LITERATURE AND ECOLOGY: A STUDY OF WOLE SOYINKA’S A DANCE OF THE FORESTS AND THE BEATIFICATION OF AN AREA BOY

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Author

Presented To

Department of Arts

The current crisis of ecology and environmental pollution have gripped the attention and aroused the concern of many people alive today. Studies show that our imprudent behaviour towards, and utilisation of, Nature have pushed the world into a crisis that has not only led to the gradual destruction of our ecology and its very capacity to sustain life, but also threatens our survival. There is also the socio-economic and psychological dimension to the crisis. Many countries and organisations have endeavoured to prevent the further spread of the ecological crisis but in spite of all efforts, the ecological crisis continues to mount. This realisation has prompted scholars in various disciplines to open up ecological/environmental dimensions to their respective disciplines as a way of contributing to environmental restoration. Literary scholars have also joined the debate through the field of ecocriticism. This study attempts to explore the ways in which Soyinka participates and responds to the current ecological challenges. Using ecocriticism as a theoretical tool, the study contends that Soyinka’s philosophy which informs his literary works is Nature sensitive and attempts to address the basic presupposition at the roots of the ecological crisis. The study reveals that the current ecological crisis is a disturbing manifestation of the dangers inherent in a change in the structure of the relationship between man and Nature which currently assumes that humans are separate from Nature. Through his literary works, we get to see an alternative worldview which shows that man exists in a cosmic totality and is a part of Nature. The study also suggests that a consciousness of this fact enables us to live in greater peace and harmony with Nature; thus the call for a reassessment of some of the basic premises upon which our current practices are grounded.