Ecopsychology and Psychology of Literature

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Abstract

This article aims to explore an alternative approach to ecopsychology in the study of literary psychology. As an approach, ecopsychology has several supporting theories/concepts that are used to analyze literary works. Supporting theories/concepts in ecopsychology approaches that can be used in literary studies are: (1) biophilia, (2) environmental ethics, and (3) environmental alienation. The ecopsychology approach in literary study can be reached through three strategies, which are: (1) the ecopsychology approach, which is used to examine the author’s creative process; (2) the ecopsychology approach, which is contained in literary works (novels, short stories, poems, dramas) that display the character interacting with the environment; and (3) reading receptions of literary works related to ecopsychology. The qualitative-interpretative method was used in this study by interpreting literary texts. The data sources used were Indonesian novels entitled “Ikan-ikan Hiu, Ido, dan Homa” by Y. B. Mangunwijaya and “Maryamah Karpov” by Andrea Hirata. The data analysis technique includes four stages: (1) identification, (2) classification, (3) interpretation, and (4) presentation. The results showed that both novels gave rise to human biophilia that showed a love for the sea. The concretization of love for the sea is reflected through: (1) proximity to the marine environment; (2) understanding kinds of fish in the sea; (3) loving to read books about the sea; and (4) understanding how to make a good and strong enough boat to sail through the ocean. This study concludes that Indonesian literature, especially novels, shows the love of human biophilia for the marine environment.