View of ECOCRITICISM: A PERSPECTIVE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN ENGLISH LITERATURE

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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INNOVATION IN ENGINEERING RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT ISSN: 2348-4918 Peer Reviewed and Refereed Journal

VOLUME: 09, Issue 05, Paper id-IJIERM-IX-V, October 2022

ECOCRITICISM: A PERSPECTIVE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN ENGLISH LITERATURE

Dr. Sanjeev Kumar

Assistant Professor and H.O.D., Dept. of English, D. A. V. P. G. College Bulandshahr, U.P.

PIN 203301

Abstract - This paper aims at depicting how does the environmental issues effected English Literature. We marked in English Literature that during the last few decades, environment has posed some threats to human society as well as the human life. The misuse mususe of natural resources has left us at the brink of ditch. The rain forests are blindly cut down, the cycle of season is at disorder. In the whole world our environment is in danger.

Facing such environmental issues, a new theory came to fore called ecocriticeim which shows that there is a relation between literature and environment. It show how literature is effected by the surrounding environment. The theory is a reaction to man‟s thropacentric attitude of dominating nature.

This paper seeks to explore the ecocritical perspective is found many selected world litrature as well as Indian writings. The environmental oriented study of literature amoung the readers who is a result become ecoconscious. In this way environment concern becames a burning issue or the question of the day.

Ecocriticesm has under gone rapid development during its tenure since it was introduced. It is an interpretive tool of analyzing nature writing specially concerned with environmental studies, animal studies, green cultural studies, Ecosophy, Deep Ecology, Ecofeminism and Ecospiritualism etc.

Keywords: Environmental Literature Nature.

1 THE STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The reason of the study is to show how environmental issues effect writings in literature.

1.1 Significance of the study :

The content of the paper is very crucial in regard to the present world situation where the misuse and distortion of nature is a burning question. The environmental issues bringing all creature is life such a pass. Such issues have also been shown time to time in literature by the various writers. In this way literature is very effective, active and creative too to help to save nature and human life. It plays a pivotal role to aware human beings of contemporary environmental issues by portraying its burning issues in writings.

1.2 Objective of the study:

The study intends to achieve the objectives as follows :

To highlight the relation between environment and literature.

To show how literature can carry environmental issues to be friendly with it and be ecofriendly in

order to save nature man and the earth.

1.3 Hypothesis :

Environment always effects literature man and whole earth in this way or that and literature can be friendly to highlight its problems both fill the room of ecocriticism.

2 ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION:

2.1 Questions to be Explored

I. How is nature represented in the novel / poem / pla

II. What role does the physical geographical setting play in the structure of the novel?

III. How do our metaphors of the land influences the way we treat it?

IV. What is the link between pedagogic or creative practical and actual potitical sociocultural and ethical behavior towards the land and built up environment.

Our global crisus is not because how ecosystems functions. It is because how our ethical systems function getting through the crises requires understanding our impact on nature. It requires

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VOLUME: 09, Issue 05, Paper id-IJIERM-IX-V, October 2022

understandings those ethical system and using that understanding to reform them.

(Ecocritism reader)

3 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

Ecocritisim advocats sustainable development for a better future of mankind in general all organisms have their rigid to survival have their own way the plants, the animals, the woman, the marginal the tribol. Alll have their role to play to keep up the earthisc basic life support system.

