Assignment Paper No. 204 : From Wilderness to Captivity: Eco-critical Reflections on Animal Ethics, Conservation, and Representation in Contemporary Media

From Wilderness to Captivity: Eco-critical Reflections on Animal Ethics, Conservation, and Representation in Contemporary Media

This blog is a part of the assignment of Paper 203: Literary Theory & Criticism and Indian Aesthetics 

Academic Details:

Name : Jay P. Vaghani

Roll No.        : 06

Sem. : 3

Batch : 2024-26

E-mail : vaghanijay77@gmail.com   

Assignment Details:

Paper Name : Contemporary Western Theories and Film Studies

Paper No. : 204

Paper Code : 22409 

Topic :From Wilderness to Captivity: Eco-critical Reflections on Animal Ethics, Conservation, and Representation in Contemporary Media

Submitted To : Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

Submitted Date : November 8, 2025

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Table of Contents

Personal Information

Assignment Details

Abstract

Introduction

Theoretical Framework: Eco-criticism, Zoocriticism, and Postcolonialism

The Human–Animal Divide: Ethics and Representation

Wilderness, Exploitation, and the Politics of Conservation

Captivity and Spectacle: Zoos, Media, and the Illusion of Care

Eco-feminist and Moral Perspectives on Animal Welfare

Conclusion

Abstract

This paper explores the shifting relationship between humans and animals through an eco-critical and zoocritical lens, using real-world examples from environmental reports, journalism, and visual media. Drawing on the theoretical insights of Graham Huggan and Helen Tiffin’s Postcolonial Ecocriticism and Aarthi Vadde’s work on cross-pollination between ecocriticism and postcolonialism, the paper examines how concepts like “animal welfare,” “conservation,” and “rights” are framed in modern culture. Through case studies such as the film Sherni (2021), viral media on animal captivity, and journalistic accounts of deforestation and tiger hunts, this study argues that ecological narratives often conceal systems of exploitation beneath the guise of protection.

Introduction

Eco-criticism, as a field, studies the relationship between literature, culture, and the environment. However, in recent decades, the focus has expanded to include zoocriticism—a sub-branch that interrogates how animals are represented and treated in human discourse. Graham Huggan and Helen Tiffin (2010) define postcolonial ecocriticism as the intersection of environmental justice and cultural identity, revealing how colonial histories of land exploitation extend to the exploitation of animals.

In India, debates over animal rights and conservation have intensified with the rise of viral media coverage, government actions, and public outrage over human–wildlife conflict. The killing of the tigress Avni (Shantha, 2018) and the illegal lion shows in Gir (DeshGujaratHD, 2019) illustrate the paradox of a nation that worships animals symbolically while exploiting them physically.

Hypothesis

This research hypothesizes that modern ecological and animal welfare discourses—though framed as protective and ethical—often perpetuate hidden systems of domination rooted in colonial, capitalist, and patriarchal ideologies. By analyzing films, media, and journalism through eco-critical and zoocritical lenses, the study argues that the language of conservation and care frequently masks exploitation and reinforces the human–animal divide.

Research Questions

How do eco-criticism and zoocriticism intersect in analyzing the ethical and cultural representation of animals in postcolonial contexts?

In what ways do media, films (such as Sherni), and journalism reveal the contradiction between animal protection and exploitation?

How does postcolonial ecocriticism expose the continuation of colonial hierarchies in contemporary conservation practices?

What role does eco-feminism play in connecting the exploitation of women and animals under systems of patriarchy and capitalism?

Can recognizing animals as moral and sentient beings challenge anthropocentrism and reshape ecological ethics in the modern world?

Theoretical Framework: Eco-criticism, Zoocriticism, and Postcolonialism

Aarthi Vadde (2011) argues that ecocriticism, zoocriticism, and postcolonialism intersect through their shared ethical focus on cross-species relationships and environmental representation. These critical frameworks collectively question anthropocentrism—the belief that human beings are the central and most important entities in the universe. Postcolonial nations, shaped by histories of exploitation, often inherit and reproduce colonial patterns of domination over both land and life forms. The exploitation of the earth, its resources, and its creatures reflects not only ecological destruction but also ideological continuities between colonialism and capitalism.

