Hello, I am Himanshi Parmar, student of MK Bhavnagar University. This blog i have written as a response to Thinking Activity, Which is a Part of my academic Work. Which we get after each unit. In this blog, i am going to discuss about Definitions of ecocritical theory, meaning of ecocritical theory, role of eco critics and examples.
Definition :-
Cheryll Glotfelty's working definition in The Ecocriticism Reader is that "ecocriticism is the study of the relationship between literature and the physical environment", and one of the implicit goals of the approach is to recoup professional dignity for what Glotfelty calls the "undervalued genre of nature writing".
According Oxford Dictionary, Ecocriticism is an interdisciplinary field of study that analyses how the natural world is portrayed in literature, typically in relation to modern environmental concerns.
Simon Estok noted in 2001 that "ecocriticism has distinguished itself, debates notwithstanding, firstly by the ethical stand it takes, its commitment to the natural world as an important thing rather than simply as an object of thematic study, and, secondly, by its commitment to making connections".
Origin and meaning of Ecocritical theory :-
Ecocriticism was first originated by Joseph Meeker as an idea called “literary ecology” in his The Comedy of Survival: Studies in Literary Ecology (1972).The term 'ecocriticism' was coined in 1978 by William Rueckert in his essay "Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism". Mainly Ecocritical theory being use to analyzing the works of authors, researchers and poets in the context of environmental issues and nature. Ecocritical theory is also finding solution of current environmental problems.In the United States, ecocriticism is often associated with the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment (ASLE),which hosts a biennial conference for scholars who deal with environmental matters in literature and the environmental humanities in general.Ecocriticism is an intentionally broad approach that is known by a number of other designations, including "green (cultural) studies", "ecopoetics", and "environmental literary criticism", and is often informed by other fields such as ecology, sustainable design, biopolitics, environmental history, environmentalism, and social ecology, among others.
Role of ecocritics
1)They give special canonical emphasis to writers who foreground nature as a major part of their subject matter, such as the American transcendentalists, the British Romantics, the poetry of John Clare, the work of Thomas Hardy and the Georgian poets of the early twentieth century.
2)They re-read major literary works from an ecocentric perspective, with particular attention to the representation of the natural world.
3)They turn away from the 'social constructivism' and 'linguistic determinism' of dominant literary theories (with their emphasis on the linguistic and social constructedness of the external world) and instead emphasise ecocentric values of meticulous observation, collective ethical responsibility, and the claims of the world beyond ourselves.
4)They extend the applicability of a range of ecocentric concepts, using them of things other than the natural world -concepts such as growth and energy, balance and imbalance, symbiosis and mutuality, and sustainable or unsustainable uses of energy and resources.
Famous Books and Writers in Ecocriticism
1- The Future of Environmental Criticism by Lawrence Buell.
2- Walden, or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau.
3-Ecology Without Nature by Timothy Morton.
4- Politics of Nature by Bruno Latour.
5-Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.
6- The Comedy of Survival by Joseph W. Meeker.
7- Ecology: A Bridge between Science and Society by Eugene P. Odum.
Read about all this books here. Click
Examples
India is known as country of Festivals. Not all the festivals are eco - friendly, some festivals often harm nature. Festivals like Navratri, Durga Puja, Ganesh Chaturthy are responsible for making noise population. A study conducted by World Health Organisation (WHO) confirms that noise pollution is not only a nuisance to the environment, but it also causes a considerable threat to public health. Also in the festival of Ganesh chaturthy and Durga puja immersion areas are littered with many flowers and parts of idols. And doing water pollution. Also rituals of burning firecrackers in Diwali, and in private functions leading to the release of toxic gases and severe air pollution. Here i prefer one article that is talking about pollution in India because of celebrating some festivals. Click to read.
Hindi poem -
हरे पेड़ पर चली कुल्हाड़ी धूप रही ना याद।
मूल्य समय का जाना हमनेखो देने के बाद।।
खूब फसल खेतों से ले ली डाल डाल कर खाद।
पैसों के लालच में कर दी उर्वरता बर्बाद।।
दूर दूर तक बसी बस्तियाँ नगर हुए आबाद।
बन्द हुआ अब तो जंगल से मानव का संवाद।।
ताल तलैया सब सूखे हैं हुई नदी में गाद।
पानी के कारण होते हैं हर दिन नए विवाद।।
पशु पक्षी बेघर फिरते हैं कौन सुने फरियाद।
कुदरत के दोहन ने सबके मन में भरा विषाद।।
- सुरेश चन्द्र
In our literature also we find problems of ecology. This poem is showing how human beings for their own benefits harming nature, not only to trees, but to land, soil, animals, waiter resources and each and every part of earth.
Some Bollywood movies also throw light on environmental problems. For example Film 'Kadvi Hawa'. The film was directed by Nila Madhab Panda and released in 2017.starring are Sanjay Mishra, Ranvir Shorey, and Tillotama Shome and others.The film throws light on the state of farmers and the consequences faced by them due to the climatic changes. 'Kadvi Haava' is inspired by true events from the drought-prone Bundelkhand region. In this film, the community of Mahua is affected by a lack of rainfall, barren soil, agricultural failure, and climate change. The film clearly depicts the difficulties farmers face as a consequence of climate change's wrath. Watch trailer here.
Also read this article which has list of movies on environmental problems. Click to read.
In our advertisements also we find that problems related to environment are the biggest problem in the world. For example in the advertisement of 'Google app' we find they are raising problem of climate change and leading our attention towards the need of solution of this problem. Watch this advertisement for better understanding.
Cartoons and animations are the latest sources to aware people in very interesting way. We find subject of Ecocriticism is also being used in Cartoons and Animated videos. Here are some,
Here are some short films that raising Environmental problems.
I hope my blog will be helpful to you. Thank you!
References
