Meat Politics and Vegan Sensibilities: A Marxist Feminist Study of Animal Ecologies in Octavia Estelle Butler’s Parable Novels

Abstract

This interdisciplinary study traces meat politics, animal exploitation, and feminist-vegan sensibilities in Octavia E. Butler’s parable novels in light of Carol J. Adams’ and Carol Sanchez’s works in the intersectional African-American Marxist feminist tradition. As part of canine studies, the main argument of the article hinges on the debate between Black ecofeminists and feminists for animal rights in conjunction with Black women’s rights. Pertaining to address the racist, sexist, and anti-specisist traditions of onto-epistemological explorations and environmental policies, the under-developed discussions on Black women’s rights and animalities in conjunction to animal rights need further thought and discussion. Although Black ecofeminists actively advance various parallels between animals’ and women’s oppression in the American racially segregated patriarchal world, different aspects regarding women’s humanness are generally ignored in this environment-friendly activism. While considering this flaw, the current study highlights the need of the Black feminist-vegan sensibilities in this textually evaluated qualitative analysis concerning the American community of color, especially under Trump’s administration in the twenty-first century post-racial America. The key aspect of animalness versus humanness is the main trope of debate, while destabilizing patriarchal agency through women’s empowerment and animals’ separate status are highlighted. It is found that predator dogs apart from speciesism necessitate Black women’s evacuation for their survival and protection from scavenging. In this case, Vegan Feminists promote empathy for muted animals in an anti-racist, anti-gendered, and anti-violence society, while calling for women’s consideration as equal to men in their humanness and able to survive with equity-based human rights. This animalness versus humanness debate, nevertheless, criticizes the American capitalist system that marginalizes Black women for their closer relatability to animals as absent referents to replenish meat fetish. Therefore, this study endeavors to shed light on vegan food choices, animals’ violent nature as symbolic of their exploitation, and Lauren as the feminist savior not only for enslaved Black women but also for animals. The paper aims to examine the feminists’ role in challenging the slavocratic promotion of meat and shock collars as socio-political tools of oppression, which have been used to control both animals and women, thereby creating socio-economic, political, and racial impacts.