Huggan and Tiffin (2010) further emphasize that environmental degradation in postcolonial contexts is deeply entwined with the legacies of imperialism, where resource extraction and deforestation mirror earlier colonial economic systems. For instance, plantation economies that once relied on enslaved labor have evolved into industrialized systems of ecological exploitation, where both human and non-human lives are commodified.

In this theoretical framework, animals are redefined as active participants in ecological and moral systems rather than passive symbols in human-centered narratives. The Book of Genesis (King James Version, 2017) famously grants humans “dominion” over all living creatures—a theological root of species hierarchy that justifies human supremacy. Ecocriticism challenges this narrative by promoting ideas of coexistence, kinship, and moral reciprocity between species. Zoocriticism builds upon this by examining how literature, film, and culture represent animal subjectivity and suffering, urging scholars to move beyond symbolic readings toward an acknowledgment of animals as beings with intrinsic value and agency.

The Human–Animal Divide: Ethics and Representation

The ethical debate concerning animals often oscillates between animal welfare and animal rights, as framed by organizations such as PETA and the American Veterinary Medical Association. Welfare advocates emphasize humane treatment and minimization of suffering within systems of use, whereas rights theorists—like Tom Regan and Peter Singer—argue for the abolition of animal exploitation altogether, asserting that animals possess intrinsic autonomy independent of human utility.

Susana Monsó (2018), in her groundbreaking work Animal Morality, challenges the long-held belief that moral reasoning and empathy are exclusive to humans. Drawing from ethological studies, Monsó presents compelling evidence of emotional complexity and fairness in species such as elephants, dolphins, and primates. This evidence dissolves the rigid line separating human from animal and compels scholars to re-evaluate how literature, film, and popular media construct animal subjectivity.

From this perspective, the representation of animals in postcolonial literature and cinema becomes an ethical act. Works like Yann Martel’s Life of Pi or Amit Masurkar’s Sherni depict animals not merely as metaphors for human suffering but as autonomous beings with their own existential struggles. These narratives challenge the instrumentalization of animals in culture, urging readers and viewers to acknowledge their emotional and moral presence.

Wilderness, Exploitation, and the Politics of Conservation

Environmental journalism frequently exposes how economic development and state interests often override ecological protection. For example, Ramu Bhagwat’s Times of India report (2018) details how 467 hectares of forest land in Yavatmal were transferred to Reliance Industries—illustrating how environmental conservation is routinely sacrificed at the altar of corporate gain. Such acts of “green colonialism” replicate imperial practices where natural resources are controlled and commodified under the guise of modernization.

In Amit Masurkar’s Sherni (2021), this tension between development and ecology becomes the central conflict. The film’s protagonist, Vidya Vincent, an honest forest officer, confronts bureaucratic corruption and patriarchal power structures as she strives to protect a tigress threatened by human encroachment. The tigress “T12” becomes an allegory for all silenced and hunted beings—both human and animal—who resist domination. The film’s feminist subtext aligns with eco-feminism, which identifies a parallel between the exploitation of women and the exploitation of nature.

Through such representations, both journalism and cinema expose the political dimension of conservation: who gets to define “protection,” and who benefits from it. True environmentalism, as Huggan and Tiffin (2010) argue, must acknowledge the socio-political histories of land and life, moving beyond surface-level preservation toward genuine ecological justice.

Captivity and Spectacle: Zoos, Media, and the Illusion of Care

Modern zoos have long been framed as centers for education, entertainment, and conservation, yet critical scholarship exposes them as spaces of captivity and control. As Loy Norrix (2023) and Esther Suson’s History of Zoos suggest, these institutions serve as microcosms of colonial power, where non-human bodies are displayed for human pleasure and profit. Animals are stripped of autonomy, confined within artificial habitats, and presented as exotic curiosities—mirroring the ethnographic exhibitions of the colonial era.

The Daily Mail (2019) video “Zoos Drive Animals Insane” vividly documents the psychological trauma of caged animals, showing repetitive pacing, self-harm, and signs of deep distress. Such images challenge the comforting narrative of zoos as benevolent caretakers and reveal instead a spectacle of suffering masked as conservation.

Through a postcolonial lens, zoos function as continuations of imperial ideology. They display “exotic” species from former colonies, reinforcing the human desire to dominate and classify the natural world. Even in digital media, this mindset persists: viral videos of illegal lion shows in Gir or elephant rides in Jaipur exemplify how tourism, capitalism, and cultural pride intersect to commodify wildlife. Thus, captivity—whether in cages or in images—becomes a mechanism of control disguised as admiration.

