Research Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the contrasting environmental
ethics of anthropocentrism and ecocentrism in Barbara Kingsolver’s
Flight Behavior and Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide. By analysing
these novels, the research aims to explore how each text represents
human-nature relationships, the moral responsibilities of individuals
and communities toward the environment, and the consequences of
climate change.
This study will investigate how Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior
critiques anthropocentric attitudes toward ecological crises,
particularly through the lens of climate change and human
intervention. Similarly, it will analyse The Hungry Tide in the context
of ecocentric ethics, focusing on the Sundarbans’ fragile ecosystem
and the conflict between human survival and environmental
conservation. By comparing these works, the research seeks to
contribute to the broader discourse of environmental ethics in
literature, emphasizing the role of fiction in shaping ecological
awareness and advocating for sustainable environmental perspectives.
Key objective points
1. To analyse the representation of human-nature relationships in
Flight Behavior and The Hungry Tide, examining how each novel
portrays the interaction between humans and the environment.
2. To explore the critique of anthropocentrism in Flight Behavior by
assessing how the novel addresses human-centered attitudes toward
climate change and ecological crises.
3. To examine the ecocentric ethics in The Hungry Tide by evaluating
the novel’s depiction of the Sundarbans' ecosystem and the tensions
between human survival and environmental conservation.
4. To compare the environmental ethics of both novels to understand
how fiction contributes to ecological awareness, moral responsibility,
and advocacy for sustainable environmental perspectives.
Literature Review
Abdelhafid Jabri writes in his research paper Environmental Epiphany
in Barbara Kingsolver’s novel Flight Behaviour that environmental
epiphanies enrich the novel’s eco-fiction themes, particularly through
Dellarobia’s deepening care for nature. Her unexpected encounters
with the nonhuman world heighten her awareness and inspire
responsible actions. The paper suggests these moments warrant
further study in environmental fiction and across cultures. It also
questions how the story might change if another character discovered
the monarch butterflies first.
Vishwa Bhushan suggests in his research paper An Ecology and Eco-
Criticism in Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide that Amitav Ghosh’s
The Hungry Tide explores nature’s resistance to human control, the
impact of globalization, and the historical Morichjhapi incident. It
highlights environmental concerns, the settlers’ struggles, and the
conflict with authorities. While globalization aids education and
progress, Ghosh also critiques its dehumanizing effects on
marginalized communities, which not only showcase the imbalance
between the environmental justice and social justice.
Dr T Eswar Rao, in his research paper Woman and Climate Change in
Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behaviour talks about how women are
particularly connected and related with nature. He also talks about
how by blending science and creativity, the novel highlights
humanity’s role in ecological destruction and the need for harmony
between humans and nature. It reinforces Barry Commoner’s
ecological principle that "everything is connected" and demonstrates
how fiction can convey scientific truths.
Dr Rajesh Kumar Verma in his research paper The Hungry Tide Of
Amitav Ghosh: An Ecocritical Analysis state that the novel critiques
state politics and its deceptive development schemes while exploring
the deep interconnectedness between humans and nature through
ecocriticism. Ghosh employs postmodernist techniques like pastiche
and historiographic fiction to shape the novel’s ecopoetic message. It
warns against nature’s backlash due to long-term exploitation. The
text also highlights the contrast between ecocriticism and critical
animal studies—while both seek to redefine human-nonhuman
relationships, ecocriticism focuses on systemic harm, whereas animal
studies emphasize the cognitive and emotional lives of higher animals
and oppose intentional violence against them. These perspectives
sometimes clash over ecosystem conservation ethics.
Surbhi A. Gausvami and Hasmukh Patel in their research paper
Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior: Dystopian Novel try to
exemplify the novel as a cautionary tale for the future by stating that
the novel emphasizes the need for environmental awareness and
harmony between humans and nature. Kingsolver integrates scientific
and ecological themes, highlighting humanity’s role in climate
change. By leaving the novel’s ending open, she underscores the
consequences of environmental neglect and urges readers to adopt
eco-conscious lifestyles.
Faten Ahmed Ramadan. In his research paper Fiction as an
Expression of Social and Environmental Commitment: An
Ecosocialist Reading of Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior argues
that society and ecological disasters are deeply connected, as
environmental issues are shaped by social structures. Flight Behavior
portrays climate change as a complex, intertwined crisis requiring
interdisciplinary study. Kingsolver highlights the human-nature
relationship, urging new critical approaches, including ecosocialist
perspectives, to analyze ecological and social disruptions. Future
research can explore the novel’s language, its blend of scientific facts
and biblical allusions, and their role in representing climate change.
