Greening the Young Mind Eco-Consciousness in Contemporary English Language Fiction for Children and Young Adults in India
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====================================================================== Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 Vol. 19:5 May 2019 India’s Higher Education Authority UGC Approved List of Journals Serial Number 49042 ===================================================================== Greening the Young Mind Eco-consciousness in Contemporary English Language Fiction for Children and Young Adults in India Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, M.A., B.Ed., DCE, M.Phil., Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of English Kongunadu Arts & Science College (Autonomous) Coimbatore-641 029 Tamil Nadu India [email protected] Mobile: +91 9944065464 ================================================================= ==================================================================== Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 19:5 May 2019 Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, M.A., B.Ed., DCE, M.Phil., Ph.D. Greening the Young Mind: Eco-consciousness in Contemporary English Language Fiction for Children and Young Adults in India 1 Contents Concept Note Chapter I Overture II Traditional Wisdom III Picture Books IV Books for Younger Readers V Books for Older Children and Young Adults VI Illustrations - A Brief Glance VII And Miles to Go . Works Cited ==================================================================== Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 19:5 May 2019 Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, M.A., B.Ed., DCE, M.Phil., Ph.D. Greening the Young Mind: Eco-consciousness in Contemporary English Language Fiction for Children and Young Adults in India 2 CONCEPT NOTE Indian Writing in English for children and young adults has come of age, with a plethora of talented and dedicated writers contributing their creative efforts towards the growth of this new field. From the re-telling of folk tales, mythological stories and classics such as the Panchatantra, Hitopadesha and the Jataka Tales, Indian writing for the young passed through a phase of western influence and has now emerged with a voice of its own. Indian fiction in English for children and young adults is realistic and deals with the problems and interests of the day. It is neither sentimental nor overly didactic. Indeed, it has attained the golden mean. Humour and fantasy, too, have their place, as do mystery and adventure stories, tales of the supernatural, science fiction and historical and mythological creative fiction. Writers for the young have also shown their concern for ecology and the natural environment. Prominent writers include Nilima Sinha, Ranjit Lal, Deepak Dalal, Ira Saxena, Paro Anand, Devika Rangachari, Anushka Ravishankar, Asha Nehemiah, Monideepa Sahu, Payal Dhar, Zai Whitaker, Harini Gopalswami Sreenivasan, Vandana Singh, Suniti Namjoshi,and Deepa Agarwal, among others. Writers such as Anita Desai, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Anita Nair, Mahaswetha Devi and Sashi Deshpande have also written for the young. Apart from long-established publishers such as Children’s Book Trust and National Book Trust, highly innovative publishing houses such as Tulika, Tara, Katha, Pratham Books, Karadi Tales, Terrapin, Red Turtle, Young Zubaan, Duckbill and India Ink, to name a few, have emerged successfully. More academic interest in this burgeoning field which has immense possibilities for fresh research is the need of the hour. This research-based monograph is my humble effort towards this worthy end. ==================================================================== Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 19:5 May 2019 Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, M.A., B.Ed., DCE, M.Phil., Ph.D. Greening the Young Mind: Eco-consciousness in Contemporary English Language Fiction for Children and Young Adults in India 3 Ecological literacy refers to a conscious awareness and understanding of the relationships among people, other organisms, and the environment in which they live. Many books for children and young adults present environmental issues and contain descriptions of nature and portrayal of wild and domestic animals. Some books introduce social justice issues and social problems in age- appropriate approaches. It is felt that environmental education should begin early in life. Children who are not exposed to the natural environment and its concerns at an early age never succeed in acquiring the respect for nature ecological concerns that society deems appropriate. Though there are prescribed textbooks for inculcating these values of ecopedagogy, it is an undeniable fact that light reading in the form of fiction creates indelible impressions on the young mind. So, it is of importance that awareness about problems facing the environment, eco-friendly behaviour and also the love of nature should become part of the child’s general reading, especially since the country is in danger of being transformed into a concrete jungle. This would ensure that favourable attitudes and impressions would be created in the citizens of tomorrow. Children’s texts are a crucial place for us to detect and combat negative attitudes and behaviour patterns. Increasing environmental awareness through children’s literature is one of the burdens of a socially concerned author. Books for young people are often based on the “Edutainment” principle. How far authors, illustrators, editors and publishers of books for children and young adults, foster ideas favourable to the new “Green Revolution,” the fight to protect and nurture our natural environment, is a question of considerable significance. A realistic and up-to-date study of the representation of ecology and the natural environment in books for children and young adults through interviews with the creators of contemporary fiction for young people will be useful for parents, publishers, authors, researchers and the children themselves. Much attention has been paid to fiction for adults, but little research seems to have been done in the field of literature for children and young adults. ==================================================================== Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 19:5 May 2019 Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, M.A., B.Ed., DCE, M.Phil., Ph.D. Greening the Young Mind: Eco-consciousness in Contemporary English Language Fiction for Children and Young Adults in India 4 Through this monograph, I intend to fill this lacuna in the area of ecocriticism. By undertaking a study of the ecological and environmental concerns being confronted and through interviews with children’s writers, I seek answers to questions such as how far awareness of the latest concepts like life support systems, biodiversity and sustainable development, environmental ethical values and dilemmas, conservation of animals and natural resources, environmental sustainability, environmental consciousness - the respect for life and landscape, global environmental citizenship, adoption of ecofriendly culture, some environmental friendly activities such as using recycled paper, switching off unnecessary lights, using bicycles, organizing tree- planting campaigns, rainwater harvesting, etc. are represented in contemporary fiction for children and young adults which is published in India. This study is not confined to Indian authors alone, but it includes a few foreign authors whose works are set in the Indian milieu and whose books have been published in India. Ecology and the Natural Environment in Contemporary English Fiction for the Young in India This book is based on the analysis of nearly 100 books for children and young adults and has been divided into seven chapters: Chapter I – Introduction The chapter traces the origin and development of ecocriticism, its various branches, including the concept of ecoliteracy; defines and traces the development of children’s literature and young adult literature, and the growth of fiction for children and young adults in India; the relationship of the child to nature; ecological literacy and children’s literature; statement of purpose, significance of the study, its social relevance, and its potential contribution to knowledge, limitations of the study, objectives and methodology. Chapter II – Traditional Wisdom This chapter deals with the great oral storytelling tradition of India and its transition into the modern era. The ecological messages in fables and folktales retold are presented. Folktales from various states such as Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, and Himachal Pradesh are included. These folktales from various states and linguistic groups have as their ==================================================================== Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 19:5 May 2019 Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, M.A., B.Ed., DCE, M.Phil., Ph.D. Greening the Young Mind: Eco-consciousness in Contemporary English Language Fiction for Children and Young Adults in India 5 background different landscapes - forests, deserts, mountains and the sea - all of which play a vital role in the lives of communities which live close to their natural surroundings. Folktales from different parts of the country are therefore records of the symbiotic relationship that was responsible for the health and wealth of our ancestors. Chapter III – Picture Books and Illustrated Books Picture books, including photobooks are among the first reading material in the form of fiction that the child encounters. Innovations are found to be made mainly in this area, with use of recycled paper, seeds attached to books, use of folk art, etc. Topics of ecological and environmental relevance: Use of natural