An Ecocritical Study of a Literary Work: The Conflict Between Humans and Nature in the Short Story the Curse of the Jati Dragon
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Forest exploitation driven by the pursuit of power, social status, and human greed can cause environmental degradation and disrupt the relationship between humans and nature. These pressing issues are vividly depicted in the short story “The Curse of the Jati Dragon,” which employs the conflict between humans and nature, along with powerful symbols, to represent the multifaceted impacts of forest exploitation. This study aims to describe the cultural representations of how society utilizes forests as a means of attaining social status and to uncover critiques of forest exploitation practices through an ecocritical perspective. Employing a qualitative method with a descriptive approach, the research data consist of words, phrases, sentences, and narratives from the short story that relate to the relationship between humans and nature. The data were collected through documentation and analyzed qualitatively through the stages of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The results of the study indicate that the short story contains a profound critique of forest exploitation rooted in the pursuit of power, social status, and human greed. The impact of environmental destruction is represented through the symbols of the dragon, the flood disaster, and Kasbi’s physical transformation into a “wooden man.” This depiction powerfully illustrates the intimate connection between natural conditions and human life, as well as the severe consequences that arise when environmental balance is disrupted. Ultimately, this short story serves as a medium for critiquing exploitative behavior and, at the same time, as a means of fostering ecological awareness regarding the relationship between humans and nature.
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