The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2016

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-9

Part 1, Chapters 10-18

Part 2

Part 3

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Index of Terms

Anthropocene

The Anthropocene is a geological epoch characterized by the significant and lasting impact of human activities on the Earth’s geology, ecosystems, and climate. The term derives from the ancient Greek terms anthropo (“human”) and cene (“new” or “recent,” indicating a geological era). For those scientists who recognize the term as valid, the Anthropocene either follows or is a subsidiary of the Holocene, the geological epoch that began at the end of the last ice age, approximately 11,700 years ago. The concept of the Anthropocene emerged in the 1980s as a response to growing evidence of human-induced environmental changes and the realization that humanity’s influence on the Earth’s systems had reached a scale and magnitude capable of leaving a profound mark in the geological record. Not all geologists and ecologists agree that the term correctly characterizes the current epoch; some argue that humans have always influenced the climate, while others criticize the term for erasing the role of nonhuman agency. A small minority deny climate change outright. Despite this debate, the concept of the Anthropocene represents a fundamental shift in the relationship between humans and the environment, with human activities becoming a major driver of geological and ecological changes. The Anthropocene is often considered to have its origins in the late 18th century, as the onset of the Industrial Revolution led to a dramatic increase in carbon dioxide emissions. Key indicators of the Anthropocene include rising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, unprecedented biodiversity loss, alteration of land and water resources, and the widespread dispersal of plastics and other synthetic materials into the environment. These human-induced changes have led to the current climate crisis, which includes ocean acidification and pollution. Ghosh uses the term throughout The Great Derangement to contextualize the urgency of his arguments. He argues that, given the significance of the Anthropocene to global history, modern art and culture ought to more accurately reflect the challenges of the climate crisis.

Literary Fiction

Literary fiction is a loosely defined genre of literature characterized by its focus on the artistic and intellectual exploration of human experiences and emotions. Influential examples of modernist literary fiction include James Joyce’s Ulysses and Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse; more recent, canonical examples include Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Olga Tokarczuk’s Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead. Literary fiction is characterized by its experimentation with narrative techniques, perspective shifts, and nonlinear storytelling, encouraging readers to actively engage with the text. In literary fiction, the emphasis lies not on dramatic external conflicts but on the interior lives of the characters, their psychological complexities, and the nuances of their relationships and interactions. These emphases lead Ghosh to contrast literary fiction with genres including science fiction, mystery, romance, and fantasy, which are often seen as relying on plot-driven narratives and rigid genre conventions. Themes explored in literary fiction include self-discovery, loss, and social and political questions. The purpose of literary fiction is not merely to entertain but also to engage readers on an intellectual and emotional level by encouraging contemplation of the human condition. In part one of The Great Derangement, Ghosh criticizes modern literary fiction for its inability to accurately depict the challenges of the climate crisis. He argues that it is precisely the qualities that have led to literary fiction’s cultural prestige—its focus on the human condition and on the individual psyche—that prevent it from addressing the collective and world-encompassing scale of the climate crisis.

Nonhuman

The term “nonhuman” refers to all living and nonliving beings and entities that exist apart from human beings. It encompasses the vast diversity of flora and fauna, ecosystems, geological formations, and ecological processes that coexist on Earth, forming the intricate web of life that sustains the planet. The concept of the nonhuman is crucial for understanding the broader context of human societies and the complex web of interactions among various species and ecosystems. Ghosh uses the term throughout The Great Derangement in order to demonstrate both the scope of the climate crisis, which affects humans and nonhumans, and the importance of the nonhuman in fighting climate change. As human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, release massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the consequences are felt not just by human beings but by the whole planet. Climate change impacts weather patterns, disrupts habitats, and alters ecosystems, leading to extinctions, changes in migratory patterns, and the loss of biodiversity. Although nonhuman entities are suffering as a result of human activity, they also play a critical role in combating the climate crisis. Pollinators are essential to the reproduction of plants; trees regulate carbon in the atmosphere. Ghosh argues that acknowledging these symbiotic relationships between human and nonhuman beings is essential to combating the challenges of climate change.