The article deals with the „animalization of man” as a form of power and violence in Marieke Lukas Rijneveld’s novels The Discomfort of Evening (2021) and My Heavenly Favorite (2022). Rijneveld uses animal metaphors to depict hierarchical relationships between species that legitimize violence and domination in society. The narratives of the characters, especially a pedophile veterinarian, show how discourses of animal oppression permeate into human relationships, leading to the dehumanization and exploitation of the most vulnerable, such as children. Rijneveld exposes the illusory nature of interspecies boundaries, suggesting that violence against animals and humans is based on the same mechanisms. Using a zoocritical perspective, the author of the article shows how language and culture in Rijneveld’s novels shape social approval of violence, linking the fates of humans and animals in the context of domination and subordination.
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Język Polski