Blue Humanities is an interdisciplinary field in literary and cultural studies that focuses on the oceans, seas, rivers and other water bodies as central subjects of human experience, history and imagination. In literature, Blue Humanities examines how the writers represent the sea and water resources, emphasising themes such as environmental crisis, maritime history, colonialism, mobility and the interconnectedness of humans and non-human life. It encourages the readers to view oceans not merely as backgrounds but as active agents that influence narratives and societies. Scholars such as Steve Mentz and Stacy Alaimo have significantly contributed to the development of Blue Humanities, arguing for a more ecological and ocean-centred understanding of literature and culture. The emergence of Blue Humanities has shifted critical attention from terrestrial spaces to oceans and aquatic environments as sites of cultural, ecological and economic significance. Moving beyond conventional ecocriticism, Blue Humanities investigates the interconnectedness of marine spaces with history, colonialism, capitalism, migration and environmental crises. This study examines the representation of the ocean in selected works of English literature through the theoretical framework of Blue Humanities focusing on Herman Melville's Moby-Dick (1851) and Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea (1952). The paper explores how maritime narratives depict the ocean as an ecological entity, a site of livelihood, a medium of imperial trade and a space endangered by climate change. Drawing upon the theoretical perspectives of Steve Mentz, Serpil Oppermann and Sidney I. Dobrin, the study argues that ocean literature forgrounds oceans as active agents shaping social, economic and ecological realities. Through textual analysis, the paper tries to trace that maritime literature provides a valuable framework for understanding the relationship between humanity and aquatic environments in the Anthropocene. It highlights the significance of Blue Humanities in expanding ecocritical discourse and interdisciplinary approaches to literary studies.
Blue Humanities, Ocean, Ecocriticism, Maritime Literature, Anthropocene, Environment.
Pyar Md Raina. Blue Humanities and The Representation of Ocean in English Literature: A Study with Reference to Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and The Sea. Indian Journal of Modern Research and Reviews. 2026; 4(7):40-45
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