La risposta letteraria alle problematiche ambientali: l’ecocritica nel contesto ispanico contemporaneo
Doctoral Dissertation
Publication Date:
2026
abstract:
This thesis aims to explore the relationship between literature and the environment through the application of the primary theoretical paradigms of ecocriticism and ecofeminism to contemporary Spanish narrative. The work intends to investigate how literary production succeeds in giving voice to the ecological crisis, denouncing its causes and offering new perspectives on coexistence among humans, non-humans, and the natural environment.
The research is organized into three main sections: a theoretical part dedicated to defining the conceptual framework; a historical-critical in-depth study on the development of ecocriticism and ecofeminism; and, finally, an applicative part in which these theories are put into practice through the analysis of five representative narrative works of the contemporary Hispanic landscape: Parábola del náufrago (1969) by Miguel Delibes, Lágrimas en la lluvia (2011) by Rosa Montero, El calentamiento global (2019) by Daniel Ruiz García, Ahora llega el silencio (2019) by Álvaro Colomer and Oceánica (2022) by Yolanda González.
The first part of the work addresses the evolution of ecological awareness in modernity, from the Anthropocene to the contemporary environmental crisis, analyzing the transformation of the human-nature relationship and the consequences of anthropocentrism. In this context, the origins and aims of ecocriticism are examined as a transdisciplinary field capable of fostering dialogue between environmental sciences, philosophy, and literature.
The second part focuses on the evolution of ecocritical studies, with particular attention to the emergence of the different "waves" of ecocriticism and their related currents of thought. Among these, ecofeminism plays a central role as a theoretical and political movement that links the subordination of women to the dominance exercised by men over nature, proposing instead a model based on care, relationship, and environmental justice. The ecofeminist perspective, especially in the version proposed by authors such as Alicia Puleo, thus becomes a fundamental tool for interpreting representations of the feminine, the non-human, and ecological bonds within contemporary narrative.
The third part constitutes the analytical core of the thesis and proposes an ecocritical and ecofeminist analysis of the five selected novels. In Parábola del náufrago, Delibes develops a profound reflection on technological dehumanization and the loss of contact with nature, anticipating ecological themes that would become central to later debates. Montero’s Lágrimas en la lluvia, set in a dystopian future, portrays a fragmented and alienated humanity where eco-dystopia and posthumanism intertwine with an ecofeminist critique of patriarchy and technocratic rationality. El calentamiento global by Ruiz García, on the other hand, tackles the issue of the Capitalocene and extractivist logics, representing environmental degradation as the result of neoliberal capitalism and institutional corruption.
Ahora llega el silencio by Colomer proposes a post-apocalyptic narrative in which the destruction of the world is transformed into an opportunity for ecological rebirth and the re-signification of community values, where the ecofeminist principle of care finds new expression in post-human relationships. Finally, Oceánica by González proposes a planetary vision in which the ocean and its inhabitants become repositories of memory and witnesses to the ecological crisis. The whale Ilargi, beached on the eve of the G7 in Biarritz, embodies the vulnerability of the living and resistance to extractive capitalism, becoming a symbol of interspecies alliance and ecofeminist justice.
Through these analyses, the thesis aims to highlight how contemporary Spanish lit
The research is organized into three main sections: a theoretical part dedicated to defining the conceptual framework; a historical-critical in-depth study on the development of ecocriticism and ecofeminism; and, finally, an applicative part in which these theories are put into practice through the analysis of five representative narrative works of the contemporary Hispanic landscape: Parábola del náufrago (1969) by Miguel Delibes, Lágrimas en la lluvia (2011) by Rosa Montero, El calentamiento global (2019) by Daniel Ruiz García, Ahora llega el silencio (2019) by Álvaro Colomer and Oceánica (2022) by Yolanda González.
The first part of the work addresses the evolution of ecological awareness in modernity, from the Anthropocene to the contemporary environmental crisis, analyzing the transformation of the human-nature relationship and the consequences of anthropocentrism. In this context, the origins and aims of ecocriticism are examined as a transdisciplinary field capable of fostering dialogue between environmental sciences, philosophy, and literature.
The second part focuses on the evolution of ecocritical studies, with particular attention to the emergence of the different "waves" of ecocriticism and their related currents of thought. Among these, ecofeminism plays a central role as a theoretical and political movement that links the subordination of women to the dominance exercised by men over nature, proposing instead a model based on care, relationship, and environmental justice. The ecofeminist perspective, especially in the version proposed by authors such as Alicia Puleo, thus becomes a fundamental tool for interpreting representations of the feminine, the non-human, and ecological bonds within contemporary narrative.
The third part constitutes the analytical core of the thesis and proposes an ecocritical and ecofeminist analysis of the five selected novels. In Parábola del náufrago, Delibes develops a profound reflection on technological dehumanization and the loss of contact with nature, anticipating ecological themes that would become central to later debates. Montero’s Lágrimas en la lluvia, set in a dystopian future, portrays a fragmented and alienated humanity where eco-dystopia and posthumanism intertwine with an ecofeminist critique of patriarchy and technocratic rationality. El calentamiento global by Ruiz García, on the other hand, tackles the issue of the Capitalocene and extractivist logics, representing environmental degradation as the result of neoliberal capitalism and institutional corruption.
Ahora llega el silencio by Colomer proposes a post-apocalyptic narrative in which the destruction of the world is transformed into an opportunity for ecological rebirth and the re-signification of community values, where the ecofeminist principle of care finds new expression in post-human relationships. Finally, Oceánica by González proposes a planetary vision in which the ocean and its inhabitants become repositories of memory and witnesses to the ecological crisis. The whale Ilargi, beached on the eve of the G7 in Biarritz, embodies the vulnerability of the living and resistance to extractive capitalism, becoming a symbol of interspecies alliance and ecofeminist justice.
Through these analyses, the thesis aims to highlight how contemporary Spanish lit
Iris type:
5.13 Tesi di dottorato
List of contributors: