Eco-criticism in The Life & Times of Michael K and The Conservationist

Abstract

Contemporary concern with the environmental crisis, and how humans and the natural environment interact is fundamental to ecocriticism, a relatively new branch of literary theory. In this thesis, two novels by South African writers are analyzed who reflect on themes of ecology and environmentalism. The novels are "The Life & Times of Michael K" by J.M. Coetzee and "The Conservationist" by Nadine Gordimer. To be more specific, it is examined how the main characters of these novels relate to land and what the writers’ views are on what it means to be green in South Africa.