Ecological Consciousness in Literary Landscapes: Spatial Narratives and Environmental Imagination in The Overstory, The Man with the Compound Eyes and The Great Derangement

Ecological Consciousness in Literary Landscapes: Spatial Narratives and Environmental Imagination in The Overstory, The Man with the Compound Eyes and The Great Derangement

Supriya Kumari

Research Scholar, Ranchi University, Ranchi.

Abstract - Climate change, predominantly driven by anthropogenic activities, remains one of the most critical existential crises facing humanity today. With its sweeping and often irreversible impacts on ecosystems, economies, and human life, the global urgency to counteract environmental degradation has intensified. This urgency has catalyzed interdisciplinary efforts aimed at enhancing awareness and catalyzing meaningful action. Among these, literature-particularly in the form of Climate Fiction (Cli-fi), a genre grounded in ecocriticism-emerges as a compelling vehicle for disseminating complex environmental concerns. Cli-fi passionately interrogates the nuanced dimensions of climate change and global warming, presenting them not only as scientific phenomena but also as deeply cultural and philosophical quandaries. As international debates surrounding environmental policies escalate, there arises a pressing imperative to reassess these policies in light of broader cultural narratives.

This research endeavors to examine the geographical nuances embedded within Cli-fi literature-landscapes, spatial narratives, and the cultivation of environmental consciousness. It elucidates the manifold challenges represented in such narratives, uncovering the intricate interrelations between scientific inquiry, socio-political structures, and cultural imagination. Furthermore, these literary texts serve as scaffolding for envisioning alternative societal paradigms, sparking vital conversations that encourage introspection and a re-evaluation of anthropocentric lifestyles amidst intensifying climate threats. The study draws on three seminal works: The Overstory by Richard Powers, which intricately portrays the symbiosis between trees and human existence; The Man with the Compound Eyes by Wu Ming-Yi, a literary mosaic that fuses indigenous knowledge systems with ecological anxieties; and The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable by Amitav Ghosh, a compelling nonfictional critique urging the literary sphere to reckon with environmental themes. Collectively, these texts are examined for their capacity to generate and deepen geographical awareness, ultimately championing literature’s transformative role in confronting the climate emergency. The research aspires to identify practical insights that can be adopted for the collective betterment of both planet Earth and the universe at large.

Keywords: Climate Change, Cli-fi, Geographical Dimensions, Environmental, Ecocriticism