Abstract

I want to explore the ways in which humans find themselves “connected” to nature, or better yet, “disconnected” to the environment, mostly through literature. More importantly, I want to examine the curiosity that drives humans to nature; besides the ecological importance of the environment to the civilized world, I want to explore what makes humans inspired by nature. Nature is one topic that seems to be portrayed as both human and divine, both innate and mysterious. This is all very broad and abstract, but I plan to focus on the way humans see nature, and the ways it is reflected through fiction. The actual concept of nature is intriguing but vast, so I plan to concentrate on its effects on humans and why it can be portrayed in many different contexts. Everything from Romanticism to the movie Avatar is source material for this inquiry. The thesis is yet to be determined, but will more than likely focus on what about nature has enraptured society so thoroughly, as depicted through art and literature. I hope to see a pattern in the way nature can be seen as derivative of both the natural and divine world.