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Showing 8 results for Ecocriticism
Volume 5, Issue 19 (11-2012)
Abstract
The response from the different branches of humanities to the environmental crisis has led to the formation of a new interdisciplinary topic, Ecolinguistics with its branches such as Environmental Ethics and Ecocriticism in literature. The term Ecocriticism was first coined in 1978 by William Rueckert. It was a reaction to the environmental crisis. Ecocriticism reflects on the relationship between human and physical environment in literary works. It also talks about the relationship between religion, ethic, language, and gender with the environment. This article deals with the necessity of ecocriticism in the humanities and introduces some of the research methods and topics in this field.
Volume 8, Issue 1 (3-2020)
Abstract
Belonging to the binary opposition man/nature, nature is a common subject in world literature. Ecocriticism, interdisciplinary study of the relationship between human beings and the environment, provides literary criticism with a fresh approach to literature. Although a significant number of theoretical and practical works have been published in the field of ecocriticism, just a few works have so far employed a comparative ecoctitical approach. The present paper employing such a comparative approach is groundbreaking in Iranian academia in that such a comparative study has not yet been published in Persian. Contemporary Persian poet, Sohrab Sepehri frequently referred to nature in his poetry. American poet and philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson employed nature as a subject of his works. Since nature is an important subject for the two figures, employing a comparative ecocritical approach will shed light on their works. Even though employing nature led to similarities, Sepehri’s approach toward nature is significantly different from that of Emerson.
Volume 12, Issue 47 (11-2019)
Abstract
Practicing Ecocriticism, this research attempts to study a movie, Pear Tree, by Dariush MehrJui, adapted from the short story by Goli Taraghi with the same name. Ecocriticism tries to highlight the interrelations between culture and nature in literary texts. This approach tends to analyze texts by studying the importance of the environment in them. In other words, the subject of this approach is surveying the importance of the space in the process of signification. In the movie Pear Tree characters have close relation with the nature or urban spaces, while in the story the main character is mostly drowned in his thoughts. In this study, we try to find the connection between the characters and the space, the conflict between the past and the present, time and space’s gender, and the function of memory. The contradiction between nature (feminine) and culture (masculine) is what actually gives meaning to both texts. The characters cannot be analyzed without considering their relation to the nature (Damavand Garden) or urban places.
Volume 14, Issue 54 (7-2021)
Abstract
Abstract
The environmental criticism that emerged in response to the environmental crisis, traces the origins of many environmental problems in its cultural roots and by bridging the gap between science and culture, seeks to halt or slow down the growing trend of the environmental crisis. This criticism has attracted the attention of Iranian researchers in the last decade, but it seems that this type of research in Iran is still far from international standards. Due to its connection with political and economic issues and many other complexities, this criticism has its own special capacities, but since less attention is paid to its contexts and fundamental issues in Iran, it has become more decorative and its various principles and dimensions have not been considered. In order to bring the principles of this criticism closer to its global meanings in Iran, this study tries to investigate and survey the problems and shortcomings of this criticism with its strengths and weaknesses by reviewing the perspectives of prominent global theorists and evaluating a number of articles published in Iran on ecological criticism. The result of the study reveals that the lack of proper understanding of the concept of ecocriticism and the environment, ignoring the value and inherent position of the non-human world regardless of the humanistic view, ignoring the interdisciplinary aspects of ecological criticism, the lack of pragmatic and practical dimension of criticisms and the wrong choice of works for this criticism are some of the problems that environmental criticism faces in Iran.
Research Background
Environmental criticism was introduced to the Iranian scientific community in 2008 with a study by Davood Emarati Moghaddam in introducing the book “Ecocriticism” by Greg Gerrard. Later on, some studies entitled “An Introduction to Ecocriticism” and “The Theory of Literary Ecocriticism – An Introduction to New Research Schools in Studying and Analyzing the Form and Content of Literary Works” by Masih Zekavat (2011), “An Interdisciplinary Movement between Environment and Literature” by Mohammad Naser Maududi (2011), “Ecocriticism, a New Approach in Literary Criticism” (2012) and the books “Ecocriticism” (2013), “About Eco-Criticism” (2013) and “Green Literature” (2015) by Zahra Parsapour introduced Ecocriticism and some of its dimensions and contexts.
Objectives, Questions, Assumptions
The history of the presence of nature in Persian and world literature is as old as literature itself and their nexus is inseparable. As a result, many researchers have analyzed this relationship based on the poet and the writer's interest in nature and their impression from the environment, but the problem is that most of these studies have been published under the title “Environmental Criticism”. Now the question is if expressing the interest and respect of a poet or writer towards nature can be considered as an environmental criticism, or whether this is a new problem that has not been addressed before. What kind of approach and perspective towards these works can place them within the sphere of environmental criticism? What is new about this criticism, and what sets it apart from the old approaches towards nature? Are the ecological studies or environmental criticism that is known in Iran correctly interpreted? What are the problems and shortcomings of addressing this criticism in research in Iran and what are the missing subjects in this field?
