Hamoud Mohsen (PhD) is an Associate Professor of Literature, working in the Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Languages and Communication, Sultan Idris Education University. His interests include ecocriticism and postcolonial literature, Malaysian and Arabic literatures. E-mail: hamoud@fbk.upsi.edu.my
Mazura Mastura Muhamad (PhD) is an Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Communication, Sultan Idris Education University. E-mail: mazura@fbk.upsi.edu.my
Living Land and Landscape in Malaysian Literature: An Ecological Reading of Selected Works
Abstract: This article aims to highlight the representations of landscape ecology and ecological sustainability issues in contemporary literary works by selected Malaysian writers who have charted the miscellaneous landscapes throughout the country to promote the transformation of ecological consciousness. It is mainly focused on the analysis of the representations of the ecological issues embodied throughout the selected literary works and the implications and reflections they raise, in their effort to increase awareness of ecological sustainability and the current global attention to landscape ecology. The analysis shows that, despite the varied setting and ecology of the selected works, they all aim to foreground how Malaysian landscape ecology promotes a rock-solid relationship with humankind to maintain ecological sustainability. It also shows the vital role of literature in widening the scope of ecological sustainability and promoting ecological values related with the cohabitation of humans and nonhumans in a Malaysian context. Recognizing that the representation of ecological sustainability and landscape ecology has become a leading theme in contemporary literary studies, the paper argues that the ecological approach of the selected works can be a step towards transforming the literary representation of ecological sustainability and landscapes, to broaden its scope and provide insights into different perspectives.
Keywords: ecocriticism, landscape ecology, ecological sustainability, literature, Malaysia