Ecocriticism: An Essay

Ecocriticism is the study of literature and environment from an interdisciplinary point

of view where all sciences come together to analyze the environment and brainstorm possible
solutions for the correction of the contemporary environmental situation. Ecocriticism was
officially heralded by the publication of two seminal works, both published in the mid-1990s:
The Ecocriticism Reader, edited by Cheryll Glotfelty and Harold Fromm, and The
Environmental Imagination, by Lawrence Buell.

Ecocriticism investigates the relation between humans and the natural world in
literature. It deals with how environmental issues, cultural issues concerning the environment
and attitudes towards nature are presented and analyzed. One of the main goals in
ecocriticism is to study how individuals in society behave and react in relation to nature and
ecological aspects. This form of criticism has gained a lot of attention during recent years due
to higher social emphasis on environmental destruction and increased technology. It is hence
a fresh way of analyzing and interpreting literary texts, which brings new dimensions to the
field of literary and theoritical studies. Ecocriticism is an intentionally broad approach that is
known by a number of other designations, including “green (cultural) studies”, “ecopoetics”,
and “environmental literary criticism.”

Western thought has often held a more or less utilitarian attitude to nature —nature is
for serving human needs. However, after the eighteenth century, there emerged many voices
that demanded a revaluation of the relationship between man and environment, and man’s
view of nature. Arne Naess, a Norwegian philosopher, developed the notion of “Deep
Ecology” which emphasizes the basic interconnectedness of all life forms and natural
features, and presents a symbiotic and holistic world-view rather than an anthropocentric one.

Earlier theories in literary and cultural studies focussed on issue of class, race, gender,
region are criteria and “subjects”of critical analysis. The late twentieth century has woken up
to a new threat: ecological disaster. The most important environmental problems that
humankind faces as a whole are: nuclear war, depletion of valuable natural resources,
population explosion, proliferation of exploitative technologies, conquest of space
preliminary to using it as a garbage dump, pollution, extinction of species (though not a
human problem) among others. In such a context, literary and cultural theory has begun to
address the issue as a part of academic discourse. Numerous green movements have sprung
up all over the world, and some have even gained representations in the governments.

Large scale debates over “dumping,” North versus South environmentalism (the
necessary differences between the en-vironmentalism of the developed and technologically
advanced richer nations—the North, and the poorer, subsistence environmentalism of the
developing or “Third World”—the South). Donald Worster‘s Nature’s Economy (1977)
became a textbook for the study of ecological thought down the ages. The historian Arnold
Toynbee recorded the effect of human civilisation upon the land and nature in his
monumental, Mankind and Mother Earth (1976). Environmental issues and landscape use
were also the concern of the Annales School of historians, especially Braudel and Febvre.
The work of environmental historians has been pathbreaking too. Rich-ard Grove et al’s
massive Nature and the Orient (1998), David Arnold and Ramachandra Guha’s Nature,
Culture, Imperialism (1995) have been significant work in the environmental history of India
and Southeast Asia. Ramachandra Guha is of course the most important environmental
historian writing from India today.

Various versions of environmentalism developed.Deep ecology and ecofeminism

were two important developments. These new ideas questioned the notion of “development”
and “modernity,” and argued that all Western notions in science, philosophy, politics were
“anthropocentric” (human-centred) and “androcentric”(Man/male-centred). Technology,
medical science with its animal testing, the cosmetic and fashion industry all came in for
scrutiny from environmentalists. Deep ecology, for instance, stressed on a “biocentric” view
(as seen in the name of the environmentalist group, “Earth First!!”).

Ecocriticism is the result of this new consciousness: that very soon, there will be
nothing beautiful (or safe) in nature to discourse about, unless we are very careful.

Ecocritics ask questions such as:

(1) How is nature represented in the novel/poem/play ?

(2) What role does the physical-geographical setting play in the structure of the novel?

(3) How do our metaphors of the land influence the way we treat it? That is, what is the link
between pedagogic or creative practice and actual political, sociocultural and ethical
behaviour towards the land and other non-human life forms?

