PRESERVING NATURE THROUGH FICTION: AN ECOCRITICAL ANALYSIS OF KOMET MINOR
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This study explores Tere Liye's novel Komet Minor using Greg Garrard's ecocritical approach, which covers seven main concepts: pollution, wilderness, apocalypse, dwelling, animals, earth, and ethical criticism. The analysis was conducted by examining text excerpts that represent environmental issues and human-nature relationships in the parallel world constructed by the author. The results of the study show that the novel highlights four main issues: (1) environmental destruction and animal genocide due to human greed, (2) hostile ecological conditions that encourage nomadic population mobility, (3) the representation of animals as biological and psychological beings that play a role in the balance of the ecosystem, and (4) the tradition of respecting nature through community behavior and rituals. The characters in the story are depicted as interacting with nature both as a threat and a source of life, and striving to preserve the environment amid conflict with destructive forces. This study confirms that despite its fantasy setting, Komet Minor reflects the reality of environmental destruction in the real world and conveys a moral message about collective responsibility in preserving the sustainability of the earth
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