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The aim of the paper is to discover to what extent and in which respects James Fenimore Cooper’s novel The Pioneers (1823) can be regarded as the forerunner of American environmental literature, preceding thus Henry David Thoreau’s Walden (1854), which is usually considered as the foundational text. As a classification frame, the paper employs Lawrence Buell’s set of interrelated imaginative structures of ecocentric literary vision. The results of the examination indicate that out of the five imaginative structures of environmental literature, Relinquishment, Nature’s Personhood, Nature’s Face and Mind’s Eye: Seasons, Sense of Place, and Environmental Apocalypticism, all are at work and display a distinctive ecocentric orientation in the novel but with a different degree of intensity and frequency.

Rad se bavi ekokritičkim čitanjem romana Mladenka kostonoga (2020) Želimira Periša i Brod za Issu (2022) Roberta Perišića. Navedenim tekstovima pristupa se iz perspektive ključnih pitanja kojima je zaokupljena ekokritika, a definirala ih je Cheryll Glotfelty (1996), polazeći prije svega od načina na koji je u književnim tekstovima reprezentirana sama priroda, odnos prirode i kulture te ljudskog i neljudskog. Posebno važno ekokritičko pitanje jest i kakav etički i ideološki stav tekstovi zastupaju u pristupu problemu antropocentrizma. Interpretacija romana Mladenka kostonoga polazi od oprečne reprezentacije prostora austrijskog i hrvatskog dijela Habsburške Monarhije te se koncentrira na lik vještice Gile s obzirom na njezinu vezu s prirodom kao „netaknutom divljinom“, odnosno prostorom izvan ljudskog utjecaja. S obzirom na učestale teme problematičnog odnosa muškaraca prema ženama u kojemu se očituje tvrdokorni patrijarhat u Periševu romanu, u interpretaciju se uključuje i ekofeministička perspektiva. Naime, odnos muškaraca prema ženama, kao i odnos ljudskog prema neljudskom u romanu su uokvireni patrijarhalnim stavom potrebe vladanja nad ženom i nad prirodom, čemu se lik vještice Gile radikalno opire. S druge strane, u romanu Brod za Issu zastupljen je širok spektar ekokritičkih problema, najviše kroz likove Vjetropira, dječaka roba Kalije, mačka Miu i magarca Mikra. Prije svega, pripovijedanje je u romanu prepušteno neljudskoj fokalizaciji, liku Vjetropira koji zastupa kritički stav prema ulozi koju je čovjek odigrao u povijesti „pripitomljavanja“ prirode. Kroz odnose dječaka Kalije prema životinjama, naročito s mačkom Miu i magarcem Mikrom, reflektiraju se pitanja slobode i ropstva, odnosno iskorištavanja Drugih. Također, opreka prirode i kulture izoštrena je u odnosu Grka prema Liburnima, preciznije Liburnkama, te Grka prema društvu i prirodi uopće s naglaskom na sukobu aristotelovskih i pitagorejskih stavova i mišljenja. The paper deals with an ecocritical reading of the novels Mladenka kostonoga (2020) by Želimir Periš, and Brod za Issu (2022) by Robert Perišić. These texts are analysed from the perspective of the key issues which characterise ecocriticism, as defined by Cheryll Glotfelty (1996), considering first of all the way nature itself is represented in literary texts, the relationship between nature and culture, and between human and non-human. A particularly important ecocritical question is what kind of ethical and ideological position the texts advocate in approaching the problem of anthropocentrism. The interpretation of the novel Mladenka kostonoga is based on the conflicting representation of the Austrian and Croatian parts of the Habsburg Monarchy and concentrates on the character of the witch Gila with regard to her connection with nature as “untouched wilderness”, that is, with space beyond human influence. Given the frequent topics of the problematic relationship between men and women, in which the stubborn patriarchy is manifested in Periš's novel, the interpretation includes an ecofeminist perspective. The relationship between men and women, as well as the relationship between human and non-human, are complemented in the novel by the patriarchal attitude of the need to rule over women and over nature, which the witch Gila radically resists. On the other hand, in the novel Brod za Issu, a wide range of ecocritical problems is represented, mostly through the characters of Vjetropir, the slave boy Kalija, the cat Miu and the donkey Mikro. First of all, the narration in the novel is left to non-human focalisation, the character of Vjetropir who represents a critical attitude towards the role humans have played in the history of the “domestication” of nature. Through the relationship of the boy Kalija with animals, especially with the cat Miu and the donkey Mikro, the issues of freedom and slavery, that is, the exploitation of Others, are reflected. Also, the opposition of nature and culture is expressed in the attitude of Greeks towards Liburnians, more specifically Liburnian women, and Greeks towards society and nature in general, with an emphasis on the conflict between Aristotelian and Pythagorean attitudes and opinions.

Prikaz knjige:Adam J. Goldwyn, Byzantine Ecocriticism: Women, Nature and Power in the Medieval Greek Romance, Palgrave Macmillian, 2018, 240 str. Review:Adam J. Goldwyn, Byzantine Ecocriticism: Women, Nature and Power in the Medieval Greek Romance, Palgrave Macmillian, 2018, 240 str.

The article discusses the topic of poetry, poetic language and mimesis in the context of ecocritical and ecopoetic approach to the study of literature. The first part presents and discusses significant theoretical and critical insights regarding the relationship between poetic language and the environment—from ecophenomenology to insights influenced bypoststructuralism. Based on these more general observations, the second part provides an interpretation of poetry by contemporary Croatian poet Slađan Lipovec, whose poetry features prominently the themes of the natural environment.

