Seventeenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

“Save the earth” was the motto of environmental conference in Rio in 1992. Instead “serve the earth” would have been more appropriate. One can perceive “serve the earth” attitude in Chinua Achebe’s sublime work “Things Fall Apart”. This study traces the depiction of nature in the aforesaid novel whether it is anthropocentric (system of beliefs and practices that favours humans over other organism) or it is in sync with nature, humans, and habitat. Deterioration of environment is a primary concern in today’s world. Chinua Achebe brought real people, society and their universe to the whole world. “Things Fall Apart” articulated a new vision of the African world and gave expression to a new sense of the African experience that was more penetrating than what had been available before its appearance. Natural world cohabit the landscape of “ Things Fall Apart” along with humans. Nature is at the core of this novel. Ecocriticism explores the ways in which we imagine and portray the relationship between humans and environment. Ecocriticism gives human beings a better understanding of nature.