MAS215

Talisse Desiderio, 43236812

MAS215
By Talisse Desiderio,
43236812
Ecocriticism

Tutorial: Thursday 4pm
Catherina Hoad
Word Count: 2112

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Talisse Desiderio, 43236812

Ecocriticism aims to analyse representations of nature within literary works
through creating binaries between literature and the physical environment
(Glotfelty, C., 1996). Nature can be defined from an ecocritical perspective as a
form of refuge- for biological diversity, endangered species and equally
endangered forms of sensual, aesthetic and spiritual life; all threatened by an
increasingly destructive and all-pervasive economic and social order. (Hess, S,
2010, pp. 85). Society struggles to take an unbiased perspective of nature, as our
understanding is framed by varying cultural criterions. Thus, constantly placing
emphasis on humanity as the centre of all things and ignoring the potentially
fatal outcome of the physical environment (Barry. P., 2002).
This essay aims to address the ecocritical concerns of; nature/culture binaries,
anthropocentrism, ecocentrism, ecofeminism and animal activism, through the
comparative analysis of The Alaska Wilderness Leagues short film Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge (2009) and Les Murrays Cows on Killing Day.

Ecocriticism argues that nature tends to be defined through transcendent
aesthetic or spiritual experience (Hess, S 2010, pp. 93) The Alaska Wilderness
Leagues short film Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (2009) delves into the
importance of preserving romanticised natural space for the Ecological integrity
and spiritual solace (2009) of the human observer. The film pans over vast open
landscapes, appearing as an untouched haven, and depicting the land from an
anthropocentric perspective (Barry, P, 2002, pp. 257). Anthropocentrism places
humans as the central and most important species roaming the planet
(Marchesini, R, 2015, pp.75). This perspective offers a speciesism that

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encourages humanity to perceive the natural world as a disposable commodity,
thus downplaying the importance of environmental sustainability of all nature
(even that which is deemed mundane e.g, Local parks). Plumwood discusses the
disassociation from nature in order to manipulate it (2002:121). Raising the
issue as the tragic downfall of disabling humans from truly empathising with
nature. Through analysing the Arctic national wildlife text in reference to
Plumwoods theories, the film creates a distance between the viewer and the
proposed endangered refuge. William Cronon suggests that if we are present in
a place where nature is not, then we leave ourselves, little hope of discovering
what an ethical, sustainable, honourable human place in nature would be (Hess,
S, 2010:92). Therefore the film highlights the human/nature dualism that is
culturally prevalent within Western-based societies (Plumwood, V, 2009).

Th.e human/nature dualism regards humans as superior and different to the non-
human, which is conceived as a lower non-conscious and non-communicative,
purely physical sphere, that exists as a mere resource or instrument for the
higher human one. (Plumwood, V, 2009, pp. 288). This perspective illustrates
the conservation of natural resources for human purposes only. Les Murrays
Cows on Killing Day provides its audience with the ability to perceive the
emotional repercussions of preserving cattle for food only, Standing on wet
rock, being milked, assuages the calf-sorrow in me. The text challenges the
human/nature dualism through its personalised observation of a cows
perspective, showing the human inflicted damage on nature, from an emotional
angle. Plumwoods human/nature dualistic theory poses humanity as perceiving
themselves as essentially mindful beings, juxtaposing nature as dead matter

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(2009, pp. 288). Murrays poem exhibits many facets of this ideology through the
grotesque depiction of a cattle yard full of angry farmers The heifer human
smells of needing the bull human and is angry.

Animal activism and environmental preservation are presented in the media
through sensationalised Hollywood eco-dramas (Estok, S, 2010, pp. 146). Many
issues arise with these perspectives as they become the sole source of
knowledge-making (Estok, S, 2010, pp. 147), therefore audiences have a
misdirected and misinformed view of what activism entails. The Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge (2009) promotes a model of romantic escapism and
autonomous individualism that in many ways actually supports the same
modern consumer order that it claims to oppose (Hess, S, 2010, pp. 85). The
film removes its audience from the physical nature that surrounds them and
encourages them to strive toward the betterment of an imagined space of nature,
instead of pursuing realistic alternatives (Hess, S., pp. 85). The aesthetic
approach of the film appeals to the culture of preservation for humanistic gain,
as the national wildlife refuge is referred to as a treasure that needs protection,
reiterating the human perspective of ownership of the area. This
anthropocentric view of the land encourages audiences within the twenty-first
century to split between the discourse of conservation protecting natural
resources primarily for human purposes (Hess. S., pp. 92). Jonathan Bate poses
that the depiction of landscapes is simply land as shaped, as arranged by the
viewer (2002, pp. 132) and the depiction of land within the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge (2009), exhibit the natural space as nothing more than a
commodity of feigned activism.

