Even a casual survey of literature down the ages reveals that ecology, though a new word and a new science, has been an ancient theme in literary works. A great deal of literature has dealt explicitly with nature, either to express an aesthetic appreciation of its beauty or to explore the man-nature relationship. Michael Branch in “Ecocriticism: The Nature of Nature in Literary Theory and Practice,” points out that literature has struggled with questions of value comparable to those being asked by ecophilosophy. Questions about the proper role of humans in the cosmic scheme have always engaged the literary imagination, and concerns about maintaining or restoring a right relationship with nature are both thematically and symbolically present in the literature of every culture. Thus literature has always conditioned our philosophical understanding of nature.
Ecocriticism is the study of representations of nature in literary works and of the relationship between literature and the environment. There is a close relation between Ecocriticism and Literature. This paper discusses the term Ecocriticism and the role of Ecocriticism in literature. This paper discusses the term Ecocriticism and the role of Ecocriticism in literature. It cites examples of how the theme of Ecocriticism can be interpreted through the reading of two Indian English novels, namely- Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya and The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh.
The theory analyses literary works from environmental perspective. It focuses on the things that have been at the margin and has been neglected by the social theorists. It includes nature in general such as flora, fauna, landscape, etc. The Historical roots of the theory can be grounded in the first essay by William Rueckert where he tries to draw attentions toward environment and literature relationship. William Rueckert in his essay “Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism” forges a link between biology and literary activities.
Hence, artistic creations are inseparable from the human lives and histories involved in their creation and consumption. Greenblatt’s views on textuality are central to the hermeneutical practice he advocates in the Poetics of Culture, which became popular in aesthetic circles as New Historicism.
Thus the ecological criticism deconstructs the relationship between nature, culture and literature. The term ‘literary ecology’ was first introduced by J.William Meeker, which refers to “the study of biological themes and relationships which appear in literary works. It is simultaneously an attempt to discover what roles have been played by literature in the ecology of human species”. He further says that ecology is an ancient theme in art and literature. He says that the physical world can be divided into two
Ecocriticism is an emerging area of concern.It engages into a study of literature and environment.Literature has been significant in addressing social, political, economic concerns.The growing environmental concerns are gradually receiving treatment in all disciplines. Literary studies have embraced environmental issues. The need for attending to issues has led to blurring of boundaries and hence move towards interdisciplinary studies has become prominent. This research intends to study the relationship between literature and environment.It focuses on how literature has been pivotal in addressing environmental concerns through fiction, drama, poetry. For my study, I have selected works from Native America Literature.
91) As a result, society battles to take a fair viewpoint on nature, as our understanding is constructed by existing cultural standards. Ultimately, by viewing humanity as the crux of existence, nature becomes merely a resource: ‘a raw material to be transformed into use-value for humanity’ (Connor 1996: 278). This hyperseraparation from nature poses a potential fatal outcome for the physical environment, as the ability to view ourselves as a part of ecosystems becomes damaged as we perceive the natural world as a disposable commodity, thus downplaying our understanding of how nature both sustains the environment and supports our lives. Therefore, this essay will draw on anthropocentrism and the dualistic nature between culture and nature binaries to comparatively analyse the excerpt from Consolations of the Forest (2013) by Sylvain Tesson and
Much of Scott’s argument is polished by his critique of high modernism as a mode of urban planning in Brasilia. Scott criticised Le Corbusier’s plans which was based on his absolute belief in the scientific foundation of his method. Le Corbusier abhorred all things that did not conform to rules of geometric precision such as straight lines or right angles and
offers an approach to ecocriticism in the context of contemporary English Canadian Poets. It gives definitions of various contemporary critics on ecocriticism. It specially discuss origin of ecocriticism, nation wilderness and conservative move towards protection of environment through ecocritical approaches of Canadian poets, the essay scrutinize moments of the metaphor, in the age of technology, interrelatedness between nature and human. Ecocritical literatures explored that human construction; adoption of new technology, modernization approach brings tremenderous changes in the environment in the twentieth century. The dynamic environment which is brought by the human, exploited the nature.
It involved the growth and maturity of mankind. He considered the denial of moral laws under the guise of progress to be the primary reason for the chaos in civilisation he talked of at the end of his days. During his lecture in