Desde sus principios, la cultura escrita canaria fue determinada por las condiciones físicas de ese territorio. Este trabajo ofrece el análisis de una parte de los textos en prosa escritos en las Islas Canarias durante el siglo pasado, con el acento especial en el motivo del paisaje. En el ejemplo de las obras de los escritores canarios – Francisco González Díaz, los vanguardistas y los Fetasa, pero también no canarios –Miguel de Unamuno, se repiensa el significado y el valor del paisaje insular, en el nivel físico y simbólico. En el sentido de la estética de la crítica medioambiental, se habla de la identidad local, del fuerte sentido de la pertenencia al espacio insular y de la influencia mutua entre el hombre y la naturaleza. La mayoría de los autores comparte el apego íntimo a la tierra en la que vive y la creación de unos paisajes literarios abstractos, inspirados en el espacio insular. Los autores de la primera mitad del siglo trataron el tema del aislamiento y su sentido espiritual y se esforzaron activa y abiertamente a que ese paisaje insular árido se preservara y valorara, todo a través de las formas vanguardistas experimentales. Los autores de la segunda mitad del siglo sobrepasaron el sentimiento del aislamiento y, en él, encontraron las respuestas a las preguntas existencialistas, colocando a sus personajes en los paisajes fetasianos mágicos. Kanarska pisana kultura od svojih početaka bila je uvjetovana fizičkim vrijednostima toga prostora. Tako ovaj rad nudi pregled dijela proznih tekstova napisanih tijekom prošlog stoljeća na Kanarskom otočju, s posebnim naglaskom na motiv krajolika. Na primjeru djela kanarskih pisaca –Francisca Gonzáleza Díaza, avangarde i grupe Fetasa, ali i onih koji nisu s Kanarskog otočja, no pripadaju kanarskoj književnosti–Miguela de Unamuna, promišlja se o značenju i vrijednosti otočnog krajolika, na fizičkoj i simboličkoj razini. Iz očišta ekokritičke estetike, govori se o lokalnom identitetu, snažnom osjećaju pripadnosti otočnom prostoru i međusobnim utjecajima čovjeka i prirode. Većini autora zajednička je intimna povezanost sa zemljom na kojoj žive i stvaranje apstraktnih književnih krajolika, inspiriranih otočnim prostorom. Autori prve polovice stoljeća bavili su se temom izolacije i njezinog duhovnog aspekta, te se aktivnije i otvorenije zalagali da se škrti okoliš otoka prihvati i čuva, sve u okviru eksperimentalne, avangardne forme. Autori druge polovice stoljeća su, međutim, nadvladali osjećaj osamljivanja te u njemu našli odgovore na egzistencijalistička pitanja, smještajući svoje likove u magične fetazijanske krajolike.

Growing environmental concerns made writers and critics think about the human-nature relationship. This led to the emergence of ecocriticism- a critical study that focuses on nature representation in literature. Even though it originated in the West, The United States, it spread to other parts of the world, reaching the East and Japan. As it developed, ecocriticism influenced other fields like TV, animation, and cinema. With the urge to introduce children to the environmental crisis as soon as possible, animators and directors started working on cartoons focusing on those. Different representations of nature have been applied, one being nature as 'Mother Nature,' the image of which is debatable to ecofeminists. The question is how these animated movies depict nature and how this depiction influences children's understanding of nature and the environment. Since every studio has its own style, influenced by the culture within which it exists, the primary objective of this thesis paper is to analyze how the depiction of nature is related to culture and vice versa. Also, the other objective is to question how this connection is represented in animated movies focusing on different customs of the Pacific – the art of sailing and folk stories about deities and nature - and religions of the East – mainly Shintoism with forest spirits and animals - applied to Disney's Moana and Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke. Sve veća zabrinutost za okoliš navela je pisce i kritičare na razmišljanje o odnosu čovjeka i prirode. To je dovelo do nastanka ekokritike – kritičkog osvrta koji se fokusira na prikaz prirode u književnosti. Iako je nastao na Zapadu, u Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama, proširio se u druge dijelove svijeta, dospjevši na Istok i Japan. Kako se razvijala, ekokritika je utjecala na druga područja poput televizije, animacije i kina. Sa željom da djecu što prije upoznaju s ekološkom krizom, animatori i redatelji krenuli su raditi na crtićima s navedenom temom. Primijenjene su različite reprezentacije prirode - jedna od njih je priroda kao 'majka priroda', čiji prikaz ekofeministice smatraju diskutabilnim. Pitanje je kako ovi animirani filmovi prikazuju prirodu i kako taj prikaz utječe na dječje razumijevanje prirode i okoliša. Budući da svaki studio ima svoj stil, na koji utječe kultura unutar koje postoji, primarni cilj ovog diplomskog rada je analizirati kako je prikaz prirode povezan s kulturom i obrnuto. Također, drugi cilj je ispitati kako je ta veza predstavljena u animiranim filmovima koji prikazuju različite običaje Pacifika – umijeće plovidbe i narodne priče o božanstvima i prirodi – te religije Istoka – uglavnom šintoizam sa šumskim duhovima i životinjama –primijenjenim na Disneyjevu Moanu i Princezu Mononoke Studija Ghibli.

