Environment in mind: A creative and ecocritical look at popular literature

Abstract

Ecocriticism, the “study of literature and the environment” (Glotfelty xvii) is expanding to meet the needs of an ever changing environment, currently shifting to include a broader range of critical methodologies, genres and styles. As such an exploration of the ways in which differential knowledge produced by various methods of presentation of similar information influences the quality and effectiveness of ecocritical discourse and the development of ethical behaviour is an important endeavour when considering ecocritical perspectives on environmental education. In particular the incorporation of the ideals of narrative criticism and the flexibility of representation and subject matter of creative writing is an opportunity to present ecocritical practice to a wider range of individuals. By treating two pieces of “popular literature” in two different styles, academic and creative, the following study aims to investigate the importance of these differing vantage points in elucidating environmental relationships within and outside of the texts. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden are the focus of ecocritical study and the inspiration for works of creative fiction in the following study.