To bring into the World, at the End of the World. Notes on Eco-anxiety and Parenthood in Contemporary Narratives
Abstract
The ‘sense of ending’, that every generation has always had to face, has accelerated in recent decades, generating widespread concern for the future of a planet that appears increasingly fragile and vulnerable. Awareness of the short- and long-term consequences of change generates forms of eco-anxiety that are also reflected in individual choices, such as those relating to parenthood. Starting from these premises, the article reflects on the ways in which the issue presents itself in all its complexity and urgency in some hyper-contemporary novels and graphic novels, such as Avant l’oubli (2021) by Lisa Blumen, Beautiful World, Where Are You (2021) by Sally Rooney, and The Bee Sting (2023) by Paul Murray, which question our way of living and surviving together.
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