Literature, Environment, Crisis

The Humanities have always been interested in Nature and the non-human or ‘other’, and this has gathered momentum with our increasing awareness of the planet’s vulnerability and our responsibility for averting environmental disaster. The term ‘ecocriticism’ was applied in the mid-1990s to the study of literature and the environment; since then, ecological approaches to critique have rapidly expanded into other areas, encompassing ‘dark ecology’, ‘ecological materialism’, bioregionalism, ecofeminist and queer ecological perspectives. This subject begins with some classical and early modern conceptions of the natural world; it goes on to cover Romantic and Victorian conceptions of Nature, evolution, science and species, and concludes with texts focused on ‘wilderness’, human-animal relations, Indigeneity, extinction, apocalypse and the posthuman.

• 1Analyse literary conceptions of nature, ecology, and the environment as these have evolved from the late eighteenth century onwards.
• 2Evaluate the interrelationships between literature, science, and natural history in various historical and cultural contexts.
• 3Interpret literary works that explore ecological themes, including 'wilderness', human-animal relations, Indigeneity, extinction, and apocalypse.
• 4Apply ecocritical theories and approaches, such as 'dark ecology', 'ecological materialism', and ecofeminist perspectives, to literary texts.
• 5Critique the representation of non-human entities and the 'other' in literature, considering concepts of species, evolution, and the posthuman.
• 6Synthesise ideas about literature's role in imagining and promoting life-sustaining worlds in the context of environmental challenges.