This study critically examines fifteen articles published under the title of “Ecological Criticism in Iran”, and deals with the problems and shortcomings of such studies in Iran and tries to introduce this type of criticism correctly and offers suggestions for improving the situation of ecological criticism.
Discussion
The basis of the problems of environmental criticism in Iran is related to the problems of translation and also a group of intellectuals’ presumptions, thinking environmental criticism is not yet a serious issue. First of all, it is required to provide a definition of environmental criticism. In addition, the necessities of environmental criticism should be taken into consideration as well.
If this criticism is a study of the relationship between human and inhuman world in literature, it is necessary to know the essence and the meaning of the inhuman world and the extent of its boundaries in ecocriticism. Ignoring it in many local and foreign studies has made it fundamentally difficult to properly understand this type of criticism. The interdisciplinary aspects of environmental criticism, the intrinsic value of nature, choosing the right work and author for an analysis and being pragmatic and practical are some of the principals that should be considered in environmental criticism.
Conclusion
Studying these fifteen articles published in the field of ecocriticism in Iran reveals that many of these articles have difficulty not only in providing a correct definition and an accurate knowledge of the work, but also in complying with the requirements of environmental criticism. Accepting the environment and nature as an independent entity beyond the humanistic view was not observed in the studies, and although the practical and pragmatic ideals are the two basic features of ecological criticism and a guarantee for saving the environment, they have not been reflected in Iranian environmental studies as they should have been. Translating basic texts and resources in the field of environmental criticism and combining it with indigenous cultural features in the country is essential to recognize the extensive dimension of this framework. It can also pave the way not only for solving the current problems, but also for enhancing the effectiveness of studies in protecting the environment and creating a culture to prevent its destruction.
The environmental criticism that emerged in response to the environmental crisis, traces the origins of many environmental problems in its cultural roots and by bridging the gap between science and culture, seeks to halt or slow down the growing trend of the environmental crisis. This criticism has attracted the attention of Iranian researchers in the last decade, but it seems that this type of research in Iran is still far from international standards. Due to its connection with political and economic issues and many other complexities, this criticism has its own special capacities, but since less attention is paid to its contexts and fundamental issues in Iran, it has become more decorative and its various principles and dimensions have not been considered. In order to bring the principles of this criticism closer to its global meanings in Iran, this study tries to investigate and survey the problems and shortcomings of this criticism with its strengths and weaknesses by reviewing the perspectives of prominent global theorists and evaluating a number of articles published in Iran on ecological criticism. The result of the study reveals that the lack of proper understanding of the concept of ecocriticism and the environment, ignoring the value and inherent position of the non-human world regardless of the humanistic view, ignoring the interdisciplinary aspects of ecological criticism, the lack of pragmatic and practical dimension of criticisms and the wrong choice of works for this criticism are some of the problems that environmental criticism faces in Iran.
Research Background
Environmental criticism was introduced to the Iranian scientific community in 2008 with a study by Davood Emarati Moghaddam in introducing the book “Ecocriticism” by Greg Gerrard. Later on, some studies entitled “An Introduction to Ecocriticism” and “The Theory of Literary Ecocriticism – An Introduction to New Research Schools in Studying and Analyzing the Form and Content of Literary Works” by Masih Zekavat (2011), “An Interdisciplinary Movement between Environment and Literature” by Mohammad Naser Maududi (2011), “Ecocriticism, a New Approach in Literary Criticism” (2012) and the books “Ecocriticism” (2013), “About Eco-Criticism” (2013) and “Green Literature” (2015) by Zahra Parsapour introduced Ecocriticism and some of its dimensions and contexts.
Objectives, Questions, Assumptions
The history of the presence of nature in Persian and world literature is as old as literature itself and their nexus is inseparable. As a result, many researchers have analyzed this relationship based on the poet and the writer's interest in nature and their impression from the environment, but the problem is that most of these studies have been published under the title “Environmental Criticism”. Now the question is if expressing the interest and respect of a poet or writer towards nature can be considered as an environmental criticism, or whether this is a new problem that has not been addressed before. What kind of approach and perspective towards these works can place them within the sphere of environmental criticism? What is new about this criticism, and what sets it apart from the old approaches towards nature? Are the ecological studies or environmental criticism that is known in Iran correctly interpreted? What are the problems and shortcomings of addressing this criticism in research in Iran and what are the missing subjects in this field?
