Traditionally, literary criticism on life writing focuses on the representation of the life experiences of a human individual, examining how the narrative is shaped in ways that interpret the subject’s personal development, interests and motivations, and the broader historical and cultural influences on the subject as well as their life story’s significance. In the face of the posthuman turn in humanities, recent auto/biography studies have engaged in rethinking the anthropocentric orientation of the field and proposed approaches that decenter the human’s identity as the principal actant and foreground the significance of nonhuman life. The emergence of nonhuman biographies as a genre reflects a growing recognition of the personhood and agency of animals and plants. David Suzuki’s Tree: a Biography (2004) and Harley Rustad’s Big Lonely Doug (2018) are two notable examples in this emerging genre, focusing specifically on the lives of Douglas fir trees. This paper aims to demonstrate a comparative reading of the two works: while Tree: a Biography presents the life story of a Douglas fir as synecdochic for a natural history of life on the Earth by weaving scientific knowledge in the narrative, Big Lonely Doug tells a story of nature conservation from the perspective of a particular tree that has attained symbolic significance. Despite the different storytelling, Suzuki and Rustad both highlight the Douglas fir’s importance for the ecosystem and demonstrate a deep appreciation for the tree’s natural and cultural presence, speaking of the power of nature.

Authors:
Chak-kwan Ng, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Chak-kwan Ng is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at Hong Kong Metropolitan University in Hong Kong

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