PRIPOVJEDNE PERSPEKTIVE U ROMANU „DRY“ NEALA I JARRODA SHUSTERMANA

The novel Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman belongs to the genre of climate fiction, describing the potential consequences of global warming on the structure of human society and the disintegration of social and moral norms. By juxtaposing narrative perspectives and personal experiences of the drought crisis, the authors explore the limits of humanity, i.e. the ways in which individuals and society confront life-threatening situations. The choices that the protagonists are forced to make for their own survival reflect the philosophical debate between Thomas Hobbes and Jean Jacques Rousseau. At the center of the discussion is the relationship between the natural and social state of man and the question of egoism, i.e. self-love. The question is: is it organized society with its apparatus that restrains human egoism, or does it, relying on human reason, encourage it? The novel presents both possibilities through different narrative perspectives. In the chaos that ensues after the water shortage and the absence of state control, there is an escalation of egoism and the degradation of rational behavior. Nevertheless, the underlying awareness remains that it was irresponsible social behavior and human self-love that led to the crisis. The bridge between the two theories is represented by Bataille’s interpretation of transgression as an act that changes the individual’s perception in relation to themselves and others. Within the framework of such interpretation, it is possible to analyze the actions of characters in the novel who confront radical changes in society and then irrevocably change themselves.