COLONIAL HERITAGE AND ECOLOGICAL CONSCIOUSNESS: AN ECOCRITICAL STUDY IN GURNAH’S DESERTION

Abstract

The ecocritical study of the literature of commonwealth countries explores an in-depth understanding of the relationship between man and nature. It raised awareness among society about the problems with the environment. The present research paper examines Gurnah’s Desertion ecocritically by exploring the conflicting relationship between humans and nonhumans within the environment in colonized Africa. The colonized Africa that was experiencing the destruction of its natural resources under British rule during nineteenth century serves as the backdrop for the African novel Desertion (2005). The British Empire, which enjoyed unprecedented success in the 1800s, was the greatest empire at that time and had a lasting influence on its colonies. The policies of British colonizers helped them in establishing their position and gaining the sovereignty of the natural heritage of their colonized. The colonizers showed a commercial interest in the natural heritage of Africa and plundered it for their monetary benefits. The British domination damaged Africa’s traditional economies. Nevertheless, they contributed a great deal to ecological consciousness with significant advancements such as the introduction of the rules of wildlife conservation and the abolition of the slave trade. Thus, the aim of the study is the ecocritical investigation of the policies of British colonizers and expose how they drove changes in Africa for their vested interests.