Monica Sousa
Monica Sousa received her B.A. and her M.A. from Brock University. She is currently a PhD candidate in the department of English at York University. Monica specializes in contemporary literature, and her research focuses on animal studies, posthumanism, and biotechnology in contemporary science fiction. Her dissertation is exploring human and nonhuman animal relations in contemporary science fiction, with a focus on biotechnologically engineered animals, which can include genetically modified animals or animals with cybernetic/robotic enhancements. She is interested in care responses, such as empathy and sympathy, and in the ethics regarding how we treat these animals and how we show care towards them after they have been created. Monica’s scholarly work has appeared as articles in academic journals and as chapters in edited books.
Monica’s other research interests include feminist theory and women and gender studies, post-apocalyptic fiction, dystopian fiction, gothic literature (including Southern gothic), and ecocriticism.
Supervisors: Dr. Allan Weiss
Monica’s other research interests include feminist theory and women and gender studies, post-apocalyptic fiction, dystopian fiction, gothic literature (including Southern gothic), and ecocriticism.
Supervisors: Dr. Allan Weiss
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Papers by Monica Sousa
In "(Un)learning with “Monsters”: Animals, Patriarchal Oppression, and Ethics of Care in Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water", Sousa explores "animalistic" and animalized qualities in relation to the construction of the monstrous. She analyzes the depiction of an unusual amphibious creature called the Asset in this fantasy film. While he is described as an Amazonian river god, she argues that he "displays animalistic qualities" and is animalized by human beings while in "their care". Sousa's chapter argues that "ethics of care approaches can allow people to learn and unlearn with 'monsters' -- animalized/dehumanized beings that are treated as monstrous". The work of animal ethics scholars facilitates a study of del Toro's film, thus encouraging people to "unlearn oppressive anthropocentric attitudes" and to learn how to view other creatures "as subjects worth of care."
-- Taken from the "Introduction", written by Karin Beeler and Stan Beeler
and philosophical posthumanism that asks humans to extend their
circle of moral concern beyond the realm of humans, and argues that
Martel’s novel exhibits a human ability to learn how to empathize
with animals and to deepen our empathetic capacity through the
study of fi ctional literature. In establishing ideas regarding empathy
towards animals and how it is presented between Pi, Richard Parker,
and other animals in the novel, Sousa turns to Donna Haraway’s work
When Species Meet. She introduces Haraway’s critique of Deleuze
and Guattari’s concept of “becoming” (and by doing so, engages in
a scholarly conversation with Bendinelli’s previous chapter) and her
resulting concept of “becoming with,” which breaks dichotomies and draws attention to both participants. In arguing for the power
and presence of empathy towards animals, Sousa explores the
novel’s becoming-with animal and the power of imagination, the
deep appreciation Pi has for Richard Parker and companionship
over master-slave relations, the power of fiction, and also points out
how we must resist temptations to cast aside the story with Richard
Parker as being impossible.
genetically modified animals, a larger focus of Sousa’s chapter is to consider human responsibility towards these creations once they have been created, exploring posthumanist empathy in the novel, and further concerns about the notion of personhood.
In "(Un)learning with “Monsters”: Animals, Patriarchal Oppression, and Ethics of Care in Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water", Sousa explores "animalistic" and animalized qualities in relation to the construction of the monstrous. She analyzes the depiction of an unusual amphibious creature called the Asset in this fantasy film. While he is described as an Amazonian river god, she argues that he "displays animalistic qualities" and is animalized by human beings while in "their care". Sousa's chapter argues that "ethics of care approaches can allow people to learn and unlearn with 'monsters' -- animalized/dehumanized beings that are treated as monstrous". The work of animal ethics scholars facilitates a study of del Toro's film, thus encouraging people to "unlearn oppressive anthropocentric attitudes" and to learn how to view other creatures "as subjects worth of care."
-- Taken from the "Introduction", written by Karin Beeler and Stan Beeler
and philosophical posthumanism that asks humans to extend their
circle of moral concern beyond the realm of humans, and argues that
Martel’s novel exhibits a human ability to learn how to empathize
with animals and to deepen our empathetic capacity through the
study of fi ctional literature. In establishing ideas regarding empathy
towards animals and how it is presented between Pi, Richard Parker,
and other animals in the novel, Sousa turns to Donna Haraway’s work
When Species Meet. She introduces Haraway’s critique of Deleuze
and Guattari’s concept of “becoming” (and by doing so, engages in
a scholarly conversation with Bendinelli’s previous chapter) and her
resulting concept of “becoming with,” which breaks dichotomies and draws attention to both participants. In arguing for the power
and presence of empathy towards animals, Sousa explores the
novel’s becoming-with animal and the power of imagination, the
deep appreciation Pi has for Richard Parker and companionship
over master-slave relations, the power of fiction, and also points out
how we must resist temptations to cast aside the story with Richard
Parker as being impossible.
genetically modified animals, a larger focus of Sousa’s chapter is to consider human responsibility towards these creations once they have been created, exploring posthumanist empathy in the novel, and further concerns about the notion of personhood.