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Les Murrays Cows on Killing Day opposes the anthropocentric perspective
through portraying a viewpoint through the eyes of an animal, whose life is so
readily overlooked and disposed of. The extract from Murrays poem, The chilly
mouths that gasp loudly in in in, and never breathe out stimulates an emotional
response through personalizing and building a sense of morality through fiction.
This directly draws a parallel to ethical criticism and generates moral question
within the reader (Stow, S, 2006).
Murrays poem creates an emotive perspective that engages its audience and
speaks on behalf of the other (the cow), directly associating the role of the
ecocritic and morally appealing to the audience to think beyond a human-centric
reading. Murray provides the audience with the ability to see the cow as a
separate entity, displaying the personal struggles and experience of an animal
that is living a life it does not own. Murrays poem opposes the point of view of
the human observer directly correlating with the nature/culture binary as it
displays the opposite perspective of how society views and in turn acts toward
the physical nature that surrounds them (Bate, 2002, pp. 132)

The nature/culture binary provides a paradigm for understanding the links
between culture and social interpretation and how it affects the way humans
interact with nature (Milstein, T, et al, 2011, pp. 487). Therefore, the way
nature is perceived by an audience will affect the way in which they act
towards it. The discourse of conservation for human gain is explored through
The Alaska Wilderness Leagues short film Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
(2009). The film over looks the palpable presence of nature in everyday life and

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highlights the mainstream, environmental movement and a variety of post-
Romantic aesthetic traditions, as existing apart from the social and economic
structures of everyday life. The film exposes a distant place of wild and scenic
beauty (Hess, S., pp. 241) encouraging the viewer to perceive the area as a place
of dreamlike escape, removing the sense of reality needed to evoke a sense of
action. This element of the film does not encourage a broader conservation of
nature for unselfish purposes. Scott Hess analyses the manner in which
ecocritics over look the importance of preserving local environments, stating
that there is no single nature of universal knowledge, but many different
natures (pp.87). This poses as a flaw in the patriarchy of naturalistic
importance. The film emphasises the everyday structures of nature and
encourages the separation of nature and society (Hess. S, 2010, pp. 101).
Through these patriarchal perspectives, the film explores the individualism of
the male wilderness tradition (Hess. S, 2010, pp. 99) as it focuses on
individualism and selfish gain, as opposed to a broader importance and
mindfulness of the environment.

The media poses as an enabler to understand areas of gender, race and class
and although this is important, it does not allow for critiques to avoid
environmental catastrophe (Barry. P, 2002, pp. 257).
Ecofeminism creates a binary between ecocentrism and feminist theory, through
paralleling the male domination of western society to the oppression and
possessive stance humanity takes of the environment. Murrays poem Cows on
Killing Day evokes a correspondence between feminist and ecocritical thinking,
as it encourages the audience to move away from placing the human perspective

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as the centre of understanding and encourages the reader to move toward being
a part of nature. The ecofeminist approach is a cultural perspective from the first
wave of ecocriticism and can be found in Murrays poem, highlighted through the
use of the word me. As the audience says this word in their mind, they
subconsciously place themselves in the position of the cow, Me, old and sore-
boned, little milk in that me now . The nature of marginalising women in society
provides a platform to critically analyse the relationship between humans and
the environment (Hamad, R., 2013, pp. 1) as women and animals are objectified
and stripped of their individuality in order to make their oppression palatable
(Hamad, R., 2013, pp. 1). Murrays poem again reiterates the lack of individuality
amongst the cows, through the uniform manner the cows are addressed, All me
come running.

Murrays narrative portrayal forces the audience to make a personal connection
and relate to the animals in the poem, an angle that is often ignored by ecocritics
and viewers as it challenges the audience to change what we put in our
bodies(Estok, S, 2010, pp. 146). Eating animals, which necessitates a
domination and manipulation of nature, is unsustainable and a major cause of
the destruction of the environment (Hamad, R, 2013, pp. 2) Murrays poem,
Cows on Killing Day evokes a sense of animal activism through the raw truth in
the experience of a cow, awaiting its death Me shivers and falls down with the
terrible, the blood of me, coming out behind an ear. The disassociation with
local nature is once again highlighted in Murrays poem, as it portrays the lack
of empathy shown toward the livestock. The irony of the piece is emphasised
through Ruby Hadads ecofeminist theories. As eating meat is vigorously

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defended as normal, natural and necessary (Hamad, R, 2013, pp. 2) yet many
defending this overlook the irreversible damage cattle farming has on the
environment (Hamad, R, 2013, pp. 2).

