@article {478, title = {Notes for an econarratological theory of character}, journal = {Frontiers of Narrative Studies}, volume = {4}, year = {2018}, month = {2018///}, pages = {s172 - s189}, abstract = {Scientists and scholars in multiple fields have been discussing the current geological epoch under the heading of the {\textquotedblleft}Anthropocene{\textquotedblright} {\textendash} an era marked by the planetary impact of human activities (Crutzen and Stoermer 2000). The epistemological shift brought about by this notion exposes the latent anthropocentrism of narrative practices, raising a challenge taken up by narrative theorists such as Erin James (2015) and Alexa Weik von Mossner (2017) in the context of an {\textquotedblleft}econarratology.{\textquotedblright} In this article, I examine the prime suspect for anthropocentrism in narrative {\textendash} namely, the notion of character as intrinsically human-like. My point of departure is A. J. Greimas{\textquoteright}s (1976) actantial model of narrative, which I revisit and revise in light of work in the field of ecolinguistics (Goatly 1996). I thus explore five strategies through which narrative may integrate nonhuman characters that challenge both anthropocentrism and the subject-object binary that anthropocentrism entails. I exemplify these strategies by discussing contemporary novels that deal with the Anthropocenic entanglement of humanity and the nonhuman world.}, keywords = {Anthropocene, Contemporary fiction, Ecocriticism, narrative, Nonhuman}, isbn = {2509-4882}, url = {https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/fns.2018.4.issue-s1/fns-2018-0037/fns-2018-0037.xml?format=INT}, author = {Caracciolo, Marco} }