Nature and Ecosystem in Yousef Alikhani’s Novel Widow-Killing: An Ecocritical Perspective

Abstract

Ecocriticism is an interdisciplinary approach that reexamines the inseparable relationships between literary texts and the physical and cultural contexts of ecosystems, while investigating the reciprocal interactions between human beings and their surrounding environment. Using content analysis within a descriptive-analytical framework, the present study examines Yousef Alikhani’s novel Widow-Killing from an ecocritical perspective. In this work, ecocritical manifestations are embedded in the fabric of local culture, indigenous rituals, social behaviors, and political structures. The narrative centers on the fate of a rural woman who, under the traditions governing her habitat and community, is compelled to enter a succession of forced marriages with brothers who die one after another. The narrative structure demonstrates how nature and indigenous beliefs exert a profound influence on the lives of the characters and, conversely, how human beings affect ecological cycles. This study seeks to elucidate, through the lens of literary criticism, the delicate balance between human needs and environmental sustainability.