Trauma, Reproduction and Breeding in Catherine Brophy's Dark Paradise

Aliaga-Lavrijsen, Jessica

En : Trauma, Memory and Silence of the Irish Woman in Contemporary Literature
2023
Routledge London ; New York
ISBN: 978-1-032-40964-1
Pp: 31-42

Abstract: In the twentieth century, trauma studies reached its climax and there appeared a considerable number of critical works tackling the effects of trauma and its representation in literature. Currently, we can find a great number of Irish contemporary literary works inclined to the exploration of Ireland’s violent history and memories, as well as of its episodes of trauma. Nevertheless, the genres of science fiction and dystopia have received little critical attention. As an example of a literary work exploring trauma from a female perspective, we find Catherine Brophy’s dystopic science fiction novel Dark Paradise. As my analysis will show, Brophy’s novel explores crucial issues such as the trauma resulting of the forced sterilisation of the population and infertility trauma; the (unhuman) process of artificial reproduction and communal ectogenesis; the long-term effects of cloning and genetic recession; the imposition of one-child policy; or the consequences of state-controlled breeding and detached parenting.

Nota: Postprint. The research carried out for the writing of this article is part of the projects FFI2017-84258-P and PID2021-124841NB-I00, both financed by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO) in collaboration with the European Regional Development Fund (DGI/ERDF). The author is also thankful for the support of the Government of Aragón and the European Social Fund (ESF) (code H03_17R).

DOI: 10.4324/9781003355571-3