Wounded Landscapes: An Eco-Memory Reading of Human–Nature Violence in Select Indian Climate Fiction
Sr No:
Page No:
28-30
Language:
English
Authors:
S. Kaviarasu* & Dr. S. Arun Kumar
Received:
2026-03-16
Accepted:
2026-04-17
Published Date:
2026-04-28
Abstract:
This paper explores how select works of contemporary Indian climate fiction engage with the intertwined histories of
ecological trauma and human violence through the lens of eco-memory. Situated at the intersection of environmental humanities and
postcolonial literary studies, the study argues that Nilanjana Roy’s Black River, Prayag Akbar’s Leila, Bijal Vachharajani’s Savi and
the Memory Keeper, and Shubhangi Swarup’s Latitudes of Longing depict landscapes deeply scarred by climate change, extractive
capitalism, and colonial legacies. At the same time, these texts animate memory as a vital force for ethical engagement, resistance, and
potential regeneration.
Through qualitative textual analysis and theoretical grounding in trauma and memory studies, the paper demonstrates how each
narrative situates violence at the intersection of environmental degradation, social injustice, and individual subjectivity. It further
contends that eco-memory operates not merely as preservation but as an active, embodied archive inscribed in rivers, forests,
wastelands, and urban ruins. By foregrounding silenced ecological histories and uneven climate experiences shaped by caste, class,
and gender, these novels challenge anthropocentric frameworks and call for a rethinking of human–nature relations. Ultimately, the
study positions Indian climate fiction as a critical literary site where storytelling becomes an act of witnessing, mourning, and
reimagining more just and reciprocal ecological futures.
Keywords:
Eco-memory, Ecological Trauma, Environmental Degradation, Anthropocentrism, Climate Fiction, Memory and Landscape.