Paper Details

Name: Swati Sharma
Country: India

Year: 2026
Volume: Volume No: 13, Issue No: 1 (January-June)
Page Number: 113-119
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20229056

ABSTRACT
Fantasy literature, long perceived as a realm of escapism, has increasingly been recognized as a fertile ground for exploring environmental ethics and ecological awareness. By constructing secondary worlds where landscapes possess agency, ecosystems are threatened by magical or industrial forces, and human-nature relationships are reimagined, fantasy authors invite readers to reflect on pressing environmental issues in a symbolic yet emotionally resonant way. This paper investigates the intersection between fantasy narratives and environmental
consciousness through an ecocritical framework. It examines how works by J.R.R. Tolkien,
Ursula K. Le Guin, N.K. Jemisin, and others embed ecological values into their storytelling,
using nature as a character, allegory, and moral compass. The analysis also considers the pedagogical potential of fantasy in shaping environmental attitudes, particularly among younger audiences, and addresses critiques of the genre’s tendency toward romanticized depictions of nature. Ultimately, the study argues that fantasy’s imaginative scope enables it to bypass ideological resistance, fostering empathy for the non-human world and inspiring visions of sustainable coexistence.

Key words:
Fantasy literature, Ecocriticism, Environmental ethics, Nature in fiction, Allegory, Ecological imagination, Climate change narratives, Environmental education