Ecocritical Re-Visions: Postmodernism and Nature in John Steinbeck's To a God Unknown

Abstract: This study examines John Steinbeck’s Approach To a God Unknown within an ecocritical framework, including post-
modern viewpoints on the interplay between the environment and mankind. Steinbeck’s story challenges anthropocentric perspectives by depicting nature as a vibrant, independent entity that surpasses human dominion, intertwining the holy and the secular. This study analyses how the novel's use of myth and spirituality illustrates the connectivity between humanity and the natural environment, along with postmodernism's dismissal of distinct borders and hierarchical frameworks. The research contends that To a God Unknown presages modern ecological discourse by promoting a re-evaluation of nature that recognizes its complexity, unpredictability, and inherent worth independent of human needs. By emphasizing these issues, this study establishes Steinbeck’s work as a forerunner in contemporary ecocritical discourse, making it relevant to current dialogues on environmental ethics and sustainability.
Keywords: Ecocriticism, Postmodernism, Nature, Myth and spirituality, Environmental consciousness, Ecological discourse,Sustainability.