52 Practicing Ecocriticism
Now that you’ve learned about ecocriticism, practiced this methods of analysis with “Dear Phantom Children,” and reviewed some examples, you will complete a theoretical response to a text using ecocriticism as your approach. You will read three different texts below. Choose one text and respond to the questions in a short essay (500-750 words).
I have included questions to guide your reading. You may choose to respond to some or all of these questions; however, your response should be written as a short essay, and you will need to come up with a thesis statement about your chosen text. Post your short essay as a response to the Ecocriticism Theoretical Response discussion board. I have included the theoretical response assignment instructions at the end of this chapter.
Checklist for Practicing Ecocriticism
Ecocriticism focuses on the relationships between humans and the natural world and how this is reflected in literary texts. Here’s a checklist that may help you. You do not need to address every item on this list.
- Identify Environmental Themes and Symbols: Are there themes related to nature, the environment, or ecological issues? How does the text address concepts like nature, wilderness, or urban environments? Does the text use symbols or metaphors that draw on natural elements or ecological concepts?
- Examine Human-Nature Relationships: What types of relationships are shown between human beings and the natural world? Are these relationships depicted as harmonious, exploitative, or something in between? Are humans centered in the text?
- Consider the Role of Place: How does the setting influence the narrative, characters, or themes? Does the text’s setting in a specific environment (rural, urban, wilderness) play a critical role in the development of the story?
- Evaluate the Presence of Ecological Crisis: Is there an ecological crisis or environmental concern presented in the text? How do the characters respond to this crisis, and what does it suggest about societal attitudes towards the environment?
- Examine the Impact of Cultural and Historical Contexts: How do the historical or cultural contexts of the text influence its portrayal of environmental issues? Are there specific environmental attitudes or issues that reflect the time period or culture in which the text was written?
- Explore Environmental Ethics and Values: What ethical considerations regarding the environment can be identified in the text? Does the text suggest a particular stance on environmental responsibility or sustainability?
- Reflect on Personal and Societal Implications: How does the text encourage readers to think about their own relationship with the natural world? What implications might the text have for contemporary environmental issues or attitudes?
1. Excerpt from Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (2021)
That was one reason why we always thought so much about being in the window. Each of us had been promised our turn, and each of us longed for it to come. That was partly to do with what Manager called the “special honour” of representing the store to the outside. Also, of course, whatever Manager said, we all knew we were more likely to be chosen while in the window. But the big thing, silently understood by us all, was the Sun and his nourishment. Rosa did once bring it up with me, in a whisper, a little while before our turn came around.
“Klara, do you think once we’re in the window, we’ll receive so much goodness we’ll never get short again?”
I was still quite new then, so didn’t know how to answer, even though the same question had been in my mind.
Then our turn finally came, and Rosa and I stepped into the window one morning, making sure not to knock over any of the display the way the pair before us had done the previous week. The store, of course, had yet to open, and I thought the grid would be fully down. But once we’d seated ourselves on the Striped Sofa, I saw there was a narrow gap running along the bottom of the grid – Manager must have raised it a little when checking everything was ready for us – and the Sun’s light was making a bright rectangle that came up onto the platform and finished in a straight line just in front of us. We only needed to stretch our feet a little to place them within its warmth. I knew then that whatever the answer to Rosa’s question, we were about to get all the nourishment we would need for some time to come. And once Manager touched the switch and the grid climbed up all the way, we became covered in dazzling light.
I should confess here that for me, there’d always been another reason for wanting to be in the window which had nothing to do with the Sun’s nourishment or being chosen. Unlike most AFs, unlike Rosa, I’d always longed to see more of the outside – and to see it in all its detail. So once the grid went up, the realisation that there was now only the glass between me and the sidewalk, that I was free to see, close up and whole, so many things I’d seen before only as corners and edges, made me so excited that for a moment I nearly forgot about the Sun and his kindness to us.
I could see for the first time that the RPO Building was in fact made of separate bricks, and that it wasn’t white, as I’d always thought, but a pale yellow. I could now see too that it was even taller than I’d imagined – twenty-two stories – and that each repeating window was underlined by its own special ledge. I saw how the Sun had drawn a diagonal line right across the face of the RPO Building, so that on one side of it there was a triangle that looked almost white, while on the other was one that looked very dark, even though I now knew it was all the pale yellow colour. And not only could I see every window right up to the rooftop, I could sometimes see the people inside, standing, sitting, moving around. Then down on the street, I could see the passers-by, their different kinds of shoes, paper cups, shoulder bags, little dogs, and if I wanted, I could follow with my eyes any one of them all the way past the pedestrian crossing and beyond the second Tow-Away Zone sign, to where two overhaul men were standing beside a drain and pointing. I could see right inside the taxis as they slowed to let the crowd go over the crossing – a driver’s hand tapping on his steering wheel, a cap worn by a passenger.
The day went on, the Sun kept us warm, and I could see Rosa was very happy. But I noticed too that she hardly looked at anything, fixing her eyes constantly on the first Tow-Away Zone sign just in front of us. Only when I pointed out something to her would she turn her head, but then she’d lose interest and go back to looking at the sidewalk outside and the sign.
Excerpt from Klara and the Sunby Kazuo Ishiguro is all rights reserved and is used under a Fair Use rationale. This passage comes from an excerpt in The Guardian published in 2021.
