Fragile Family Bonds in A Post-Apocalyptic World: Maggie Gee`s The Ice People

Authors : Azade Göktürk

Pages : 63-76

Doi:10.46250/kulturder.1612862

View : 89 | Download : 59

Publication Date : 2025-03-10

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :In the world of contemporary literature, post-apocalyptic fiction embodies a thorough investigation of the human spirit confronted with the aftermath of environmental disasters. Such narratives, particularly those that depict a future devastated by climate change, force us to confront the inevitability of ecological crises and the urgent need for answers. The Ice People tells the story of a family along with a community called “the ice people” trying to survive in the freezing environment. The novel demonstrates the persistence of the human spirit in the face of climate change in a post-apocalyptic world. The narrator of the novel, Saul, describes his struggles with his son, his relationship with his wife, and his living condition in the post-apocalyptic society. Within this perspective, this article examines the complexities of family interactions in the harsh reality of a post-apocalyptic society, as vividly shown in Maggie Gee’s The Ice People. Drawing on contemporary Anthropocene studies, this study aims to investigate Gee’s The Ice People in terms of the specific characteristics that define it as Anthropocene fiction and intends to serve as a critical perspective on human relationships in times of disaster. Furthermore, the article explores how Gee advocates for a more inclusive and equitable approach to environmental justice by illustrating the interrelated themes of environmental degradation, the failure of social and political systems, and the destructive potential of technology. The Ice People encourages a reevaluation of human’s relationship with the natural world and emphasizes the necessity for a more sustainable co-existence with the nonhuman world.
Keywords : Maggie Gee, Buz İnsanlar, kıyamet sonrası, Antroposen kurgu, aile dinamikleri