Beyond Humanity: Posthuman Bodies in Warren Ellis and Jason Howard’s Trees

Conference paper > Summary Text · 2023

Authors: Züleyha ÇETİNER ÖKTEM

8. Uluslararası BAKEA Sempozyumu: İnsan, Türkiye, İstanbul, International, Verbal, Summary Text, 2023-2023, pp 0-0

Summary

<p><strong>Beyond Humanity: Posthuman Bodies in Warren Ellis and Jason Howard’s <em>Trees</em></strong></p><p>In Warren Ellis and Jason Howard’s graphic novel <em>Trees</em>, the story unfolds in a world that has been profoundly altered by the arrival of massive alien structures aptly named the Trees. As nonhuman entities, these towering megastructures disrupt and challenge conventional notions of humanity whilst highlighting the interconnectedness and interdependence between different forms of life. Although the narrative follows multiple viewpoints and shifts to several locations, the focal point is usually on one of the Trees. By positioning the story in and around the nonhuman, we may gain insight into how <em>Trees</em> challenges established notions of the human, and opens up avenues of thought where we may contemplate the possibilities and dilemmas of our own posthuman condition. By focusing on the principles of posthumanist thought that challenge the traditional notions of the human and explore the possibilities of transcending human limitations—drawing especially on the works of Hayles, Haraway, Wolf and Braidotti—this paper plans to delve into the narrative elements and images that reflect posthuman perspectives in this specific graphic novel.&nbsp;</p>

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