TOPIC
THE IMPACTS OF ENVIRONEMENTAL PROBLEMS ON HUMANS AND THE
NECISSITY OF NATURE’S EMENCIPATION: AN ECOCRITICAL READING OF
CHINUA ACHEBE’S THINGS FALL APART AND EFURU BY FLORA NWAPA.
Ecocriticism is a recent evolution in the area of literary appreciation. Evolved first at USA and then in
UK, it gained a momentum only during the 1960s. from the very inception, ecocriticism has been
based on the other and therefore the study of the representation of human-nature relationship in
literature is of utmost important to understand the environment predicament of today’s word.
William Ruecket was the first person to have used the term “ecocriticism” in his essay “literature and
ecology: An experiment in ecocriticism” published in 1978. He defined the term as the application of
ecology and ecological concepts to the study of literature. However, a remarkable book came out in
the year 1996 which gave a new term to the whole movement of ecocriticism.
The Eco critics and theorists ask questions like the following: How nature represented in the novel?
What does the physical setting play in the plot of the novel? Are the values expressed in the work
consistent with ecological wisdom? How can we characterize nature writing as a genre? In addition
to race, class, and gender, should place become a new critical category? What bearing might the
science of ecology have on literary studies? (Glotfelty and Fromm).
Ecocriticism and environmental literature are recent developments in literary theory. Literature of all
kinds whether preliterate oral or postcolonial pastoral, nature, landscapes and praise poems about
homelands are abundant in Africa as well as all among the diasporic. However, many scholars have
recognized and taken interest in the language used and the creation power of Chinua Achebe and
Flora Nwapa, and most of the studies available of these literary texts are mostly on themes and
characterizations. However, little is given to the impacts of environmental problems on humans and
the necessity of nature’s emancipation. Ursula K. Heise has defined the scope of ecocriticism as an
analysis of the ways in which literature represents the human relations to nature at particular
moments of history, what values are assigned to nature and why, and how perceptions of the
natural, shape literary tropes and genres.
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate firstly how nature is represented in the novel with its
importance in precolonial period and after in post postcolonial period; secondly to show the impacts
of the destruction of nature on humans in precolonial period, thirdly to show the importance of
nature ,the relationship that existed between human and his environment and how it was adored.
According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, ecocriticism is the study of literature and the
environment from an interdisciplinary point of view, where literature scholars analyze texts that
illustrate environmental concerns and examine the various ways literature treats the subject of
nature.
In addition, ecocriticism has been defined by Lawrence Buell in his environmental imagination as the
study of the relationship between literature and the environment conducted in a spirit of
commitment to environmentalist praxis.
In the ecocriticism reader, Cheryll Goltfelty defines ecocriticism as “the study of the relationship
between literature and the physical environment”. Just as feminist criticism examines language and
literature from a gender conscious perspective, and Marxist criticism brings an awareness of mode of
production and economic class to its reading of the text, ecocriticism takes an earth centered
approach to literary studies.
Thus, ecocriticism is based on the idea that the physical world and culture are connected and are
affected by each other it examines the relationship between the human and nonhuman represented
in literary texts. Eco critics study the ways nature is portrayed in the body of the text and attempt to
analyze their relevance with environmental crises. Hence the study of the nature is directed towards
an understanding of the imbalance of the ecosystem in the contemporary world.
Therefore, ecocriticism will be used as a theorical frame work to analyze and investigate the
relationship that exist between nature and the physical environment.
According to oxford dictionary, data are facts or information, especially when examined and used to
find out things or to make decisions.
Firstly, the data will be collected more in assign books such as Things Fall Apart and Efuru from
characters and characterization and secondly data will be collected from dictionaries, journals,
professional articles and some academic books.
Through this research paper, we will be expecting readers to get how important is the nature. This
research is all about leaning the way we should live and how we can develop sustainable strategies
to protect the environment. In addition, I believe it will help individuals to develop an understanding
of living and physical environment and how to resolve challenging environmental issues affecting
nature. Besides, we are expecting our readers through this research to get how helpful is the nature,
and so, by protecting it, it will be an interest for our social well-being. This research will also lay
emphasis on how every organism needs other for peaceful coexistence. Humans and nonhumans
need to cohabit for good ecosystem.
References:
Goltfelty cherill and Harold (Eds.). the ecocriticism reader: landmarks in literary ecology. Athen and
London: university of Geogia, 1996.
Heise, Ursula K. “forum on literature of the environment” PMLA 114.5 (oct. 1999): 1089-1104
