ShodhPatra: International Journal of Science and Humanities

Ecofeminism in the Writings of Vikram Seth

Ecofeminism, as a theoretical lens, brings together environmental and feminist concerns by uncovering the deep connections between the exploitation of nature and the oppression of women. While often associated with activism or overt ecological writing, ecofeminism can also be traced in literary works that reflect a subtle awareness of the natural world and its ethical entanglements with gender. Vikram Seth’s writings—though not explicitly ecofeminist—demonstrate a quiet but persistent engagement with themes such as emotional care, ecological sensitivity, non-violence, and the gendered experience of both human and environmental suffering. This paper explores how Seth’s novels The Golden Gate, A Suitable Boy, and An Equal Music, as well as selections from his poetry, embody core ecofeminist values through narrative choices, character development, and symbolic language. By applying close textual analysis supported by ecofeminist theory, the paper argues that Seth challenges conventional binaries like nature versus culture, emotion versus rationality, and male versus female, not by opposing them head-on but by offering complex portrayals of characters who live at their intersections. His urban, rural, and artistic settings serve as ecosystems where emotional and ethical decisions reflect broader ecological dynamics. The Golden Gate critiques consumerism and highlights compassion through animal rights and vegetarianism. A Suitable Boy ties land, tradition, and women’s lives together, while An Equal Music shows how sound and silence become metaphors for environmental and emotional balance. These stories reveal how attention to the feminine and the natural is also an attention to justice, care, and sustainability. Ultimately, the study demonstrates that Vikram Seth’s writing opens a space for an alternative kind of ecofeminist reading—one that is understated, deeply human, and ethically resonant. It highlights the potential of Indian English literature to participate in ecological discourse not just through content, but through empathy, structure, and voice.