The Human-Animal Boundary in Flush: An Eco-critical Approach

    Flush (1933), written by Virginia Woolf (1882-1941),is the biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's pet dog, a cocker spaniel. Named after its animal protagonist, the novel portrays the relationship between the spaniel and the Victorian poetess. The novel also portrays the courtship and marriage of the poetess and Robert Browning as perceived by her pet dog.  This study attempts an ecocritical reading of the canine's biography. The study attempts an assessment of the canine's growth from puppyhood to adulthood as to show whether the writer endows him with excessive anthropomorphic traits. An examination of the point of view of Flush is integrated into the study as to show whether the protagonist experiences a development of cognitive abilities. The study focuses on the consciousness of Flush as to trace phases of his achievement of maturity and wisdom, in his own fashion. The paper engages diverse studies in the fields of science and humanities as to show whether Woolf is ensnared in sentimentality, and to what extent does she maintain a balance between anthropomorphism and anthropocentrism.