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Concepts of The The Over Story

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prabinrchalise
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31 views4 pages

Concepts of The The Over Story

Uploaded by

prabinrchalise
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Concept:

This thesis would examine the ethical and philosophical dimensions of radical environmental
activism portrayed in The Overstory, focusing on characters like Olivia and Douglas who engage
in extreme activism (e.g., tree-sitting, disrupting deforestation efforts). You can analyze how
these actions align with activism as a concept and explore the moral and existential dilemmas
faced by these characters. This would also involve drawing connections between the concept of
activism in the novel and existentialist thought (primarily the works of Jean-Paul Sartre and
Simone de Beauvoir), both of whom discuss the necessity and burden of action in a seemingly
indifferent world.

Why It’s Unique:

1. Focus on Activism as Ethical Action: While radical environmental activism has been
widely discussed in relation to social and political impacts, you can take a moral and
philosophical approach. This allows you to explore how Powers presents activism as a
moral duty or existential necessity, challenging the boundaries of traditional ethics.
2. Existential Philosophy and Activism: Activism in The Overstory can be interpreted as a
response to the absurdity and existential crisis of environmental destruction. By
connecting existentialism (as articulated by Sartre and de Beauvoir) to environmental
activism, your thesis would explore activism not just as a political or ecological act but as
a personal and moral journey.

Possible Research Questions:

1. How does The Overstory depict activism as a form of moral action in the face of
environmental destruction, and how does this align with Sartre's concept of individual
responsibility?
2. To what extent does the activism in The Overstory challenge conventional ethical
frameworks, and can it be justified through existentialist theories of freedom and action?
3. How do characters in The Overstory perceive the role of activism in addressing
environmental crises, and how does this mirror existentialist ideas of creating meaning
through action?

How to Connect This to Sartre and de Beauvoir:

 Jean-Paul Sartre’s Existentialism: Sartre believed that individuals are condemned to


be free and must create their own meaning through actions. In The Overstory, the
activists’ choice to engage in extreme, often dangerous, actions (such as tree-sitting) can
be seen as an embodiment of Sartre’s idea of radical freedom—choosing to act in a way
that defines one’s identity and purpose in a world that offers no inherent meaning.
 Simone de Beauvoir's Ethics of Ambiguity: De Beauvoir’s existentialism also stresses
the importance of freedom and responsibility. She advocates for authentic action that
acknowledges the complexity and ambiguity of human existence. This applies to the
characters in The Overstory, whose activism acknowledges the complexity of
environmental destruction and the personal sacrifices they must make to stand up for the
planet.

Unique Contribution:

By focusing on activism through an existentialist lens, your research will contribute a unique
perspective that not only analyzes the political impact of activism in The Overstory but also its
moral and existential dimensions. This approach will delve into the ethics of activism,
questioning whether radical actions are justified in an absurd world where environmental
destruction is overwhelming. You could explore how the characters’ activism is a response to
their existential understanding of the world and their place within it.

This theme allows you to combine activism with philosophical ethics, offering a fresh
examination of The Overstory that intersects environmentalism with moral philosophy.

Sufficient Material for the Thesis:

1. Radical Environmental Activism: There’s a growing body of work on environmental


activism in literature, especially concerning the ethical and philosophical implications of
extreme actions like eco-terrorism and civil disobedience. Authors such as Arne Naess
(deep ecology), Bill McKibben, and Vandana Shiva have written extensively about the
moral imperatives behind radical activism in response to climate change and
environmental degradation. You can tie this into the discussions in The Overstory about
the activists' motivations.
2. Existentialism in Literature: Existentialism, particularly as outlined by Jean-Paul
Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, is widely studied in relation to literature. Sartre’s ideas
about freedom, responsibility, and creating meaning through action, as well as de
Beauvoir’s theories on ethics and the struggle for liberation, can be applied to the
characters in The Overstory who make radical choices to protect nature.
o Jean-Paul Sartre provides ample material on existential freedom and the
responsibility of individuals to act in a way that defines their existence. His
works, such as Being and Nothingness and Existentialism is a Humanism, provide
the theoretical basis for understanding how characters in The Overstory might
justify extreme activism as a form of moral freedom.
o Simone de Beauvoir offers an important contribution through her existentialist
feminist theory in works like The Second Sex and The Ethics of Ambiguity. While
de Beauvoir is primarily known for her feminist critique, her existentialist
framework (which emphasizes freedom, choice, and ethical responsibility) applies
to broader moral dilemmas, including environmental activism. She argues that
individuals have a moral responsibility to act authentically and work toward
the freedom of all—ideas that can be easily connected to the environmental
activism in The Overstory.

Why Use Simone de Beauvoir:


Though de Beauvoir is often categorized as a feminist thinker, her existential philosophy extends
beyond gender issues. She explores the concepts of freedom, responsibility, and authenticity,
which are central to the themes of your thesis. Her works focus on how individuals must take
responsibility for their choices, especially in a world that can often feel morally ambiguous—
exactly what characters in The Overstory are grappling with when they make radical
environmental decisions.

In The Ethics of Ambiguity, de Beauvoir writes about “the ethics of freedom” and the
importance of human beings creating meaning in a world that often lacks it. This existentialist
view of freedom aligns with the personal, moral choices made by activists in The Overstory, who
take extreme actions in response to the overwhelming ecological crisis.

 Connection to The Overstory: Characters like Olivia and Douglas face a moral
ambiguity about whether extreme activism (like tree-sitting or blocking deforestation) is
justified, and de Beauvoir's framework can help illuminate the existential weight of their
decisions.

Materials and Resources:

 For existentialism, you can draw from a vast amount of academic work that applies
Sartre’s and de Beauvoir’s philosophies to literature and modern ethical issues. Many
literary critics analyze existential choices in characters, and environmental themes can be
explored using these frameworks.
 On activism, environmental studies literature will give you the theoretical and ethical
context of radical activism. Books, essays, and articles exploring environmental ethics,
civil disobedience, and eco-terrorism (e.g., from authors like Naomi Klein, Bill
McKibben, Arne Naess, and others) will provide the backbone for your analysis.

Unique Perspective:

By using de Beauvoir’s existentialism, you not only tie The Overstory to broader philosophical
questions about moral action and responsibility but also introduce an ethical perspective that has
not been fully explored in environmental literature. De Beauvoir’s focus on the burden of
freedom and authenticity can provide a fresh reading of the novel's radical environmental
activists, focusing on their personal moral struggles rather than just the political or ecological
consequences of their actions.

Final Thoughts:

There is sufficient material to support your thesis on activism and existentialism, especially if
you focus on de Beauvoir’s ethical existentialism. While she is known for feminist critique, her
contributions to existentialist philosophy (particularly around freedom, choice, and
responsibility) are highly relevant to understanding the ethical dilemmas of radical
environmental activism. By applying these theories to The Overstory, you can create a unique
and intellectually rich thesis.

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