Navigating Ethical
Quandaries in the Aftermath: Pure War and Ecological Self in 'Sharing Air'
Juveria Fatima
PhD Research Scholar
Osmania University
Hyderabad,
Telangana, India
Abstract
Keywords: Ecological
Apocalypse, Pure War, Ecological Self, Psychoanalytic theory, Space and Place,
Cyborgs
Introduction
Ecocentrism refers to a way of thought and action that prioritizes
ecological concerns. It has emerged as a critical theoretical framework
studying human relations with the environment. The movement emerged as a
response to anthropocentrism and examines the impact of human activities on the
environment.
Ecocentrism offers
a robust ethical analysis of the negative impact that humans are having on the
community of life on Earth and the physical systems on which it is dependent.
(Gray et al, 130)
Ecological Apocalypse
The concept of the apocalypse has ancient roots that are traceable to
the teachings of the Iranian prophet Zoroaster or Zarathustra. Predominantly
originating in Abrahamic and pagan religious beliefs, this concept has been
adopted by environmentalists and eco-critics to reinforce environmental ethics.
Lawrence Buell in his work The
Environmental Imagination, observes that, apocalypse is the single most powerful master metaphor that the
contemporary environmental imagination has at its disposal. The genre of
apocalypse allows writers to create proleptical narratives where they contemplate
the dystopian future warning humanity of the impending consequences. Amy Murphy in her article “Future Traditions of Nature” traces
the evolution of apocalypse narratives into three phases. The first phase of
apocalypse narratives explored the supremacy of nature, depicting humanity
facing the danger of natural disasters. The second phase of narratives
attributed the apocalypse to the will of God from a theistic perspective,
unleashing the wrath of the divine. The final phase is described as a by-product of our self-destructive hubris
(10), owing to the widespread use of nuclear energy and resulting
pollution.
Eco-apocalyptic narratives place the responsibility of ecological
destruction on human activities. Environmental apocalypticism is sometimes disregarded
by skeptics who argue that rather than invoking or reinforcing environmental
ethics; these narratives emphasize the scientific capacity of the humanities to
ensure sustainable development. Thus, rather than serving as warning for
conservation, these narratives are accused of looking at technological
solutions for survival.
Prominent ecological critic, Lawrence Buell further expanded the
criteria for eco-apocalypse narratives categorizing them into
- A
Mythography of betrayed Eden (Pg.37)
- A world without
refuge from toxic penetration (Pg. 38)
- The threat
of hegemonic oppression (Pg. 41)
- The Gothicization
of pollution
The short story “Sharing Air”
by Manjula Padmanabhan is a
futuristic ecological dystopia, an eco-apocalyptic world survived by few and
referred to as an era of individual
vital supplies (630).The fictional world created by Padmanabhan is
filled with toxic compounds which has completely annihilated the natural
ecosystem. The magnitude of destruction is so wide spread and all-encompassing that
no other life form except human kind has survived it. The surviving humans live in life support units with an oxygen plant
and eating protein capsules (70). The only other living organism
accompanying humans is amoebae in
their petri dish. (70)
Cultural theorists Paul Virilio and Sylvere Lotringer
coined the term ‘Pure war’, a phenomenon referring to self-destructive
capacity of an existing culture. This concept finds its roots in the idea that war exists in its preparation (53) –
thus when weapons of mass destruction are invented, a disaster in a foreseeable
future becomes inevitable. The common man is implicitly dragged into the
war dealing with the consequences. The constant fear of threat and existential
crisis activates a defensive mechanism. Mark B Borg, in his psychoanalytical
study of pure war observes that it is adopted as a strategy to maintain security and decrease awareness
of overwhelming levels of anxiety within the culture (Borg 347). The short story Sharing Air is a fictional
world in the aftermath of nuclear disaster. The surviving humans are in state
of pure war against hostile ecosystem. They wear protective suits and use
microphones for communication. The constant vigil against the toxic environment
drags the individuals into a state of pure war.
French cultural theorists Gilles Deleuze and Felix
Guattari observe that in such dystopian society "a schizophrenic out for a
walk is a better model [for living] than a neurotic lying on the analyst's
couch" (Anti-Oedipus 2).
This coping mechanism may lead to individual
resorting to unethical behavior transgressing the social boundaries. Such
individuals are categorized as schizophrenic. Their act of resistance deterritorializes
their existence making them an outlaw. The Character of X in the
story can be categorized as a schizophrenic. He is the founder of a Toxic
Club, a place where individuals gather together resorting to an act of
breathing the toxic air. This act is in defiance of the technological
assistance.