Naloga na kratko predstavi teoretske osnove ekokritike in na njeni podlagi analizira Vonnegutov roman Galapagos. Ekokritika se ukvarja predvsem s tem, kako je v literaturi podan odnos človeka do njegovega okolja, to pa zajema tako naravno kot družbeno okolje. Roman je izrazito kritičen do družbe in uničevanja okolja ter tako zelo primeren za takšno analizo. Naloga poleg odnosa do narave raziskuje tudi, kako je človek od narave zaradi inteligentnosti in moralnega vrednotenja ločen in hkrati z njo povezan po svojem izvoru. V središče zanimanja naloga postavlja etiko, ki jo roman relativizira in hkrati potrjuje. S svojim pozivom k do družbenega in naravnega okolja bolj vključujoči etiki Galapagos lahko pomembno prispeva k okoljski in ekološki zavesti etično občutljivega bralca. This thesis briefly introduces the principles of ecocriticism and uses it as a basis for an analysis of Vonnegut’s novel Galápagos. The main focal point of ecocriticism is literary representation of man’s relationship to his environment, which includes both nature and society. The novel is distinctively critical towards society and destruction of nature, and as such suitable for such an analysis. In addition to mankind’s view on nature, the thesis explores how humans are separated from nature due to intelligence and the capability of moral valuation, and how they remain connected to it in their origin. The thesis focuses on ethics, which the novel simultaneously relativizes and affirms. With its appeal to a more acceptive ethical perception, Galápagos can contribute greatly to ecological and environmental awareness of a morally susceptible reader.

Naloga na kratko razišče teoretske osnove opisnega pesništva narave v evropskem razsvetljenstvu in jih skuša prilagoditi specifikam slovenskega stanja v tovrstni poeziji, ki od njega v marsičem odstopa. Z iskanjem konkretnih pesmi v nekaterih periodikah 19. stoletja skuša najti reprezentativen nabor poezije, ki omogoča analizo in razvrstitev del na najpogostejše podenote glede na tematsko usmeritev in morebitno sporočilnost. Pesmi skuša aktualizirati tudi z ekokritiško metodo analize, ki raziskuje predvsem vlogo narave v tekstih in odnos ljudi do okolja. This thesis briefly explores the teoretical background of descriptive nature poems of European Enlightenment and aims to adjust it to the specifics of such poetry in Slovenia, where it differs from its European equivalent. By searching for examples in some periodicals of the 19th century it aims to find a representative corpus of poetry, that would enable an analysis and clasification of these texts by their most frequent subunits according to their themes and ideas. The thesis then aims to revive interest in those poems by analysing them through the ecocritical method, that explores mainly the role of nature in literature and the relationship beetwen mankind and its environment.

El presente trabajo analiza la nouvelle Distancia de rescate (2014) de la escritora argentina Samanta Schweblin en clave ecocrítica. Tras la presentación de la evolución histórica de la ecocrítica y sus postulados generales, y el repaso de la producción literaria de la autora y su posición dentro de la llamada Nueva narrativa argentina, sigue el estudio del plano formal y temático del texto. La estructura de Distancia de rescate, con un especial detenimiento en la función de los narradores, se entiende como reflejo del plano simbólico de dicha obra. Se examina el mundo tóxico ecogótico que crea Schweblin —sus puntos geográficos más relevantes, representación del campo contaminado y la ciudad lejana, así como la función curativa del agua— para decidir si cumple con los rasgos del discurso tóxico como los definió Buell. Asimismo, ese analiza la representación de los animales, que padecen síntomas letales igual que los humanos, y las figuras maternales e infantiles que figuran en la narración. La última parte del trabajo se centra en la escena final de la obra como el foco en el que confluyen varios tropos medioambientales y múltiples lecturas posibles de la nouvelle. Finalmente, se reflexiona sobre la interacción del acervo cultural del que se vale la autora y el aporte de la obra a los nuevos imaginarios medioambientales que emergen en la literatura contemporánea. Ovaj je rad ekokritička analiza kratkog romana „Nit koja nas veže” (2014.) argentinske spisateljice Samante Schweblin. Nakon osvrta na povijesni razvoj ekokritike i njezine opće postavke, te pregleda književnog opusa autorice i njezina položaja u takozvanoj novoj argentinskoj prozi, slijedi studija formalnih i tematskih aspekata teksta. Struktura Niti koja nas veže, uz poseban osvrt na ulogu pripovjedačâ, tumači se kao odraz simboličke razine djela. Analizira se toksični, ekogotički svijet koji gradi Schweblin – najvažnije točke njegove geografije, prikaz zagađenog sela i dalekog grada te iscjeliteljska funkcija vode – kako bi se zaključilo ima li tekst obilježja toksičnog diskurza koja je definirao Buell. Osim toga, razmatra se prikaz životinja, koje trpe smrtonosne simptome zagađenja kao i ljudi, te prikaz majčinskih figura i djece. Posljednji dio rada usredotočen je na završnu scenu kratkog romana, koja objedinjuje raznolike okolišne trope i različita moguća tumačenja djela. Naposljetku se promišlja sprega između kulturnog naslijeđa koje spisateljica nastavlja svojim tekstom i doprinosa ovog djela novim imaginarijima okoliša u suvremenoj književnosti.

