Language, nature, and the framing of death: An ecostylistic analysis of Laura Wade’s Colder Than Here

Understanding the interaction between people and the environment is one of the issues facing contemporary society. In recent dramatic works, the reflection on sustainability and ecological preservation as a crucial necessity in contemporary society has taken center stage. A case in point is Laura Wade’s Colder Than Here (2005), in which the protagonist, Myra, who is diagnosed with terminal cancer, opts for a green burial, causing incredulity in her family members. In the play, the destruction of the environment is necessarily reflected in the crisis of human relations: discussing human disconnection from the environment necessitates examining the disruption of family and community ties. Wade’s play is preoccupied with two fundamental issues: first, it challenges the dominant framing of death, which aims at separating oneself from the physical/natural process of dying. This natural process is replaced by death management practices in which nature and physicality are denied. Second, Myra’s eco-friendly choice is presented by Wade as the sole means by which family bonds can be revived: in reality, it is only through a reconnection with the environment and nature that human relationships can thrive and become meaningful. Drawing on Conversation Analysis, this paper seeks to demonstrate how discourse on sustainability in drama can open up new avenues for investigating human existence and relationships, challenging dominant frames of death and end-of-life decisions.