RECLAIMING MEMORY AND NATURE: AN ECOCRITICAL STUDY OF THE HUNGRY STONES
Keywords:
Rabindranath Tagore, The Hungry Stones, Ecocriticism, Ecological Memory, Anthropocentrism, Postcolonial Ecocriticism, Environmental Narrative, Haunting LandscapesAbstract
The short story The Hungry Stones is primarily interpreted from the perspectives of gothic romanticism or cultural haunting, often centering around its mystical or psychological elements. While previous studies have explored its mystical, psychological or colonial anxieties, limited attention has been given to the narrative's ecological dimensions and perspectives. Therefore, through the use of qualitative approach, this study aims to analyze the text within the framework of ecocriticism, drawing upon the concepts of ecological memory, critique of anthropocentrism, and postcolonial ecocriticism. The findings show that the natural and architectural environment in the story is not passive backdrop but a sentient space that consists on haunting land, and disruption caused by human authority in natural landscapes, exploring the aftershocks of environmental and cultural exploitation under colonial empire.
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