American Research Journal of English and Literature

Western post-apocalyptic narratives project a world in which historical and geographical realities are fractured, as they both deny and wield the experiences of colonized and post-colonial populations. This structural appropriation focuses on a Western vision where the notion of space is recreated into new areal boundaries in which native geographies are obscured. A comparison of Western and North American Indigenous post-apocalyptic fictions shows a dichotomy between the nation-state and Indigenous governance as well as a ruptured vision of land property separating nature and culture, and finally a divided notion of homelessness and sense of place. The Indigenous discourses embrace contemporary issues as they focus on futurity, while Western scenarios are enrooted in colonial assumptions and structural appropriation.

Citation

 Marie-Anne, Justine Noyer, “Space in the Post-Apocalyptic Genre”, American Research Journal of English and Literature, Vol 8, no. 1, 2022, pp. 76-80.