Volume V Special Issue IV October 2025

Name of Author : Rituraj Anand, Akanksha Pandey

Title of the paper : Universality of Man and Nature Relationship: A Study of Selected Folk Tales of India

Abstract: Human existence has always been closely linked with the natural environment, and literature from various cultures has mirrored this lasting connection through myths, legends, and folk stories. This paper examines the universality of the human-nature relationship as depicted in three Indian folk tales The Jasmine Prince, A Story in Search of an Audience, and A Flowering Tree. Utilising an ecocritical perspective Glotfelty, 1996, the study emphasises how these narratives encapsulate an inherent ecological ethic, perceiving nature not merely as a passive backdrop but as an active participant in human existence. By drawing on deep ecology Naess, 1973 and ecofeminist perspectives Shiva, 1989, the analysis reveals how themes of metamorphosis, reciprocity, and gendered ecologies emerge as central motifs within the human environment continuum. Collective Memory Theory by Halbwachs tells how oral traditions save ecological wisdom through generations. This paper proposes that the chosen stories or tales surpass regional and temporal confines while indicating that ecological awareness is a cultural necessity rather than a contemporary intention. This research paper positions folk narratives as rivers of sustainability that continue to hold a significant place in the discourse of the Anthropocene Chakrabarty, 2009.

Keywords : Ecocriticism, Deep Ecology, Ecofeminism, Collective Memory, Anthropocene, Cognitive Behavioural Theory

DOI :

Page Number : 71-78