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The story of King Satal Singh: An ecocritical reading

Author Affiliations

  • 1Tribhuvan University Mahendra Multiple Campus, Nepalgunj, Nepal

Res. J. Language and Literature Sci., Volume 8, Issue (1), Pages 5-10, January,19 (2021)

Abstract

This research paper aims to apply ecocritical theory in the reading of one of the major Tharu language folktales The Story of King Satal Singh. The ecocritical theory is the latest theory developed in the mid-1980s that fundamentally examines in the texts the interrelationship between human beings and the things in the ecology. This is an earth-centered approach of analysis that is interdisciplinary by nature. It looks at the entire ecosphere to trace their interdependency. The plot of the story of king Satal Singh develops in the rustic environment among a small royal family, which is not much different from the family of the ordinary people. The king, queens, prince and his friends, sparrows, pigeons, peacock, elephant, monkey, thistle, marigold, marjoram, river have vital roles in the story. They are all intertwined in such a way that they give a complete picture of rural society in the ancient historic period. Since its a Tharu folktale, the characters and their behaviors, setting, dialogues resemble more of the Tharu people, who are quite eco-friendly from the time of civilization. For the theoretical interpretation of the text, the ecocritical theory has been applied. As the primary source, the Tharu and English language version of the story was used; whereas the books and articles on the environment, ecology, and ecocriticism were used as the secondary sources of data. The paper concludes that The Story of King Satal Singh embodies the features of ecocritical literary writing in abundance.

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