Reading the Novel Sarongge Through the Eyes of Female Environmental Activists in Indonesia

Abstract

Through a cognitive praxis lens, this chapter examines the construction of the environmental identities of female activists who read the novel Sarongge (2013) by Indonesian author Tosca Santoso. The research drew from a set of in-depth interviews conducted with female activists involved in the Greenpeace environmental movement in Bandung, Indonesia. Five female interviewees reveal that their activism was strongly inspired by the novel’s central female figure, Karen, who battled for Indigenous people’s rights in the Sarongge forest until her death. Through the influence of the novel, the female activists equipped themselves with the belief that self-sacrifice, resilience, and commitment are the keys to defending and protecting the environment. Karen’s bold decisions, radical attitudes, and abiding concern about the fate of Indigenous people inspired the activists. Although Sarongge recounts the ecological implications of authoritarian hegemony on community land, the novel reflects on the contemporary juxtaposition between the work of activists and the practices of private companies in Indonesia. The activists’ interviews emphasize the ways in which the novel strengthened their resolve and fostered their dedication to environmental justice.