THE RISE OF ECO-CRITICISM: LITERATURE IN THE AGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DE MODE

Article Published on: 02ND AUG 2025 | www.demodemagazine.com

As the planet grapples with climate change, deforestation, species extinction, and other ecological disasters, literature has evolved to become a crucial medium for raising environmental awareness. Eco-criticism—a critical approach that examines the relationship between literature and the physical environment—has gained significant traction in recent decades. It explores how texts reflect, challenge, or contribute to ecological understanding and activism.

Rooted in the environmental movements of the 1960s and 70s, eco-criticism today spans genres and cultures, from the romantic nature poetry of Wordsworth to dystopian climate fiction ("cli-fi") like Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy. Authors now frame ecological concerns not just as background but as central narrative forces. This shift acknowledges that environmental crises are not isolated from human concerns but deeply interconnected with issues of class, race, gender, and colonialism.

Eco-critical literature serves several purposes—it warns, educates, and often calls readers to action. Works like Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and Amitav Ghosh’s The Great Derangement expose the dangers of ignoring ecological balance and critique the limitations of traditional literary forms in addressing the scale of environmental disasters.

In an age of global warming, melting ice caps, and environmental injustice, literature offers a mirror to society’s choices and consequences. It also provides a space for imagining alternative futures—where sustainability, respect for biodiversity, and coexistence become possible.

As eco-criticism continues to grow, it urges both writers and readers to re-evaluate their relationship with the Earth. In doing so, literature becomes not just a reflection of the world we live in, but a vital force in shaping the one we hope to save.