2025-2026 Fall Semester Literature and Envrionment I
Question 1 (23/9/2025)
What was your take on the first class of the semester? Elaborate on the chapter, which we read from Silent Spring and discuss the function of literaary studies in terms of ecological crisis as we discussed in the class.
the first two classes of the semester made me realize how much the environment and nature have been overlooked by the majority of people around us, and how poorly they’ve been treated for centuries. i also came to understand that today we are living with the consequences of our negative impact on nature. for example, this is the first time i hve learned that we are running out of water to the point where it is cut off for several days each week. in addition, even though it’s almost october, we still need to keep the air conditioner on. in other words, people only care for what is going to happen today rather than focusing on tomorrow.
ReplyDeletewhen it comes to the chapter which we read during the class, it was inspring to me because it felt like an foreshadowing of what would happen next if we kept neglecting and harming the nature. and considering that the text is written very long time ago, we are at a point which is close to never recovering.
ive read the articles mentioned in the syllabus, and they all emphasize how ecological studies were neglected for a long time until people finally recognized their importance.(however even today we have majority of people using our resources recklessly) when it comes to the role of literary studies, the articles suggest that they play a crucial part in raising awareness and helping the public become more conscious of environmental issues through the work of scholars. i believe this is exactly what we are also doing now in class, and i must say that i already feel more aware and more motivated to protect nature.
- melih aydin | 07240000757
In the first class of the semester, I realized how connected I feel to nature, environment again as I already took Literature and Environment 2 class. Although I mentioned I feel connected to nature in every lecture we have, at the same time it is apparent to me I am not connected as much as I wish I want to be. Also, I see that I do not do enough for the ecology. These thoughts linger in my mind in every lecture of ours.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, Silent Spring reminds us how the storyline is not entirely fiction. This “curse” we mentioned is not far away from what you see in the mirror. It depicts the reality in a metaphorical, hidden way rather than showing barely. This enables the critical reader to question himself at the end of the literary piece. Many other literary works before and after Silent Spring work as a tool to show the truth behind ecological state of modern time before it is late to do something about it.
Dilan Aydın 07230000033
The first class of the semester was a great guide for me to start looking at the environment from a different point of view. I have always been interested in Eco-criticism and i think this class will be a good start to my studies. On that note the class also made me more conscious of my role in the environment and made me realize how literature and culture shape our perception of nature.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to the chapter we have read in class, it can be said that R. Carson uses both natural and supernatural terminology in Silent Spring in order to create an impactful text. She uses images of natural beauty and conflicts those images with apocalyptic imagery. Carson's writing appeals to people's hearts rather than presenting them with scientific data, she presents them with use of pastoral elements and literary allusions, which make the text much more suitable to literary and cultural criticism. She first presents us with the harmony between humankind and nature. Then comes the invisible consequences of humanity's actions, and we can sense the sudden change in atmosphere through the text. In conclusion i understand why this text is seen as a pioneer text in modern environmentalism.
Helin Adsay, 07240000773
While I attended our first class of the semester, I had no expectations about what we would study or look for in this particular class. When I saw that the syllabus included some of the texts I had previously read, I became more curious about how we would examine these concepts and texts in class. Moreover, discussing the problems still existing in our contemporary world made me realise that we have not made progress since the beginning of time. On the contrary, our invasions have worsened over time, and we still use anthropocentric phrases even when discussing everything around us. That made me see that our problem lies deep inside more than we actually realise or want to admit to ourselves.
ReplyDeleteWhen we read an excerpt from Silent Spring in class, I found the scenery depicted in this short section to be disturbingly familiar. While reading “A Fable for Tomorrow,” I thought to myself that everything that is presented in this short chapter is actually our reality. Carson's choice of words is also particularly important in this context. Her portrayal of this disaster as supernatural and something “evil” and sudden, as if the town were under a “spell,” reveals another disturbing reality. A reality that we cannot see what is happening to the nature that we live in until the results of it come to an extent that we cannot turn a blind eye to it anymore. Moreover, thinking about this concept made me realise that ecological studies hold an important position to show us “all knowing humans” the signs that we actually miss and how we really treat every “non-human” thing around us.
In the first class of the semester, we discussed ecocriticism and ecology's first rule: "everything is connected to everything else." We then explored the chapter "A Fable for Tomorrow" from Silent Spring, examining how a pristine, green town gradually transforms into a place where life withers away, leaving an eerie silence. As we read, we witnessed the town's dramatic shift toward an apocalyptic state.
ReplyDeleteI believe Carson, through this town's narrative, wants us to recognize that we often fail to see that we actually live in this imagined town ourselves. We become so absorbed in our routine daily lives that we consistently forget the consequences of our actions.
From my initial impression, this class will help us question the function of our ethical system and make us more aware of our relationship with nature through various analogies.
Esma Davarcı, 07230000403