Modern Environmentalism, Nineteenth Century Ecocritical Consciousness and the Condition-of-England Novels

Abstract

The environmental crisis of the twentieth century has a long precedence. Ideological debates around the two parallel discourses- anthropocentrism and ecocentrism- have their roots in the early Modern period. The advent of the Anthropocene Era began way back in the late eighteenth century and the phenomenon of Climate Change was accelerated in the mid nineteenth century during the peak of the Industrial Revolution. As a result, nineteenth century saw the rise of an environmental consciousness which were reflected in the Victorian Condition-of-England novels. The aim of this article is to chart the growth of modern environmental and ecocritical thoughts through the eighteenth century and try to locate the reflection of such discourses in the nineteenth century public awareness and also in the Victorian 'Condition-of-England' novels.