Examining the Functions of Ecological Discourses in Joël Egloff’s L'Étourdissement

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of French Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

The environment is an active element in environmental literature, serving as a reminder of ancient patterns and human historical memory. Unlike ecocritical criticism, which is a specialized field in literature, ecopoetic criticism has been integrated with such sciences as linguistics, zoology, sociology, anthropology, etc., and has opened up new dimensions in literary studies. The study of the relationship between humans and the environment has led to much attention to the role of humans in increasing or decreasing environmental damage. This reflection resulted in the emergence of new discourses in literature aimed at preserving the environment. Sub-branches of ecocritical criticism, such as environmental linguistics, have focused on language as a social behavior with cultural, identity, social class, and gender factors. They have expanded social discourse and changed human attitudes and behaviors towards the environment. The zoopoetics discourse has focused on animal imagery in literary texts and human/animal interactions. The ecocriticism discourse has repeatedly revealed new meanings in eco-centered discourses by expressing the role of technology in environmental destruction and revival. Egloff in L'Étourdissement uses images related to pollution and animal slaughter to refer to the role of humans and modernity in environmental destruction. This paper examines the function of eco-centered discourses in reflecting the ideology of the society by relying on ecocritical criticism and critical discourse analysis. Results show the generation of risk discourses against the weakness of environmental protection discourses. L'Étourdissement provides a space for the formation of new discourses aimed at promoting environmental culture.

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References

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Research in Contemporary World Literature
Volume 28, Issue 1
August 2023
Pages 163-187

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