Eco-criticism analyzes literature's relationship with the environment and advocates for environmental protection. It was first coined in 1978 to highlight the connection between ecology and literature. Eco-criticism seeks to inspire environmental activism and real change through examining how nature is portrayed in works and the values they represent. Pioneers like Jonathan Bate promoted environmental consciousness through their writing. Works like James Thomson's "The Seasons" and novels by Indian authors like R.K. Narayan incorporate nature elements and eco-critical perspectives. The theory continues to develop and influence the study of human relationships with nature and the environment.

1. Looking into ECOCRITCISM
Presented by -Manmeet Kaur

2. What is Eco-criticism?
• Eco-criticism is environmental advocacy, a literary
tool, a kind of reading which is designed to analyze
the text’s orientation both to the world it imagines
and to the world in which it takes shape in, along
with the conditions and contexts that affect that
orientation, whatever it might be. (Branch 260).
• Eco-criticism is an intentionally broad approach
that is known by a number of other designations,
including “green studies”, “eco-poetics”, and
“environmental literary criticism.”

3. It was first coined by William Rueckert in 1978
in Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Eco-
criticism to highlight the relationship in between
ecology and literature.
It seeks to relate literature to the natural
environment, with the hope of action against
climate change and the destruction of natural
habitats. Ecocriticism thus has a strong ethical
aspect, as the reading of literature should ideally
inspire political activism and real change.
Here literature is used as the medium to inspire
changes in the attitude towards nature.

4. It is an umbrella term including a wide spectrum
where the environmental problems are being
discussed to have a solution for the ongoing crisis
throughout the globe whether it be the receding of
glaciers, rising of sea level, extinction of species,
depletion of ozone layer, deforestation or any
environment related issues.
This approach believes the global crisis faced by
the century is not actually because of the ecological
imbalances, but due to the imbalance in the ethical
systems of the mankind, which are by the way not
so kind anymore!

5. The thinking
or mindset
associated with
eco-criticism is
appreciated as
ECOCRITICAL
THINKING.

6. How
nature is
represented in
literature?
What role does
the physical
setting like a
dead tree plays
in a scene?
If Values
represented are in
coherenc
ewith the
eco-critical
thinking ?

7.  The relation of this theory is deep into the roots of
various facets of human life like social, cultural,
economic, aesthetic, political, ecological, scientific,
psychological, or anthropocentric .
 According to the post modern belief,
“Nature is a social and psychological construct,
because all writing is anthropocentric in that it
must be filtered through a human consciousness”
(Chandra 14)
 This theory allows us to dwell deeper into humans
conception of global community to include non-
human life forms and physical environment as well.

8.  The traces of human life working in coordination with
the environment can be drawn from the Indus Valley
Civilization.
 The Civilization shows how the people were ecologically
conscious and how they were all equipped to tackle the
disasters like water scarcity and other environmental
disasters.
 The city was developed on the basis of water
management wherein, the rain and the river water was
used for cultivation and drinking purposes which paved
way for their eco-sensitive approach.
People of Ancient Civilization believed that the
alliance of nature with man purifies the souls.

10.  Eco-criticism traces ecological history as the change
equally impacts human civilization. It is ever-
increasing and ecological habitation is being
encroached, and trespassed.

11. Pioneers in the development of
theory of
Eco-criticism

12. Jonathan Bate is majorly the person who started
and revolutionized eco-criticism. His famous
works like Song of the Earth is based on
environmental consciousness and necessity of
focus on the environment before it damages us.
“To live that is with thoughtfulness and with
attentiveness, an attunement of both the words
and the world, and so to acknowledge that,
although we make sense of things by the way of
words, we do not live apart from the world. For
culture and environment are held together in a
complex and delicate web.”

14. The works of
James Thomson’s
THE SEASONS
are pioneers in genre of
Nature Writing
appreciating
nature, its great virtues &
addresses to the mankind
as approaching the dead
end if the blessings of
nature die.

15. “Nature! great parent! whose unceasing
hand
Rolls round the seasons of the changeful year,
How mighty, how majestic are thy works!”
“Tis done! Dread Winter spreads his latest glooms,
How dead the vegetable kingdom lies!
How dumb the tuneful! Horror wide extends
His melancholy empire. Here, fond man!
Behold thy pictur’d life; pass some few years,
And pale concluding Winter comes at last
And shuts the scene. ”

16. Eco-critical thinking in Indian Literature
 Writers such as R. K. Narayan, Manohar Malgonkar, Raja
Rao, Kamala Markandaya, Amitav Ghosh and Anita
Desai have invoked Nature and nature-elements and
have given this theory a special place in their works.
 Malgudi Days, Man Eater of Malgudi, The English
Teacher, and The Guide , the famous works of R.K
Narayan has effective and flawless expressions and
descriptions of their views.
 The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh depicts risky eco-
system and highlights the human-animal relationships.
 Kiran Desai in “The Inheritance of Loss” has focused on
the issue of environment. Her approach is eco-centric
and
eco-critic.

18. Eco-criticism display in Cinema
The movie “Avatar”
portrays the notion of a
strong pro-
environmentalism linked to
a romanticized picture of
nature and a relentless
criticism of the western
world, if not the whole
human kind.

19. “Encounters at the End of the World”
film shot in Antarctica portrays human
relationships with nature in testing
times.

20. This film portrays the
life and death of an
American
environmentalist,
who, in the film
explains, how he
spent the last thirteen
summers of his life in
Alaska in an attempt
to protect its grizzly
bear inhabitants, until
he and his girlfriend
at the time, Amie, die
from a grizzly bear
attack.

21. Developments in Eco-Criticism Theory
Deep ecology and eco-feminism were two important
developments. These new ideas questioned the notion of
“development” and modernity, and argued that all
Western approaches in science, politics etc are
“anthropocentric” and “andro-centric.
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 “bio-centric” view i.e EARTH FIRST

22. Various branches of Eco-Criticism
The changing relationship of human beings with the
environment are reciprocated to be understood through the
yardsticks of eco-criticism theory.
Another important concept of Ecocriticism is Eco-
feminism which implies the combination of ecology and
feminism. It is a broad term which includes feminism,
environmentalism, animal liberation, antiracism, and anti-
colonialism.
Social ecology advocates a reconstructive outlook on social
and environmental issues, and promotes a democratic
politics. It describes that the root cause of the present
ecological problems can be traced to hierarchal modes of
social organization.

23. Present Conclusion
This approach of eco-critical thinking encourages
us to think about relationship of humans with
nature and about the ethical and aesthetic
dilemmas on environmental crisis.
The study of this profound theory should evoke
questions like
•How is nature represented in this text?
•How has the concept of nature changed over time?
•How is the setting of the play/film/text related to the
environment?
•How do we see issues of environmental disaster and crises
reflected in popular culture and literary works?
•How are animals represented in this text and what is their
relationship to humans?
and many more..