Browse Hierarchy ESH6068: American Ecologies

America has been associated with natural abundance since its 'discovery' by European travelers; in the literature of the United States, this has been celebrated as both a locus of national identity and source of philosophical inspiration. For almost as long, however, the very abundance of nature in America has prompted questions: what if nature should be cruel and hostile? And what if, despite its abundance, nature should prove fragile, finite and extinguishable? To explore these questions, this module reads a selection of American literature from the early nineteenth century to the latter decades of the twentieth century. Its themes include the diversity of landscapes that America encompasses (from the arctic to the equator; from seas and rivers to forests, mountains and deserts), relations between animals and humans, and ways in which environmental issues intersect with those surrounding gender, ethnicity and race.