The constant state of war against the toxic
environment using technology to ensure survival of humanity makes the toxies
adopt the defense strategy of pure war. In such a society where all means
of protection from toxic air are accessible, a group of toxies resort to
deliberate, willful exposure to toxic air. The act becomes a means of
reclaiming the toxic space that threatens their existence. Foucault defines such acts of resistance as "the fascism in us all, in our heads
and in our everyday behaviour, the fascism that causes us to love power, to
desire the very thing that dominates and exploits us" (Foucault xiii).
Mr. X, who leads the toxies, began to take his facemask off completely (52) removes his protective
gear breathing in the toxic air. Inhaling toxic air becomes an
act of reclaiming one’s freedom. Through this character the author brings the
idea of freedom into question. For Mr. X and his group, breathing and living in
open air is freedom, whereas for the narrator it represents disorder. The
narrator considers the right of exercising the choice over the kind of air she
breathes as freedom. The author juxtaposes two characters with different
perspectives to raise ethical concerns towards technological advancements and
consequent environmental degradation.
Ecological Self
Ecological Self is an ecosophical concept propounded by Norweigan
philosopher Arne Naess. It is
the product of transpersonal psychology which propagates the idea of higher
order thinking and spiritual self. It contends that the connection and deep
observation of natural surroundings would positively contribute to
introspection increasing self-awareness and acknowledgment of interdependence
of all living forms. However, this brings us to question whether all
individuals are capable of attaining the sense of self as proposed by Naess.
Sigmund Freud in his psychoanalytical model classified an individual sense of
self into three zones: Id, Ego and Super ego. An individual sense of self is
categorized and controlled by the pleasure principal, reality principal and
morality principal. These principals corresponding to each zone, constitute a
sense of self making an individual adhere to the societal norms. The
individual’s adherence to these norms is in safeguarding is own personal
interests rather than upholding the common good. This renders the Freudian
sense of self narrow and selfish.
Transpersonal psychology has emerged as a new dimension on the study of
human psyche. It takes inspiration from the epistemology of traditional
knowledge systems like advaitavedanta and buddhism. These are spiritual
philosophies are based on the premise of exploration of spiritual self,
transcending the physical boundaries. The advaitavedanta regards each self as a
part of a larger unified spirit - brahma. According to this philosophy, humans
and not considered as separate entities but rather a part of a single unified
whole. It prioritizes unity of souls over material aspect of self. Norwegian
philosopher Arne Naess employed this concept of spiritual philosophy to explore
the fourth dimension of human psyche as ecological self. The ecological self
widens the horizons of sense of self, expanding it to include the universe.
Human then is not considered as a separate entity but a part of nature. Naess
articulates that this ecological maturity can be achieved through the process
of identification. When the self identifies itself with a unifying energy it
becomes comprehensive part of the cosmos. The threat to the cosmos then becomes
a threat to self. The idea of identification is based on incorporation of biosphere into one’s sense
of self. Thus, the threat against nature is conceived as threat
against self, i.e., ecological self. The ecological self doesn’t empathize with
natural destruction, as empathy is shown to an external entity. It rather
considers it as a personal loss.
The story Sharing air, opens with the narrator placing an order for
customized 20th century air. The uncanny image of open air
unsuitable for inhalation creates an image of ecological destruction. After
trying the air, she expresses that it was strong and wonders how her ancestors
survived breathing such toxic air. The author sets the tone of post-apocalyptic
narrative and presents a scene of wide spread destruction where basic
necessities like clean air and water are commodified. Humans live in stimulated
and filtered world aided by technology.
The narrator recalls an incident when she casually joined a club which
offered twentieth century experience. The Club is named as Toxic Club
and its members are referred to as toxies. X is the founder of toxic
club and has chosen an abandoned cooling tower of a decommissioned nuclear
plant as the venue for its meetings. This further suggests that the levels of
toxins in the environment have reached to such alarming levels that nuclear
plants are left defunct. Thus, the reader can trace the cause of the
eco-apocalypse to a nuclear disaster which has eliminated all forms of life. X
has inherited the cooling tower from his ancestors and uses it for club
meetings. The club provides experience of inhalation of twentieth century air
by removing the protective masks and breathing openly. In addition to this, the
club members also play videos of twentieth century life invoking nostalgia and
condemning the technological control of the present.
