Human-Nature Relationship in the Short Story “Kebun Binatang di Dasar Laut”: A Postcolonial Ecocritical Reading

Arga Dara Ramadhani; Nita Puspita Sari; Nilna Maulida

doi:10.30762/narasi.v4i2.9953

Authors

Arga Dara Ramadhani Postgraduate Program in Literature Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia
Nita Puspita Sari Ph.D. Program in Literature Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia
Nilna Maulida Master of Asian Studies, Center of East and Southeast Asia Studies, Lund University, Sweden

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30762/narasi.v4i2.9953

Keywords:

anthropocentrism, children, ecocriticism, “Kebun Binatang di Dasar Laut” short story, nature

Abstract

The short story “Kebun Binatang di Dasar Laut” by Lamia Putri Damayanti reveals the complexity of the relationship between humans and nature. This research aims to reveal the exploitation of nature and children resulting from capitalist practices and how nature’s agency shapes the main character’s perspective. This research employs textual analysis focusing on narration related to the human–nature relationship, using Graham Huggan and Helen Tiffin’s postcolonial ecocriticism. The research was conducted in several stages: (1) close reading, (2) identifying quotations in the text related to the research topic, (3) analyzing them using Huggan and Tiffin’s postcolonial ecocritical approach, and (4) drawing conclusions. The results reveal the irony of the child character’s death as a savior of non-human beings, as well as the persistence of anthropocentrism in the short story. Although the character succeeds in saving non-human beings, the relationship between humans and nature remains hierarchical, with nature positioned as an object that can be utilized according to human needs. This research concludes that the short story “Kebun Binatang di Dasar Laut” criticizes anthropocentric human attitudes that result in violence against nature and marginalized groups. It is anticipated that this research will contribute meaningfully to literary scholarship addressing contemporary ecological crises.

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