Published Paper Details:

Abstract: This research analyses the issue of ecological consciousness and environmental awareness through the lens of coastal fisher communities as portrayed in Anita Desai's The Village by the Sea. The novel, set in the fishing village of Thul located near Bombay, focuses on the complex interconnection of human livelihood and the presence of a natural environment. Utilising an ecocritical lens, this chapter examines Desai's representation of the Sea, land, and seasonal cycles of nature, not simply as geographical locations, but as lively elements that play a role in shaping the moral and economic framework of village life. This study employs qualitative literary analysis, focusing on the relationship to nature, traditional fishing modes of life, and the broader consequences of modernisation that threaten environmental stability. This chapter elaborates on how Desai emphasises sustainability, positioning the villagers' respect for natural cycles in stark contrast to industrial development encroaching on village life, simultaneously threatening both ecological and cultural stability. Collectively, the results illustrate Desai's text as an early warning of ecological turning points, from the loss of indigenous environmental ethics to the pressures of global industrialisation. Overall, through the positioning of The Village by the Sea in a broader conversation surrounding eco-literature and postcolonial ecological studies, this paper illustrates the text's contribution to understanding the moral and cultural dimensions of human-nature relations in coastal settings.