Ecopoetics of Uzbek Prose in the Independence Period

Abstract

This article explores the ecopoetic dimensions of Uzbek prose produced during the period of independence, with particular attention to the concepts of material agency and ecocide. Drawing on contemporary ecocritical theory, the study examines how natural elements—land, water, flora, fauna, and climate—function not merely as background settings but as active agents shaping narrative meaning and ethical discourse. The phenomenon of ecocide, understood as large-scale environmental destruction resulting from human activity, is analyzed as a central thematic and ideological concern in post-independence Uzbek prose. The article argues that Uzbek writers reinterpret nature as a moral and cultural subject, reflecting national memory, post-Soviet trauma, and ecological responsibility. Through ecopoetic analysis, the study demonstrates how literature becomes a space for environmental consciousness and resistance against anthropocentric paradigms.