Legislation, Reaction and Ecological Degradation: An Eco-Critical Analysis of John Grisham’s The Appeal

Abstract

We are witnessing environmental degradation on a massive scale. Popular reactions to the devastation of our natural surroundings are a ubiquitous image in newscasts everywhere, and yet nations and institutions seem unable to cohere around programs to stop the looming disaster. American author John Grisham, an attorney by profession, elaborates on this issue in his novel The Appeal (2008). Grisham meticulously describes the human tragedy of a degrading bio-region and provides insights into the gradual process of contemporary environmental litigation. Grisham provides a panoramic view on the lives of people in Cary County, the place where a corporate toxic waste dump has caused massive groundwater pollution. The use of polluted drinking water destroys many lives and creates the worst cancer cluster in history. Plaintiff Jeannette Baker, along with her suffering neighbours, seeks justice through legal means against the corporate companies for the loss of life caused by corporate interests. The author makes us witnesses to the long judicial process that gathers a motley group of people with conflicting interests: victims, local authorities, and corporation representatives. They come together to analyse and acknowledge their role in the process of environmental devastation.