Limited use of resources will ensure the the safe and secured future of the generations to come “The most common measssure to ackle environmental crisis is sustainable development” (Fredriss 128) The ategorically means the required use of natural resources without endangering the whole environment the will - being of all human beings (Essay in Ecocritisism 3b)

Dr. Suresh Fredrick says,

“Human beings always knew that wild forests are inhabitable and that is why they looked down upon wild forests. That is why the forests are destoroyed to made way for fields which would field grains. The animals also left out” (13)1

“Ecocriticsm is an

interdisoplinary subject a knowledge of the life science is essential to study literature through this criticism” (14)2 Environmental Justics: Ecocriticism underlines environmental justice as mans varacious urge to conquer nature is somewhat misleading. We used to belive ourselves to be superior the other life form what inhabit the biosphere. But now we realize that nature is not a subordinate but a co- inhabitant of this eearth destroy nature, they will be paid back by their own coins, our global crises is because how ecosystems function. It is because how, our ethical system function getting through the crisis requires understanding our empact on

nature. Himalyas requires

understanding those ethical system and using that understanding reform them. Ecocriticism as an inter diciplinary approach: Ecocriticism is an intentionally broad approach which is by its very nature inerdiciplinary. It

draws it‟s sustenance from the excesting literary theores. All sciences come forward contribute to the field therefore, new theories like post colonial ecocriticism ecofeminisim and eco spritualism are coming into light.

(Biblography)

Other non human life forms?

The essential assumptions, ideas and methods in ecocriticism are as follows:

(i) Ecocriticism believes that human culture is related to the physical world.

(ii) Ecocriticism assumes that all life forms are interlinked.

(iii) There is a definite link between nature and calture, where the literary treatment representation and “thematisation” of land and nature influences actions on the land.

(iv) 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 relationship which appear in

literary works. It is

simulataneously an attempt to discover what roles have been played by literature in the ecology of the human species”

(v) William Rueckert is belived to have coined the “ecocriticism” in 1978, which he difines as “the application of ecoloay and ecological concepts to the study of literature”

(Source: Literary theory Today, Pramod K. Nayyar)

Ecocriticism is one of the youngest revisionist movement. The term ecocritisism was coined from the Greek root word „oikus‟ which etymologically means house hold or earth and „logy‟ from „logos‟ means logical discourse. Together both mean criticism of the house - the environment presented in literature.

According to Rueckert, “ecocriticism applies ecology of ecological principles into the study of literature” And Lawrence Buell defines ecocriticsm “as a study of the relationship between literature and the environment conducted in a spirit of commitment to environmentlist pravis” According to Joseph wood krutch “Thoreau‟s is work

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VOLUME: 09, Issue 05, Paper id-IJIERM-IX-V, October 2022

is not about plants or animals or birds but is about his relation to them; one may almost say about himself in connection with nature”

Partick D. Murphy is right in saying that “ecocriticism is a literary criticism that arises from and is oriented towards concern with human and non human interaction and relationship”

4 NATURE VS CULTURE :

One of the implicit goals of the ecocritics is to rethink the relationship between culture and nature (Barry 252) the presentecon logical crises is a bi- product of human culture. Sincetis inception, man started lived in close proximity with nature in the since its natural environment culture is associated with the geography of a landscope. For example, synges Aran Island, Hardy‟s Wassex R. K.

Narayan‟s Malgudhi etc. have their impact on charecters of their writings culture is something which has been created over the years by the people who have been living in an environment for ages. So long as man living in close association with nature there will be no ecological threat. But with the advancement of scicnces and techhology man has got alliniated from nature putting his own survivalian a question.

WORKS CITIED AND CONSULTED : 1. Fredrick Suresh “ Interpecific relationship

in the select poems of Charles Harpur.

Bala Chandran K. ed. Critical Issues on Australian Literature New Delhi : Arise Pub. And distributors, 2010 Print

2. Fredrick, Suresh “Interspesific Relationship in Select Poems of Charls Harpur”

Balackchandran K. ed. Critical Essay on Australian Literature New Delhi”. Arise Publishers & Distributors 2010, Print.

3. Yilmaz, Zumre Gizen “Biblography for work in Ecocriticism.” CLCweb. Comparative Litereture and Culture. 16.4 (2014)

4. Attfield, Robin. Environmental Ethics : An Overview for the Twenty First Century.

Combridge : Polity, 2014

5. All Christina Virginies Woolf and the Study of Nature. Cambridge UP, 2010