Flooded London: Sensory Lexica in The End We Start From by Megan Hunter

Abstract As London is flooded due to unprecedented rainfall that is caused by the negative consequences of climate change in Megan Hunter’s novel The End We Start From , a journey of joy, loss, sadness, and homecoming begins. Whereas Hunter’s apocalyptic novel about a female Londoner escaping the flooded capital with her newborn baby has been successfully adapted into a film, her novel has, so far, attracted insufficient attention in the field of climate change fiction (cli-fi) studies and ecocriticism. Seeking to overcome the current research gap, this contribution presents a qualitative study whose aim is to shine light onto sensory lexica in Hunter’s novel The End We Start From . The sensory lexica in the study are defined as lexical items that are involved in the manifestation and interpretation of such categories as hearing, smell, taste, touch, and vision. The study employs a qualitative methodology of identifying and classifying the sensory lexica in The End We Start From in order to gain insight into the protagonist’s authentic experiences of the flooded London of the not-so-distant utopian future. Arguably, the sensory lexica in The End We Start From may deepen the readers’ understanding of the protagonist’s feelings, emotions, and perceptions. The results of the qualitative analysis indicate that the sensory lexica in Hunter’s novel are skilfully employed in order to portray the protagonist’s encounters with the negative consequences of climate change in a realistic and, at the same time, relatable manner.