S posebnim ozirom na slovenski prostor sem se posvetila vprašanjem, ki jih odpira (ne)trop antropomorfizacije. Pregled osrednjih slovenskih literarnoteoretskih priročnikov ter kratek zgodovinski pregled personifikacije je pokazal, da antropomorfizacija najtesnejše tropološke vezi spleta s personifikacijo. Posledica te vezi je velika nejasnost in nerazločenost med obema pojmoma. Antropomorfizacija kot postopek, ki se nanaša na »podeljevanje človeške oblike«, zastavlja vprašanje, kaj vse spada v domeno človeškega, od koder nato poteka prenos na preostale kategorije po principu dialektike vključevanja in izključevanja. Kot taka spregovarja predvsem o našem razumevanju razmerja med človeškim in nečloveškim in odpira vprašanje o možnostih reprezentacije nečloveškega v jeziku. Ker je nalogo temeljne razlike med človeškim in nečloveškim človek naložil jeziku, je ena od ključnih kvalitet, ki personifikacijo povezuje/razločuje od antropomorfizacije, zmožnost govora po meri človeka. To je hkrati tudi mesto, kjer v paradigmo najizraziteje vstopa antropocentrizem kot osrednji »problem«, iz katerega se lahko antropomorfizacija napaja in ga posledično tudi reproducira. Antropomorfizacija predstavlja strategijo, ki jo je potrebno natančneje ovrednotiti z upoštevanjem konteksta vsakega posameznega besedila. V zaključni etapi dela se tako posvetim vlogi, ki jo ima živalska fokalizacija v romanu Agni Boruta Kraševca (2020). Uporaba antropomorfizacije v romanu, ki po eni strani omogoča, da kunka Agni postane oseba z lastnim življenjem, upi in hotenji, z »lastno« perspektivo, je hkrati uporabljena v diametralno nasprotne namene in kot taka pripomore k naturalizaciji ubijanja oseb z lastnimi življenji, upi in hotenji. With special regard to the Slovenian context, I address questions raised by the (non)trope of anthropomorphisation. An overview of the main Slovenian textbooks on literary theory and a brief historical overview of personification showed that anthropomorphisationʼs closest tropological connection is personification. The consequence of this connection is a confusion and indistinguishability between the two concepts. Anthropomorphisation, as a process related to the “attribution of human form”, raises the question of what belongs to the domain of the human, from where it is transferred to other categories according to the dialectic of inclusion and exclusion. As such, it speaks primarily about our understanding of the relationship between the human and the nonhuman or the more-than-human and raises the question of the possibilities of the representation of the nonhuman in language. Since the task of the fundamental difference between human and nonhuman has been imposed on language, one of the key qualities that connects/distinguishes personification from anthropomorphisation is the ability to speak. At the same time, this is the place where anthropocentrism enters the paradigm most clearly as the central “problem” from which anthropomorphisation can arise and is consequently reproduced. Anthropomorphisation is a strategy that needs to be evaluated in more detail, taking into account the context of each individual text. In the final part of the thesis, I focus on the role of animal focalization in Borut Kraševecʼs novel Agni (2020). In the novel, anthropomorphisation allows the rabbit Agni to become a person with her own life, hopes and desires, with »her own« perspective however, it is simultaneously employed for diametrically opposite purposes, helping to naturalize the killing of persons with their own lives, hopes and desires.

Magistrska naloga se ukvarja z ekokritiškim branjem sodobne slovenske alpinistične literature, ki je izšla med letoma 2015 in 2020. Osrednja obravnava se loteva vprašanj v zvezi z reprezentacijo ekološke povezanosti in okoljske krize, s kritiko človeške dominacije nad nečloveškim in kritiko kolonializma, in sicer pri analizi naslednjih del: Najvišji vrhovi celin (2018) Vikija Grošlja, Alpinist (2018) Silva Kara, Igra in biseri: kako sem hčerki z alpinizmom razložil življenje (2018) Bogdana Biščaka, Skozi trave oblakov (2019) Milana Romiha, Vprašaj goro (2019) Joža Miheliča, Tista lepa leta – spomini Rada Kočevarja (2019) Mojce Volkar Trobevšek in Rada Kočevarja ter Objem na vrhu sveta (2020) Marije in Andreja Štremfelj. Poleg ugotovitev jedrne obravnave magistrsko delo prinaša tudi primerjavo ameriškega žanra pisanja o naravi z alpinistično literaturo, kar predstavlja nov prispevek k raziskavam s področja slovenske ekokritike. The thesis deals with ecocritical reading of contemporary Slovene mountaineering literature published from 2015 to 2020. The main discussion of the thesis addresses issues related to the representation of ecological connectivity and the environmental crisis, the critique of human domination over the inhuman and the critique of colonialism, through the analysis of the following literary works: Najvišji vrhovi celin (2018) by Viki Grošelj, Alpinist (2018) by Silvo Karo, Igra in biseri: kako sem hčerki z alpinizmom razložil življenje (2018) by Bogdan Biščak, Skozi trave oblakov (2019) by Milan Romih, Vprašaj goro (2019) by Jože Mihelič, Tista lepa leta – spomini Rada Kočevarja (2019) by Mojca Volkar Trobevšek and Rado Kočevar, and Objem na vrhu sveta (2020) by Marija and Andrej Štremfelj. These findings are followed by a comparison of the American genre of nature writing and mountaineering literature, which is a new contribution to research of Slovenian ecocriticism.

The introductory part of the article aims to briefly present the main ideas of ecocriticism, a relatively new theoretical approach to the study of literary texts, and also provide basic information about a special publishing project launched at the beginning of the 1990s byMladost publishing house—Eko Vjeverica ( Eco Squirrel ), a book series intended for children. After that, the focus of the analysis is shifted to one of the titles from the series, Zarobljenik šumske kuće ( Prisoner of the Forest House ), a collection of stories written by a Croatian author Anđelka Martić. The main research issues in this article, which are at the same time the basic guidelines of ecocritical approach in the analysis of literary works, relate to the study of fundamental ecological values implied by the word “nature”—what nature is in a given context, in which way nature is experienced and perceived by human characters and how that perception has changed over the years, and also how the world around us acquires meaning through textual representations of nature.

