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LITERATURE AND ENVIRONMENT STUDIES: AN ANALYSIS
Dr. Amitabha Goswami
Abstract:
Literature and environment studies— commonly called “eco-criticism” or “environmental criticism” in analogy to the more general term literary criticism—comprise an eclectic, pluriform, and cross-disciplinary initiative that aims to explore the environmental dimensions of literature and other creative media in a spirit of environmental concern not limited to any one method or commitment. Eco-criticism begins from the conviction that the arts of imagination and
the study thereof—by virtue of their grasp of the power of word, story, and image to reinforce, enliven, and direct environmental concern—can contribute significantly to the understanding of environmental problems: the multiple forms of eco-degradation that afflict planet Earth today. The aim of this paper is to highlight the development of eco-criticism. The study is based on secondary sources.