Alexa Weik, University of California, San Diego, in his thesis The
Home, the Tide, and the World:Eco-cosmopolitan Encounters in
Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide argues how the environmentalism
in the west and in the east differ from each other and how the
wilderness can have different meanings in in different societies and
cultures. He says that The Hungry Tide explores the Sundarbans, a
vast mangrove ecosystem threatened by rising sea levels and species
extinction. The region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and
Biosphere Reserve, serves as both a protective barrier against
cyclones and a site of historical conflicts, including a 1979 massacre.
Ghosh highlights its ecological and cultural significance, intertwining
colonial and postcolonial narratives. Through rich scientific and
technical details, the novel emphasizes the Sundarbans’ fragile yet
vital role in India’s environmental and social landscape.
Navya Kapoor and Dr Surbhi Sarswat, in their research paper
Liberation of Women and Nature: An Ecofeminist Analysis of
Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior and The Bean Trees review the
novel in an ecofeminist light and say that Barbara Kingsolver plays a
key role in ecofeminism, using her novels The Bean Trees and Flight
Behavior to critique androcentrism and anthropocentrism. She
highlights strong female protagonists who resist societal oppression
while emphasizing the deep connection between women and nature.
Flight Behavior parallels Dellarobia’s struggles with the displacement
of monarch butterflies, both affected by male-driven decisions and
materialistic culture. The Bean Trees explores themes of found family
and interdependence, symbolized by the wisteria vine and rhizobia.
Both novels underscore the need for unity, environmental awareness,
and the liberation of women and nature from restrictive forces.
List of Secondary sources:
1. Jabri, Abdelhafid. "Environmental Epiphany in Barbara
Kingsolver’s Novel Flight Behaviour." Mohammed I University,
January 2023,
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373903652_Environmental_
epiphany_in_Barbara_Kingsolver's_novel_Flight_Behaviour
2. Bhushan, Vishwa. "An Ecology and Eco-Criticism in Amitav
Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide." Department of English & MEL,
University of Lucknow, Vol. V & Issue VI (February- 2021).
www.thecreativelaucher.com
3. Rao, T. Eswar. "Woman and Climate Change in Barbara
Kingsolver’s Flight Behaviour." Dept. of English, Berhampur
University, Bhanja Bihar, February 2021
,https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363061467_Woman_and_
Climate_Change_in_Barbara_Kingsolver's_Flight_Behaviour
4. Verma, Rajesh Kumar. "The Hungry Tide of Amitav Ghosh: An
Ecocritical Analysis." International Journal of Humanities Social
Science and Management (IJHSSM)
Volume 4, Issue 4, Jul.-Aug., 2024, pp: 153-156 www.ijhssm.org
5. Gausvami, Surbhi A., and Hasmukh Patel. "Barbara Kingsolver’s
Flight Behavior: Dystopian Novel." International Journal of
Architectural Heritage
http://architecture.journalspub.info/index.php?
journal=ijah&page=index [Volume 7, Issue 1, 2024].
6. Ramadan, Faten Ahmed. "Fiction as an Expression of Social and
Environmental Commitment: An Ecosocialist Reading of Barbara
Kingsolver’s Flight Behaviour." Faculty of Arts, Fayoum University,
Egypt, 2018
EKBhttps://opde.journals.ekb.egPDFAn Ecosocialist Reading of
Barbara Kingsolver's Flight Behavior
7. Weik, Alexa. "The Home, the Tide, and the World: Eco-
cosmopolitan Encounters in Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide."
University of California, San Diego, September 2006, Thesis. Journal
of Commonwealth and Postcolonial Studies
8. Kapoor, Navya, and Surbhi Saraswat. "Liberation of Women and
Nature: An Ecofeminist Analysis of Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight
Behavior and The Bean Trees." Amity Institute of English Studies
and Research, Amity University Noida, Volume 12, Issue 4 April
2024,IJCRThttps://www.ijcrt.orgPDFAn Ecofeminist Analysis of
Barbara Kingsolver's Flight Behavior and The …
1. The Green Language by Raymond Williams
2. Ecocriticism by Greg Garrad.
3. The Future of Environmental Criticism by Lawrence Buell.
4. Anthropocentrism and its Discontent by Gary Steiner.
5. Heroines of Nature: Four Women Respond to the American
Landscape by Vera L. Norwood
Research Gaps and Problems:
1. Limited Comparative Analysis of Anthropocentrism vs.
Ecocentrism
Existing research primarily focuses on individual novels but lacks a
direct comparative study of Flight Behavior and The Hungry Tide in
terms of their environmental ethics. A detailed contrast between
anthropocentrism (human-centered approach) in Kingsolver’s novel
and ecocentrism (nature-centered approach) in Ghosh’s novel is
necessary to highlight different perspectives on climate change and
conservation.
