Inhospitable Worlds: An Ecocritical Reading of Contemporary Czech Prose
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Requested lectures |
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| Description | This lecture connects the theory of fictional worlds with cultural studies and ecocriticism to analyze contemporary Czech prose. It focuses on the representation of space and its impact on characters, drawing on Lubomír Doležel’s theory of narrative modalities, particularly deontic and axiological constraints. The study explores how these modalities shape the image of the foreigner within fictional worlds and how characters navigate hostile environments, whether urban landscapes or nature altered by human activity. The analysis includes novels by Marek Šindelka and Josef Pánek, which address the relationship between humans and space in the context of migration, cultural otherness, and environmental changes. Through an ecocritical reading, the article reveals how fictional worlds reflect ecological crises and social exclusion. |