Environmental Criticism: Introduction and Analysis

Abstract

Eco criticism is a modern branch of literary criticism that studies the relationship between literature and the environment. The main purpose of this criticism is to examine how nature, the environment, the land, animals, trees, rivers, and human behavior are presented in literary works. Eco criticism considers the relationship between humans and nature not only as an aesthetic issue but also as a social, moral, and cultural issue. Eco criticism emerged as a formal literary theory in the last decades of the twentieth century. Industrial development, environmental pollution, deforestation, climate change, and the destruction of natural resources forced writers and critics to consider environmental issues. Thus, the role of nature in literature and the effects of human behavior have gained new importance. According to this theory, man is not the owner of nature, but rather a part of it. Eco criticism opposes the idea that man should use nature for his own needs. This theory emphasizes the importance of respecting nature, protecting the environment, and maintaining biological balance.

Key Words: Eco criticism, Literary Criticism, twentieth century, Respecting nature, Protecting the environment, Maintaining biological balance.