ABSTRACT
In this chapter, Mirla Gonzalez examines the science fiction novel Tender Is the Flesh by Argentinian author, Agustina Bazterrica. The novel portrays an oppressive society in which a virus has contaminated all animal meat, which paves the way for government-legalized cannibalism and the creation of a society in which animals and certain groups of human beings, particularly women, endure the same levels of cruelty and savagery. This chapter analyzes gender-based violence, as well as the marginalization of other vulnerable populations such as immigrants in the context of a consumerist and capitalist society obsessed with meat consumption that has undergone an environmental catastrophe. This environmental challenge, in the form of a viral outbreak, provides the groundwork for a discussion on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being). Economic inequality, one of the many consequences of the outbreak that has created this dystopian cannibalistic society, allows for an analysis of SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). Lastly, through the female protagonist, the novel brings attention to SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality), drawing parallels to gender (in)equality and femicide in contemporary society.
