Globalization and Postmodern Ecology: A Study of the Anthropocene in Contemporary Climate Fictions

Abstract

Purpose of the study: Globalization has become a primary source for implementing capitalistic life. The advancement in human development has led to the Anthropocene. This paper focuses on how globalization impacts global climate change and the loss of identity and home due to humans' exploratory attitude toward the environment and its effect on surroundings. Issues in the study are addressed from a postmodern ecological perspective. Methodology: The researcher has taken ecocriticism as the analyzing theory to expose the ideology of anthropocentrism, which keeps humans at the centre of the earth and nature at its periphery. Apocalypticism is chosen theoretical tool of ecocritical analysis. Environmental ethics and justice is used to analyze ecocentric issues. Intertextuality and comparative study of novels are taken as the primary methods. Main Findings: Globalization is responsible for urban areas' rapid development, and anthropocentric variants are responsible for ecological disasters or climate change. This study demonstrates that human beings' perception of nature as a commodity/object to satisfy humans' unlimited desire has endangered nature. It is time to critically question the human interference in nature and create hope for rebuilding a new ecocentric mindset. The Application of the study: Eco literature deals with ecocentric issues through literary genres. The present paper studies the human-nature relationship and analysis how contemporary ecocentric novels deconstruct the culture-nature binary and anthropocentric hegemony. Hence, it is interdisciplinary. The above concerns are addressed from the perspective of climate fiction- The Hungry Tide and MaddAddam. The study's findings are not just restricted to the academic domain; instead, it appeals to all humans to change their notion of nature and aim for a sustainable environment. Novelty/Originality: In general, environmental and ecological studies scholars have resolved the ecocentric issue. In contrast to the above, the issue has been discussed from the lens of eco literature. Besides theorizing this academic discourse, the everyday human-nonhuman relationship is also portrayed through climate fiction.