Nature’s Silent Scream inWildoak: An Ecological Perspective

While using what is happening in nature for his own benefit, human who knows no boundaries has always positioned himself at the center of the world by asking for more. People who want to consume more have accelerated consumption by establishing factories with the Industrial Revolution. However, the factories that were established increased the emission of coal and chemical substances into the atmosphere, causing harm to nature. Moreover, the major pollution known as the “Great Smog of London” in 1952 was seen as a harbinger of this negative trend. At this point, critics who wanted to react to the deterioration of the relationship between nature and humans and to raise awareness have developed the ecocritical approach. This approach has gained importance not only in adult literature but also in children’s literature. Such literary works have been written with the aim of being able to explain the deep bond between humans and nature to children, instilling a love for nature, and raising environmental awareness. In the study, C.C. Harrington’s “Wildoak” (2022) will be examined using methods such as text analysis, critical reading, utilizing the ideas of theorists like Arne Naess, Cheryll Glotfelty, and Scott Slovic, who pioneered the ecocritical approach.