Lecturer

English

Mahamaya Polytechnic of Information Technology

Auraiya  U.P., India 

Abstract

The paper attempts to analyse eco-critical elements prevailing in the Indian English Fiction. It endeavours to bring forth the struggle of human being against the social and economic forces, and also the environmental issues that affect human-environment relationship. It investigates how cultural beliefs, traditions, and spirituality impact people's relationships with nature. Indian authors usually emphasise how important it is to live in balance with the natural world. Indian fiction writers present these issues directly or indirectly in the setting and theme of their novels.

Keywords: Ecocriticism, Environmentalism, Literature, Capitalism, Industrialisation.

Literature is the by-product of social, religious, political and economic happenings of society. Most of the major texts of the world either focuses on these subjects or give reference to it indirectly. Therefore, it is said that literature mirrors society. Multiple concerns of society find place in literary texts which integrate them in its theme and contextual settings. Amidst the urban development and economic transformation in trade and commerce, the biggest debatable concern is environmental issue which is always talked about, discussed at all platforms but there seem no concrete solution to it. Under these circumstances the best solution is inclusion of environmental issues in literary text by the writers and attention to ecocriticism. It will not only create awareness to the environment but also develop the environmental friendly values among the readers.  There is a subject, called Universal Human Values (UHV) taught to the engineering students in India, highlighting the demand of ethical conduct from humans. Here, I intend to illuminate that contemporary fiction writers pay little attention to the environment and are getting away from it day by day. Love, romance, crime, thriller, and action are the most demanding subject of the novels of contemporary era. Tendency of the novels to focus on personal and social aspects rather than environmental matters sometimes create an impression of alienation from the natural world. The great blind spot of postmodernism is its dismissal of nature. Themes of contemporary novels are not only devoid of moral and spiritual values, but also lacking a natural world.

Inclusion of environmental concern will pave the way to reading texts from an ecological rather than a narrowly human-centred perspective. Preference to ecocriticism will decentre the human issues and foreground natural world. As ecocriticism has been defined as the study of human-nature relations, explicitly attaching the human in eco-critical practice. Recent development of ecocriticism is bringing change in readers’ conception towards literary texts. It would appear that shifting from the presumption of simplicity to an appreciation of complexity in nature would require environmentally conscious humanists to transcend academic boundaries and enter the sciences. 

William Rueckert coined the term "ecocriticism" in his 1978 article "Literature and Ecology," in which he defined it as, “experiment with the application of ecology and ecological concepts to the study of literature”¹ Ecocriticism is connected to the study of literature from ecological perspective. It highlights the interrelatedness of a human cultural activity like literature and the natural world that encompasses it.

Presently when the contemporary pastoral green world is threatened by pollution, deforestation and diminishment of natural resources, the study of the connections between human and nature take an unprecedented significance. Under these circumstances ecocriticism becomes the need of the hour.  Ecocriticism is likely to become more and more relevant in the future since environmental worry has brought nature to the forefront of social and intellectual issues. Our acknowledgment of a natural reality outside postmodernist constructs is forcefully forced by ecological problems. Reflections on environmental care in the past, have become more significant by the rapid changes occurring in the physical universe, position us to think about fresh approaches to pastoral research in the present and the future.

Though ecocriticism has gained exponential growth in the recent few years, trend is likely to continue in the coming years. The biggest challenge facing contemporary ecocriticism is its growth as a distinct critical practice in academic discipline. Such institutionalisation will be a significant step in raising widespread awareness of human-nature relations in crisis. Presently ecocriticism confronts few problems such as its recurrent emphasis on nature-oriented literature or writings that explicitly address nature, as well as its often limited preoccupation with interpreting texts for an environmental message. To put it another way, the majority of Eco-critics' reading choices and methods limit the field's potential for growth. These two problems highlight a paradox in modern ecocriticism: while the field's canon's relatively narrow focus fails to adequately express the representation of human-nature relations in the larger literary and cultural debate, ecocriticism is predicated on the importance and ubiquity of environmental themes and crises.

Eco-critics have long argued against the late 20th-century literary studies' concentration on textuality by arguing that we should leave the text, office, and classroom behind and go outside. Patrick Murphy says, “Ecocriticism tends to focus on the relationship of the reader's attitude towards the text's representation of the extra textual world more so than the world imaginatively represented in the text."² This implies that the world outside of the text should be the focus of ecocriticism rather than the text itself.

This can be done by inclusion of environmental pedagogy and taking the classroom outside. Ecocriticism and outdoor education go hand in hand because it's important for all of us to constantly remind ourselves and our students that the environment was not created for human consumption alone. Although environmental activism and ecocriticism as academic activism share similar goals – both aim to raise awareness of the representation of nature, and the crises characterizing human-nature relations. In Early ecocriticism, academicians interpreted literature based on their own connections and interests in nature. These eco-critics were especially interested in resurrecting the nature writing genre, which had previously been largely disregarded by literary academics, as a means of environmental activism. However, as an academic field, ecocriticism should focus more on to create eco-critical techniques that prioritise naturalistic portrayals in every sentence, adhering to its core values. Furthermore, in order to establish such broader practices, it must make use of literary scholarship conventions. For example, it must change its emphasis from only focusing on a work's content, such as descriptions of nature, to form, or the ways that narratological elements influence how nature is represented. Academic activism does not replace environmental activism, which more explicitly strives for political and practical change, but rather seeks to complement it in order to contribute to eco-criticism’s further institutionalization. It is suggested to adopt an eco-critical approach beyond nature writing. As an extension of ecocriticism it is suggested to study human nature relations and the environmental crisis. The foregrounding of nature will allows eco-critic to focus on human-nature relations that forms the text also. Reading under these guidelines will blur the boundaries between nature and culture. The study of ecocriticism under these conditions will provide a sociological critique of texts, placing the urban settings and characters in a larger context of socio-economic and political developments.

