Who is the founder of Ecocriticism?

Who Really Started Ecocriticism? It’s Complicated.

So, you’re wondering who the “founder” of ecocriticism is, huh? It’s not as simple as pointing to one person. Ecocriticism—also known as “green studies,” “ecopoetics,” or even just plain “environmental literary criticism”—is basically the study of how literature and the environment connect. Think of it as exploring how books treat nature; it’s a pretty cool field.

Now, while you can’t exactly pin the whole thing on a single person, a few names keep popping up when you start digging into its origins.

William Rueckert gets credit for coining the term “ecocriticism” way back in 1978. His essay, “Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism,” was where he first used the term, defining it as applying ecological ideas to how we read literature. But, the seeds of the idea were planted even earlier. Joseph Meeker was already exploring similar territory in his 1972 book, The Comedy of Survival: Studies in Literary Ecology. He called it “literary ecology” and looked at how literature reflects our relationship with the environment and ecological balance.

But here’s the thing: while Rueckert gave it a name and Meeker explored the concepts, Cheryll Glotfelty really hammered out what ecocriticism is as a field. She started organizing things in 1989, giving talks at conferences, and really pushing for it to be taken seriously. And get this, she co-edited The Ecocriticism Reader: Landmarks in Literary Ecology (1996) – a book that became the go-to guide for understanding what ecocriticism is all about. Her definition? “The study of the relationship between literature and the physical environment.” Simple, right? She wanted to give nature writing the respect it deserved. I remember when I first read that anthology; it totally opened my eyes to how much environmental stuff is actually in the books we read!

Of course, we can’t forget Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring from 1962. That book was a game-changer, raising awareness about environmental issues in a way that really hit home for people. It definitely helped pave the way for ecocriticism to take off.

And across the pond, Jonathan Bate’s Romantic Ecology: Wordsworth and the Environmental Tradition (1991) was a big deal for British literary criticism, really solidifying ecocriticism there.

So, who’s the real founder? Well, William Rueckert gave us the name, Joseph Meeker explored some early ideas, but Cheryll Glotfelty is often seen as the key person in getting ecocriticism established as a real field, especially in the US. It was her work, along with others, that helped make ecocriticism what it is today. It’s a team effort, really!