Necropolitics and Resilience in Sara Baume's Spill Simmer Falter Wither (2015)

Abstract: This article delves into Sara Baume's Spill Simmer Falter Wither , offering a compelling critique of contemporary neoliberal necropolitics and the discourse of resilience in post-Celtic Tiger Ireland. Drawing from Achille Mbembe's concept of necropolitics and death-worlds, which grapples with the power to determine who lives and who dies, this article argues that the Irish poor have been unfairly burdened as scapegoats for the state's failures and political corruption. Central to the analysis is the protagonist's adoption of One Eye, a dog with a turbulent past, illustrating a transformative posthumanist alliance that challenges necropolitics and its resilience-driven rhetoric. The novel's exploration of ethical encounters and shared vulnerability among living beings provides fresh perspectives on pressing issues. As part of the growing scholarship on vulnerability and resilience in the humanities, this article highlights the relevance of literature in navigating these pressing themes.