THE ROLE OF NATURE IN PERSONAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALING IN BACKMAN'S MY GRANDMOTHER ASKED ME TO TELL YOU SHE'S SORRY

Fadilla Nurul Ramadhanti; Rahayu Puji Haryanti

doi:10.47701/frasa.v7i2.4995

Authors

Fadilla Nurul Ramadhanti State University of Semarang
Rahayu Puji Haryanti State University of Semarang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47701/frasa.v7i2.4995

Keywords:

Ecocriticism, Emotional healing, Human-nature connection, Literary ecology, Fantasy landscapes

Abstract

Amidst growing concern for mental health, literature offers a unique space to explore how individuals cope with emotional stress. This study investigates how nature—both real and imagined—functions as a healing force in Fredrik Backman's novel My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry. This research aims to analyze the representation of the human-nature relationship and its role in the emotional recovery of the protagonist, Elsa, using Cheryll Glotfelty’s ecocritical framework. Using qualitative textual analysis, this study identifies two forms of nature in the novel: real settings such as forests, snow, and the sea, and imaginative nature such as Miamas and the Almost Awake Land. These environments act as active agents offering protection, fostering resilience, and encouraging self-reflection. The contrast between real landscapes and symbolic fantasy spaces reveals how both can promote healing while conveying values of courage, hope, and ecological awareness. The findings suggest that literature can bridge personal emotional recovery with environmental ethics, inspiring readers to view nature as a shared habitat and integrate relationships with nature into everyday life.

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