Estrangement of Man from Nature: An Ecocritical Study of Kiran Desai’s The Inheritance of Loss

Abstract

Ecocriticism relatively a new literary theory has emerged in the 1990s and has since gained significant attention in academic and literary circles. It is an interdisciplinary field that takes an earth-centered approach to literary studies, examining the relationship between literature and the environment. Ecocritics analyze literature through the lens of environmental issues, such as climate change, pollution, sustainability, and ecological relationships etc. They seek to understand how literature reflects and shape our understanding of the natural world, how it contributes to our cultural attitudes and behaviors toward the environment. Ecocriticism has expanded beyond traditional literary studies and has incorporated a range of disciplines, including history, philosophy, anthropology, and environmental studies. It seeks to bridge the gap between humanistic and scientific perspectives on environmental issues, and to explore the connections between literature, culture, and the natural world. In essence, ecocriticism is a literary theory that considers the natural environment as a critical factor in shaping the meaning and significance of literary works, and its insights have been applied to a wide range of literary genres, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and drama. This paper attempts to analyse Kiran Desai’s novel The Inheritance of Loss from eco-critical perspective. Additionally it demonstrates the connection between humankind and environment through flora, fauna, waterways, mountains, and wildlife. It also sensitively identifies culture as one of the factors contributing to the destruction of the natural world.