Principles of EcocriticismAs a Lens of Critical TheoryAdapted from “What is Ecocriticism?”

by Beth Shalom of Longwood UniversityandThe Ecocriticism Reader edited by Cheryll Glotfelty and Harold Fromm

We need the EarthBut the Earth doesn’t need us

Ecocriticism Defined Ecocriticism is a lens of literary theory which is an

“Earth-centered approach to literary studies” (Glotfelty xviii).

The central premise of an ecocritical perspective is that human culture is connected to the physical world, and humans inevitably affect and are affected by the natural world.

Where Marxism is primarily concerns with power relationships between people and social classes, ecocriticism is concerned with the power humans and human language/society exert over the natural world.

Guiding Questions in an Ecocritical Reading: What role does the physical setting play in the plot of

this novel? Are the values expressed in this [text] consistent with

ecological wisdom? How do our metaphors of the land influence the way

we treat it? How do environmental crises seep through into popular

culture? (e.g. into movies, popular books, TV shows) What can the principles and research behind the

science of ecology reveal about literature socially and symbolically?

(Glotfelty xvii-xix)

Interconnections

Ecocriticism is naturally an interdisciplinary approach; it must take scientific, social, and artistic concerns into consideration simultaneously.

Ecocriticism also considers nature and culture to be closely (if sometimes antagonistically) connected, particularly in regards to the formation of language and literature It “negotiates between the human and the non-

human” (Glotfelty xix).

Interconnetions Continued Ecocriticism seeks to “de-center”

humans within their ecosystem: to understand that we are part of the

ecosystem, but we are not its crucial center

We cannot survive without our ecosystem, but in many ways our ecosystem can survive without us

Why Study Ecocriticism? Though ecocriticism arguably stretches back at

least as far as Henry David Thoreau in 1800’s, it is an increasingly relevant lens of theory.

We now understand enough about our world to know that our resources are limited, and our harm to the environment is measurable. If nothing changes, we are headed for – or even in

the middle of – an ecological crisis. We may not know when it is coming or exactly

what it will be, but we know too much to pretend it isn’t in our path.

Why Study Ecocriticism?

Ecocriticism Questions for Our UnitOur exploration of ecocriticism will be guided by the following questions: How is nature affect humanity? How is it affected by

humanity? How can humanity cause ecological crises? How can we

humanity avoid them? How are setting and place operating in the text? (If

nature is absent, why is it absent? What does imply?) What can ecology and science more broadly reveal about

literature? What can literature reveal about science? What is our responsibility as inheritors of the

Earth?

Practice ActivityUsing Feed as an example text, consider the following with your partner and be prepared to share:1. In what sort of environments in the novel

usually set?2. How is nature depicted in the novel?3. How is nature affected by humans? How are

humans effected by the environment?4. Are themes of environmental inheritance and

responsibility present in the novel? Do you feel that presence/absence is significant for the novel’s meaning?