From Anthropocentrism to Ecological Agency: A Contemporary Ecocritical Reading of Environmental Crisis in Literature

Abstract

Ecocriticism has emerged as an important interdisciplinary approach for examining the relationship between literature, culture, and the physical environment. While early ecocritical studies primarily concentrated on wilderness, nature writing, and the representation of landscapes, contemporary ecological criticism increasingly addresses climate change, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, extractivism, environmental justice, and the agency of nonhuman beings. This article examines the transformation of ecocritical thought from an anthropocentric interpretation of nature toward a broader ecological framework that recognizes the interconnectedness of humans, nonhuman life, and environmental systems. Using qualitative textual analysis, the study proposes an Ecological Agency Framework for examining environmental narratives through four dimensions: ecological representation, human–nature relationships, structures of environmental power, and ecological resistance or recovery. The article argues that literature does more than represent environmental destruction; it can challenge dominant assumptions about human superiority, expose unequal environmental relationships, and cultivate ecological awareness. The study contributes to contemporary ecocritical scholarship by offering an integrated analytical framework that connects literary representation with ecological agency and environmental responsibility. The findings suggest that ecocritical reading can serve as an important intellectual bridge between literary studies and the broader environmental humanities. Keywords: Ecocriticism; ecological agency; anthropocentrism; environmental humanities; climate literature; environmental justice; human–nature relationship.