LANGUAGE, NATURE AND HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY: RESTRUCTURING THE ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS IN RICHARD POWERS’ THE OVERSTORY

Abstract

The study investigated the role of language in restructuring the environmental ethics in society through highlighting the ecological themes in fictions particularly in Richard Power’s The Overstory. The research examined the art of employing certain linguistic devices like metaphor and symbolism in literature to highlight the complex bond present between language, nature, and human responsibility. The characters in the novel are set to challenge ethical problems linked to deforestation, conservation, and the inherent value of the natural world, with their decisions deeply influenced by the language and narratives they construct. The study employed Arran Stibbe’s theory to critically analyse the eco linguistic aspects in The Overstory promoting the language of environmental activism. Certain ethical inferences of human interaction with nature, including issues like deforestation and conservation are highlighted and analysed through characters’ use of language to advocate for ecological preservation and to foster a deeper connection to the environment. The research revealed that The Overstory not only develops readers understanding of eco-linguistic discourse but also challenged to reexamine their ethical responsibilities toward nature. The findings of the research emphasized the significant role that literature and language play in shaping environmental consciousness and contributing to insights in the broader social attitudes toward nature that the novel reflects.