Gestalt ecocriticism: from shallow ecocriticism to deep ecocriticism

Abstract

There is a need for ecocriticism to evolve from the shallow ecocriticism to the deep ecocriticism. Arne Naess,a Norwegian ecosopher,develops gestalt ontological ecocriticism, which acknowledges hierarchies of wholes and their non-external, non-extensional, internal relations. He also puts emphasis on maximizing the manifestations of all life. On the basis of this, the theory of spontaneous experience is introduced to serve the purpose of developing ecocriticism, which accounts for the limitations of regional protection of the eco-enviroment nowadays.