As far as Indian English Fiction is concerned, it usually explores the spiritual and sociocultural aspects relevant to ties between humans and nature. It explores how people's relationships with nature are affected by their cultural beliefs, customs, and spirituality. Indian writers frequently stress the critical need of living in harmony with nature. Renowned writers like Mulkraj Anand, Amitav Ghosh, Arundhati Roy, Mahasweta Devi and Kiran Desai have left a lasting legacy of literary works that have significantly influenced Indian ecocriticism.

In Coolie, Anand presents the hardships faced by Coolies under the perverted industrial conditions. Anand sheds light on the working conditions of labourers in this novel. He depicts the abuses that factory workers endure. The capitalists were taking advantage of the working class. Capitalism, colonialism, and commercialism were the results of economic expansion and industrialization. Classes were created by this industrial progress. Anand was strongly affected by the exploitation of the poor and the discontent of the working class. Anand firmly believes that the best way to address India's backwardness is through social levelling.

Amitav Ghosh in the novel "The Hungry Tide" deftly tackles the ecological hardships faced by the people of Sundarban region, skilfully tying human lives into the complex web of the natural ecosystem. The Hungry Tide endeavours to focus on the exploitation done to the unfortunate people in Sundarbans under the garb of environmental conservation policies. The novel explores the ecological dilemmas faced by both human and non-human occupants and is set in the unique location of the Sundarbans, a mangrove forest region. Ghosh skillfully blends human stories with environmental concerns to highlight the effects of climate change, political unrest, and the fight for survival in this delicate ecology.

 The masterpiece "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy eloquently explains the effects of industrialization on nearby communities and the environment as a whole. The novels brings attention to Kerala's declining river conditions. It also provides readers with information about how capitalism negatively impacts regional artists and art styles. It does a good job of criticising how technology and commercialization widen the gulf between people and their environment. The novel also highlights how psychologically necessary the natural world is for humans. Thus, it tries to convey the importance of maintaining a balance between man and nature. This work delves into the complexities of the relationship between humans and environment, despite being most known for its examination of socio-cultural issues. Roy skillfully illustrates how industrialization has affected Kerala's natural landscape, highlighting the disastrous effects of unsustainable activities on the ecosystem and the surrounding communities.

Mahasweta Devi's writings have also significantly influenced Indian ecocriticism. Devi, who is praised for her persistent attention to underprivileged people, draws attention to the resource and land exploitation that vulnerable groups like indigenous tribes face. Her masterpiece "Draupadi" shines a light on the destruction of natural ecosystems and the decline of conventional ecological knowledge.

The Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard, Kiran Desai's debut book, is based on the true story of Kapila Pradhan. The novel highlights how the relationship between man and nature is changing and the negative effects of this. In an attempt to find solace from its pain, humanity is turning away from nature and towards materialistic objects in the modern era.  Comfort and happiness are sometimes confused in modern man. Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard illustrates how a sense of alienation may arise in modern Indian society as a result of the conflict between traditional and modern conceptions of what it means to live. The issue of humans treating animals cruelly is another issue that the story highlights.

It is very apparent among all the novels that the ecological insight and consciousness have found a place in them. These moving stories bring to light the devastation of natural environment and the exploitation of marginalised communities. The critical study of these novels under the umbrella of human-nature relationship makes them the canonical text of ecocriticism.  As a result, the discipline of ecocriticism is expanding rapidly, and eco-critical research and methodologies are quickly matching the diversity of human-nature relations. Thus, ecocriticism is still very much a work in progress and should continue to be so for some time to come. In contrast to those critics who bemoan the lack of theory or methodology in ecocriticism or express hopelessness over its diversity, I think this period of the movement's various evolution and growth to be incredibly productive. This vividness captures the intricacy of the topics covered by ecocriticism as well as the dynamic and ever-evolving notions of nature.

The examination of these novels reveals several ways that Indian fiction depicts the natural world. Illustrations of nature as a source of inspiration, spirituality, or healing can highlight the value of protecting and honouring the natural environment. On the other hand, nature can also be depicted as a place of exploitation, conflict, or degradation, highlighting the effects of human activity on the natural world. The inquiry reveals a variety of relationships between humans and nature, from complacent coexistence to hostile and exploitative exchanges. Brief glimpses into the harmful effects of capitalism on rural communities and the detrimental effects of environmental change on local artistic traditions are also poignantly portrayed.

Because of the current state of the world, ecocriticism is a significant theory in literature that has overshadowed other literary ideas. It places a major emphasis on the relationship between literature and ecology, giving everyone an ecological bend of mind and fostering an awareness of the need to restore the degraded natural areas and areas we live in. The solution to the environmental dilemma is not to return to the ostensible simplicity of the farm or the cave, but rather to a more sophisticated kind of learning that is directed by a sophisticated human intellect trying to find its proper place on a sophisticated planet. 

References :

1. Rueckert, William. “Literature and Ecology” The Ecocriticism Reader. Eds. Cheryll Glotfelty and Harold Fromm. Athens and London: University of Georgia Press, 1996.
2. Murphy, Patrick D. Literature of Nature: An International Sourcebook. London and New York: Routledge, 1998.
3. Anand, Mulk Raj. The Coolie, Lawrence and Wishard. London, 1936
4. Ghosh, Amitav. The Hungry Tide. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005.
5. Roy, Aurndhati. The God of Small Things. Mehta Publishing House, 2001.
6. Devi, Mahasweta, and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. "Draupadi." In Other Worlds. Routledge, 2012. 245-269.
7. Desai, Kiran. Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard. Grove Press, 2009.