Published Paper Details:

This research analyses the evolving role of literature in instilling environmental awareness, discussing Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1962) and Claire Vaye Watkins' Gold Fame Citrus (2015) based on ecocriticism and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Based on qualitative textual analysis and comparative literary approach, this research investigates the ways in which these works describe environmental deterioration, human responsibility, and sustainability themes. Employing crucial environmental theory--deep ecology and posthumanism--the research investigates the ideological and thematic grounds for both novels. Carson's Silent Spring, widely recognized for initiating the contemporary environmental movement, critiques the rampant application of pesticides like DDT and contests human-centered views that favor economic development over ecological health. Her application of scientific data and convincing writing supports biodiversity preservation and public health, reflecting the fundamental ecological principle of nature's inherent worth. The research places Carson's work in the ecocritical framework, emphasizing literature's function as a means for environmental advocacy and public awareness. By contrast, Watkins' Gold Fame Citrus imagines a desolate future of climactic catastrophe and water scarcity in the American Southwest. Through the use of speculative fiction, Watkins critiques passivity in society and ecological disregard, exploring how climate change affects identity, agency, and social structures. The novel is centered on women's lives and vulnerabilities in a resource-scarce world and is in tune with ecofeminist concerns, while its post-humanist stance challenges traditional human-nature hierarchies and envisions different modes of ecological consciousness. The comparative analysis reveals that while Carson uses a scientific and factual approach to generate urgency and influence policy, Watkins uses narrative creativity to accentuate the long-term consequences of environmental neglect. Together, these works illustrate literature's capacity to educate and encourage action, linking scientific discourse, community engagement, and advocacy for policy reform. This study discovers that ecocriticism is critical in shaping ecological ethics, promoting interdisciplinarity, and driving sustainable approaches. In the face of mounting climate crises, literary narratives offer robust channels for driving environmental consciousness and inspiring profound change.