Mary Shelley's "The Last Man" metaphorically reflects anxiety about the political, cultural, and ecological ills of British society by depicting a great plague that destroys humanity. The novel deconstructs the binary oppositional relationship related to Enlightenment rationality, such as civilization and barbarism, West and East, human and non-human, and regards plague as a "good medicine" for constructing a new picture of humanity. The work is not only a reflection on Western Enlightenment rationality, but also foreshadows various possibilities for the development of human society, demonstrating profound humanistic feelings and profound thoughts.

Plague and anxiety about the 'national body'

Explored the rise of plague literature in the 20th century and its reflection on Enlightenment rationality and humanism. Shelley's "The Last Man", as a pioneer of plague literature, regards plagues as epidemics and metaphorical symbols, reflecting personal grief and political historical events. The discourse of illness in the work portrays the author's personal pain, while also being filled with anxiety about reshaping a healthy 'national body'. In the early 19th century, the British political system was unable to alleviate the economic depression and rising food costs, leading to a growing demand for reform among the working class; Colonial resistance has also intensified. The British government strives to transform itself, develop a discourse to understand and imagine the country, and plan the blueprint for the development of the empire. Shelley's text was influenced by the literary predecessor Brown's novel 'Arthur Mervyn', which satirizes social and political ills by depicting yellow fever. The Last Man "reflects the" hypochondria "in 19th century British culture, and British doctor Cheyne explores this" fever of nervous tension, hysteria, or excessive concern for one's own health ". Suspicion is particularly prevalent among educated social classes, and the important character Adrian in the novel unfortunately suffers from this disease. He is physically weak and overly sensitive to the disease. Although he is knowledgeable and capable, and is an ideal national leader, his hypochondria forces him to give up running for the position of Protector and focus only on managing his "own small kingdom". The unstable political situation in the story of Britain, coupled with the ambitious ambitions of Lord Protector Leyland to covet other Asian countries, implies the turbulent internal and external situation in Britain. Cheyenne's works draw inspiration from the rhetoric of health, focusing on the political body of the country and seeing hypochondria as a clear sign of commercial society. Its cause is "idleness and luxury," which refers to the corruption and decadence of the country brought about by the Industrial Revolution and subsequent overseas colonization. During this period, Britain's vigorous overseas colonization greatly benefited the domestic economy and the fulfillment of imperial ambitions. However, as wealth from around the world continued to flow into Britain, various diseases and epidemics also emerged one after another. Colonialism allows people who were previously separated from each other to carry new viruses and come into contact with each other. Colonial expansion led to a sharp increase in tropical diseases and a continuous decline in health conditions within the country. The British people, who had experienced the ravages of the Black Death, were afraid of another plague and their attention to health was increasing day by day. When Shelley began writing this novel in 1824, a cholera epidemic was sweeping across Asia, the Middle East, and later reaching North Africa. Under the pressure of the possible spread of the plague to Britain, Shelley wrote about the rapidly spreading global disease and its devastating power in "One Man at the End of the World", and then asked about national health issues: what benefits would it bring to Britain if it gained the entire world but paid a health price? In the story, a ship from the United States was hit by a storm and ran aground near the town of Portsmouth. The only remaining black crew member landed and died of an infected disease, bringing misfortune to the town. The arrival of black people revealed the connection between imperial trade and plague, suggesting that the plague brought back by goods and crew in the trade between England and America broke the so-called sense of security of isolation in Britain, and showed the evil consequences of colonial trade. The rhetoric of epidemic was an anxiety syndrome of Britain and its imperialist cause at that time, reflecting the deteriorating health status of Britain after years of economic depression and tyranny in overseas colonies. Shelley regarded such Britain as a chaotic and vulnerable country "body" to epidemic attacks. This novel, which portrays anxiety in the form of disasters, was an atypical genre during the Romantic period. Although Shelley used Freudian "sublimation" to turn personal suffering and social anxiety into writing, she did not focus on the pain of losing loved ones. Instead, she used the metaphor of the plague to touch on larger themes, expanding her story into a human landscape, cleverly combining personal emotions with major political and cultural themes, creating a new genre of literature, and creating deconstructive meaning through the plague, promoting new ways of thinking. She is a pioneer of modern disaster literature.

