Ecocriticism in Nature-Human interface in the Select Short Stories of Lakshmi Kannan: ‘Muniyakka’ ‘Nandanvan’ and ‘Islander’

Abstract

The word Eco- Criticism was first coined by William Rueckert in 1978 in his work essay entitled “Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Eco- Criticism. Ecocriticism asks us to examine ourselves and the world around us, critiquing how we represent and construct the environment both “natural” and manmade. At the heart Eco- Criticism, many maintain is “a commitment to environ mentality from whatever critical vantage point” (Buell II). Eco-criticism and Ecology are significant ones in the literary world. Many authors have become environmentally conscious in their writings. Nature has always been considered feminine because of her tenderness, fertility and motherly hood. The paper aims to bring out the importance of nature and its significance in healing the sorrows of human beings. Lakshmi Kannan’s achievement as a short story writer rests mainly on her simplicity and directness of expression. Her short stories present a unique combination of the writer’s sincerity of feelings. The themes of these short stories have been various and came from a very wide field. Lakshmi saw innumerable types of people and situations in life, and all seemed worth seeing. She could sympathize with these innumerable situations and thus comprehend their inner being.