Decolonizing Nature: An Ecological Literary Study of Tagore’s Play ‘Red Oleanders’

Through a decolonial lens, this research article attempts to investigate the ecological aspects of Rabindranath Tagore’s drama “Red Oleanders”. In the context of colonial and postcolonial literature, this study aims to provide light on the decolonization of environmental narratives by examining the play’s portrayal of nature and its interaction with human society. The study explores how Tagore’s writings subvert established Western paradigms, recover indigenous viewpoints, and provide alternative interpretations of and relationships with nature, drawing on ecological literary criticism and postcolonial theory. Additionally, this study explores how Tagore’s writings emphasize the interdependence of all living forms by challenging the dichotomies of nature vs culture, human against non-human, and self versus other. It also analyzes the play’s aesthetic aspects in connection to its ecological issues by delving into the relevance of the metaphors, symbolism, and imagery used by Tagore to express ecological ideas. By emphasizing the significance of decolonizing nature in literary works, the study’s findings advance the subject of ecological literary criticism. This research attempts to offer a deeper understanding of the ecological aspects of Tagore’s “Red Oleanders,” its contribution to environmental discourse, and its relevance in the context of postcolonial literature by analyzing the play via a decolonial lens. The ultimate goal of this research is to stimulate additional investigation into the connections between literature, ecology, and decolonization in order to promote a more varied and inclusive view of how people interact with the natural world.