This thesis seeks to analyse Frank Herbert's Dune (1965) from the point of view of its treatment of ecology and determine the novel`s role as a pioneering work of science-fiction focussing on ecology. The theoretical part presents Dune within the context of Frank Herbert`s work as well as within the context of other works presenting a similar agenda. Consequently, the 1960s will be presented as the turning point for science-fiction writing as well as ecocriticism, the newly formed critical perspective. The interpretative part offers a deeper ecocritical analysis of Dune, with the emphasis on the role of water, the warp speed technological developments, and perusal of underlying environmental warnings. The thesis thus ultimately presents the ecocritical viewpoint of Dune, interpreting its potential ecological warnings and pondering upon possible ways to avoid ecological disaster. Key words: Frank Herbert, Dune, ecocriticism, science-fiction, water conservation, resource extraction

V svojem magistrskem delu se ukvarjam z ekokritiko, izraženo v izbranih znanstvenofantastičnih delih slovenske in svetovne književnosti. Teoretično-filozofski temelj mojih opažanj je Adornova teorija identitete neidentitete, s pomočjo katere osrednje teme – odnos do nečloveških živali, nezemljanov, robotov, ljudi in okolja – analiziram na podlagi človekove odmaknjenosti od narave. Moji osrednji predpostavki sta, da je zaradi zasičenosti s tehnologijo in znanostjo znanstvena fantastika zelo primeren žanr za prikazovanje razlike med identiteto in neidentiteto ter da se v obravnavanih stikih z Drugim skriva človekov paradoksalen odnos do sveta, odgovoren za ekološko krizo. In my master's thesis I focus on ecocriticism as shown in selected science fiction works from Slovenian and world literature. The theoretical and philosophical basis for my thesis is Adorno's theory of identity of nonidentity with the help of which I analyse the main themes – man's attitude towards nonhuman animals, aliens, robots, other people and the environment – based on man's distance between him and nature. My main suppositions are that because of the saturation of science fiction with technology and science this particular genre is excellent for showing the difference between identity and nonidentity and that in this contacts with the Other lies the paradoxical attitude of the human being towards the world, which made the ecological crisis possible.

Magistrsko delo se ukvarja z ekokritiškim branjem romanov Ruth Ozeki z naslovoma My Year of Meats in All Over Creation. Prva polovica dela predstavlja pregled ekokritike od njenih skromnih začetkov do literarnoteoretske discipline, kot jo poznamo danes. Ekofeminizem in postkolonialna ekokritika sta pozorno obravnavani, saj opozarjata na človeške in nečloveške žrtve patriarhalnega in imperialističnega sistema. Posebni temi sta tudi znanost in tehnologija in kako biotehnologija vpliva na človeški in nečloveški svet. V drugem delu magistrskega dela sledi interpretativna analiza romanov My Year of Meats in All Over Creation. Sprašujemo se, kako se ekokritiška dognanja, ki smo jih spoznali v teoretičnem delu, manifestirajo v posameznem literarnem delu. V My Year of Meats se prepletajo teme zastrupljanja okolja, ženskih teles in živali. Glavni poudarek je na uživanju mesa in njegovi sporni pridelavi. Zlasti zanimiv je sintetični hormon DES, ki se je nekoč uporabljal pri gojenju goveda, predpisovali so ga tudi nosečim ženskam, vendar pa se je to početje kasneje izkazalo za izjemno škodljivo. V All Over Creation žrtve naravnega onesnaževanja še naprej ostajajo neživi svet in manj privilegirani. Ekokritiška vprašanja se dotikajo sporne pridelave krompirja iz gensko spremenjenih semen. Če avtorica v My Year of Meats za oporečna živila krivi pridelovalce, tj. kmete, se jim v svojem drugem romanu odkupi in še globlje razišče razloge za sporno pridelavo hrane, ki v All Over Creation vključuje tudi biotehnološka podjetja. This master thesis offers an ecocritical reading of Ruth Ozeki's novels My Year of Meats and All Over Creation. The first half of the thesis provides an overview of ecocriticism, spanning from its modest beginnings to its development into the field of literary theory that we know today. Ecofeminism and postcolonial ecocriticism are carefully discussed as they warn about human and nonhuman victims of the patriarchal and imperialist system. The focus is also on science and technology and the way biotechnology affects human and nonhuman world. Following that is the second part of the thesis with the interpretative analysis of the novels My Year of Meats and All Over Creation. We enquire in what way do the ecocritical findings from the theoretical part manifest themselves in each literary text. Pollution, the poisoning of female bodies and animals are the themes that interlace in My Year of Meats. The main focus is on meat consumption and its questionable production. Synthetic hormone DES is especially interesting as it was used for breeding cattle and it was prescribed to pregnant women, however, these practices proved to be extremely harmful. The victims of pollution in All Over Creation remain the nonhuman world and the less privileged. Ecocritical issues touch upon the controversial cultivation of potatoes from GMO seeds. If the author puts the blame on the producers, i.e. farmers, for producing contaminated food in My Year of Meats, she redeems herself in her second novel by exploring deeper causes for suspicious food production practices which, in All Over Creation, also include biotech corporations.