This study critically examines fifteen articles published under the title of “Ecological Criticism in Iran”, and deals with the problems and shortcomings of such studies in Iran and tries to introduce this type of criticism correctly and offers suggestions for improving the situation of ecological criticism.
Discussion
The basis of the problems of environmental criticism in Iran is related to the problems of translation and also a group of intellectuals’ presumptions, thinking environmental criticism is not yet a serious issue. First of all, it is required to provide a definition of environmental criticism. In addition, the necessities of environmental criticism should be taken into consideration as well.
If this criticism is a study of the relationship between human and inhuman world in literature, it is necessary to know the essence and the meaning of the inhuman world and the extent of its boundaries in ecocriticism. Ignoring it in many local and foreign studies has made it fundamentally difficult to properly understand this type of criticism. The interdisciplinary aspects of environmental criticism, the intrinsic value of nature, choosing the right work and author for an analysis and being pragmatic and practical are some of the principals that should be considered in environmental criticism.
Conclusion
Studying these fifteen articles published in the field of ecocriticism in Iran reveals that many of these articles have difficulty not only in providing a correct definition and an accurate knowledge of the work, but also in complying with the requirements of environmental criticism. Accepting the environment and nature as an independent entity beyond the humanistic view was not observed in the studies, and although the practical and pragmatic ideals are the two basic features of ecological criticism and a guarantee for saving the environment, they have not been reflected in Iranian environmental studies as they should have been. Translating basic texts and resources in the field of environmental criticism and combining it with indigenous cultural features in the country is essential to recognize the extensive dimension of this framework. It can also pave the way not only for solving the current problems, but also for enhancing the effectiveness of studies in protecting the environment and creating a culture to prevent its destruction.
Volume 15, Issue 6 (3-2024)
Abstract
Literary theory as a whole examines the relationship between authors, texts, and the world. In most literary theories, "world" is synonymous with community - the social sphere. Environmental critique and green studies extend the concept of "world" to include the whole environment. If we agree with the first law of the environment, that everything has to do with something else, we must say that literature as a linguistic text does not float at a higher level than the physical world, as an aesthetic element, but literature actually plays a role in a complex world. It plays a world in which energy, objects and ideas interact. For this reason, today, language and how it is used can serve as a metaphorical and symbolic representation of nature, as well as have a critical orientation towards environmental crises. This article, which is a qualitative research, has dealt with the relationship between linguistic text and the environment through analytical methods, and by analyzing the intellectual and theoretical frameworks of environmental critique, has also considered the issue of environmental linguistics. Examples discussed in this article include examples of poetic literature and dramatic literature. In fact, the main issue of this article is related to the key question of how the linguistic text (literature) can deal with the environmental crises of the contemporary world beyond the classical methods of literary criticism. It is an important human issue to assume linguistic responsibility.
1. Introduction
Ecocriticism refers to the combination of ecology and criticism. That is, eco is taken from Ecology and Criticism, which is equivalent to criticism. Some translators and researchers have translated ecology into ecology and thus, ecocriticism has also been translated into ecological criticism. This is despite the fact that Bom means region, land, etc., and it is different from what is actually found in the sources and researches related to environmental criticism, and it is not a suitable equivalent for the content and goals of this type of criticism. As we will mention later, the issue of environmental criticism is beyond the discussion of the region or the region and the territory. In this type of criticism, all environmental factors and elements that have a mutual effect on each other and put the environment under the radius are also considered. Among the most important reasons for the formation of environmental criticism, we can consider the anthropocentric view in different periods, the environmental crises in the 20th century, the domination of technology over human life, and the transformation of natural structures. Since the 1980s, there have been many concerns and attentions towards the environment in Western countries, and today they have become an important topic in the world media. We believe that in order to participate in the issues and problems caused by environmental crises, by adopting different approaches to the issue of language and literature and their relationship with the environment, from the point of view of environmental criticism, we should examine the concerns of writers and critics and even raise a fundamental question that What is the duty of literature and art in the face of environmental crises? As a rule, the environmental ethical system should be formed in a global way so that when faced with environmental problems, its human consequences can be solved. Because we live in a global ecosystem with human differences between us. But we all have a responsibility regarding the environment.
Research Question(s)
How is nature represented in poetry?
What is the role of phisical contexts in the plot of the novel?
2. Literature Review
The beginning of this discipline is from the Anglo-American tradition, and its development started at the same time as entering the environmental field in the form of scientific discourse in 1960, and in fact, the beginning of supporting environmental ethics can also be seen from the 1960s, which was accompanied by the growth and promotion of environmental movements. (Holden, 2003). Since the topic of environmental criticism is more or less a new topic in Iran, the number of published research works is not very significant, however, I have written some scientific works related to this article and topic in the Literature Review section.