Eco-feminist and Moral Perspectives on Animal Welfare

Eco-feminism, rooted in thinkers like Vandana Shiva and Carolyn Merchant, links the oppression of women and the exploitation of nature to patriarchal ideologies of domination and hierarchy. In Sherni, Vidya Balan’s character embodies an ethic of care grounded in empathy, cooperation, and coexistence—traits historically coded as “feminine” but reimagined here as strengths. She navigates a system that seeks control, asserting that both women and wildlife deserve freedom and dignity.

Huggan and Tiffin argue that ecological justice cannot exist without social justice. The oppression of women, indigenous communities, and animals all emerge from the same hierarchical worldview that privileges power and possession. Eco-feminism calls for a transformative ethics of care, one that dismantles anthropocentrism and redefines humanity’s relationship with the non-human world.

Susana Monsó’s (2018) discussion of animal moral cognition complements this feminist perspective. By recognizing that animals possess emotional intelligence and moral capacities, eco-feminism moves the conversation from mere compassion to ethical responsibility. It demands not just humane treatment but structural change—a shift from management to coexistence, from control to connection.

Conclusion

From religious scripture to modern cinema, human relationships with animals reveal enduring patterns of domination, representation, and moral conflict. Through the combined perspectives of ecocriticism, zoocriticism, and postcolonialism, this study uncovers how narratives of “protection” often mask systems of control and exploitation. Films like Sherni, alongside real-world examples of forest encroachment and animal captivity, illustrate how colonial hierarchies continue to shape human attitudes toward the natural world.

Ultimately, true ecological consciousness begins where anthropocentrism ends. It requires reimagining animals not as symbols, resources, or spectacles, but as co-inhabitants of a shared planet. Huggan and Tiffin remind us that environmental ethics is not a matter of pity but of justice—a call to dismantle hierarchies that divide humans from the rest of creation. Only through such an ethical reawakening can both nature and humanity hope to survive in harmony.

References

“Animal welfare: What is it?” American Veterinary Medical Association, https://www.avma.org/resources/animal-health-welfare/animal-welfare-what-it.

Bhagwat, Ramu. “467 hectares of Yavatmal forest land given to Reliance | Nagpur News - Times of India.” The Times of India, 23 January 2018, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/467-hectares-of-yavatmal-forest-land-given-to-reliance/articleshow/62610513.cms.

DeshGujaratHD. “Another video of illegal lion show in Gir goes viral.” YouTube, DeshGujratHD, 9 March 2019, https://youtu.be/BvAkJAuqLn0?si=rLi_8yKpO0Jeb1Xq.

Huggan, Graham, and Helen Tiffin. Postcolonial Ecocriticism: Literature, Animals, Environment. Routledge, 2010.

James, King. The Book of Genesis. Independently Published, 2017.

Masurkar, Amit V., director. Sherni. T-Series Abundantia Entertainment, 18 June 2021.

Monsó, Susana. “Animal Morality: What It Means and Why It Matters.” Springer, no. December 2018, 27 September 2018. Springer, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10892-018-9275-3#citeas.

Norrix, Loy. “Zoo.” National Geographic Society, 8 August 2023, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/zoo/.

Shantha, Sukanya. “Activists Suspect Maharashtra's Motives to Kill Tigress Avni.” The Wire, 3 November 2018,

https://thewire.in/environment/maharashtra-prepares-to-kill-alleged-man-eater-activists-and-experts-protest.

"Suson, Esther Elizabeth, and James Donaldson. “The History of Zoos.” Hankering for History,

https://hankeringforhistory.com/history-of-zoos/.

VADDE, AARTHI. “Cross-Pollination: Ecocriticism, Zoocriticism, Postcolonialism.” Contemporary Literature, vol. 52, no.

3, 2011, pp. 565–73. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41472508.

“What is the difference between “animal rights” and “animal welfare”?” PETA,https://www.peta.org/about-peta/faq/what-is-the-difference-between-animal-rights-and-animal-welfare/.

“Zoos drive animals insane.” YouTube, Daily Mail, 9 March 2019, https://youtube.com/watch?v=8-HpJdqiZfU&si=P8uvlnzobSj0TyYf.