Ecological Anxiety in Liz Jensen’s The Rapture

Authors : Yöntem Kılkış

Pages : 77-93

Doi:10.46250/kulturder.1613998

View : 83 | Download : 60

Publication Date : 2025-03-10

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The main aim of this article is to analyze Liz Jensen’s The Rapture from the perspective of the Anthropocene, focusing on how environmental catastrophes shape both the physical world and human psychology. By portraying the destructive impact of climate change and ecological collapse, Jensen presents a narrative where human actions such as fossil fuel consumption, deforestation, and chemical pollution are recognized as significant geological forces. This article explores the psychological consequences of living in a disintegrating world, emphasizing how natural disasters, rising sea levels, and extreme weather conditions exacerbate anxiety, trauma, and existential dread. In The Rapture, Jensen illustrates that the environment is not a passive backdrop but an active force that reshapes human experiences. Catastrophic events, such as storms, tsunamis, and ecosystem collapse, serve as more than plot devices; they function as material-affective agents that profoundly influence characters’ emotional and mental states. In doing so, the novel highlights the inseparability of human and nonhuman elements in navigating environmental crises. On the contrary, this article argues that The Rapture rejects narratives that treat nature as a distant, abstract threat and instead portrays it as an ever-present reality that demands urgent attention. At the same time, as this article demonstrates, Jensen’s novel decenters human sovereignty by emphasizing humanity’s vulnerability within the Anthropocene.
Keywords : Liz Jensen, Antroposen, çevresel felaket, ekolojik kaygı, psikolojik travma