3. Methodology
This article, which is a type of qualitative research, has dealt with the relationship between linguistic text and environment with a descriptive-analytical method, and has examined the issue of environmental linguistics by analyzing the intellectual and theoretical frameworks of environmental criticism. The examples discussed in this article include examples of poetic literature and dramatic literature.
4. Results
Environmental criticism seeks to defamiliarize the environment and make writers responsible for their living environment as citizens. Along with urban studies, this critical approach also deals with the representation of urban spaces from different perspectives, and from a perspective, it calls for a human perspective on the shaping of the environment and culture for the experience of empathetic and ethical living of humans together. Human responsibility towards nature and environment is part of the moral approach of the linguistic text. At least implicitly, in the language text, it can be shown how the environment is taken for granted and unchangeable in some ways. Meanwhile, the environment is a changeable and dynamic process. If a linguistic text does not meet such predetermined standards, then the role of environmental criticism is to show how and where these conditions are not met. Practically, the ethical and political agenda of environmental criticism and the negation of humanism are the common features of different branches of environmental criticism and even environmental linguistics. Environmental linguistics and environmental criticism work in the form of modern criticism. In general, environmental linguistics and environmental criticism are fields that lead us to the field of posthumanism. Post-humanism considers how injustice and oppression of nature has caused numerous human and social problems. In other words, humanists use a radical approach to destabilize human dominance over nature. Environmental criticism has initially focused on linguistic texts. First of all, it deals with the naturalism of the poems of the romantic period and then with all the texts that represent nature. The main goal is to dissect and see such representations of nature and show how the hidden assumptions of these different human discourses fuel environmental problems. Activists of ecological criticism and ecological linguistics are very interested in demolishing or reconstructing the binaries of human/animal and human/nature. Today, language, text and environment have a dialectical relationship and literature can play another role in this communication cycle. In fact, in the context of environmental linguistics studies and environmental criticism, it is indicated how contemporary literature is able to react to the representation of the critical situation of the environment and also deal with this issue with a critical attitude of how language in literature has been able to make nature It becomes something artificial, unchangeable, abstract and dreamy, while the reality outside the literary world is a destructive and disturbing space. A series of critical reactions in the analysis of literary language and its relationship with the environment today and in the future can turn literature into a practical and active linguistic text, and environmental criticism can also criticize the hidden layers of romantic literature's exposure to the environment. Therefore, environmental criticism in literature has both purely analytical and critical aspects.
Volume 16, Issue 63 (12-2023)
Abstract
Coined by Simon C. Estok, ecophobia is a prominent and new approach to ecocriticism and environmental ethics, mainly defined as irrational and groundless hatred of the natural world. The ecophobic reading investigates unwanted human biases towards the environment based on irrational fear and hatred of bio-environmental manifestations in literary works. Ecophobia originates from the duality of self/other, leading to xenophobia in the shadow of an irrational fear of the other, i.e., a woman, race, or other species, in this Coined by Simon C. Estok, ecophobia is a prominent and new approach to ecocriticism and environmental ethics, mainly defined as irrational and groundless hatred of the natural world. The ecophobic reading investigates unwanted human biases towards the environment based on irrational fear and hatred of bio-environmental manifestations in literary works. Ecophobia originates from the duality of self/other, leading to xenophobia in the shadow of an irrational fear of the other. Naturophobia, misogyny, racism, and speciesism occur in a context of xenophobia, and many human behaviors in the face of nature and other human beings arise from fear, and this xenophobia leads to domineering behaviors. After presenting theoretical foundations, the study sought to explain the ecophobic components in literary works and how to apply ecophobia in literary criticism. Ecophobia reads literary works anew, trying to improve this relationship by analyzing and examining the relationship between humans and nature in an ecophobic context and expressing the origins of these fears. The research result demonstrates that two distinct types of ecophobia in literary works can be identified. By displaying neglected environmental fears, those works can play a significant role in correcting human relationships with the environment and making us sensitive to our behavior with the Earth.
