Role of the Environment Flashcards
historians’ new perception of the role of the environment
historians have examined how landscapes, geographical isolation, and wilderness contribute to the mythology and reality of outlaws, often representing freedom, resistance, and the tension between civilisation and the wild
name the 5 uses of the natural environment for outlaws
- haven from law and society
- romanticise the natural environment
- refelct their marginalised status
- survival in challenging environments
- symbols of encroaching civilisation
Richard Slotkin on the wild as safe haven
“the wilderness if both a place of danger and redemption, shpaing the outlaw into a figure of freedom and defiance”
perry anderson on the romanticisation of the natural environment
“the outlaw is as much a product of the land as the society he resists, an echo of the natural world enduring spirit against mans impositions”
Eric Hobsbawm on the natural as a reflection of their marginalised status
“bandits emerge in the spaces where the states grip falters, the forest and mountains serve as natural outposts of defiance”
marcus rediker says something similar about pirates
slotkin & hobsbawm on enroaching civilisation
“the conquest of the land marks the end of the outlaw as a hero, transforming him instead into a relic of a bygone age”
explain the agency of the landscape
The environment in outlaw stories is not just a backdrop by a dynamic element that shapes the character, actions, and legacy of outlaws. It provides refuge, reflects their rebellion, and symbolises larger tensions between nature and civilisation.
the ecology of the english outlaw
sarah harlan-haughey
sarah’s main argument
Sarah Harlan-Haughey’s The Ecology of the English Outlaw explores the symbolic and cultural significance of outlaws in medieval English literature, focusing on their connection to the natural world. It examines how outlaws, such as Robin Hood, are depicted as liminal figures inhabiting forests and wild spaces, challenging social norms and reflecting tensions between civilization and nature.
‘human and animal tresspass as protest’
leonard baker
leonard baker’s main argument
Leonard Baker’s Human and Animal Trespass as Protest examines how acts of trespassing by humans and animals can serve as forms of resistance and protest. It highlights the symbolic power of crossing boundaries to challenge authority, disrupt ownership norms, and question societal hierarchies.
what role did the wild play in the lives of outlaws throughout history?
wild as liminal space - refuge for outlaws inhabiting the edges of society
symbol of freedom & rebellion
shaped outlaw identity, blurred lines between animal and human
representation of loss & nostalgia
in what ways did wildness contribute to outlaw mythology and storytelling?
identity - bordered the animalistic, intensified ‘otherness’
supernatural/mystique - disappear into landscape
sense of loss
transformation & redemption - enter as outlaw leave as legend/hero
increased exclusion, physically and metaphorically reshaped, presence reminder of how the world had once been
how has the wild had a sense of agency within outlaw stories?
they can be seen as active forces that shape, shelter, and sometimes empower the outlaw. They provide concealment and strategic advantages, resist human control, suggests a wilful alignment with the outlaws. Wild essentially ‘chooses’ and transforms those who enter it, becoming more than a backdrop - an entity that defines the outlaw’s journey, survival, and mythic status.
