LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 13 : 2 February 2013
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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‘Lovers of Nature’ in Willa Sibert Cather’s
O Pioneers! and My Antonia –
An Ecocritical Analysis

V. Shoba, M.A., M. Phil., Ph.D. Scholar
P. Nagaraj, Ph.D.

Abstract

Nature has always been an evergreen source for Willa Sibert Cather, the American Novelist. Being a lover of nature, Cather has presented characters longing to live with nature. In the novels, O Pioneers! (1913) and My Antonia (1918), we have characters loving the ecosystem and protecting it; we also see characters loving the ecosystem but unable to protect it due to unfortunate reasons.

In O Pioneers! (1913), Alexandra loves and yearns for the wild lands. She approaches the land in a gentle manner and in turn the land showers her with wealth. The same gentle approach towards nature is also found in Antonia, in My Antonia (1918). Antonia has the pioneer spirit at its best. Being a lover of the landscape, having undaunted cheerfulness and resiliency, Antonia climbs up the ladder of fortune and becomes a successful owner of a larger and fertile farm.

Male characters also equally love nature. Ivar, in O Pioneers! (1913), is the only character of Willa Cather practicing species egalitarianism. He relates easily to animals and takes care of them. Jim Burden in My Antonia (1918) adores nature and finds himself overjoyed when he is in nature’s bosom. In O Pioneers! (1913), Alexandra’s father, John Bergson, loves the land and faces many trials to withstand the onslaught of ruin, but his perseverance is all in vain.

Key Words: Eco-consciousness, eco-criticism, lover of nature, tamer, natural resource is trustworthy.

Growing Interest in Eco-friendly Life

These days, almost all people have turned their attention towards the planet of life, the earth. The ecosystem which accommodates human beings acts reflexively. A sudden attraction towards the ecosystem came about when scientists found a hole in the ozone layer. Then people began probing the planet more and more. They became more conscious of the environment in which they live.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

V. Shoba, M.A., M. Phil., Ph.D. Scholar
Department of English and Foreign Languages
Bharathiar University
Coimbatore 641 046
Tamil Nadu
India
shobade_kodeeswari@yahoo.co.in

P. Nagaraj Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of English and Foreign Languages
Bharathiar University
Coimbatore 641 046
Tamil Nadu
India
nagrajp.english@gmail.com
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