Extended Abstract
Coined by Simon C. Estok, ecophobia is a prominent and new approach to ecocriticism and environmental ethics, mainly defined as irrational and groundless hatred of the natural world. The ecophobic reading investigates unwanted human biases towards the environment based on irrational fear and hatred of bio-environmental manifestations in literary works. Ecophobia originates from the duality of self/other, leading to xenophobia in the shadow of an irrational fear of the other, i.e., a woman, race, or other species, i.e., nature. Naturophobia, misogyny, racism, and speciesism occur in the context of xenophobia, and many human behaviors in the face of nature and other human beings arise from fear, and this xenophobia leads to domineering behaviors. After presenting theoretical foundations, the study sought to explain the ecophobic components in literary works and how to apply ecophobia in literary criticism. Ecophobia reads literary works anew, trying to improve this relationship by analyzing and examining the relationship between humans and nature in an ecophobic context and expressing the origins of these fears. The research result demonstrates that two distinct types of ecophobia in literary works can be identified. The first type determines a mythological and historical attitude based on the fears and worries of the past about nature and its phenomena. Expanding our knowledge, understanding, and facilities could have eliminated most fears and worries of phenomena such as earthquakes, floods, storms, droughts, darkness, predatory animals, and even natural changes in the human body, such as illness and aging. Thus, this criticism can bring these fears from our collective unconscious to the level of consciousness and even replace ecophilia with ecophobia in that context. The second type identifies the fear and worries that literature creates in us with all its imaginative and rhetorical capacity to warn about the dangerous phenomena and processes that quietly and secretly take shape and make us aware of the present and future environmental dangers. Such works can play a significant role in correcting the relationship between humans and the environment by showing neglected environmental fears such as water pollution, waste accumulation, nuclear contamination, and species extinction and make us sensitive to our actions with the Earth. Altogether, as the writers try to remove the baseless and unnecessary environmental fears in today's world, enlightening and giving the necessary warnings about the upcoming dangers in terms of human interference in nature, in some of their literary works, they depict our love and need for the nature. Accordingly, various artistic expressions of ecophilia in literary works can create a caring and eco-friendly attitude in the reader by using imagination and emotion effectively. Ecophobic criticism leads to identifying the emotional ethics of texts in terms of what values of nature the text conveys to the reader and what view and feeling it establishes in him/her towards nature phenomena.
Extended Abstract
Coined by Simon C. Estok, ecophobia is a prominent and new approach to ecocriticism and environmental ethics, mainly defined as irrational and groundless hatred of the natural world. The ecophobic reading investigates unwanted human biases towards the environment based on irrational fear and hatred of bio-environmental manifestations in literary works. Ecophobia originates from the duality of self/other, leading to xenophobia in the shadow of an irrational fear of the other, i.e., a woman, race, or other species, i.e., nature. Naturophobia, misogyny, racism, and speciesism occur in the context of xenophobia, and many human behaviors in the face of nature and other human beings arise from fear, and this xenophobia leads to domineering behaviors. After presenting theoretical foundations, the study sought to explain the ecophobic components in literary works and how to apply ecophobia in literary criticism. Ecophobia reads literary works anew, trying to improve this relationship by analyzing and examining the relationship between humans and nature in an ecophobic context and expressing the origins of these fears. The research result demonstrates that two distinct types of ecophobia in literary works can be identified. The first type determines a mythological and historical attitude based on the fears and worries of the past about nature and its phenomena. Expanding our knowledge, understanding, and facilities could have eliminated most fears and worries of phenomena such as earthquakes, floods, storms, droughts, darkness, predatory animals, and even natural changes in the human body, such as illness and aging. Thus, this criticism can bring these fears from our collective unconscious to the level of consciousness and even replace ecophilia with ecophobia in that context. The second type identifies the fear and worries that literature creates in us with all its imaginative and rhetorical capacity to warn about the dangerous phenomena and processes that quietly and secretly take shape and make us aware of the present and future environmental dangers. Such works can play a significant role in correcting the relationship between humans and the environment by showing neglected environmental fears such as water pollution, waste accumulation, nuclear contamination, and species extinction and make us sensitive to our actions with the Earth. Altogether, as the writers try to remove the baseless and unnecessary environmental fears in today's world, enlightening and giving the necessary warnings about the upcoming dangers in terms of human interference in nature, in some of their literary works, they depict our love and need for the nature. Accordingly, various artistic expressions of ecophilia in literary works can create a caring and eco-friendly attitude in the reader by using imagination and emotion effectively. Ecophobic criticism leads to identifying the emotional ethics of texts in terms of what values of nature the text conveys to the reader and what view and feeling it establishes in him/her towards nature phenomena.
Volume 17, Issue 67 (10-2024)
Abstract
The ecocriticism that emerged in the late twentieth century in the West often addresses the environmental concerns of writers and examines the extent and quality of their attention to such issues in their works. Iranian critics and researchers, recognizing environmental crises, have studied contemporary Persian short stories with the aim of providing a new and effective reading of these literary works. Their efforts have yielded varying degrees of success, with some cases showing relative success and others facing shortcomings. This article employs a method of critique of critique, aiming to analyze the application of this approach in contemporary narrative literature. We evaluate seven articles published in the last decade of the fourteenth century in the Persian calendar that focused on eco-critical studies of Persian short stories, assessing them in terms of structure, method, and content to understand how well these critiques align with the objectives and nature of ecocriticism. We investigate how successful critics have been in presenting new readings or findings from these works and ultimately identify the fundamental shortcomings of such critiques. The main findings of this research, conducted through a descriptive-analytical method and critical approach, include: neglecting the primary essence of the theory, lacking a correct understanding of ecocriticism, failing to reference authentic sources, limiting articles to case studies and micro-analysis, lacking depth in addressing environmental issues among writers and critics, disregarding the interdisciplinary nature of this style of critique, and finally, overlooking its practical dimensions.
Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
In recent decades, with the increasing emergence of environmental problems, the necessity of paying attention to the environment has been felt more than ever; neglecting this vital issue will seriously endanger human life. With the rise of environmental crises and the subsequent expansion of global concerns, intellectual trends and social movements for environmental protection have emerged under the general titles of “ecologism” and “green movement”. Lawrence Buell (1995, p. 430) defines ecocriticism as "the study of the relationship between literature and the environment conducted with a commitment to environmental pragmatism." This perspective challenges anthropocentric views and stands firmly against the idea of human dominance over nature, essentially seeking to provide a way to create sustainable natural life for humanity by transforming the relationships between humans and nature, while also ensuring the survival of the environment. The emergence of such perspectives has led to the creation of environmentally focused works that ecocritical critics analyze and review. This article employs a method of critique of critique, aiming to analyze the application of this approach in contemporary narrative literature. We evaluate seven articles published in the last decade of the fourteenth century in the Persian calendar that focused on eco-critical studies of Persian short stories, assessing them in terms of structure, method, and content to understand how well these critiques align with the objectives and nature of ecocriticism. We investigate how successful critics have been in presenting new readings or findings from these works and ultimately identify the fundamental shortcomings of such critiques. It is worth noting that this approach is not limited to a specific methodology. Therefore, ecocriticism is not necessarily founded on a uniform methodology or theoretical commonalities. What brings together critics, theorists, and various ideas under the title of ecocriticism is their political goals and ideals.
2. Discussion
To determine the success or failure of Iranian critics in providing an ecocritical reading of Persian short stories, we have examined seven articles, which are: 1. Entropy in Nature and Society in the Story “Gileh-Mard” (Parsa Poor, 2014), 2. An Ecocritical Reading of the Short Story The Pear Tree By Goli Taraghi (Niazi, 2015), 3. Environmental Ethics Considerations in Hedayat and Chubak (Critique of Two Stories) (Parsa Poor, 2016), 4. An Ecological Critique of a Short by Gholam Hosein Saedi (Alboqobeish & Gol Babaei, 2018), 5. Ecofeminist Critique of the Story “The Blue Ones” (Parsa Poor, 2018), 6. Environmental Critique of Bijan Najdi's Stories (A Case Study of Three Stories) (Haji Aghababaei, 2019), 7. Analysis of Climatic Features and Elements in Bijan Najdi's Stories (Mahmoudi, 2021).
We have evaluated all these articles in terms of structure, methodology, and content; shortcomings are observed in these studies such as neglecting original theoretical sources and relying on inaccurate translations, which may be the most significant factor contributing to this issue—namely, the unavailability of accurate translations from original ecocritical sources that exacerbate the problems literary critics face. Translating reference texts in this area is crucial for achieving a more precise understanding of ecocriticism and its various dimensions. Furthermore, the lack of reference to primary sources, insufficient knowledge about them, or unavailability of translated resources are fundamental problems that certainly lay the groundwork for other issues when using this approach, and the impact of this matter is evident in almost all research in this field. Another issue is misunderstanding or flawed understanding of ecocriticism; every theory is based on specific foundations, and awareness of those foundations is necessary for researchers in that field—a point not addressed in some examined articles. Another observation in these articles is their reliance on case studies, which are limited. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of a writer's thoughts and character, one needs to have an overview of their entire works; this point is very important when selecting a work for analysis with a specific approach or theory, which critics should always keep in mind. Ignoring the fundamental nature of ecocritical theory is also a shortcoming evident in these articles. Ecocriticism has broad dimensions, and neglecting these dimensions will lead to overlooking aspects of ecocriticism; for example, one very important aspect in environmental criticism is "ecofeminism," which has been overlooked in some articles despite having a suitable background for it. Another issue in these studies is the lack of a deep perspective on the environment and its requirements. The importance of environmental issues for every human being is as significant as their health. By neglecting nature and failing to care for it, humans jeopardize their own survival. Respecting nature and protecting it is related to many issues, perhaps the most important of which is culture. Unfortunately, in Iranian society, especially among writers and critics, the environment has not yet become a vital issue. They often reduce nature and natural elements to mere narrative or symbolic elements in their stories, and they frequently lack the ability to develop a discursive space that is appropriate for nature and the environment. The scarcity of poets or writers who have environmental concerns may stem from the lack of institutionalization of environmental protection thinking in Iranian culture. Furthermore, there is a general disregard for the practical dimensions of the theory in almost all the articles. It is a fact that the practical and applicable aspects of theories encourage us to utilize them; this is especially true for ecocritical criticism, raising the question of whether the purpose of the emergence and application of this method of critique has merely been to write articles and books in this field, without regard for its practical and applicable aspects. The goal of the ecocritical critic should be to create motivation and stimulation for the realization of environmental protection. This requires collaboration among fields such as geography, biology, psychology, ethics, economics, politics, anthropology, law, philosophy, and others that have a significant connection to this approach. Until this collaboration is realized, ecocriticism will remain merely a theory, and environmental problems will continue to expand day by day.