Diplomski rad Ekokritički prikaz rijeke Drave u slovenskoj poeziji bavit će se ekokritičkom analizom lirskih pjesama nastalih u dvadesetom stoljeću na području Slovenije. Osim kanoniziranih slovenskih pjesnika u rad su također uključeni i „pjesnici-amateri“ zbog njihove realne reprezentacije prirode koju je zanimljivo interpretirati ekokritičkom analizom. Ekokritičkom analizom književnih djela kronološki će se prikazati kako su se kroz godine i desetljeća utvrđivali ljudski stavovi prema prirodi. Tim lirskim pjesmama zajednička je tematika rijeke Drave, pored toga svaka od njih sadrži jedan ili više od moralno-etičkih i ideoloških stavova autora prema prirodi/okolišu. Ekokritičkim čitanjem tih književnih djela pokušat će se otkriti implicitni stavovi autora prema prirodi i okolišu. Otkrivanjem ideološkog stava autora prema prirodi možemo utvrditi podržava li autor ustaljeni dualizam čovjek/priroda ili ga poništava te nudi ekološki način sagledavanja prirode. U skladu s time utvrdit ćemo pokovara li se autor ustaljenoj društvenoj praksi podčinjavanja prirode ili nudi nova ekološka rješenja te priznaje prirodi status samostalnog subjekta. Da bismo odgovorili na ta pitanja, upoznat ćemo se s ekokritičkom teorijom, perspektivom zelenog čitanja. Master’s thesis Ecocritical analysis of the Drava River in Slovenian poetry will engage in ecocritical analysis of Slovenian poetry written in the twentieth century. In addition to canonized Slovenian poets, “poets-amateurs” are also included in the work due to their realistic representation of nature, which is interesting to interpret from ecocritical perspective. An analysis of literary works from the perspective of ecocriticism will chronologically show how human attitudes towards nature have been established over the years and decades. The analyzed poems have in common the theme of the Drava River, in addition, each of them contains one or more of the moral-ethical and ideological attitudes of the autor towards nature and environment. Ecocritical reading of these literary works will try to reveal the author’s implicit attitudes towards nature/environment. By discovering the author’s ideological attitude towards nature, we can determine whether the author supports the established dualism of man/nature or if it annauls it and offers an ecological way of perceiving nature. Accordingly, we will determine whether the author obeys the established social practice of subordinating nature or offers new ecological soulutions and recognizes nature as an independent subject. To answer these questions, we will introduce the theory of ecocriticism, the perspective of green reading.

This paper examines the concepts of Wilderness and the Sublime and discusses different views of nature in John Keats’ poetry through the theoretical lens of ecocriticism. Analysing the poems “O Solitude!” (1816), “On the Sea” (1817), “Written Upon the Top of Ben Nevis” (1838), and “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” (1819), it employs two ecocritical approaches – Deep Ecology and “The Dark Mountain Project” – to point out that Keats’ conception of nature is both ecocentric and highly sceptical, apprehensive of humanity’s precariousness and vulnerability in the face of it. It argues that such an oxymoronic, albeit still highly potent and relevant take on the dichotomy between man and nature is in line with Keats’ self-definition as a “chameleon poet” who takes many forms and is able to observe things from different viewpoints., Rad propituje koncepte divljine i uzvišenoga te razmatra različite poglede na prirodu u poeziji Johna Keatsa kroz ekokritičku teorijsku perspektivu. Analiza pjesama „O solitude!“ (1816), „On the Sea“ (1817), „Written Upon the Top of Ben Nevis“ (1838) i „La Belle Dame Sans Merci“ (1819) služi se dvama ekokritičkim pristupima – „duboka ekologija“ i projekt „Dark Mountain“ – kako bi ukazala na to da je Keatsova koncepcija prirode istodobno ekocentrična i iznimno skeptična jer ukazuje na ljudsku krhkost i ranjivost. U radu se tvrdi da takav oksimoronski, premda izuzetno snažan i relevantan pristup dihotomiji između čovjeka i prirode odgovara Keatsovoj definiciji sebe kao „pjesnika kameleona“ kojega karakteriziraju različiti oblici i sposobnost promatranja stvari iz različitih perspektiva.

Ekokritika ir mūsdienās īpaši aktuāla literatūras teorija. Tās uzdevums ir izpētīt dzīvnieku un dabas reprezentāciju kā mūsdienu, tā arī kanoniskos literāros darbos. Neskatoties uz ekokritikas pieaugošo popularitāti visā pasaulē, Latvijā tā vēl ir ļoti jauna un salīdzinoši reti izmantota literatūras pētniecības metode, kura paver plašas iespējas latviešu literatūras izpētē. Dotā bakalaura mērķis ir ekokritiskā lasījumā izpētīt Paula Bankovska stāstu krājumus “Zvēru zvaigznājs” un “Kur pazuda saimnieks?” – krājumos atainoto vidi, dzīvnieku reprezentāciju un tēlotās cilvēku attiecības ar dzīvniekiem. Mērķa sasniegšanai tika iepazīta jaunākā ekokritikas teorija, īpaši pievēršoties teorētiskai literatūrai par dzīvniekiem, kā arī P. Bankovska biogrāfija., Nowadays ecocriticism is a very topical literature theory. Ecocriticism examines representation of animals and nature in contemporary and classic literature. Despite growing worldwide popularity, in Latvia it is still a relatively new and rarely used method for literature analysis, which can enrich the possibilities of analysis in Latvian literature. The goal of this bachelor thesis is to analyse the works of Pauls Bankovskis "Zvēru zvaigznājs" and "Kur pazuda saimnieks?" from the perspective of ecocriticism. The main topics are nature and animal representation and relationships between animals and humans. In order to achieve the goal of the thesis the author analysed contemporary ecocriticism theory focusing on literature about animals and familiarized herself with the biography of P. Bankovskis.

