FROM ‘HOWLING WILDERNESS’ TO ‘HOLY WILDERNESS’-‘ULUYAN YABAN’DAN ‘ULU YABAN’A

Doğa kavramı, doğa bilimlerinden sosyal bilimlere, felsefeden sanat ve edebiyata uzanan farklı çalışma alanları ve bilimsel araştırmalar için her zaman bir odak noktası olmuştur. Öyle ki doğa, Kuzey Amerika’nın ilk sakinleri yerlilerden başlayarak koloniciler, Püritenler, deistler, bilim insanları, gizli romantikler, romantikler, transandantalistler, realistler ve natüralistler ile devam eden birçok araştırmacı, düşünür ve edebi figür için cezbedici olmuştur. Bu makale farklı dini, kültürel, bilimsel ve edebi bakış açılarını inceleyerek Kuzey Amerika’daki Püritenlerden transandantalistlere kadar uzanan doğanın kavramsallaştırılma sürecini tartışmaktadır. Bu bakış açıları doğa kavramlarının oluşumuna katkıda bulunmuştur ve böylelikle doğanın farklı anlamları ve algılanış biçimleri insanların belirli dönemlerdeki önyargıları ve hayal güçlerine bağlı olarak ortaya çıkmıştır. Her dönemdeki egemen bakış açısı, doğanın kavramsallaştırılma sürecinde önemli rol oynamıştır. Bu yazıda böyle bir evrimsel süreç, belirli dönemlere özgü metinler ışığında ele alınarak ekoeleştirel bakış açısıyla tartışılmaya çalışılacaktır

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Doğa, Edebiyat, Ekoeleştiri, Amerika

FROM ‘HOWLING WILDERNESS’ TO ‘HOLY WILDERNESS’

The concept of Nature has always been a focal subject in different fields of study and scientific researches, ranging from natural sciences to social ones and, from philosophy to arts and literature. Within this framework, Nature in North America has thus far attracted numerous researchers, thinkers, and literary figures starting with the original settlers of the continent, indigenous (native) peoples, and continuing with colonists, Puritans, deists, scientists, dark romantics, romantics, transcendentalists, realists, naturalists etc... In this article, the subject matter is confined to the conceptual analysis of Nature from early Puritans to transcendentalists in North America. This article discusses a conceptualization process of nature from the early Puritans to the transcendentalists in North America by examining various religious, cultural, scientific, and literary perspectives. These perspectives helped the formations of the concepts of nature thus different senses and perceptions of nature emerged in certain periods according to the preconceived opinions and imaginations of people. Each dominant perspective in each period has a significant role in this conceptualization process of Nature. This kind of evolutionary process is tried to be discussed through examining specific texts which clearly represent these certain periods and by making use of ecocriticism.

Keywords:

Nature, Literature, Ecocriticsim, America,

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