Mr. X, the founder of toxic club is one of the few survivors of
eco-apocalypse. The fact that he chose the cooling tower of a nuclear power
plant for rebellion suggests that, he has selected the place responsible for
the annihilation of biosphere as a place of resistance. His ideology of freeing
the humanity from the clutches of technological dependence is ironic as the
very technology is aiding his survival. Though, he is aware of the stark
reality of humanity’s perilous existence, he still invokes nostalgia for times,
when basic amenities like air and water were available in abundance. He blames
the policies of twentieth century government for the annihilation of biosphere.
The author criticizes the corrupt decision making of all governments that
prioritize development by sanctioning industries neglecting the damage caused
to the natural landscape. Such materialistic and one-dimensional thinking has
led humanity to its present condition and may further lead towards extinction. The
technology is not preventing but slowing the journey towards self-destruction
and consequent extinction. He blames the precarious decision making and
policies of the past governments for the disaster. Ironically, the
pre-apocalypse world that he seeks is also not free from pollution as the Toxies
expose themselves to twentieth century
air described as
pump in the air and zap it with chemicals.
Sulphur, methane, tincture of titanium, xeon, freon, fly-ash, construction
dust, soot, you name it…Air to Air communication, no radios, no sound
processors. (47)
X wants to free the surviving humans from governmental and technological
control. He wants human beings to adjust and adapt to the raw toxic environment
instead of depending on technology for survival. He is disillusioned with the
technological advancements which have annihilated the ecosystem and is
extremely critical of depending on the same for survival. The dependence on
mechanical devices is weakening the human immune system and causing addiction of
conditioned environments. Thus, X is critical of the industrial development of
the past governments as well as the technological dependence of the present. He
wants humanity to break free from the shackles of technology and resort to
primitive ways of living.
The Narrator, who joins the toxic club for a one-time experience finds
the idea of living in natural surrounding archaic. For her, imagination of a
world where everyone shares the natural ecosystem is unhygienic and fatal. She
prefers to stay in the comfort of her protective suit exercising the freedom of
choice over the air she breathes. Buell argues that ecological self, is formed
through the process of identification. The character of X identifies with the
life style of his ancestors and promotes living in open air shunning the
technically stimulated environments. On the other hand, the narrator identifies
with her cyborg self and filtered form of living. She is unable to identify
with the concept of life mediated by X. She finds it extremely unhygienic and
fatal.
If ecological self is formed on the basis of identification with the
environment then this makes the manifestation of one’s self dynamic. The
Ecological self of narrator is in stark contrast with that of Mr. X. The
characters modes of identification are based on their experiences. The unnamed
narrator has not seen natural habitat or any other living form thus is
incapable of realizing the ecological self of X who identifies with the nature.
The ecological self in this context becomes a relational phenomenon. In order
to understand the development of ecological self, let us look at the concept of
place given by Lawrence Buell.
The Metamorphosis of Space and Place
Place and space are concepts at times used interchangeably. Place is
sometimes conceived as tangible whereas space as non-tangible element.
Nevertheless, place theorists continue to use the terms interchangeably. Place
is defined as ‘space to which meaning is ascribed’ (60) which also makes it as
‘deeply personal phenomenon founded in one’s life – world and everyday
practices’ (60). An individual’s sense of place is influenced by various
factors like society, culture, religion, class, etc., making it a social
construct. Place then becomes a phenomenological. If a said place doesn’t
confirm with one’s idea of place, they fail to find a sense of belonging. Thus
‘one’s sense of place’s elusiveness may actually grow in proportion to one’s
rapport and expertise’.
Lawrence Buell in his work Writing for an Endangered World classifies
phenomenology of places into five dimensions. The first dimension of space
determined by Buell traces its origin to the traditional idea of place in the
form of concentric zones. Buell takes this idea from the Yi Fu Tuan’s
concept of Topophilia signifying affective aspect of environmental interaction.
The home remains in the centre of the concentric circles and other circles
include the places one visits like the school, playground, office, markets
etc., The place exploration always starts at home and includes all the places
of contact. This model is contextualized for the ‘geographical delimited
societies’ who ascribe emotional attachment to places.
The second dimension takes into account the globalized world and refers
to place as an archipelago of locales. It considers the
interconnectedness of the world. As societies and cultures disperse all across
the globe, it creates a sense of
inhabiting different places simultaneously. An Indian living in
US may create mini India at his home, giving him a sense of place at the same
time interacting harmoniously with other cultures. Consequently, a unique
personal identity is shaped as the result of amalgamation of all cultures. The
idea of continuous evolution of place leads the third dimension of place. The
dynamism of place must not be attributed only to human action but has existed
since the formation of planet earth. Place is not a static element, and is
constantly changing owing to natural disasters or human intervention. However,
this evolution may not always be positive. A Volcanic eruption in the middle of
the ocean may create a new island; however, in a town it would destroy the
place.
