A JUNGIAN ECOPSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH TO FANTASY LITERATURE: A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Abstract

With its magical geographies, enchanting elements, and characters, fantasy literature has discussed and presented many issues including nature. The writers employ nature to reinforce their magical plots. Even, nature sometimes appears as a character whose agency may direct the course of events. Besides, in fantasy literature, the writers create new myths where the beginning of life and the meaning of existence are questioned, re-imagined and re-created within the context of an extraordinary environment. Mythologies are closely concerned with nature and regarded as an attempt to make sense of the natural world humans belong to. In that sense, fantasy literature becomes much more significant for ecological studies. When we think of characters’ psychological states and emotional responses to natural elements and occurrences, the genre offers a remarkably suitable frame for us to analyse character-nature relations from an ecopsychological perspective. Ecopsychology, the common ground of ecology and psychology, underlines the strong interconnection between human psyche and nature. By putting emphasis on the significant role nature plays in fantastic literature, this article aims to offer a theoretical framework to display how fantastic literature can provide a fertile ground for ecopsychological literary analysis and understanding. Since ecopsychology is a broad field, the focus will be specifically placed on Jungian ecopsychology.

Keywords

• Fantasy Literature
• Ecopsychology
• Jung
• Nature
• Collective unconscious
• Archetypes

FANTEZİ EDEBİYATINA JUNGİYEN EKOPSİKOLOJİK BİR YAKLAŞIM: KURAMSAL ÇERÇEVE

Abstract

Sihirli coğrafyaları ve büyülü unsurlarıyla, fantastik edebiyat doğayı da içeren birçok konuyu tartışmış ve sunmuştur. Yazarlar doğayı büyülü olay örgülerini sağlamlaştırmak için kullanırlar. Hatta doğa bazen doğa, öznelliği olayların akışını yönlendirebilecek bir karakter olarak ortaya çıkar. Bunun yanı sıra fantastik edebiyatta yazarlar hayatın başlangıcının ve varoluşun anlamının doğaüstü bir çevre bağlamında tekrar hayal edilip yaratıldığı yeni mitler yaratırlar. Mitolojiler doğayla yakından ilişkilidir ve insanların ait olduğu doğal dünyayı anlamlandırmak için bir girişim olarak kabul edilir. Karakterlerin psikolojik durumlarını ve doğa unsurlarına ve olaylarına verdikleri duygusal tepkileri düşündüğümüzde bu edebi tür karakter-doğa ilişkisini ekopsikolojik açıdan incelememiz için oldukça uygun bir çerçeve sunar. Ekoloji ve psikolojinin ortak paydası ekopsikoloji insan ruhu ve doğa arasındaki güçlü bağlantının altını çizer. Doğanın fantastik edebiyatta oynadığı önemli role vurgu yaparak bu makale fantastik edebiyatın ekopsikolojik edebi analiz ve anlayış için nasıl verimli bir zemin sağladığını sergileyen teorik bir çerçeve önermeyi amaçlar. Ekopsikoloji geniş bir alan olduğu için odak noktası özellikle Jung’un ekopsikolojisine yerleştirilecektir.

Keywords

• Fantastik Edebiyat
• Ekopsikoloji
• Jung
• Doğa
• Kolektif Bilinçdışı
• arketipler

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