Urbanization and Nature: A Study of Ecological Tensions in Bond's Novel 'A Room on the Roof'

Ruskin Bond’s debut novel A Room on the Roof (1956) is often read as a bildungsromana coming-of-age narrative centered on the orphaned Anglo-Indian boy, Rusty. However, beneath the novel's emotional and cultural explorations, there is deeper ecological consciousness. Set in postcolonial India, particularly in the town of Dehra, the novel unfolds at a time when urbanization was slowly imprinting on semi-rural landscapes. Bond captures quiet tensions between the encroaching urban environment and the natural world. This study explores how A Room on the Roof reflects the ecological consequences of urbanization through Bond’s use of space, imagery, character development, and symbolic elements, highlighting the emotional and environmental displacement that ensues when nature is compromised.