FROM SACRED RIVER TO SILENT MEMORY: CULTURAL DISPLACEMENT IN TARAR’S SORROWS OF SARASVATI: THE LOST RIVER

Abstract

This research explores the ecological study of Tarar’s Sorrows of Sarasvati: The Lost River, applying Lawrence Buell’s theoretical framework to analyze the novel's depiction of environmental and cultural loss by using qualitative content analysis. Using Buell’s concepts of ecological degradation and cultural identity, the study examines how the novel portrays the river’s disappearance as a profound environmental and cultural trauma. By implementing Buell’s theoretical constructs into the analysis, the research contributes to the field of ecocriticism and environmental humanities, highlighting how literature can address and reflect ecological crises and cultural identities. By using a qualitative content analysis approach, this study aims to offer new insights into the ways literature can nurture ecological awareness and ethical considerations, emphasizing the relevance of narrative in understanding and responding to environmental and cultural challenges.