Book Description

This book chronicles the development of Eco criticism in Malayalam literature in the context of three well known novels, viz. Nellu, Marakappile Theyyangal, and Aathi. Until the last decade of the previous century, ecological concerns were unknown to the society in general. Malayalam literary world was largely preoccupied with its own overemphasized themes. But with much concentration on infrastructure development and the unprecedented development of the service sector, the inevitable conflict between nature and culture, between the common people and development managers became the order of the day. In the mid-1980s and early 90s, there has been a substantial growth in environmental literary studies. This book examines the shift happened in literature from its preoccupation with the 'human' in nature to a concern for the nonhuman nature. With full acknowledgement of the influence of earlier eco critical texts published in the language, this book seeks to study in detail, how the above mentioned novels can be called in as prototypical of a new sensibility that has just made its presence felt in Malayalam literary scenario. Literary Eco criticisms, of which these novels are proper representations, depicts the struggles undertaken by the people for their right to land, water and air and at the same time engender resistance movements elsewhere. Such a study needs to be historically located within the large compass of literature. Eco criticism is motivated by environmental praxis in as much it seeks literary representations of physical nature.