ENVIRONMENTAL (IN)JUSTICE AND APOCALYPSE: A TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE ROAD AND SALVAGE THE BONES

Abstract

The present study investigates Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Jesmin Ward’s Salvage the Bones to highlight environmental injustice leading to apocalyptic conditions. It explores various perspectives, such as maldistribution, consumerism, apocalypse, recognition, and injustice, to highlight that these elements contribute to destroying nature’s harmony, resulting in an apocalyptic world. Qualitative and exploratory, this study uses Honneth’s theory of Recognition as a theoretical framework to highlight how nature revolts against human beings. Textual analysis of both the novels illustrates unjust behavior and Nature’s revolt in the form of man-made and natural disasters. The study finds that male and female authors use the same approach to highlight environmental issues in the contemporary era. It concludes that novels best offer new insight into exploring environmental justice through imagery and metaphorical representations rather than statistics.