in the face of potential extinction. Using Asian Hornets as an example — an insect with notable adaptive capabilities — she suggested that wonder and possibility exist even in challenging ecological circumstances.
“Even in extinction, there are amazing things,” McFarland said. “If this is the sixth great extinction, the world is full of marvels. We don’t know what’s coming next.”
