Environmental Imagination and Wonder in Beatrix Potter

Abstract

Drawing inspiration from Rachel Carson’s paper ‘Help your Child to Wonder’ (1956) and Lawrence Buell’s seminal term “environmental imagination” (1995) referring to the reader’s ability to experience a sense of connection with the environment and a deeper understanding and appreciation of the natural world, this chapter looks at the role that children’s literature can play in imagining a more sustainable society and the importance of instilling a sense of wonder to the natural world in children. In order to question the role and power of children’s literature it highlights the contributions of Beatrix Potter to the study, protection and writing of nature and looks at Potter’s own literary ecology, including her engagement with nature and the sources of her inspiration. By focusing on the figure of Potter and showing how her own engagement with the natural world formed the children’s tales she wrote and illustrated, this paper raises key issues for ongoing debates within ecocriticism and environmental humanities such as Potter’s use of anthropomorphism and the role of imagination in bringing about change.