Wolverines, Werewolves and Demon Dogs:Animality, Criminality and Classification in James Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet
James Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet offers a vivid tapestry of literal and symbolic beastliness. From the savage brutality of the “Wolverine Killer” in The Big Nowhere to the warped, ornithological mutilations of Loren Atherton in LA Confidential, Ellroy’s novels trace a potent convergence between animality...
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ftuniveastangl:oai:ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk:91458 2023-05-15T18:44:15+02:00 Wolverines, Werewolves and Demon Dogs:Animality, Criminality and Classification in James Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet Ashman, Nathan Hawthorn, Ruth Miller, John 2022 application/pdf https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/91458/ https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/91458/1/Ashman_Final.pdf https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09241-1_4 en eng https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/91458/1/Ashman_Final.pdf Ashman, Nathan (2022) Wolverines, Werewolves and Demon Dogs:Animality, Criminality and Classification in James Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet. In: Animals in Detective Fiction. Palgrave Studies in Animals and Literature (PSAAL). Springer, pp. 65-82. ISBN 978-3-031-09241-1 doi:10.1007/978-3-031-09241-1_4 Book Section NonPeerReviewed 2022 ftuniveastangl https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09241-1_4 2023-03-16T23:31:39Z James Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet offers a vivid tapestry of literal and symbolic beastliness. From the savage brutality of the “Wolverine Killer” in The Big Nowhere to the warped, ornithological mutilations of Loren Atherton in LA Confidential, Ellroy’s novels trace a potent convergence between animality and deviancy. This convergence becomes forcefully energised by rigid racial, sexual and political classifications, as manifestations of animality are repeatedly articulated via stark depictions of homosexuality, communism and “blackness”. Whilst the political dynamics of animality as a generic symbol of “otherness” are further solidified by the role actual animals play in Ellroy’s work, animals are, nonetheless, frequently situated as victims of monstrous human behaviours over the course of the Quartet, raising broader questions about human/animal binary. Through varying articulations of human/animal exploitation, the real villain of Ellroy’s work is a ruthless and detached post-war industrial culture that transforms both animal and human life into useable commodities. Book Part wolverine University of East Anglia: UEA Digital Repository Atherton ENVELOPE(-58.946,-58.946,-62.088,-62.088) Loren ENVELOPE(-171.669,-171.669,65.509,65.509) 65 82 |
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University of East Anglia: UEA Digital Repository |
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ftuniveastangl |
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English |
description |
James Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet offers a vivid tapestry of literal and symbolic beastliness. From the savage brutality of the “Wolverine Killer” in The Big Nowhere to the warped, ornithological mutilations of Loren Atherton in LA Confidential, Ellroy’s novels trace a potent convergence between animality and deviancy. This convergence becomes forcefully energised by rigid racial, sexual and political classifications, as manifestations of animality are repeatedly articulated via stark depictions of homosexuality, communism and “blackness”. Whilst the political dynamics of animality as a generic symbol of “otherness” are further solidified by the role actual animals play in Ellroy’s work, animals are, nonetheless, frequently situated as victims of monstrous human behaviours over the course of the Quartet, raising broader questions about human/animal binary. Through varying articulations of human/animal exploitation, the real villain of Ellroy’s work is a ruthless and detached post-war industrial culture that transforms both animal and human life into useable commodities. |
author2 |
Hawthorn, Ruth Miller, John |
format |
Book Part |
author |
Ashman, Nathan |
spellingShingle |
Ashman, Nathan Wolverines, Werewolves and Demon Dogs:Animality, Criminality and Classification in James Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet |
author_facet |
Ashman, Nathan |
author_sort |
Ashman, Nathan |
title |
Wolverines, Werewolves and Demon Dogs:Animality, Criminality and Classification in James Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet |
title_short |
Wolverines, Werewolves and Demon Dogs:Animality, Criminality and Classification in James Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet |
title_full |
Wolverines, Werewolves and Demon Dogs:Animality, Criminality and Classification in James Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet |
title_fullStr |
Wolverines, Werewolves and Demon Dogs:Animality, Criminality and Classification in James Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet |
title_full_unstemmed |
Wolverines, Werewolves and Demon Dogs:Animality, Criminality and Classification in James Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet |
title_sort |
wolverines, werewolves and demon dogs:animality, criminality and classification in james ellroy’s l.a. quartet |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/91458/ https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/91458/1/Ashman_Final.pdf https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09241-1_4 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-58.946,-58.946,-62.088,-62.088) ENVELOPE(-171.669,-171.669,65.509,65.509) |
geographic |
Atherton Loren |
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Atherton Loren |
genre |
wolverine |
genre_facet |
wolverine |
op_relation |
https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/91458/1/Ashman_Final.pdf Ashman, Nathan (2022) Wolverines, Werewolves and Demon Dogs:Animality, Criminality and Classification in James Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet. In: Animals in Detective Fiction. Palgrave Studies in Animals and Literature (PSAAL). Springer, pp. 65-82. ISBN 978-3-031-09241-1 doi:10.1007/978-3-031-09241-1_4 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09241-1_4 |
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65 |
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82 |
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