Eco-critical Praxis: Unravelling and Recuperating Eco-trauma in Leslie Marmon Silko’s Gardens in the Dunes

This article unravels the concept of eco-trauma in American Indians’ lifestyle in Gardens in the Dunes (2000), a novel portraying eco-concerns of Leslie Marmon Silko (1948). Silko’s novel is preoccupied with ecological concerns of American Indians who depend on nature to continue their existence. Be...

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Main Authors: Shokofeh Zorriyeh Habib, Leila Baradaran Jamili
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Kurdistan 2023-05-01
Series:Critical Literary Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cls.uok.ac.ir/article_62643.html
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author Shokofeh Zorriyeh Habib
Leila Baradaran Jamili
author_facet Shokofeh Zorriyeh Habib
Leila Baradaran Jamili
author_sort Shokofeh Zorriyeh Habib
collection DOAJ
description This article unravels the concept of eco-trauma in American Indians’ lifestyle in Gardens in the Dunes (2000), a novel portraying eco-concerns of Leslie Marmon Silko (1948). Silko’s novel is preoccupied with ecological concerns of American Indians who depend on nature to continue their existence. Being detached from their ancestral lands, Indians encountered several psychological problems due to their indispensable loyalty to nature. This article focuses on the significance of environment and ‘place’ according to Lawrence Buell (1939), and traces ‘place’ as the center of feeling for a person. Cheryll Glotfelty’s connection between nature and culture, and Cathy Caruth’s perspective on trauma have been utilized to explain Indians’ psychological problems due to loss of ancestral lands. Eco-traumatic approach illustrates the interrelation of Native American’s identity and culture with their living place. Indeed, Indians return to their land to eliminate their environmental concerns. Their ceaseless effort to reverse eco-trauma by adhering to their ancestral ritual is also examined in this article. Silko re-emphasizes and stipulates that the notion of nature can consolidate Indians’ identity; hence, loyalty to natural environment ensures how Native Americans’ loss of land and nature opens up the experience of eco-loss or eco-trauma and diminishes Native Americans’ culture.
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spelling doaj-art-d8eddcdbae524486a039dbe50cdd90442025-08-20T02:35:47ZengUniversity of KurdistanCritical Literary Studies2676-699X2716-99282023-05-0152294410.34785/J014.2023.015Eco-critical Praxis: Unravelling and Recuperating Eco-trauma in Leslie Marmon Silko’s Gardens in the DunesShokofeh Zorriyeh Habib0Leila Baradaran Jamili 1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3402-9189 Ph.D. Candidate of English Literature, Faculty of Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, IranAssistant Professor, Department of English Language and Literature, Borujerd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Borujerd, IranThis article unravels the concept of eco-trauma in American Indians’ lifestyle in Gardens in the Dunes (2000), a novel portraying eco-concerns of Leslie Marmon Silko (1948). Silko’s novel is preoccupied with ecological concerns of American Indians who depend on nature to continue their existence. Being detached from their ancestral lands, Indians encountered several psychological problems due to their indispensable loyalty to nature. This article focuses on the significance of environment and ‘place’ according to Lawrence Buell (1939), and traces ‘place’ as the center of feeling for a person. Cheryll Glotfelty’s connection between nature and culture, and Cathy Caruth’s perspective on trauma have been utilized to explain Indians’ psychological problems due to loss of ancestral lands. Eco-traumatic approach illustrates the interrelation of Native American’s identity and culture with their living place. Indeed, Indians return to their land to eliminate their environmental concerns. Their ceaseless effort to reverse eco-trauma by adhering to their ancestral ritual is also examined in this article. Silko re-emphasizes and stipulates that the notion of nature can consolidate Indians’ identity; hence, loyalty to natural environment ensures how Native Americans’ loss of land and nature opens up the experience of eco-loss or eco-trauma and diminishes Native Americans’ culture. https://cls.uok.ac.ir/article_62643.htmlnaturecultureeco-concernsamerican indianslandeco-trauma
spellingShingle Shokofeh Zorriyeh Habib
Leila Baradaran Jamili
Eco-critical Praxis: Unravelling and Recuperating Eco-trauma in Leslie Marmon Silko’s Gardens in the Dunes
Critical Literary Studies
nature
culture
eco-concerns
american indians
land
eco-trauma
title Eco-critical Praxis: Unravelling and Recuperating Eco-trauma in Leslie Marmon Silko’s Gardens in the Dunes
title_full Eco-critical Praxis: Unravelling and Recuperating Eco-trauma in Leslie Marmon Silko’s Gardens in the Dunes
title_fullStr Eco-critical Praxis: Unravelling and Recuperating Eco-trauma in Leslie Marmon Silko’s Gardens in the Dunes
title_full_unstemmed Eco-critical Praxis: Unravelling and Recuperating Eco-trauma in Leslie Marmon Silko’s Gardens in the Dunes
title_short Eco-critical Praxis: Unravelling and Recuperating Eco-trauma in Leslie Marmon Silko’s Gardens in the Dunes
title_sort eco critical praxis unravelling and recuperating eco trauma in leslie marmon silko s gardens in the dunes
topic nature
culture
eco-concerns
american indians
land
eco-trauma
url https://cls.uok.ac.ir/article_62643.html
work_keys_str_mv AT shokofehzorriyehhabib ecocriticalpraxisunravellingandrecuperatingecotraumainlesliemarmonsilkosgardensinthedunes
AT leilabaradaranjamili ecocriticalpraxisunravellingandrecuperatingecotraumainlesliemarmonsilkosgardensinthedunes