Transcultural Ecocriticism to Explore Sustainable Development Goals in The Select Novels Of Karen Tei Yamashita And Romesh Gunasekara

Transcultural ecocriticism allows authors to weave their environmental visions with the cultural and ecological characteristics of their homelands while also engaging with global cultural diversity. Their artistic expressions demonstrate a deep respect for the Earth and present ideas for its renewal. Consequently, transcultural ecocriticism plays a crucial role in addressing ecological issues on both local and global scales. The works of these transcultural authors also propose potential solutions to environmental challenges. Karen Tei Yamashita, a Japanese-American writer, tackles contemporary issues such as climate change, industrial waste management, and deforestation. Romesh Gunasekara, a Sri Lankan-British writer, explores environmental degradation caused by conflicts, focusing on marine ecological imbalance and forest destruction in Sri Lanka. This study employs the transcultural ecocriticism framework to examine the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Yamashita's and Gunasekara's selected works, including Brazil Maru, Reef (1994), and Heaven’s Edge (2004). Furthermore, it proposes strategies for achieving the SDGs on a global scale.

Keywords: Transcultural ecocriticism, SDGs, forest, marine, ecological issues.