Digital & Ecocritical Turns: Post-WWII Literary Theory for UGC-NET English
Detailed Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction to Digital & Ecocritical Turns
- 2. N. Katherine Hayles' Posthumanism
- 3. George Landow's Hypertext Theory
- 4. Lawrence Buell's Environmental Imagination
- 5. Timothy Morton's Dark Ecology
- 6. Key Concepts Explained
- 7. Literary Applications & Case Studies
- 8. UGC-NET Practice MCQs with Explanations
- 9. Exam Preparation Strategy & Resources
Essential Concepts for UGC-NET
- Posthumanism: Hayles' reconceptualization of human-technology relations
- Hypertext Theory: Landow's analysis of nonlinear digital narratives
- Environmental Imagination: Buell's framework for ecocritical analysis
- Dark Ecology: Morton's critique of romantic environmentalism
- Anthropocene: The geological epoch marked by human impact
1. Introduction to Digital & Ecocritical Turns
The Digital and Ecocritical turns represent two of the most significant developments in Post-WWII literary theory, responding to technological advancements and environmental crises that have reshaped our understanding of texts, authorship, and human-environment relations.
Core Principles of Digital Humanities
- Text as fluid, malleable digital construct (Landow)
- Human-computer interaction reshaping cognition (Hayles)
- Nonlinear, networked reading experiences
- Quantitative analysis of large text corpora
- Challenge to traditional authorship concepts
Fundamentals of Ecocriticism
- Literature as mediator of human-environment relations (Buell)
- Critique of anthropocentrism in literary studies
- Attention to non-human agencies and perspectives
- "Dark ecology" rejecting romantic nature ideals (Morton)
- Anthropocene as framework for contemporary literature
"We are all posthuman now, whether we like it or not." - N. Katherine Hayles, How We Became Posthuman
UGC-NET Focus: The Digital and Ecocritical turns frequently appear in questions about contemporary literary theory and Post-WWII developments in Unit 9.
2. N. Katherine Hayles' Posthumanism
N. Katherine Hayles revolutionized literary theory with her 1999 work How We Became Posthuman, examining how information technologies have transformed conceptions of subjectivity, embodiment, and textuality.
Key Hayles Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Literary Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Posthumanism | Condition where human merges with intelligent machines | New narrative forms in digital age literature |
| Technogenesis | Humans co-evolve with technology | How reading/writing practices change with media |
| Flickering Signifiers | Digital text's material instability | Challenge to print-based literary analysis |
| Embodiment | Material body's continued importance | Critique of pure information fantasies |
Application to Contemporary Literature
Hayles' framework helps analyze:
- Cyborg characters in William Gibson's Neuromancer
- Human-AI relationships in Kazuo Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun
- Digital consciousness in Richard Powers' Galatea 2.2
- Hypertext novels like Michael Joyce's Afternoon
UGC-NET Focus: Hayles' distinction between posthumanism and transhumanism is frequently tested, as is her concept of "flickering signifiers."
3. George Landow's Hypertext Theory
George Landow's Hypertext: The Convergence of Contemporary Critical Theory and Technology (1992) established foundational principles for understanding digital literature and its theoretical implications.
Key Landow Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Hypertext | Nonlinear, networked digital text | Websites, e-books with links |
| Wreading | Blurring of writing/reading in digital space | Fanfiction, wiki editing |
| Decentered Text | No single authoritative version | Wikipedia articles |
| Intertextuality | Enhanced connections between texts | Hyperlinks creating textual networks |
Analysis of Digital Literature
Landow's theory illuminates:
- How hypertext fiction challenges linear narrative
- Reader's role as co-author in interactive texts
- Death of the Author in digital environments
- Implementation of Barthes' and Derrida's theories
"Hypertext has much in common with some major points of contemporary literary and semiological theory, particularly with Derrida's emphasis on decentering and with Barthes's conception of the readerly versus the writerly text." - George Landow
4. Lawrence Buell's Environmental Imagination
Lawrence Buell's The Environmental Imagination (1995) established foundational principles for ecocriticism, examining how literature mediates human-environment relations.
Key Buell Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Literary Application |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Imagination | Capacity to imagine human-environment relations | Nature writing traditions |
| Eco-Cosmopolitanism | Global environmental consciousness | Climate change fiction |
| Toxic Discourse | Language of environmental hazard | Industrial pollution narratives |
| Place-Attachment | Emotional bonds to environments | Regional literature analysis |
Application to American Literature
Buell's framework reveals:
- Thoreau's Walden as foundational environmental text
- Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and toxic discourse
- Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and place-attachment
- Contemporary climate fiction (e.g., Barbara Kingsolver)
UGC-NET Focus: Buell's criteria for "environmental text" and his concept of "toxic discourse" frequently appear in exam questions.
5. Timothy Morton's Dark Ecology
Timothy Morton's Dark Ecology (2016) challenges conventional environmental thought, proposing a "weird" approach to ecological awareness without romanticizing nature.
