Reimagining Nature: Ecological Crisis, Human Identity, And Environmental Consciousness In Canadian Literature
Author :
Dr. J. Felcia PushpalathaJourna Name:
International Journal of Advanced Trends in Multidisciplinary Research Volume:
2 issue:9 Year:Volume-2-issue-9 Views : 10
Abstract:
Canadian literature has long been shaped by the country\'s diverse landscapes, including forests, rivers, oceans, Arctic regions, and rural environments. In contemporary Canadian writing, however, nature is increasingly represented not merely as a scenic background or national symbol but as an active force connected with human identity, cultural memory, ecological crisis, and survival. This paper examines the reimagining of nature in Canadian literature through an ecocritical perspective, focusing on the changing relationship between human beings and the natural environment. Particular attention is given to Margaret Atwood\'s Oryx and Crake (2003), Lee Maracle\'s Celia\'s Song (2014), Cherie Dimaline\'s The Marrow Thieves (2017), and Waubgeshig Rice\'s Moon of the Crusted Snow (2018). These texts present different representations of environmental degradation, climate change, technological intervention, colonialism, Indigenous ecological knowledge, and community survival. The analysis demonstrates that contemporary Canadian literature challenges anthropocentric assumptions by presenting humans as deeply embedded within ecological systems. The selected Indigenous texts further broaden ecological discourse by emphasizing reciprocity, land-based identity, cultural memory, and collective responsibility. Atwood\'s speculative fiction highlights the consequences of technological control over biological life, while Dimaline and Rice connect ecological instability with Indigenous survival and colonial histories. Maracle\'s work foregrounds relational understandings of humans, land, animals, and community. The study argues that Canadian literature contributes to environmental consciousness by transforming nature from a passive literary setting into an active participant in questions of identity, ethics, survival, and social justice.
APA:Dr. J. Felcia Pushpalatha. (Volume-2, Issue-9 -(Year-Volume-2-issue-9)). Reimagining Nature: Ecological Crisis, Human Identity, And Environmental Consciousness In Canadian Literature. Retrieved from https://ijatmr.com/wp-content/uploads/IJATMR_V2_issue9_105.pdf
Chicago:Dr. J. Felcia Pushpalatha. "Reimagining Nature: Ecological Crisis, Human Identity, And Environmental Consciousness In Canadian Literature" Example, Volume-2-issue-9-Year-Volume-2-issue-9-. https://ijatmr.com/wp-content/uploads/IJATMR_V2_issue9_105.pdf.