3. Conclusion
With the increase in environmental crises and the subsequent rise in concerns about this issue, intellectual trends and social movements for environmental protection emerged under the general titles of "ecologism" and "green movement," gradually making their way into the realm of art and literature under the title "ecocriticism." Ecocriticism, which was a response to the necessity of the presence and continuity of environmental movements in literature, especially in short stories and novels, has attracted the attention of Iranian critics and writers over the past two decades. Nevertheless, it has faced ups and downs in its progress and has not sufficiently succeeded in reading texts and offering a new understanding of works. Such occurrences have led us to examine these critiques through a critical lens to first determine the compatibility of these critiques with the goals and nature of ecocriticism and ultimately to identify their fundamental shortcomings. We aim to study, as much as possible, the effective obstacles to this insufficient success and the potential failures of critics. Such research can pave the way for resolving the problems associated with this type of critique in Iran. An examination of seven published articles on ecocritical readings of Persian short stories written between 2014 and 2021 reveals that a lack of access to primary theoretical sources, inaccurate or potentially incorrect interpretations of this approach, reliance on limited case studies, absence of precise translations from sources, neglecting the main goals and nature of this approach, abandoning the practical dimensions of the theory, and other similar factors have hindered a proper understanding of the theory and consequently laid the groundwork for incomplete and inadequate perceptions of it.
Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
In recent decades, with the increasing emergence of environmental problems, the necessity of paying attention to the environment has been felt more than ever; neglecting this vital issue will seriously endanger human life. With the rise of environmental crises and the subsequent expansion of global concerns, intellectual trends and social movements for environmental protection have emerged under the general titles of “ecologism” and “green movement”. Lawrence Buell (1995, p. 430) defines ecocriticism as "the study of the relationship between literature and the environment conducted with a commitment to environmental pragmatism." This perspective challenges anthropocentric views and stands firmly against the idea of human dominance over nature, essentially seeking to provide a way to create sustainable natural life for humanity by transforming the relationships between humans and nature, while also ensuring the survival of the environment. The emergence of such perspectives has led to the creation of environmentally focused works that ecocritical critics analyze and review. This article employs a method of critique of critique, aiming to analyze the application of this approach in contemporary narrative literature. We evaluate seven articles published in the last decade of the fourteenth century in the Persian calendar that focused on eco-critical studies of Persian short stories, assessing them in terms of structure, method, and content to understand how well these critiques align with the objectives and nature of ecocriticism. We investigate how successful critics have been in presenting new readings or findings from these works and ultimately identify the fundamental shortcomings of such critiques. It is worth noting that this approach is not limited to a specific methodology. Therefore, ecocriticism is not necessarily founded on a uniform methodology or theoretical commonalities. What brings together critics, theorists, and various ideas under the title of ecocriticism is their political goals and ideals.
2. Discussion
To determine the success or failure of Iranian critics in providing an ecocritical reading of Persian short stories, we have examined seven articles, which are: 1. Entropy in Nature and Society in the Story “Gileh-Mard” (Parsa Poor, 2014), 2. An Ecocritical Reading of the Short Story The Pear Tree By Goli Taraghi (Niazi, 2015), 3. Environmental Ethics Considerations in Hedayat and Chubak (Critique of Two Stories) (Parsa Poor, 2016), 4. An Ecological Critique of a Short by Gholam Hosein Saedi (Alboqobeish & Gol Babaei, 2018), 5. Ecofeminist Critique of the Story “The Blue Ones” (Parsa Poor, 2018), 6. Environmental Critique of Bijan Najdi's Stories (A Case Study of Three Stories) (Haji Aghababaei, 2019), 7. Analysis of Climatic Features and Elements in Bijan Najdi's Stories (Mahmoudi, 2021).
