Man’s encounter with nature: an ecocriticism analysis of western classic and contemporary novels

Abstract

People regardless of race and gender significantly learn as they interact with nature that leads to resiliency, adaptation, connectivity, and the fragility and beauty of life, which helps them build a strong harmony and interaction with it. Through literature, this context was further explored to determine how is it possible for human to challenge the nature. This study aims to discover and explore the relationship of human and nature through a thematic analysis of two award winning novels, “The Old Man and The Sea” by Cuban author Ernest Hemmingway and “The Life of Pi” by Yann Martel, a Canadian writer. Through in-depth analysis, five themes emerged in this study, dominance of nature, respect for nature, spiritual intercession, perseverance, and skills over luck. Symbolisms of the two novels that constitute the themes were also compared and contrasted. This study employed ecocriticism to further understand the rhythm of human and nature’s existence.

Keywords

• environmental consciousness
• thematic analysis
• ecocriticism
• dominance for nature
• global ecological crisis