THE ECOLOGICAL IMPERIALISM IN ISLAND OF THE
BLUE DOLPHINS NOVEL BY SCOTT
O’
DELL: A
POSTCOLONIAL ECOCRITICISM STUDY
A THESIS
Submitted as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for Sarjana Degree of English Department Faculty of Humanities Universitas Airlangga Surabaya
By:
NITA SURYANTI
St. N.: 121112082
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF HUMANITIES
vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
All praise and glory to The Almighty Allah SWT Lord of the Universe. The writer thanks the Almighty Allah for giving her guidance, strength, patience, and knowledge to finish this thesis paper. Without Allah‗s will and mercy this
thesis would be impossible to be finished. The very first people I would like to thank are my parents, Sunadi, for his prayers from the heaven above and also Endang Suryaningsih, for her never ending love, I do really love you both Ayah, my supermom, Ibu. The writer would like to express her deepest gratitude to Mrs. Usma Nur Dian Rosyidah, M.A. for her time, guidance, patience, support and encouragement as this thesis guidance that without her help, this thesis paper could never be done well.
A great appreciation also dedicated to my little brother and sister, M Anas H S and Tarisa Amelia; my second Dad, Kakung Dasuki H S, Pakdhe, Om; my
SeptianYuwandis A, Sandra, M Daniyal F; my GS of SMPN I Porong; UKM Bola Voli Unair and Sidoarjo Tourism Ambassador ―Guk & Yuk‖ big family, especially GYS 2k14. The author also would like to thank my closest friend, M Tatok K for the fantastic beats that boosted the writer up in building her mood to conduct this study. Last but not least, thanks for all my college-mates who helped and supported me that this thesis can be completed, especially those in English Department 2k11.
Surabaya, February 4th 2016 The Writer,
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“The earth has music for those who listen.”
― George Santayana ―
Table of Contents
Title Page... i
Inside Title Page ... ii
Declaration Page... iii
Dedication Page ... iv
Advisor’s Approval Page ... v
Examiner's Page ... vi
1.1 Background of the Study ... 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem ... 6
1.3 The Objective of the Study ... 6
1.4 The Significance of the Study ... 6
1.5 Scope and Limitation ... 7
1.6 Theoretical Framework ... 8
1.7 Method of the Study ... 9
1.8 Definition of Key Terms ... 11
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ... 13
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2.1.1. Postcolonial Ecocriticism ... 13
2.1.1.1 The Perspectives Towards Nature...15
2.1.1.2 Ecological Imperialism...17
2.1.1.2.1 Dualistic Thinking...18
2.1.1.2.2 Environmental Racism...18
2.1.1.2.3 Biocolonisation...19
2.2. Related Studies ... 20
CHAPTER 3 ANALYSIS...23
3.1. The Nature and the Portrayal of the Russian, the Aleut and the Native..23
3.1.1. The Russian...24
3.1.2. The Aleut...29
3.1.3. The Native...33
3.1.4. The Hierarchical Relation among the Russian, the Aleut and the Native of Island of the Blue Dolphins in Postcolonial Context...39
3.2. Dualistic Thinking among the Russian, the Aleut and the Native…...40
3.3. Environmental Racism...50
CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSION...56
Works Cited...59
SYNOPSIS...62
ABSTRACT
The greatest 1700s-1800s colonization in the world occurred in Aleutian Island and San Nicolas Island. In the spring of 1830, the Russian used the Aleut good skill to catch the sea otter in another island, San Nicolas. This kind of ‗colonization‘ is also brought in a literary work, Island of the Blue Dolphins novel by Scott O‘dell. The Russian and the Aleut‘s ecological imperialism of their
colonization leave to the nature and the Natives. By using postcolonial ecocriticism theory, the ecological imperialism is depicted in the novel will be analyzed in this study. This study is conducted by using two forms of ecological imperialism, dualistic thinking and environmental racism forms. The writer uses qualitative descriptive method to analyze this novel. The result of this study is that the novel entitled Island of the Blue Dolphins contains the dualistic thinking between the Russian and the Native toward the nature. The European has the strong influences to the Aleut although the Aleut is Native.