We have evaluated all these articles in terms of structure, methodology, and content; shortcomings are observed in these studies such as neglecting original theoretical sources and relying on inaccurate translations, which may be the most significant factor contributing to this issue—namely, the unavailability of accurate translations from original ecocritical sources that exacerbate the problems literary critics face. Translating reference texts in this area is crucial for achieving a more precise understanding of ecocriticism and its various dimensions. Furthermore, the lack of reference to primary sources, insufficient knowledge about them, or unavailability of translated resources are fundamental problems that certainly lay the groundwork for other issues when using this approach, and the impact of this matter is evident in almost all research in this field. Another issue is misunderstanding or flawed understanding of ecocriticism; every theory is based on specific foundations, and awareness of those foundations is necessary for researchers in that field—a point not addressed in some examined articles. Another observation in these articles is their reliance on case studies, which are limited. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of a writer's thoughts and character, one needs to have an overview of their entire works; this point is very important when selecting a work for analysis with a specific approach or theory, which critics should always keep in mind. Ignoring the fundamental nature of ecocritical theory is also a shortcoming evident in these articles. Ecocriticism has broad dimensions, and neglecting these dimensions will lead to overlooking aspects of ecocriticism; for example, one very important aspect in environmental criticism is "ecofeminism," which has been overlooked in some articles despite having a suitable background for it. Another issue in these studies is the lack of a deep perspective on the environment and its requirements. The importance of environmental issues for every human being is as significant as their health. By neglecting nature and failing to care for it, humans jeopardize their own survival. Respecting nature and protecting it is related to many issues, perhaps the most important of which is culture. Unfortunately, in Iranian society, especially among writers and critics, the environment has not yet become a vital issue. They often reduce nature and natural elements to mere narrative or symbolic elements in their stories, and they frequently lack the ability to develop a discursive space that is appropriate for nature and the environment. The scarcity of poets or writers who have environmental concerns may stem from the lack of institutionalization of environmental protection thinking in Iranian culture. Furthermore, there is a general disregard for the practical dimensions of the theory in almost all the articles. It is a fact that the practical and applicable aspects of theories encourage us to utilize them; this is especially true for ecocritical criticism, raising the question of whether the purpose of the emergence and application of this method of critique has merely been to write articles and books in this field, without regard for its practical and applicable aspects. The goal of the ecocritical critic should be to create motivation and stimulation for the realization of environmental protection. This requires collaboration among fields such as geography, biology, psychology, ethics, economics, politics, anthropology, law, philosophy, and others that have a significant connection to this approach. Until this collaboration is realized, ecocriticism will remain merely a theory, and environmental problems will continue to expand day by day.
3. Conclusion
With the increase in environmental crises and the subsequent rise in concerns about this issue, intellectual trends and social movements for environmental protection emerged under the general titles of "ecologism" and "green movement," gradually making their way into the realm of art and literature under the title "ecocriticism." Ecocriticism, which was a response to the necessity of the presence and continuity of environmental movements in literature, especially in short stories and novels, has attracted the attention of Iranian critics and writers over the past two decades. Nevertheless, it has faced ups and downs in its progress and has not sufficiently succeeded in reading texts and offering a new understanding of works. Such occurrences have led us to examine these critiques through a critical lens to first determine the compatibility of these critiques with the goals and nature of ecocriticism and ultimately to identify their fundamental shortcomings. We aim to study, as much as possible, the effective obstacles to this insufficient success and the potential failures of critics. Such research can pave the way for resolving the problems associated with this type of critique in Iran. An examination of seven published articles on ecocritical readings of Persian short stories written between 2014 and 2021 reveals that a lack of access to primary theoretical sources, inaccurate or potentially incorrect interpretations of this approach, reliance on limited case studies, absence of precise translations from sources, neglecting the main goals and nature of this approach, abandoning the practical dimensions of the theory, and other similar factors have hindered a proper understanding of the theory and consequently laid the groundwork for incomplete and inadequate perceptions of it.
Sohrab Tavousi, Jalal Sokhanvar,
Volume 26, Issue 4 (12-2019)
Volume 26, Issue 4 (12-2019)
Abstract
This article aims at studying ecofeminism in Vladimir Nabokov’s Laughter in the Dark. Nabokov’s works have been the matter of different perspectives since they have been created but this article claims that what has so far been neglected about his works is that Nabokov’s novels pay respectful attention to nature and its problems. Ecofeminism, a branch of ecocriticism, has been created and widened recently by some prominent thinkers like Susan Griffin and Elizabeth Bishop. In the context of ecofeminism, the similarities between nature and women in having two opposite sides is the site of authorship for some contemporary writers. Nature and women, according to them, are both healer and killer simultaneously. The article shows how these two sides are presented in Nabokov’s novel, and, by means of which it, tacitly, claims that Nabokov, as in his other works, worships nature and its elements.
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