Ecological awareness and cultural identity in twentieth-century Central American narrative

In this study I analyze the intersection between indigenous identity and ecological awareness in the narratives of Central American authors Manlio Argueta, Arturo Arias, Miguel Angel Asturias, Gioconda Belli and Anacristina Rossi. I begin with a discussion of the field of ecocriticism and a presentation of ecological theories that will be pertinent to my analysis of these authors' works.; In each chapter I identify a central symbol that the author uses to connect his/her work to ecological thought. In the case of Argueta's Cuzcatlan donde bate la mar del sur and Arias' Caminos de Paxil I demonstrate that the concepts of maize and milpa illustrate a connection to the land that the rural poor of El Salvador and Guatemala have inherited from their indigenous ancestors, showing how modern agricultural and military politics threaten both these concepts and the environment as a whole. In El papa verde, Asturias uses the symbolism of rivers to place into question the compatibility of indigenous thought and modern corporate policies. In Belli's La mujer habitada, the indigenous past, the female subject and ecological awareness become intertwined through the symbolism of trees, while in Rossi's La loca de Gandoca, the sea is central to her discussion of these issues. In each chapter I demonstrate that the authors draw on indigenous interpretations of these natural symbols in order to legitimize the ecological agents as autochthonous.; As I identify these symbolic elements that each author uses to connect indigenous identity and ecological thought, I examine the ways in which these narratives establish a dialogue with modern ecological theories, and demonstrate a conceptual evolution of ecological responsibility. I argue that environmental protection, while initially viewed as the responsibility of indigenous communities, increasingly becomes the duty of all members of society, regardless of race, gender or economic status.