The representation of animals en vegetarianism in the work of Herman Heijermans and his contemporaries
2018
Abstract
At the end of the nineteenth century, the perception of animals changed significantly due to the theory of evolution and other new ideas, which also affected a number of Dutch socialist-leaning writers. Utilizing the framework of literary animal studies, this lecture investigates how animals were represented in their works.
Most of the examined writers present animals as sentient beings, which is also reflected by their speaking out in favour of vegetarianism. Herman Heijermans takes a more ambivalent position.