Seminar paper from the year 2019 in the subject American Studies -
Literature, grade: 1,0, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, language:
English, abstract: Since our very beginnings as a species, we human
beings have always struggled to improve the painful conditions of our
existence. But, as we discovered more technologies which helped us live
safer lives, this strive for well-being and progress has also led us
further and further away from our natural origins, until we have almost
found ourselves at war with the Earth, our home planet. It is only in
recent years, that we have come to realize how much we have already
denuded the earth of its natural resources. Since the first
environmentalist movements in the 19th century, there has been an
increasing number of systematic efforts to raise our awareness of
environmental issues. Scientists like James Lovelock and David Suzuki
have outlined the necessity to preserve our ecosystems if we want to
survive as a species. And, of course, the popular media have also been
used to convey the values of coexistence, sustainability, and respect
for the environment. One such book, which advocates the rights and
interests of "Mother Nature" or, at least, encourages a public
discussion about new ecological policies, is T.C. Boyle's novel A Friend
of the Earth. Judging from the title alone, one might suppose that this
book represents a written plea for the application of environmentalist
values in our everyday lives. However, the story also contains many
incidents when the environmentalists are portrayed in a rather
disgraceful light that seems to give substance to the many prevailing
negative stigmas against them. Therefore, I analyze how ecocentrism and
anthropocentrism are displayed in the book. My main focus will be on the
different ways that Boyle treats the two ideologies, respectively, as
well as the possibility of a compromise between their standards. Thus, I
hope to show that the novel promotes a right balance between
