Symbiosis with Oil reveals the complex feelings of Americans about oil through the word "ultra deep", and points out the damage of the oil industry to the environment. The book 'The Rise of Energy Humanities' first proposed the concept of' energy humanities', emphasizing the importance of humanities scholars in the study of energy issues. Energy humanities, as an interdisciplinary field, focuses on the changes in the energy society, and petroleum culture research is an important branch of it. In the past decade, energy humanities have made significant progress in the academic community of Europe and America, with academic journals, organizations, and publishing houses launching related special issues and monographs. The development of energy humanities is driven by the anxiety of the Anthropocene and the geopolitics of oil, and is closely related to the discussion of the relationship between energy and society in the Western academic community in the 20th century. Historians, anthropologists, and environmental researchers have all conducted in-depth discussions on energy issues. The discussion of energy in the literary field began with Gao Xi's articles, which gave rise to the study of petroleum culture in the 21st century. In contrast, domestic research on energy humanities is still in its infancy. This article will explore the significance of energy humanities in foreign literary research from three perspectives: history, methodology, and North South differences, as well as how to apply the energy perspective to a wider range of text reading.

Literary History from the Perspective of Energy Humanities

In the 2011 Energy Special Issue, Yeager proposed a literary chronology method dominated by energy, challenging the traditional chronological or stylistic divisions in literary history. The Energy Chronology Law emphasizes the relationship between text and history, aiming to address the issue of unity between aesthetic criticism and social historical criticism. The concept of energy transcends natural and social boundaries and is reflected in technology, production relations, culture, values, and language. For example, the works of Shakespeare and Melville reflect the cultural background of the whale oil era, Dickens' novels criticize society through pollution imagery, and Bishop's poetry depicts the fusion of the primitive and modern of the oil age. Yeager proposed the concept of "unconscious energy", believing that the description of energy in the text implies specific political and economic positions and cultural aesthetic judgments. Energy literature is not limited to writing about energy itself, but rather reveals the infiltration of energy logic into individual and local life, revealing ecological connections and criticizing social status quo. The definition of energy literature in academia is not yet unified, but the consensus is that energy literature presents the impact of energy on literature through the "circle" narrative generated by the collision between the energy system and the global South.

Social and ecological care for energy humanities

In depth exploration of the importance of energy humanities in literary research, emphasizing its contribution to social and ecological care. Energy, as a key factor in social structure and distribution patterns, is closely linked to the development of Western democratic systems. Mitchell analyzed in "Carbon Democracy" how fossil fuels affect the formation of democratic forces, while Huber and Malm explored the symbiotic relationship between energy and capitalism, neoliberalism, and labor politics from the perspectives of oil and coal, respectively. These studies provide new perspectives for postcolonial, globalization, and neoliberal criticism, particularly in literary research in non Western countries and regions.

Future oriented Energy Humanities

Energy humanities play an important role in literary research, not only updating the interpretive models of literature, but also profoundly influencing the form of literary ontology. Energy supports the production and circulation of text on a material level, while also serving as an object of imagination to drive creativity. For example, the discussion of the "peak of oil" at the end of the 20th century gave rise to the literary subgenre of "post oil novels", which sparked energy reflection by imagining scenes after the end of oil civilization. The Handmade World "is a representative work of post oil novels, depicting the collapse of world order and the chaotic situation of small towns after the depletion of oil. Energy humanities also focus on exploring the new energy order, such as the "Post Oil" series of studies, as well as paying attention to new energy sources beyond oil. However, the development of energy humanities has also exposed the problem of privileged status in post industrial societies and the neglect of oil and carbon dependence in developing countries. The future perspective of energy humanities is of great significance for non Western literary and cultural research, as it reveals the different meanings of energy transformation in different cultural and geographical spaces, and directly faces the problem of North South imbalance. The success of new energy reform not only depends on technological breakthroughs, but also requires changes in political systems and social organizational forms to break away from dependence on the oil carbon economic model. Energy humanities focus on the power and capital structure behind energy production and distribution, exploring the sustainable development and cultural expression of society and ecology. Before the advent of the new energy era, it is necessary to consider the transformation of political systems, civilization mechanisms, and value concepts in order to address the challenges faced by energy humanities.