THE HUMAN AND NON-HUMAN: AN ANALYSIS OF AGENCY IN UNDER THE SKIN BY MICHEL FABER THROUGH A POSTHUMANIST LENS

Abstract

This research paper explores the concept of agency in Michel Faber’s novel Under the Skin (2000) through a posthumanist perspective. Posthumanism challenges traditional human-centered worldviews and examines how the boundaries between human and non-human are redefined. In Under the Skin, the protagonist, Isserley, exists between human and alien identities, raising questions about agency, ethics, and subjectivity. This study analyzes how the novel critiques human exceptionalism and explores the ethical implications of non-human agency. Through textual analysis and posthumanist theories, the paper examines Isserley’s experiences, her interactions with humans, and the ways in which her agency is shaped by her hybrid existence.