Publication details
Ecocritical Perspectives in Contemporary Czech Prose
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | This paper explores contemporary Czech prose through the lens of ecocriticism, focusing on how selected works engage with the themes of climate change and human impact on the environment. While the concept of climate fiction (cli-fi) has gained prominence in global literature, mainstream Czech prose has largely overlooked this issue. However, two notable exceptions, Únava materiálu (Material Fatigue, 2016) by Marek Šindelka and Láska v době globálních klimatických změn (Love in the Time of Global Climate Change, 2017) by Josef Pánek, indirectly address the environmental crisis. Šindelka’s novel depicts the harrowing journey of refugees across a cold, industrial European landscape, where human influence on the environment is subtly implied. Pánek’s novella, on the other hand, explicitly references climate change in its title and opens with a direct commentary on love and global climate change, set against the backdrop of a chaotic Indian metropolis. Both works use vivid descriptions of place and atmosphere to evoke a sense of displacement and environmental degradation, offering a nuanced critique of humanity's role in shaping inhospitable environments. In Pánek’s Láska v době globálních klimatických změn, the chaotic, polluted streets of Bangalore contrast sharply with the university campus, which is portrayed as an isolated paradise, emphasizing the social and environmental divides. Similarly, Šindelka’s Únava materiálu portrays an industrialized, desolate European landscape that reflects the protagonists’ physical and emotional exhaustion as they journey through a cold, barren wasteland. These texts not only highlight the consequences of human exploitation of the environment but also raise broader questions about survival, belonging, and identity in an increasingly inhospitable world. This paper examines how these authors subtly incorporate ecological themes into their narratives, contributing to the growing body of ecocritical analysis in contemporary Czech literature. |