EXPLORING THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS IN AYU WERILANG’S JEJAK BALAK: A GARRARD-INSPIRED ECO-CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the impact of nature exploitation in Ayu Werilang's Jejak Balak novel through the perspective of Greg Garrard's ecocritical theory. The background of this study focuses on environmental issues caused by the palm oil industry in Sumatra, such as deforestation, pollution, and loss of biodiversity, which have significant impacts on the ecosystem and people's lives. The purpose of this study is to explore how the novel depicts the relationship between humans and nature, as well as the ecological impacts of environmental exploitation. Using Garrard's ecocritical theory, which includes six main concepts: pollution, forest/wilderness, disaster, settlement, animals, and earth, this study applies a qualitative analysis method with a reading and note-taking approach to the novel text. The results show that the novel depicts in depth the tension between economic development and nature conservation and shows how ecological crises, such as deforestation and climate change, affect the social and cultural lives of indigenous peoples. This study also reveals the important role of indigenous peoples in preserving forests and ecosystems. The contribution of this study is to provide new insights into the study of Indonesian literary ecocriticism, especially in the context of the social and ecological impacts of nature exploitation