Abstract:
This study examines the representation of the environment in the novels of Chinua Achebe. The study focuses on Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God and Anthills of the Savannah. It looks at how Achebe portrays the environment and its interaction with the people. The study adopts the ecocritical approach to the analysis of the text. The environment is an essential component of the novels. It is central to the existence of the people, as it is involved in every aspect of their lives. The representation of the environment highlights the various consciousness of the people. The environment is hostile, physical and metaphysical, resource for the people, source of conflict in the society, divers, benevolent and under threat. While some individuals in the three novels manifest a deep awareness of the environment, leading to sublime ecological experience, others are repressive and shallow in their environmental consciousness. The level of the consciousness of the characters in the novels influences their lives in the society and their relationship with the environment. There is a deep connection between the people and the environment in the three works. The environment not only caters for the basic needs of the people but is also the ultimate source and essence of their lives.