Ecocriticism

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:- 

This blog is a part of a thinking activity given by Dilip Barad Sir from The English Department, MKBU, Bhavnagar. Check out Dilip Barad sir's Blog Site (Click Here) for more information and knowledge about works and writers. In this blog I am going to discuss Ecocriticism and also try to imply it in other works.

WHAT IS ECOCRITICISM?

William Rueckert coined the term 'ecocriticism' in 1978 within his essay titled "Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism" (Gladwin) and Joseph Meeker first introduced the concept of "literary ecology" in his book "The Comedy of Survival: Studies in Literary Ecology," marking the origin of what later became known as ecocriticism. (Meeker) Meeker explores the interconnectedness of literature and the environment. He emphasizes the role of literature in shaping our understanding of nature and environmental issues, framing it as a crucial aspect of cultural expression. Meeker's contribution lays the groundwork for ecocriticism, a field that delves into how literature reflects and influences our relationship with the natural world.

In his essay "Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism," William Rueckert looked at stories as if they were ecosystems. He thought of literature as a living system, similar to nature, where everything is connected. Rueckert believed that by using ideas from ecology, like how things depend on each other and the balance in nature, we could understand more about how literature shows and affects our connection to the environment. His ideas started ecocriticism, a way of studying how literature and nature are linked.

As Derek Gladwin says Ecocriticism is a way for scholars to study the global environmental crisis by looking at how literature and culture connect with the physical world. It started as an idea called "literary ecology" and later became known as ecocriticism. In the early 1990s, it gained popularity with the formation of the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment (ASLE) and the launch of the journal ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment. Ecocriticism is often a term used broadly for humanities subjects like media, film, philosophy, and history dealing with ecological issues, but it mainly focuses on literature and culture. (Gladwin)

In this video Dr. Vandana Shiva an environmental activist, philosopher, eco feminist and author talks about solutions to the food and ecological crisis facing us today.

• Let's see how we can apply Ecocriticism in various works through the following examples. 

THE WASTE LAND BY T. S. ELIOT:-

(Click Here to read a detailed blog on 'The Waste Land' by T. S. Eliot)

Book:- 'The Waste Land'

Writer:- T.S. Eliot 

Published:- December, 1922

Genre:- Poem, Morden Epic 

Parts:- 5 

• THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD
• A GAME OF CHESS
• THE FIRE SERMON
• DEATH BY WATER
• WHAT THE THUNDER SAID

LANDSCAPE:-

'The Waste Land' has so many symbols and imagery which express how this land is isolated and barren.

"April is the cruellest month, breeding 

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing 

Memory and desire, stirring 

Dull roots with spring rain."

The choice of "cruellest month" to describe April introduces a contrast to the typical association of spring with vitality and rebirth. This contrast sets the tone for an unconventional exploration of the seasons and nature. The phrase "dead land" suggests a landscape devoid of life and fertility. This imagery conveys a sense of barrenness and decay. The mention of "Lilacs out of the dead land" hints at a struggle for regeneration. While lilacs typically symbolize renewal and beauty. These lines show that April, usually seen as a happy and lively month, is described as cruel in the poem. This challenges the usual idea that April is full of life. The mention of a "dead land" and the struggle for new growth suggests that, in the poem, April is a tough time for nature, going against what we might normally expect.

Unreal City,

Under the brown fog of a winter dawn,

A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many,

I had not thought death had undone so many

The "brown fog" suggests dirty air from pollution and problems caused by industries. When the poem talks about a crowd moving over London Bridge, it gives a feeling of people being like a mass without a personal connection to nature.

"And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,

And the dry stone no sound of water."

The picture painted in the poem, where nature lacks shelter, relief, and water, shows that the environment is going through a tough time. It highlights how things humans do have a big impact on nature, making it suffer and struggle without basic things like a safe place, comfort, or water.

WATER:-

"What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow

Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man,

You who hear me; but I am not bid you

Answer; your own silence bids you hold your tongue."

