Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide

Ecocriticism is the literary analysis of “the way human beings relate to the natural environment” (410). It is an aspect of the environmental or green movement that, according to Tyson, began with the publication of Silent Spring (1962) by Rachel Carson, a book that describes the harmful impact of pesticides on the environment. Ecocriticism is a type of Literary Analysis as a Form of Social Justice because it emphasizes the importance of protecting the natural world.

Ecocritics describe the present era as “the Anthropocene epoch,” a reference to the extent to which humans have shaped and destroyed the natural environment. Human environmental destruction and industrial activities have caused the “greenhouse effect” that has resulted in rising sea waters, more intense natural disasters, increased animal-to-human transmission of disease, and more. The environmental movement promotes sustainable practices in an attempt to repair and reduce damage and ensure that the planet remains habitable. However, many of these attempts have failed or been thwarted by monied interests, like oil lobbies and elite lifestyle preferences like private jets. 

In contrast to this “shallow environmentalism,” alternative “radical environmentalist” movements, like deep ecology, eco-Marxism, and ecofeminism, advocate wholesale changes to the political economy to address the ongoing crisis.