Wilderness as a panacea: An Ecocritical Study of the Diane Cook's The New Wilderness

Abstract

A clean and pure ecosphere is the key to life. The environment has a significant impact on human health and the continuous nature of life on the planet, earth. The situation regarding climate and environment is getting worse with each passing day. It is Getting alarming due to the changing effects of the ecosystem. Ecocriticism is all about the study and the examination of the relationship between the human beings and the natural world. Nature is badly disturbed because of human activities. The study aims at exploring the paradigm of ecocriticism, proposed by Greg Gerard, with its special emphasis on the concept of wilderness. The novel The New Wilderness written by Diane Cook has been chosen for Research. The study will focus on the concept of wilderness along with its Panacean effects on the ecosphere. It aims at supporting the stance that wilderness is not the place to exile rather it acts as a savior to humanity. The study will focus on the concepts of nature and wilderness. The story of the novel, The New Wilderness revolves around a group of people who are disturbed by the polluted environment of the city and decide to flee from the city towards the wilderness in search of peace and tranquillity. They struggle for their survival. They shifted from urban to natural ecosphere for their protection and relief from the toxic livelihood of cities. The study will explore the notion that either the wilderness is harmful or productive for its inhabitants. The study is significant because it discusses the notion of protecting nature.