Literature’s Engagement with the Environment Some Ruminations

Abstract

This paper attempts an introspection on the role of literature in an era of human-induced climate crisis. It is aware that from a purely material or tangibly measurable point of view literary-critical studies exerts a negligible impact to the environment and its studies; yet, through concrete literary examples it endeavours to imply that since the primary agent wreaking havoc on genuine wilderness, and the environment thus triggering the Anthropocene is the human, literature – since ages – has been both a keeper of records (much before the advent of scientific discourse and dystopic narratives) and conscience imploring a balance between the human and the non-human worlds. The paper also advocates towards the end a plan of pedagogic action.