World on the Brink of Apocalypse: A Text Linguistic Analysis of How Close to Savage the Soul by John Atcheson

<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 9px; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal;"><i>In recent decades, the world has encountered numerous environmental challenges. Deforestation continues at an alarming rate, fossil fuel consumption remains high, and carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are rising daily. Alongside the overconsumption of natural resources, the stability of ecological systems is increasingly disrupted, giving rise to the concept of "climate change." The reckless use of natural resources is contributing to the degradation of the environment's delicate balance. Concerned ecologists, environmental activists, and scholars are advocating for action across all sectors to promote environmental awareness and mitigate future consequences. As one of the fields, Eco fiction plays a crucial role in addressing the environmental challenges faced by society in literary works. In this regard, John Atcheson's short story How Close to Savage the Soul portrays a future world that conflicts with societal expectations, as reflected in the journey undertaken by an elderly man and his grandson to the Outer Banks. This study aims to analyse this short story from an ecocritical point of view within the framework of text linguistics, as it depicts environmental destruction and concerns about the future.&nbsp;</i>