Magistrska naloga obravnava izbrana prozna besedila dveh slovenskih pisateljev, in sicer Miška Kranjca, ki ga uvrščamo v obdobje socialnega realizma, in Ferija Lainščka, sodobnega slovenskega ustvarjalca. Zaradi dejstva, da oba prihajata iz Prekmurja in posledično v večini svojih literarnih besedil tematizirata prekmursko pokrajino, so ju mnogi literarni kritiki označili kot prekmurska pisatelja. V obravnavo so zajeti trije Kranjčevi romani: Strici so mi povedali, Mladost v močvirju in Povest o dobrih ljudeh ter trije Lainščkovi romani: Ločil bom peno od valov, Muriša in Namesto koga roža cveti. Obravnavanim romanom je skupno tematiziranje prekmurskih pokrajin ob reki Muri, poleg tega je narava in njen preplet s kulturo pomemben sestavni del njihove vsebine. Kot taka so izbrana dela zanimiva za ekokritiško analizo. Teoretični del magistrske naloge je sestavljen iz predstavitve teoretskih izhodišč ekologije, njenega razvoja in posledic, teoretskih izhodišč ekokritike, njene metodologije ter tematskih področij, teorije prostora in izbranih konceptov narave ter kulture. V analitičnem delu sem se osredotočila na upodobitve narave in kulture ter človekov odnos do narave. Na podlagi ugotovljenega sem sklepala o upodobitvi in zastopanosti posameznih konceptov narave ter kulture v izbranih romanih. Nalogo sem sklenila s povzetkom in primerjavo ključnih ugotovitev med avtorjema. Magistrska naloga prinaša pogled Miška Kranjca in Ferija Lainščka na naravo ter kulturo, kot se ta odraža v obravnavanih romanih. Poleg obravnavanih romanov sem v magistrsko nalogo vključila tudi različno strokovno literaturo, članke in monografije, ki pripomorejo k lažjemu razumevanju in interpretaciji izbrane teme. The Master's thesis deals with the selected prose texts of two Slovenian authors, namely Miško Kranjec, who worked in the period of Social Realism, and Feri Lainšček, a Contemporary Slovenian author. Since both come from Prekmurje, they both consequently describe the Prekmurje landscape in most of their literary texts, therefore many literary critics view them as Prekmurian authors. Three Kranjec’s novels are being covered: Strici so mi povedali, Mladost v močvirju and Povest o dobrih ljudeh, as well as three Lainšček’s novels: Ločil bom peno od valov, Muriša, and Namesto koga roža cveti. The discussed novels all have in common the themes of Prekmurje landscapes along the Mura river, while nature and its intertwining with culture are also an important component of all the novel's contents. The selected works as such are interesting for ecocritical analysis. The theoretical part of the master's thesis consists of a presentation of theoretical starting points of ecology, its development and its consequences, the theoretical starting points of ecocriticism, its methodology and the thematic areas, the theory of space, the selected concepts of nature, and culture. In the analytical part, I focused on the depictions of nature and culture and human relationships with nature. Based on the findings, I assumed the depiction and representation of individual concepts of nature and culture in the selected novels. I have concluded the task with a summary and a comparison of key findings between the authors. The master's thesis presents the views of nature and culture by Miško Kranjec and Feri Lainšček, of course as it is reflected in the discussed novels. In addition to the discussed novels, I also included different professional literature, articles, and monographs in the master's thesis, which contribute to an easier understanding and interpretation of the chosen topic.

V magistrskem delu se bom ukvarjal predvsem z liriko ameriškega pesnika Roberta Frosta, ki je prežeta z vplivi narave in okolja na človeka. Z natančnim preučevanjem njegovih pesniških del bom v kontekst postavil ekološke in ekokritiške razprave. Z izjemo prvega poglavja, v katerem bom obravnaval zgodovinski okvir in razvoj ekokritiške filozofije, bo magistrska naloga večinoma vsebovala poglobljene analize izbranih Frostovih pesmi, ki bodo kot sestavni del vključene v ustrezna poglavja glede na njihovo tematiko. Osrednja tema drugega poglavja se nanaša na Frostovo uvedbo pastoralnega načina pisanja poezije s poudarkom na razpetosti med rustikalnostjo podeželja in sodobnim načinom življenja v mestnih naseljih. V tretjem poglavju se bom soočal s človekovim sobivanjem z naravo in njenimi ostrimi zakoni divjine, poleg tega pa bom zajel tudi tiho razmerje med človekom in živalskim kraljestvom, ter kako lahko ta bitja postanejo projekcije človeške zavesti. Zadnje, četrto poglavje obravnava več Frostovih pesmi, ki ponazarjajo fizične in psihološke boje človeštva med kolonializmom in v času vojn. Napredki v vojaški tehnologiji so pripomogli k dodatnemu uničevanju tako človeških življenj kot tudi naravnega okolja. In my master’s thesis, I predominantly focus on the lyrical composition of the American nature poet Robert Frost and the contextualisation of ecological and ecocritical deliberations through the use of his poetic work. Excluding chapter one, which discusses the historical framework and development of the ecocritical philosophy, the dissertation chiefly consists of close examinations of Frost’s selected poems while embedding them as constituent parts into the chapters pertinent to the treated subject matter. The central point of chapter two is Frost’s implementation of the pastoral mode and style in his poetry, drawing attention to the dichotomy between the rusticity of the countryside and the modernity of towns and cities. Chapter three considers the coexistence of mankind with the total indifference of the natural world, including man’s unspoken relationship with the animal kingdom, and how these creatures may become the projections of human consciousness. Finally, chapter four tackles several Frost’s poems which illustrate the physical and psychological struggles of humanity in colonial times and during the course of war. Furthermore, the advancement in military technology intensified the annihilation of human lives and well as the destruction of nature.

