Abstract
In this thesis I employ animal studies theory and criticism to explore the boundaries of the human in contemporary American literature. I argue that there is a need for intersectional analysis within cultural studies, focusing on species as well more commonly acknowledged problematic discourse, such as that concerning race, class, and gender. I suggest that this is necessary and important because of the interconnectedness of oppressive and exploitative discourses, which often use humanist or anthropocentric arguments to justify the exclusion of some (human or nonhuman) from ethical and political consideration. To expose this interconnectedness and the theme of species and speciesism in literature, I have devised a theory of portable outrage. It suggests that the outrage produced by the depiction of oppressive discourse that is often recognized and condemned can be transferred through a disrupting condition to focus on other types of advocacy and considerations as well, such as animal advocacy and a consideration of species and speciesism. I apply this theory here on three contemporary American interspecies narratives: My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki, Fast Food Nation: What the All-American Meal is Doing to The World by Eric Schlosser, and Dawn by Octavia Butler, proving that problematic speciesist discourse and the possibility for animal advocacy can be found in these texts, despite the fact that they are traditionally read anthropocentrically.