<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The anti-detective novel, <italic>Pulp</italic>, the last book Charles Bukowski wrote, is among his most significant works. This article illustrates Bukowski’s hostility towards the Enlightenment and modernism Through a postmodern outlook, Bukowski parodies the rationality of the Enlightenment by depicting a world that is replete with irrationality and meaninglessness The narrative involves a drunk detective who takes cases that are highly peculiar and irrational. Bukowski’s detective constantly finds himself in irrational and meaningless conversations and in the author’s attempt to portray the miserable condition of postmodern man Moreover, from an ecocritical perspective, this article asserts that Bukowski is a nihilistic anti-humanist who fails to sympathize with humanity and finds no solution for the environmental collapse that is caused by the disorder in the Anthropocene The only response to the parasitic nature of humanity is hatred and disgust for both himself and his species As a result of his despair with the cause of humanity and anthropocentrism, Bukowski’s Detective Belane is enraged with humans and frequently causes violent scenes</p>
</abstract>

The anti-detective novel, Pulp, the last book Charles Bukowski wrote, is among his most significant works. This article illustrates Bukowski’s hostility towards the Enlightenment and modernism Through a postmodern outlook, Bukowski parodies the rationality of the Enlightenment by depicting a world that is replete with irrationality and meaninglessness The narrative involves a drunk detective who takes cases that are highly peculiar and irrational. Bukowski’s detective constantly finds himself in irrational and meaningless conversations and in the author’s attempt to portray the miserable condition of postmodern man Moreover, from an ecocritical perspective, this article asserts that Bukowski is a nihilistic anti-humanist who fails to sympathize with humanity and finds no solution for the environmental collapse that is caused by the disorder in the Anthropocene The only response to the parasitic nature of humanity is hatred and disgust for both himself and his species As a result of his despair with the cause of humanity and anthropocentrism, Bukowski’s Detective Belane is enraged with humans and frequently causes violent scenes

A Postmodern Criticism of the Enlightenment: Anthropocene Disorder and Nihilistic Anti-humanism in Charles Bukowski’s <italic>Pulp</italic>

Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Philologica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

A Postmodern Criticism of the Enlightenment: Anthropocene Disorder and Nihilistic Anti-humanism in Charles Bukowski’s 

The anti-detective novel, Pulp, the last book Charles Bukowski wrote, is among his most significant works. This article illustrates Bukowski’s hostility...

A Postmodern Criticism of the Enlightenment: Anthropocene Disorder and Nihilistic Anti-humanism in Charles Bukowski’s Pulp

Published Online: Dec 20, 2022

Page range: 96 - 109

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ausp-2022-0008

Keywords
Charles Bukowski, nature, postmodern condition, anthropocentrism

© 2022 Younes Poorghorban, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

A Postmodern Criticism of the Enlightenment: Anthropocene Disorder and Nihilistic Anti-humanism in Charles Bukowski’s Pulp

Published Online: Dec 20, 2022

Page range: 96 - 109

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ausp-2022-0008

KeywordsCharles Bukowski, nature, postmodern condition, anthropocentrism

© 2022 Younes Poorghorban, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Charles Bukowski, nature, postmodern condition, anthropocentrism