Ecological sublimity in Pearl S.Buck's The Good Earth and Arundhati's Roy's The God of Small Things

Abstract

This research explores and analyses the sense of ecological sublimity the protagonists from Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth (1931) and Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things (1997) go through. The Good Earth tells a story of a protagonist named Wang Lung, who realizes the richness of the land despite its maltreatment caused by modern development in China. The God of Small Things deals with the characters Rahel and Estha who are moved by the water pollution in the River Meenachal because of the expansion of the tourism industry in Kerala, India. Both the novels project the interconnection of human beings and nature through land and water resources. These protagonists and other characters from both novels claim that mistreatment of land and water resources brings pain to human life. They speak for the need of harmony and integration with nature as the harbinger of joy and bliss. This research aims to highlight and explore the ecological sensibility the protagonists live through. For this, a systematic exploration of the fiction with the eco-critical insights envisioned by Aldo Leopold and Paul W. Taylor has been taken. The protagonist, in both novels, rises above the aftermath of materialistic rupture during their journey. They display their abundance of love for natural resources like land and water resources. Otherwise, they would have neither coped up with the modern development nor shown a tribute to River Meenachal. From the perspective of protagonists, eco-critical vision is a gateway to experience the sublime world and attain blissful pride.