Mitigation of human-nature estrangement through pro-environmental behavior in Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer

Abstract

Humans are designed to live in harmony with nature. As time pass by, people have become increasingly disconnected from nature and have begun to control it, considering it an entirely other entity. Man’s environment-destructive behavior is the reason for the human-nature estrangement in this Anthropocene. Bridging and healing the divide is critical because if it is neglected, the ramifications are unimaginable. Focusing on mitigating the human-nature divide, this article is interested in sketching new directions in Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer through pro-environmental behavioral analysis. Pro-environmental behavior is the attitude of humans that promotes a healthy and sustainable environment. It is pertinent to have environmentally responsible behavior for the betterment of the planet because people fail to understand that exploiting nature for their benefit often backfires. There are many approaches to mitigate human-nature estrangement, but using pro-environmental behavior to diminish the dichotomy is feasible and practical. Various studies have analyzed this novel from various perspectives but the present study analyzes the pro-environmental aspects of the novel to blur the human-nature dichotomy.