The oppression of women and the domination of nature by a patriarchal
society (Hamad, R, 2013, pp. 1) are further explored through the objectification
of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (2009). A pause of peace, in a world too
familiar with war, the use of imagery highlights the phallocentic view of the
world, creating a feminine view of the wildlife space being peaceful and alluding
to the masculine binary through the use of the word war. The image created by
the narrator evokes a possessive and protective stance over the wildlife refuge,
which is a stereotypically masculine approach to an issue. Historically, being
equated with animals is how women were marginalised. Men were considered
creatures of intellect and reason and women placed in the realm of animals and
nature (Hamad, R, 2013, pp. 3). This patriarchal perspective is unfortunately
prevalent within modern cultural theories and is demonstrated in the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge (2009) film, as the right to control the land and use it as
a romanticised touristic escape is constantly referred to, throughout its duration.

Ecocriticism is the study of the relationship between literature and the physical
environment (Barry, P, 2002, pp. 249). Through creating binaries between the
physical environment and literature, ecocritics hope to find an analytical
representation of nature.
In light of the ecocritical theories of ;

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The Alaska Wilderness Leagues short film Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
(2009) poses as a comparative text to Les Murrays Cows on Killing Day, as both
texts display varying perspectives of ecocritical theory. The nature/culture
binary within both texts highlights the cultural aspects of humanities perspective
of nature. Murrays poem executes an understanding of an alternative
perspective, allowing the audience to delve deeper into the idea of local nature
and adding depth to the binary. Whereas the Alaska Wilderness Leagues short
film disassociates its audience from a realistic interpretation of the environment
and allows the viewer to strive toward a romanticised activism. The two texts
provide opposing views of varying ecocritical theories and highlights the
phalocentric hierarchies within western society through the ecofeminist and
ecocentric representation of land, within the Alaska Wilderness Leagues short
film and through the possessive nature of humanity over live cattle, within
Murrays poem. Furthermore, both texts emphasize the anthropocentric
perspective and the human/nature dualistic perspective of nature. Murrays
poem executes the perspective of the cow, projecting the selfish attitudes of
humans and the tendency for humanity to place themselves at the centre of all
things living, whilst the Alaska Wilderness Leagues short film offers an
anthropocentric perspective through accentuating the distance between the
viewer and the wildlife refuge. Allowing the audience to disassociate from local
forms of nature and create a bias between different forms of nature, leading to
the ecocritical perspective that no true wilderness any longer exists on the
planet as every from of nature that exists is affected by anthropocentric
problems (Barry. P, 2002, pp. 256).

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Alaska'Wilderness'League'' Arctic'National'Wildlife Refuge', 2009'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=7&v=FXvLh5YdAeo

Barry, P., 2002, from Ecocriticism, Beginning Theory: An introduction to Literary
and Cultural Theory, Manchester: Manchester University Press

Bate, J., 2000, The Song of Earth, Harvard University Press, Cambridge.

Bate, J., 2002, Reshaping the landscape: Rethinking the land (Part II), Vol. 149,
No. 5501, pp. 47-49

Estok, S., 2009, Theorising in a Space of Ambivalent Openness: Ecocriticsm and
Ecophobia, Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment, 16:2,
Spring, pp. 203-225

Estok, S.C., 2010, Narrativizing Science: The Ecocritical Imagination and
Ecophobia, Vol. 18, No. 1-2, pp. 141-159

Glotfelty, C. & Fromm, H., 1996, The Ecocriticism Reader: Landmarks in Literary
Ecology, University of Georgia Publishing, Athens.

Hamad, R., 2013, Ecofeminism, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 11-15

Harrison, G. & Heydt-Stevenson, J., 2002, Variations on the Picturesque:
Authority, Play and Practice, Vol., 13, Iss. 1, pp. 3-10

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Hess, S., 2010, Imagining and Everyday Nature, Interdisciplinary Studies in
Literature and the Environment, 17:1, Winter, 85-112

Hoyt, A.H, 1989, Animal Activism: Science, Vol. 243, No. 4897, pp. 1419-1420

Marchesini, R., 2015, Against Anthropocentrism: Non-human Otherness and the
Post-Human Project, Vol. 9, Iss. 1, pp. 75-84

Milstein, T, Anguiano, C, Sandoval, J, Chen, Y, Dickinson, E, 2011,
Communicating a New Environmental Vernacular: As sense of Relations-in-
Place , Vol. 78, pp. 486-510

Murray, L. (1997), Subhuman Redneck Poems, Cows on Killing Day, Farrar,
Straus and Giroux, New York

Plumwood, V., 2009, Nature in the Active Voice, Australian Jumanities Review,
46, May

Schutten, J.K., 2008, Chewing on the Grizzly Man: Getting to the Meat f the
Matter, Vol. 2, Iss. 2, pp. 193-211