AN ECOCRITICAL READING OF UPROOTING IN CEUX DU LAC BY CORINNE ROYER.

Abstract

The focus of this article is an ecological analysis of Corinne Royer's Ceux du lac using theories of Cheryll Glotfelty, Rob Nixon, and Lawrence Buell. An important conclusion which can be drawn from the analysis is the fact that nature plays a significant role in the story rather than merely being an accompanying element of the characters’ adventures. It also highlights a form of environmental injustice resulting from the dispossession and exclusion of the Serban family from their territory. The study then examines the family’s uprooting following their move to the city. In stark contrast to the delta, the city is portrayed as disconnected from everything that embodies and sustains life, and is associated more closely with death than with life. Finally, the study shows that, through an individual story, the novel ultimately draws attention to decisions made in the name of ecology to preserve nature while disregarding the people who inhabit it.