V teoretičnem delu diplomskega dela je predstavljena sodobna disciplina literarne vede, ki je nastala na ozadju modernih ekoloških gibanj – ekokritika. Opisane so okoliščine nastanka ekokritike ter bistveno – zakaj se je ekološka tematika sploh začela uveljavljati v leposlovni literaturi. Za razumevanje obravnavane vede je vključena terminologija, ki jo sestavlja in oblikuje, predstavljene so meddisciplinarne povezave in koncepti ter etične drže človeka do narave. Spoznanja ekokritike so aplicirana na otroško oz. mladinsko književnost. Opisano je tudi delo in življenje avtorice obravnavanih pravljic – Svetlane Makarovič, predvsem njena literarna dela mladinske književnosti z ekološkimi oziroma motivno-tematskimi prvinami narave. V prvem delu empiričnega dela diplomskega dela so po modelu literarne analize obdelane štiri izbrane pravljice z motivi narave in etičnimi nauki o odnosu do nje. V drugem delu je predstavljen projekt »Zemlja«, ki sem ga s skupino predšolskih otrok drugega starostnega obdobja izvedla v vrtcu. Vsebuje dejavnosti, ki izhajajo iz obravnavanih pravljic, povezane s celostnim zaznavanjem ter raziskovanjem narave in vplivanjem na moralno-etično držo do nje. Cilj diplomskega dela je predstaviti razmeroma mlado literarno vedo ekokritiko in razširiti ekokritiška spoznanja v jezikovno dejavnost v predšolskem obdobju, in sicer predvsem v okviru spoznavanja in doživljanja leposlovne književnosti. V kratkih sodobnih pravljicah Svetlane Makarovič želim poiskati ekološke vsebine in jih ekokritiško analizirati, predstaviti otrokom in ugotoviti, ali ekološka vsebina lahko tudi na otrokom primeren in umetniško prikrit način vpliva na ekološki odnos do narave. The theoretical part of the thesis presents a contemporary discipline of literary science, which emerged on the background of modern ecological movement – Ecocritisism. There are explanations of circumstances of the creation and most importantly – why did the ecological topic begin to apply itself in literature. In order to understand what ecocritisism is the terminology, interdisciplinary connections and ethical attitudes of man to nature, are included. Ecocritical knowledge is applied to child’s and youth literature. Also, there is description of work and life of the author of the discussed fairy tales – Svetlana Makarovič, especially her literary works of youth literature with ecological elements. The first part of the empirical part of the thesis contains literary analysis of the four of selected fairy tales with motifs of nature and ethical doctrines about attitudes towards it. The second part presents the project »Earth« which I applied in to the kindergarten with the group of pre-schoolers. It contains activities deriving from the discussed fairy tales, connected with the integrated perception and exploration of nature – trying to influence the moral-ethical attitude towards it. The aim of the thesis is to present a relatively young ecological literary science and to expand the ecocritycal knowledge into the daily activities in pre-school programmes, especially in the context of learning and experiencing literature. Finding ecological content in short contemporary fairy tales of Svetlana Makarovič, and analyse it ecocritically. Presenting it to children and finding out if ecological content in literature can also influence the ecological relationship with nature in a way that is artistic and suitable for children.

Earthsea, a series which comprises five fantasy novels, eight short stories and a description of the eponymous fictional universe, was published between 1964 and 2014. Over the span of fifty years, the idiolect and the perspective of the author, the American novelist Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018), had underwent considerable change, and with it evolved the fictional world depicted in her work. We examine Earthsea in the context of the subgenre of high/epic fantasy. How does this work conform to the “patterns” of traditional high fantasy, as determined by J. R. R. Tolkien in his Middle-Earth Saga and what are the new elements by means of which the author contributes to the evolution of the subgenre? Chapter one gives an overview of the recently deceased author’s corpus. Chapter two deals with the theoretical features of high (epic) fantasy subgenre – the creation of a specific fictional universe, the role of magic, the conflict between good and evil, and the heroes’ journey – preceded by general theoretical considerations of genre. A detailed analysis of the distinctive elements of the Earthsea’s universe will be tackled in chapter three focusing primarily on the differences between the first and the second trilogy, generally said to make up the book series. Many critics regard the first trilogy as Tolkienian, whereas the second trilogy is commonly perceived as modern. However, this research identifies a consistent trend of deviations from Tolkien’s model of high fantasy, evident in the internalization of good and evil (both reside within man and not outside), a larger number of female characters, unconventional heroes and heroines, revised treatments of magic and an alternative world view – less western and more far-eastern oriented (primarily Taoistic perspective). The second trilogy introduces the themes that go beyond the conventional characteristics of the subgenre – rape, status of women, environmental protection and multiculturalism. The journey of two main male and three female protagonists will receive critical attention in chapter four, while chapters five and six deal with “the woman question” and ecocriticism in terms of approaching the Earthsea series as an eco-narrative. The concluding chapter concerns the anime adaptation by the Japanese author Goro Miyazaki, revealing his personal interpretative reading of Earthsea.

Diplomska naloga se ukvarja z ekokritiško analizo dveh del s pomočjo primerjalne analize sta obravnavana romana Zadnji človek (Margaret Atwood) in Hiša Marije Pomočnice (Ivan Cankar) za potrebe raziskovalne naloge so vključeni tudi primeri iz Cankarjeve kratke (in druge) proze. Osrednja naloga je bila ugotoviti, kako se žival manifestira v tekstu, kakšen in kako je izražen odnos do nje, vključena pa je tudi obravnava odnosa do narave in ljudi. The thesis deals with an ecocritical analysis of two literary works through a comparative analysis the novels Oryx and Craxe (Margaret Atwood) and The Ward of Mary Help of Christians (Ivan Cankar) are examined for the needs of the research examples of Cankar's prose are included as well. The core task is to establish how the animal manifests itself in the text, what the relation with it is like an how this relationship is expressed. The thesis also considers the novel's relation to nature and human beings.