The Classics: Environmental Themes in Indonesian Literature

The environment that Indonesia’s archipelago has harvested is an integral part of its plentiful cultures and traditions. Through the religions stemmed from its beauty to the crafts inspired by its abundance, nature is deeply rooted in Indonesian philosophy and art. Ecocriticism–the examination of the various ways literature treats the subject of nature–is no exception from this fact.

Zamrud Khatulistiwa (Emerald of the Equator) has been Indonesia’s appointed name due to its vast tropical forests and lush landscape. Indonesia's wealth in the ecological field is recognized throughout the world, having one of the main reasons for its early colonizations being to take advantage our the herbs and spices that are dispersed throughout the whole country. Throughout the 15th to the 17th century, multiple European countries came to Indonesia on the grounds of easy access, as no country had taken authority over the archipelagic island, due to the abundance of natural commodities that were worth just as much as gold back at their homeland. This pursuit for Indonesia’s natural resources still makes up a major part of our economy to this present day as International consumers seek our providence in nickel, timber, palm oil, and diverse marine resources, just to name a few.

The relevance of literacy in Indonesia’s history is no less formidable in building the country into the nation it is today. As a part of Indonesia’s identity, literature is preserved through the traditional way, through wayang (puppet shows), poems, folktales, and also through modern interpretations in movies, novels, and songs. The literature and language of Indonesia have helped the people to feel a sense of togetherness and kinship in tragic moments. During the Japanese colonization period, Indonesians were stripped of almost everything: their wealth, their rights, their freedom; yet, despite all the hardships, with the permission to speak the native language, Indonesians managed to prevail and come out victorious with the declaration of Independence. That said piece of literature is only one of a plethora of oral and written articles that mark pinnacle moments in our history that make up our identity as a country.

From a literary perspective, nature is taken as a source of ideas, being intrinsically designed into most of Indonesia’s renowned pieces of writing. Take, for example, the well-established story of Timun Mas, which teaches us about the beauty of nature, how to keep a sustainable environment, and that we humans must co-exist with nature. These values are taught so the audience can be informed through a connotative sense about the importance of nature. This is something that we must remember as time goes on and people start to dispense our natural resources as collateral damage for technological advancements. These forms of revolution and advocacy for ethical justice towards our country. But even as time passes, there is no doubt that the environment will permanently stay as the muse for literature in Indonesia for years to come.