Experiences and interaction with places and people play a crucial role
in personality development. All the physical and temporal experiences shape the
attitudes and belief system giving a sense of attachment towards that place,
which buell categorizes as fourth dimension os place.
The fifth-dimension questions the
tangibility of place saying that absence
may strengthen loyalty to place and sense of entitlement. He also
argues that one’s sense of self is always reinforced by the society in the form
of culture, images and narratives. Buell quotes Alexander Wilson who asserted
that ‘our experience of the natural world is always mediated’ and shaped by the
cultural, religious and political institutions of the society.
The place in “Sharing Air”
is marred barren, shattered ecosystem filled with toxic air. The toxic
penetration has left only few areas suitable for habitation. Surviving humans
live,
All concentrated
in rest of few areas where the atmosphere is thick enough that the stars don’t
show through in day light (81)
The apocalypse has completely annihilated all forms of life including
plants and animals. The idea of a place is marked by its widespread destruction
and is reduced to virtual environments. Humans lack a sense of physical space
and survive aided by virtual environments. The idea of sharing spaces is alien
to its inhabitants. They also lacked the sense of a physical interaction. The
narrator and some of her friends find the idea of sharing air, water and
physical reproduction unacceptable. Everything that belonged to pre-apocalyptic
times, which is referred to as the twentieth century, is perceived as
unacceptable and unhygienic.
They breathed one
another’s air for goodness sakes! Recycling all their air-borne germs, their
waste products, their cast-off bronchial cells, every kind of organic junk.
Water was delivered via miles of unsterilized piping from distant sources,
sometimes even up from the polluted earth itself! And as for energy, they took
whatever they could get. No wonder their gadgets were so crude and
lifeless—they had only the most brutish, unrefined forms of electricity to run
on. (64)
The sense of space undergoes a complete metamorphosis in the post-human
world, in which humans inhabit virtual spaces. The family system is replaced by
thought groups and kinship is carried forward through virtual children.
The concept of sharing place and space is perceived by the narrator as
toxic and unbearable. The conception of place for her is in the form of
dimensions, which are inhabited by virtual children and thought group. The
family system is replaced by thought groups which gives her a sense of
belonging and refuge. She perceives freedom as the right to choose.
I Looked at the
label on my Five-cities atmo-cylinder: Mexico City, New Delhi, Bombay, Bangkok
and Cairo. The Picture on the label was a simple hologram showing a trillion
people in multi-D and today we have less than two million. But I don’t care. I
have my pick of fragrant airs. I own a brood of virtual children who I share
with other members of my thought group. Through the mirror processor I can
travel to any dimension of my choice. (80)
The tangibility of place is replaced by dimensions and travel by virtual
explorations. The fact that multi-D had 1 trillion people and now the
number has reduced to one million reveals the danger of imminent extinction of
humanity. Surviving life is supported by filtered customized air for breathing,
micro phones for communication and capsules replacing food.
The character of X is mediating the idea of pre-apocalyptic place.
X and his group of toxies also have never seen the animals or plants
inhabiting the natural ecosystem but they inherited these knowledges from their
ancestors in the form of oral and visual narratives. The pre-apocalypse times
are presented to the members of in the form of glorified narratives and
documentaries. This sparks the debate on freedom among the toxies. The narrator
and few others consider life without devices as worst form of anarchy
dismissing conservation of nature as self-hate.
In her exploration of a dystopian
eco-apocalyptic scenario, Manjula Padmanabhan critiques cornucopian
ecocentrism, which seeks technological solutions for environmental degradation.
The post-apocalyptic universe she presents lacks meaningful human connections
in an era dominated by vital supplies and electronic communication. Within this
world of surviving cyborgs, the author juxtaposes two different perspectives
towards environment. As the imminent danger of nuclear disaster looms over
humanity and major cities are already struggling from rising pollution, the
author questions the necessity of technological advancement at the cost of
natural ecosystem. She offers a critique of capitalist societies, where
governments prioritize profits over conservation of nature. When the previous
government decisions of using nuclear energy has led to annihilation of
ecosystems, how far can surviving humans rely on the present government that
promotes technology aided survival. The ecological space theory by Lawrence
Buell further aids the analysis of metamorphosized places in the
post-apocalypse scenario. The conception of place is reduced to a non-tangible phenomenon.
Though the sense of pre-apocalypse place is mediated by a group of toxies, the
cyborgs dismiss it as archaic. However, the conclusion of story with the
protagonist wondering about how plants looked like proves that mediation of
place profoundly influences the human psyche.
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