Exploring the Role of Language and Ecology in Fatima Bhutto’s The Shadow of the Crescent Moon

Abstract

The objective of the study is to analyze the connectedness of language and ecology in The Shadow of the Crescent Moon by Fatima Bhutto. Stibbe (2015) theoretical framework provides the basis for content analysis and explores how language serves in forming the sense of place, identity and landscape and how it finally influences the perception of the environment by the reader. It attempts to consider how the language reflects the writer's choice concerning regional dialects and indigenous languages, and choice in view of the close relationship that exists between language, culture and ecology. The findings demonstrate the effects of language and ecological motifs in Fatima Bhutto’s The Shadow of the Crescent Moon and help to understand the author’s concept of environmental deterioration and political conflicts as well as the impact of language on the development of ecological awareness.