Questions
- How does the passage depict the relationship between technology (AFs) and the natural world (the Sun)?Consider the role of the Sun as a source of “nourishment” for Klara and Rosa. What does this suggest about the interdependence between technological beings and natural elements?
- What does the longing for the Sun’s “goodness” reveal about the characters’ connection to the environment? Explore how the AFs’ desire for the Sun’s light reflects broader themes of environmental sustenance and well-being. How does this parallel human dependence on natural resources?
- How is the urban environment portrayed through Klara’s observations from the window? Analyze Klara’s detailed observations of the outside world, including the RPO Building and the passers-by. What do these observations tell us about the interaction between urban life and the natural environment?
- What significance does the glass window hold as a barrier between the AFs and the outside world? Discuss the symbolic meaning of the glass window in separating Klara and Rosa from the natural and urban environments they observe. How does this reflect broader themes of isolation or connection in the context of environmental and technological interaction?
- In what ways does the passage challenge or reinforce the notion of anthropocentrism? Consider Klara’s and Rosa’s roles as observers of the human and non-human elements of their environment. How does their perspective as artificial entities affect the narrative’s portrayal of human centrality in relation to the natural world?
2. The Song of Wandering Aengus
I went out to the hazel wood,Because a fire was in my head,And cut and peeled a hazel wand,And hooked a berry to a thread;And when white moths were on the wing,And moth-like stars were flickering out,I dropped the berry in a streamAnd caught a little silver trout.When I had laid it on the floorI went to blow the fire a-flame,But something rustled on the floor,And someone called me by my name:It had become a glimmering girlWith apple blossom in her hairWho called me by my name and ranAnd faded through the brightening air.Though I am old with wanderingThrough hollow lands and hilly lands,I will find out where she has gone,And kiss her lips and take her hands;And walk among long dappled grass,And pluck till time and times are done,The silver apples of the moon,The golden apples of the sun.
Questions
- How does Yeats use natural imagery to convey the themes of the poem? Explore how the elements of nature (the hazel wood, the silver trout, the apple blossom) are not just settings or backdrops but integral to the poem’s exploration of longing and transformation. What might these elements symbolize in relation to humanity and the natural world?
- What role does the transformation from the trout to the glimmering girl play in the poem’s ecological imagination? Consider the significance of metamorphosis in the poem. How does this transformation affect the poem’s view on the relationship between humans and nature? Is there a suggestion of interconnectedness or fluidity between human and non-human worlds?
- In what ways does the poem reflect on the passage of time through its depiction of nature? Analyze how the temporal aspects of the poem (the lifecycle of moths, the aging of Aengus, the ancient “mothlike” stars) are intertwined with natural imagery. How do the references to “time and times are done” and the “silver apples of the moon, the golden apples of the sun” contribute to the poem’s reflections on time, nature, and eternity?
- How does the poem’s setting in a natural landscape contribute to its exploration of desire and fulfillment?Consider the significance of the natural landscape to the poem’s narrative arc. How does Aengus’s journey through various lands in search of the glimmering girl reflect broader themes of human longing for connection with nature or the divine?
- What does the poem suggest about the relationship between humanity and the natural world?Reflect on the overarching message of the poem regarding humans’ place in nature. Does Yeats portray this relationship as harmonious, mystical, or conflicted? How do the poem’s images and themes contribute to contemporary ecological discussions about the human-nature bond?
“The Song of Wandering Aengus” by W.B. Yeats is in the public domain.
3. The Peddler of Flowers
By Amy Lowell
I came from the country
With flowers,
Larkspur and roses,
Fretted lilies
In their leaves,
And long, cool lavender.I carried them
From house to house,
And cried them
Down hot streets.
The sun fell
Upon my flowers,
And the dust of the streets
Blew over my basket.That night
I slept upon the open seats
Of a circus,
Where all day long
People had watched
The antics
Of a painted clown.
“The Peddler of Flowers” by Amy Lowell is in the public domain.
Questions
- How does Lowell contrast the natural and urban environments in the poem? Examine the juxtaposition of the country flowers with the hot streets and the urban setting. What does this contrast reveal about the relationship between nature and urbanization?
- What is the significance of the flowers in the poem? Explore the symbolic meaning of the flowers (larkspur, roses, lilies, lavender) and their journey from the countryside to the city. How do the flowers represent the natural world, and what does their fate in the urban setting suggest about human engagement with nature?
- How does the poem address themes of commodification and consumption? Consider the role of the peddler and the act of selling flowers in the city. What commentary does the poem provide on the commodification of nature? How does the poem critique or reflect on the consumption of natural beauty in an urban context?
- What role does imagery play in shaping the poem’s ecological perspective? Analyze the poem’s imagery, particularly the sun’s effect on the flowers and the dust covering the basket. How do these images enhance the poem’s message about the impact of the urban environment on nature?
- What does the poem suggest about the human-nature relationship within an urban landscape? Reflect on the broader implications of the poem for understanding the human-nature relationship in urban settings. Considering the peddler’s experience and the fate of the flowers, what insights does the poem offer about the place of nature in city life and the possible disconnection between urban dwellers and the natural world?
Theoretical Response Assignment Instructions
Instructions
Grading
- 15 points: theoretical response
- 10 points: online discussion (5 points per response) OR class attendance.
