Author: Annu Narwal, Dr. Krishna Chaudhary

Abstract: This paper analyses Anuradha Roy’s The Folded Earth through the critical framework of environmental humanities, delineating a conceptual transition from anthropocentrism to ecological relationality. The novel, set in the fragile yet resilient landscape of the Himalayas, shows how human lives are connected to nonhuman nature, challenging the idea that nature is merely a backdrop to human drama. The study contends that by examining the protagonist Maya's emotional isolation, grief and her gradual adaptation to her environment, Roy redefines human subjectivity as relational rather than dominant. The mountains, forests, rivers and animals are not merely aesthetic phenomena; they are also active forces that shape memory, loss, healing and moral awareness. Using eco-critical ideas, the paper shows how the text breaks down binaries such as human/nature, culture/wilderness and control/vulnerability. Roy's story implies that humility, coexistence and awareness of ecological interdependence are necessary for survival and meaning. The Folded Earth depicts environmental fragility alongside individual trauma, articulating an alternative ecological consciousness that opposes exploitative modernity and emphasises care, reciprocity and responsibility. The novel enhances contemporary Indian eco-literature by promoting a relational ethics that connects human existence to the rhythms and constraints of the natural world.

Keywords: Anthropocentrism, Ecological Relationality, Eco-criticism, Himalayan Landscape.

Article Info: Received: 06 Feb 2026; Received in revised form: 06 Mar 2026; Accepted: 09 Mar 2026; Available online: 12 Mar 2026

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.112.12