The poem explores the idea of water and its role in the growth of plants, particularly focusing on roots and branches, which are essential parts of trees. It ponders how these plant elements can thrive in a place filled with "stony rubbish" or rocks and debris. This description suggests that the ground is not suitable for plants because it lacks fertile soil, being instead cluttered with stones. The emphasis here is on the importance of good soil for plants to grow well. The lines underscore that for roots and branches to live and flourish, they require not only fertile soil but also water. The absence of good soil highlights the significance of water in the poem, emphasizing its crucial role in enabling plants to not just survive but thrive.

"A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,

And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,

And the dry stone no sound of water."

In the poem, there's a lot of talk about a dead tree and a dry stone, and it keeps coming up again and again. When the poem mentions the sun beating down, it adds to the feeling of a very dry and barren place. This lack of water makes the landscape seem even more empty and sad. The idea is that without water, the environment becomes desolate, emphasizing how important water is for nature. It's like saying if an area doesn't have enough water, it becomes a tough and lonely place for plants and living things, and that's not good for the environment.

URBANIZATION:-

Unreal City,

Under the brown fog of a winter dawn,

A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many,

I had not thought death had undone so many

The term "Unreal City" sets a tone of artificiality, suggesting a city that might not feel real or alive. The "brown fog" hints at pollution, possibly from urban activities, creating an image of a city covered in a gloomy atmosphere. The mention of a "crowd flowed over London Bridge" creates an image of a bustling urban scene. The sheer number of people suggests a crowded and anonymous city life, where individuals may feel lost in the mass of humanity.

"The nymphs are departed.

Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song."

In the poem, when it talks about nymphs leaving, it means that natural beauty is disappearing from the city. The request for the Thames River to "run softly" shows a wish for nature to stay gentle even in the busy city. It's like saying, in the midst of all the city noise and hustle, there's a desire to keep a bit of nature's calm and beauty around.

SNOWPIERCER BY BONG JOON-HO (MOVIE):-

Snowpiercer is a 2013 film directed by Bong Joon-Ho starring Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Ewen Bremner, Go Ah-sung, John Hurt, Ed Harris, etc. 

Plot:- In the year 2031, a climate change attempt goes wrong, causing an ice age and killing the Earth. People survive on a train called Snowpiercer, but it's divided - rich in the front, poor in the back. Curtis leads a rebellion to the front, using a drug and a clairvoyant girl's help. Along the way, they face guards, darkness, and betrayal. Curtis learns dark secrets about the train's purpose. In the end, there's an explosion, an avalanche, and survivors find hope outside the train.

The film is set in a future where a failed climate-change experiment has led to a frozen Earth. Ecocriticism helps us understand how the story in "Snowpiercer" talks about worries regarding climate change and what happens when the environment gets damaged. It looks at how the movie tells a tale that reflects our concerns about the Earth's changing climate and the problems that come from harming the environment.

The train is divided into different classes, with the wealthy in the front and the poor in the back. Ecocriticism looks at how the movie "Snowpiercer" talks about fairness in dealing with environmental issues. It shows how some groups of people, especially those in different social classes, face the biggest challenges when it comes to problems with the environment. The train functions as a closed ecosystem, where resources are scarce.

In the movie, the train's engine keeps going without stopping. We can think about how the film shows people using and controlling nature to stay alive. It makes us think about what might happen because of this - what could go wrong when we try to control nature so much for our survival. Here is a video available on YouTube which shows how this train works.

WORKS CITED:-

• Eliot, Thomas Stearns. “The Waste Land" by T. S. Eliot. Project Gutenberg, 1 May 1998, www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1321. 
• Gladwin, Derek. Ecocriticism, Oxford Bibliography, 2017, www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780190221911/obo-9780190221911-0014.xml. 
• Meeker, Joseph W. The comedy of survival : literary ecology and a play ethic. University of Arizona Press, 1997.
• Open AI. "Chat GPT-3.5". 

Words:- 1679

NOTE:- I took help from the Chat GPT for certain points and mostly to make my blog Grammar error free and If you have any questions or doubts comment it down or contact me on my Social Media.