Unsettling Entanglements: Navigating Anthropocene Ethics and Ecological Kinship in Charlotte McConaghy’s Migrations through Dark Ecology and the Chthulucene
| Author |
| Madhumita Majumdar |
| Date of Publication: June, 2026 |
| Volume: XXIII |
| DOI:10.65734/tgi.ssei.avp.ijcsss.ti.23.13 |
| Abstract |
| This paper explores Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy as a critical examination of Anthropocene ethics through the journey of Franny Stone, a woman driven to witness the final migration of the Arctic terns. Engaging Timothy Morton’s “dark ecology” and Donna Haraway’s Chthulucene, the analysis reveals how the novel challenges anthropocentric frameworks, emphasizing interdependence and kinship between human and non-human life. Franny’s complex relationship with the terns illustrates Morton’s concept of “the mesh,” where ecological awareness accepts ambiguity and interconnectedness. Haraway’s Chthulucene further frames Franny’s journey as an act of “response-ability,” embracing vulnerability and care across species.By positioning Migrations within ecocritical discourse, this paper argues that the novel advocates for an ethics of bearing witness to ecological collapse, reshaping notions of agency, responsibility, and ethical action in a world irrevocably affected by human influence and inviting a deeper ecological consciousness. |
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