The House as an Ecological Entity: Individual’s Critiques on Anthropocentrism in Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi

Abstract

This study examines human-other-than-human relationships in Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi through an ecocritical perspective. Although previous studies have explored the novel through themes of memory, identity, trauma, space, and environmental concerns, relatively limited attention has been given to the House as an active ecological entity and to the tension between anthropocentric and ecocentric perspectives embodied by the novel’s characters. This study therefore focuses on how Piranesi critiques anthropocentrism and constructs ecocentric relationships through the representation of the House and the contrasting perspectives of Piranesi and the Other. Using Lawrence Buell’s ecocritical framework, this study analyzes the environment as an active presence, the critique of human-centered ideology, and the interdependence between human and other-than-human systems. The research employs a qualitative descriptive method with close reading as the primary data collection technique. The findings reveal that the House functions as a dynamic ecological system that actively shapes human perception, identity, knowledge, and survival. The Other embodies an anthropocentric worldview characterized by domination, exploitation, utility, and the pursuit of power, whereas Piranesi represents an ecocentric consciousness grounded in coexistence, adaptation, attentiveness, and environmental respect. The Prophet occupies a more ambiguous position through his pursuit of knowledge beyond ordinary human experience. Furthermore, the novel emphasizes the interconnectedness between humans and the other-than-human world, challenging hierarchical distinctions between humanity and nature. Ultimately, Piranesi reimagines human and other-than-human relationships through an ecological perspective that values coexistence, intrinsic value, and interdependence rather than control and utility.