(4) How is science —in the form of genetic engineering, technologies of reproduction,
sexualities—open to critical scrutiny terms of the effects of science upon the land?

The essential assumptions, ideas and methods of ecocritics may be summed up as

follows.

(1) Ecocritics believe that human culture is related to the physical world.

(2) Ecocriticism assumes that all life forms are interlinked. Ecocriticism expands the notion
of “the world” to include the entire ecosphere.

(3) Moreover, there is a definite link between nature and culture, where the literary treatment,
representation and “thematisation” of land and nature influence actions on the land.

(4) Joseph Meeker in an early work, The Comedy of Survival: Studies in Literary Ecology
(1972) used the term “literary ecology” to refer 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 the human species.”

(5) William Rueckert is believed to have coined the term “ecocriticism” in 1978, which he
defines as “the application of ecology and ecological concepts to the study of literature.”

What is ecocriticism?
 Environmental criticism, also known as ecocriticism and “green” criticism (especially
in England), is a rapidly emerging field of literary study that considers the relationship that
human beings have to the environment. As Cheryll Glotfelty noted in the Introduction to The
Ecocriticism Reader, “Just as feminist criticism examines language and literature form a
gender-conscious perspective, and Marxist criticism brings an awareness of modes of
production and economic class to its reading of texts” (viii), environmental critics explore
how nature and the natural world are imagined through literary texts. As with changing
perceptions of gender, such literary representations are not only generated by particular
cultures, they play a significant role in generating those cultures. Thus, if we wish to
understand our contemporary attitude toward the environment, its literary history is an
excellent place to start. While authors such as Thoreau and Wordsworth may first come to
mind in this context, literary responses to environmental concerns are as old as the issues
themselves. Deforestation, air pollution, endangered species, wetland loss, animal rights, and
rampant consumerism have all been appearing as controversial issues in Western literature
for hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of years.

What is ecocriticism?

Ecocriticism is a critical approach to literature and culture that focuses on the relationships
between human beings and the natural world. It emerged in the 1990s as a response to
growing concerns about environmental degradation and the impact of human activity on the
planet (Glotfelty and Fromm).

What is ecocriticism?

Ecocriticism is the interdisciplinary study of the connections between literature and the
environment. It draws on contributions from natural scientists, writers, literary critics,
anthropologists and historians in examining the differences between nature and its cultural
construction.

Who is the father of ecocriticism?

William Rueckert

The term 'ecocriticism' was coined in 1978 by William Rueckert in his essay "Literature and
Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism". It takes an interdisciplinary point of view by
analyzing the works of authors, researchers and poets in the context of environmental issues
and nature.

What are the three stages of ecocriticism?

The development of ecocriticism has entailed three stages: Firstly, investigating how nature is
represented in texts, and exploring the stereotypes and absences in texts. Secondly, recouping
nature writing and recognising the environmental conditions that may have shaped an
author's life.

Why is the study of ecocriticism important?

Recently, eco-criticism has become much more relevant and important in literature as the
global climate crisis grows in severity and scale. As a critical field, eco-criticism provides us
with a way to analyse our relationship with the natural world in both a positive and negative
sense.

What are the major features of ecocriticism?

One of the key principles of ecocriticism is the importance of environmental justice.

Ecocritics are interested in exploring the ways in which environmental issues and concerns
disproportionately affect marginalized communities, and in how literature can be used to
promote social and environmental justice.

Who is a famous critic of ecocriticism?

Greg Garrard

Greg Garrard is a prominent scholar in the field of ecocriticism, well-known for his
significant contributions to understanding environmental narratives through discourse
analysis. His works provide insights into how literature and discourse shape societal
perceptions of nature and environmental issues.

What are the objectives of ecocriticism?

One of the main goals in ecocriticism is to study how individuals in society behave and react
in relation to nature and ecological aspects. This form of criticism has gained a lot of
attention during recent years due to higher social emphasis on environmental destruction and
increased technology.