Usage of eco-criticism: as a view of natural environment preserving

Abstract

The environment is sum of all surroundings, living organisms, including natural forces and other living beings. There is a deep relationship between beings‟ life and the environment. As a part of environment human must understand that relationship, but unfortunately the human beings do not care about this relationship and pollute the environment in several ways without any attention. In the process of environmental protection, literature also has an important role to play, because there is a strong relationship between environment and literature. Environment is one of main phenomenon in literature and many literary work have been compiled according to that theme both eastern and western literature. Apart from literature, literary criticism too was affected by environment. As results of this eco-criticism, a new literary theory has arisen. This research mainly focus on how we can use eco-criticism to make an attitudinal change in human mind and how can they lead to preserve the natural environment in literary field. Three novels namely Aranakata pem bada translated by Chintha Lakshmi, Sansaranyaye Dadayakkaraya of Saimon Navagattegama and Diya holmana of Mahinda Kumara Dalupotha were selected as primary sources and many secondary sources too used to the fulfillment of this research goals. Eco-criticism studies the relationship between literature and the physical environment. It takes an earth centered approach to literary studies. By practicing this theory throughout literary work people can understand easily how environment is important to existence of their lives. Although the Sinhala literature was built in an environmental background, it has not developed as an ecological literature. But nowadays, some books that can be categorized under the ecoliterature such as, Aranakata pem bada, Sansaranyaye Dadayakkaraya, Diya Holman are arising. Examining these novels, some concepts related with eco-criticism have emphasized by the authors as follows. Representing environment as a non-anthropocentric phenomenon, criticizing the environmental pollution, making environmental sensibility by producing ecological fact, emphasizing the ethics associated with environment. This means eco-criticism make an attitudinal chance in human mind with the intention of creating eco-minded human society.