An Eco-critical Reading Of Le Clézio's Works

With Jean - Marie Gustave Le Clézio as an example, the present paper intends to examine the ecological elements in his novels from an eco-critical perspective and to explore ecological values behind texts. Through a close reading into texts, this paper traces the development of Le Clézio's ecological ideal: a criticism upon modern western civilization, an aesthetic appreciation of nature and a construction of harmonious eco-society, so as to demonstrate the implied eco-elements in depth.It mainly consists of three parts.The first part represents the alienated human beings and materialized world in"The Interrogation"and"War". Through a detailed text analysis, it explores Le Clézio's dissatisfaction with and criticism upon modern Western civilization with a focus upon technology and lust. The second part explores eco-aestheticism in Le Clézio's works through an analysis of natural element which appears most frequently and further investigates his understanding of human-nature relationship. The third part digs out various eco-crisis in"Ourania". It shows the author's desire to return to nature and ecological harmonious home. He is familiar with the causes for eco-crisis. So he does not have a severe criticism in his later works, nor does he lay hope upon religion. Instead, he builds a Utopia"campos"in literature as an ideal place for human beings who dislike industrial civilization and urban life and favors upon natural life although it perishes in social development.By the analysis of"campos", we can comprehend Le Clézio's ecological ideal. It is a simple and natural home where human nature and scientific truth are well preserved. Therefore the relationship between man and man, man and nature, man and the ecological system will be harmonied.