Rational faith cooled in the plague

Explored Shelley's profound reflection on Enlightenment rationality and humanism in "The Last Man". The novel reveals the binary opposition logic of Enlightenment rationality and the limitations of instrumental rationality through Lionel's personal transformation and the social background of 19th century England. Lionel's transformation from a barbarian to a civilized person, as well as Raymond's reform plan, reflect a reliance on instrumental rationality. However, the arrival of the epidemic exposed the problem that instrumental rationality cannot bring long-term well-being and human survival. Shelley criticized excessive reliance on instrumental rationality and called for a return to human nature, seeking ways to construct an ideal society. Lionel's belief in instrumental rationality gradually cooled in the post pandemic world, and he realized the futility of reading and writing. His visit to Rome reignited his belief in Enlightenment rationality, but ultimately abandoned the idea of repairing the pre plague world, implying that the world created by instrumental rationality was not ideal. Shelley demonstrated epistemological uncertainty and skepticism towards human exploration of the rational world through plague narratives. Her examination of Enlightenment rationality and reflection on the "people" who are swept up by instrumental rationality demonstrate calm and wise thinking, making her a pioneer in thinking against the current.

Colonial classification science disintegrated by epidemics

The humanism of the Enlightenment movement was distorted in the globalization and overseas colonization of Western capital. Westerners distinguished themselves from non Western "others" and identified Western talents as the most "humanized" group. Western colonizers created the opposition between "civilization" and "barbarism", and this colonial humanism was called "pseudo humanism" by him. Shelley exposed the truth of colonialism beneath the mask of Western humanism through a plague. Enlightenment thinkers extensively promoted racial superiority and Eurocentrism in their writings and research. In the 18th century, natural philosophers established a classification system for the natural world, placing white Europeans at the top of the pyramid above other human and non-human worlds. These new "scientific" systems legitimized the military conquest and exploitation of many parts of the world by white Europeans, indirectly supporting inhumane overseas colonization. In 'The Last Man', Britain's intervention in the Greek War of Independence reveals the egocentrism of Western humanism and also reflects the way colonialism operates. The plague deconstructed the colonial prestige and cultural hegemony represented by Britain. When the plague began to spread all over the country, the British naively imagined that they would not be attacked, but they soon realized that Britain was also doomed, which was also closely related to colonialism. The plague demonstrated a profound geopolitical disaster, exposed Britain's colonialist role in the globalized commodity economy, and provided a poetic justice for Shelley's plague stories. The epidemic dramatically shattered the existing social group classification, simplifying everyone into equal relationships. During the epidemic, there was a sudden shortage of materials and labor. The houses of wealthy families were occupied by poor people, and wealthy women walked out without using carriages. "People with status are now digging the soil with hoes in their hands. There is a detailed depiction of this social restructuring in the story. The epidemic also provided an opportunity for people to calmly view the vast colonial countries. Shelley expressed her views on England through the plague in her works, a national concept that constantly retreated from the position of colonizers until returning to rationality. Lionel also gradually realized that every living being is an equal and precious existence, and this attitude of maintaining individual human dignity without distinction of race and equality is the true humanism, which has the universal value of liberating humanity.

The backlash of plague against anthropocentrism

Explored how plague literature reflects on Western Enlightenment rationality and humanism. Western Enlightenment thinkers placed humans at the center of nature, emphasizing their ability to think rationally. However, in "The Last Man," the plague reveals the boundary between humans and non-human beings and challenges human superiority. The plague only affects humans, while other organisms in nature are not affected, making people realize that a world without humans is still beautiful. Lionel gradually realized in the post pandemic world that humans are not the masters of all things, but a part of nature. The drawback of Western humanism lies in the binary opposition between humans and animals, which was broken after the plague and animals regained control of human activity space. Lionel underwent a cognitive transformation, realizing that humans should coexist harmoniously with other animals. Shelley questioned the foundation of human knowledge through plague narratives and called for the nation to break free from pathological order. She criticized the colonialism and anthropocentrism of Western humanism, resisting its suppression of racial and natural others. Shelley's creative theme is not a complete denial of reason and humanism, but rather a lack of conservative nostalgia or radical blind optimism when certain fundamental premises of the Enlightenment are declining. She uses the plague to map the crisis of modern humanism, urging readers to think about whether they should break free from the binary opposition when facing global issues, and let Enlightenment rationality and humanism return to the positive original dimension, and regain lost faith.