The Unbearable Weight of Dominion: An Ecocritical Analysis of J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace and Yann Martel’s Life of Pi

This thesis employs ecocritical theory and animal studies to analyse the depiction of human-animal relationships and the agency of nature in J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace (1999) and Yann Martel’s Life of Pi (2001). The study argues that both novels fundamentally destabilize anthropocentrism by forcing the human subject into confrontation with non human life and degraded environments, thereby revealing the ethical shortcomings of human dominion. The analysis of Disgrace focuses on the post-apartheid South African landscape and protagonist David Lurie’s engagement with animal euthanasia, interpreting the novel as a critique of societal and ecological breakdown. Conversely, Life of Pi is examined for its exploration of co-existence of interspecies and the ecological sublime, where the life-or death relationship between Pi Patel and the Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, redefines concepts of survival and connection. By comparing these two distinct literary encounters, the thesis contributes to ecocritical scholarship by illuminating global ecological anxieties and challenging the reader to reconsider the ethical responsibilities inherent in sharing a vulnerable planet.