An ecofeminist study of the anthropocene age in David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas

Abstract

David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas is a dazzling postmodern work of fiction which includes six different narratives in six chapters, taking place in six time periods and locations. From the first chapter to the last, the narratives span over five centuries of human whereabouts on earth. Though disparate these chapters may seem at first sight, they are actually interrelated as a whole. In holistic terms, Cloud Atlas represents a brief survey of the anthropocene age, constructed directly from the human activities on this planet. To that end, ecofeminism is a sub-theory of ecocriticism which emerged within the second wave of ecocriticism. The theory mainly defends that the oppression of women and nature is interconnected. This article focuses on how Mitchell reflects women and nature in a multi-layered narrative that evolves in a course of five hundred years. Similarities between the conditions of women and the natural environment are thereby compared and exposed. While maintaining this, the article focuses on three main chapters of the novel which are the initial, middle and the last chapters. Finally, these chapters which represent the initiation, zenith and aftermath of the anthropocene age are analyzed in detail with references to the novel. Finally, it has been concluded that Cloud Atlas ascribes a vital role to women, within the context of the ecofeminist movement, to lead the way for the foundation of an alternative environmental philosophy which will ensure an ecocentric, new world order.