Key Morton Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Ecology | Ecological thought embracing paradox | Anthropocene literature |
| Hyperobjects | Massively distributed entities (climate change, etc.) | Representing global warming in art |
| Mesh | Interconnectedness of all beings | Ecological interdependence themes |
| Ecology Without Nature | Critique of "nature" as ideological construct | Postnatural environmental art |
Analysis of Contemporary Ecofiction
Morton's theory helps examine:
- Jeff VanderMeer's Annihilation as dark ecology
- Margaret Atwood's MaddAddam trilogy and hyperobjects
- Representations of the Anthropocene in poetry
- Climate change in Kim Stanley Robinson's novels
"Ecological awareness is weird: it has to do with nonidentity, and this is why art is the best place to find it." - Timothy Morton, Dark Ecology
6. Key Concepts Explained
| Term | Definition | Theorist |
|---|---|---|
| Posthumanism | Condition where human merges with intelligent machines | N. Katherine Hayles |
| Hypertext Theory | Study of nonlinear digital narratives | George Landow |
| Environmental Imagination | Capacity to imagine human-environment relations | Lawrence Buell |
| Dark Ecology | Ecological thought embracing paradox | Timothy Morton |
| Anthropocene | Geological epoch marked by human impact | Paul Crutzen |
Digital vs. Ecocritical Turns
| Digital Turn | Ecocritical Turn |
|---|---|
| Focus on technology's impact on literature | Focus on environment's role in literature |
| Emergence in 1990s with digital revolution | Gained prominence in 2000s with climate crisis |
| Key figures: Hayles, Landow, Aarseth | Key figures: Buell, Morton, Glotfelty |
| Examines human-computer interaction | Examines human-environment relations |
| Challenges print-based literary norms | Challenges anthropocentric literary norms |
Essential Reading List
- Hayles: How We Became Posthuman (1999)
- Landow: Hypertext (1992)
- Buell: The Environmental Imagination (1995)
- Morton: Dark Ecology (2016)
- Glotfelty & Fromm (eds): The Ecocriticism Reader (1996)
7. Literary Applications & Case Studies
Digital & Ecocritical Readings
| Text | Approach | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| House of Leaves | Digital/Hypertext | Nonlinear narrative as hypertext in print |
| The Overstory | Ecocritical | Novel as environmental imagination |
| Neuromancer | Posthumanist | Cyberspace and posthuman subjectivity |
| The Sixth Extinction | Dark Ecology | Anthropocene narratives and hyperobjects |
Case Study: Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake
Digital Turn Analysis:
- Genetic engineering as digital manipulation of life code
- Virtual worlds versus biological reality
Ecocritical Analysis:
- Anthropocene extinction events
- Dark ecology of human-nonhuman relations
- Toxic discourse of corporate biotech
8. UGC-NET Practice MCQs with Explanations
1. The concept of "flickering signifiers" in digital textuality was introduced by:
- George Landow
- N. Katherine Hayles
- Timothy Morton Lawrence Buell
Explanation: Hayles used this term to describe the material instability of digital text in How We Became Posthuman.
2. Which theorist is most associated with developing hypertext theory in relation to literary studies?
- N. Katherine Hayles
- George Landow
- Lev Manovich
- Jay David Bolter
Explanation: Landow's Hypertext (1992) established the foundational theory connecting hypertext to poststructuralism.
3. The term "dark ecology" was coined by:
- Lawrence Buell
- Cheryll Glotfelty
- Timothy Morton Ursula Heise
Explanation: Morton introduced this concept in his 2016 book Dark Ecology: For a Logic of Future Coexistence.
4. Which of the following is NOT one of Lawrence Buell's four criteria for an environmental text?
- Nonhuman environment as active presence
- Human interest not exclusive
- Celebration of technological progress Accountability to environment
Explanation: Buell's criteria include environmental accountability, not technological celebration, which often contradicts ecocritical values.
5. Match the following theorists with their key concepts:
| Theorist | Concept |
|---|---|
| 1. N. Katherine Hayles | A. Hyperobjects |
| 2. George Landow | B. Environmental Imagination |
| 3. Lawrence Buell | C. Posthumanism |
| 4. Timothy Morton | D. Hypertext Theory |
- 1-A, 2-B, 3-C, 4-D
- 1-B, 2-D, 3-A, 4-C
- 1-C, 2-D, 3-B, 4-A
- 1-D, 2-C, 3-A, 4-B
Explanation: Correct matching: Hayles-Posthumanism, Landow-Hypertext Theory, Buell-Environmental Imagination, Morton-Hyperobjects.
9. Exam Preparation Strategy & Resources
The Digital and Ecocritical turns form crucial components of UGC-NET's Post-WWII literary theory questions, requiring both conceptual understanding and application skills.
Key Areas for Focus
- Theorist-Concept Matching: Which ideas belong to which thinkers
- Terminology: Precise definitions of key terms like hyperobjects, technogenesis
- Comparative Analysis: Differences between digital and ecocritical approaches
- Textual Applications: How theories apply to contemporary literary works
Memorization Tips
Digital Turn (HLM):
- Hayles - Posthumanism
- Landow - Hypertext
- Manovich - New Media Theory
Ecocritical Turn (BMG):
- Buell - Environmental Imagination
- Morton - Dark Ecology
- Glotfelty - Ecocriticism Reader
Final Revision Checklist
- ✓ Hayles' posthumanism vs. transhumanism
- ✓ Landow's hypertext theory applications
- ✓ Buell's environmental text criteria
- ✓ Morton's dark ecology concepts
- ✓ Anthropocene in contemporary literature
Recommended Further Reading
- The Ecocriticism Reader edited by Glotfelty and Fromm
- Electronic Literature by N. Katherine Hayles
- Ecology Without Nature by Timothy Morton
- Writing for an Endangered World by Lawrence Buell
- Hyper/Text/Theory edited by George Landow
"The environmental crisis involves a crisis of the imagination the amelioration of which depends on finding better ways of imagining nature and humanity's relation to it." - Lawrence Buell