2. Intersection of Environmental Ethics and Social Justice
While some studies discuss the impact of globalization and political
structures (e.g., Morichjhapi massacre in The Hungry Tide), they do
not fully explore how environmental ethics intersect with social
justice, displacement, and marginalization. Your research can address
how these novels present ethical dilemmas where human rights and
environmental conservation are in tension.
3. Role of Fiction in Shaping Climate Consciousness
Although many studies acknowledge the ecological themes in these
novels, there is limited exploration of how literature actively
influences readers’ environmental consciousness and advocacy for
sustainable practices. Your research could assess the effectiveness of
fiction in shifting public perception toward climate change and
ecological responsibility.
4. Gender and Environmental Ethics (Beyond Ecofeminism)
Research on Flight Behavior has explored ecofeminism, but there is
less discussion on how gender roles influence environmental ethics in
both novels. How do male and female characters perceive and react to
environmental crises differently? Does gender shape their ecological
ethics—whether anthropocentric or ecocentric?
5. Scientific and Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Environmental
Ethics
Kingsolver integrates scientific climate discourse, while Ghosh
incorporates indigenous knowledge of the Sundarbans. However,
existing research does not fully analyze how these different
epistemologies shape the environmental ethics of each novel. Your
study can examine the contrast between Western scientific approaches
in Flight Behavior and local/indigenous ecological wisdom in The
Hungry Tide.
6. The Role of Nonhuman Agents in Environmental Ethics
There is limited discussion on the agency of nonhuman elements
(monarch butterflies in Flight Behavior, the Sundarbans’ tiger and
river ecosystem in The Hungry Tide). Your study could explore how
nonhuman forces in both novels shape ethical decision-making and
challenge human dominance.
7. Alternative Futures and Environmental Hope vs. Despair
Some scholars discuss Flight Behavior as a dystopian cautionary tale,
but there is less focus on whether these novels offer hope for
ecological restoration. Does either novel propose solutions for a
sustainable future, or do they reinforce climate pessimism?
Certainly! Here’s the hypothesis, research questions, and
methodology presented separately:
Hypothesis
This study hypothesizes that Flight Behavior critiques
anthropocentrism by illustrating the consequences of human-centered
ecological perspectives, while The Hungry Tide advocates for
ecocentrism by emphasizing the fragility of the Sundarbans
ecosystem. It further argues that both novels contribute to the
discourse on environmental ethics by shaping readers’ ecological
awareness and moral responsibilities toward nature. Additionally, the
study posits that fiction serves as a powerful medium for addressing
climate change and environmental justice by highlighting the tensions
between human survival and ecological preservation.
Research Questions
1. How do Flight Behavior and The Hungry Tide represent human-
nature relationships, and what ethical perspectives do they
adopt?
2. In what ways does Flight Behavior critique anthropocentric
attitudes toward climate change and ecological crises?
3. How does The Hungry Tide portray ecocentric ethics, and what
role do the Sundarbans’ ecosystem and its nonhuman agents
play in this representation?
4. How do both novels address the intersection of environmental
ethics and social justice, particularly concerning displacement
and marginalization?
5. What role does fiction play in shaping climate consciousness
and advocating for sustainable environmental perspectives?
Methodology
This study will employ a qualitative, comparative literary analysis
approach, using ecocriticism as the primary theoretical framework. A
close textual analysis of Flight Behavior and The Hungry Tide will be
conducted to examine themes, narrative techniques, character
perspectives, and ecological symbolism. Comparative analysis will
highlight the differences and similarities in how these novels
approach environmental ethics, with particular attention to their
treatment of nonhuman agents such as monarch butterflies, the
Sundarbans’ tiger, and the river ecosystem.
The study will also incorporate postcolonial ecocriticism to analyze
the historical and socio-political context of The Hungry Tide and
ecofeminism to explore gender roles in environmental ethics,
particularly in Flight Behavior. An interdisciplinary approach will be
adopted by integrating scientific perspectives on climate change (as
depicted in Flight Behavior) and indigenous ecological knowledge (as
represented in The Hungry Tide). Secondary sources from
environmental literature, literary criticism, and climate science will be
used to support the analysis. Additionally, the study will consider how
fiction influences readers’ environmental awareness, drawing from
research on literature’s role in social change.
