Ecocritical study on relationships between humans, nature, and god in the novel the Alchemist

Abstract

This research was inspired by an ecocritical study of the interaction between humans and nature in literary works. Man and nature were created by God so that man, nature, and God become three inseparable things. This paper aims to reveal the harmonious relationship between humans, nature and God in the novel The Alchemist. Paulo Coelho’s enchanting novel The Alchemist has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and soul-stirring wisdom, tells the story of an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids. Data analysis applied the Miles and Huberman analysis technique starting with data reduction, then data presentation, and finally drawing conclusions. The results show that literary works such as The Alchemist can contribute to eliciting a new awareness in readers regarding the relationship between humans and nature and their relationship with God as the creator. The harmonious relationship between humans, nature and God is depicted in the novel as a positive state of inner peace, calmness, and balance, as well as the feeling of being in tune with nature. Nature and natural phenomena are signs sent by God to humans as a guide in navigating life. The implications of this study are that literary works such as The Alchemist can contain many simple life lessons combined with a very strong moral message.

Keywords:

• ecocriticism
• human
• nature
• God
• The Alchemist

1. Introduction

The relationship of humanity with nature has been a bone of contention for many centuries now. Owing to degenerated ways of thinking or the mechanically progressive attitudes of mankind towards nature, seen as a passive receptacle, nature has begun to show severe symptoms of stress. Rarely if ever is an attempt made to seek the support of the community to find the roots of the problem (Arora et al., 2020, p. 2). Natural problems, in this case changes in the environment, are intentionally or unintentionally caused by human activities that do not pay attention to environmental sustainability. These problems will be more evident if various kinds of damage to the environment are caused by large-scale activities such as mining or industrial pollution (Rahman, 2019)

Several literary works give a voice to nature-related concerns, and numerous literary works are inspired by nature. Many novels portray the interaction between humans and nature, and nature is often presented as entity that is threatened by human action. Even in the remote past, for example, in the scriptures, there are descriptions of natural phenomena and features that were damaged or destroyed due to human activities. The destruction of nature is now a theme reflected in an abundant flow of literary works. The writers of such works are aware of the creative process based on the agenda of conveying phenomena in such a way as to criticize various human actions with negative impacts on nature while at the same time building human awareness. Nature has become an integral part of the birth of literary works. This is shown by the large number of writers who represent nature in their works in the form of diction, such as forests, seas, trees, mountains, animals, and so on. Literature is closely related to nature as a source of inspiration, while nature needs literature as a means of preservation. This is highlighted and validated by the concept of ecocriticism which endeavours to apply the concept of ecology to literary studies, making the earth (nature) the focus of study. According to Glotfetly in Khomisah (2020: p. 87) ecocriticism is defined as an examination of the relationships between literature and the environment.

The term ecocriticism was first coined by William Rueckert in 1978 in his “Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism” and credit for the interpretation of the term goes to Cheryll Glotfelty (Howarth, 1995, p. 5), notable primarily because this was the first publication to use the term “ecocriticism” as an environmentally minded literary analysis that discovers “something about the ecology of literature” (p. 71). As noted by Rueckert (1996), ecocriticism applies environmental or ecological values in the investigation of literature (Firdous & Priti, 2019, p. 30). Instead of strictly defining the borders of ecocriticism as described by Rueckert and Glotfelty, Firdaus and Priti broadened the meaning of the term, opining that discussions on “all possible relations between literature and physical environment” can be considered as ecocriticism. The ecocriticism approach has been widely adopted in literary studies since the early 1990s, especially in America (Garrad, 2004). Garrad further elucidated the concept of ecocriticism as the critical study of the relationship between the humans and the non-human, viewing human history and culture in relation to a critical analysis of humans and their environment. Therefore, ecocriticism is a field of study that investigates the human condition and describes the relationship or synergy between humans and their environment as expressed in cultural artefacts, in particular literary works (Clark, 2011; Glotfelty & Fromm, 1996). The study of ecocriticism can be based on the ideas of the modern environmental movement which takes a critical approach to worrisome environmental problems. In this regard, Garrard (2004, p. 17) considers that the modern environmental movement has highlighted environmental issues such as those related to: a) pollution, b) wildlife, c) calamities/disasters, d) ecosystems, e) animals, and f) land. Therefore, ecocriticism can be interpreted as a study of the synergy between the physical and literary environments (Buell, 2005). While feminist criticism examines gender within literature in terms of genre and Marxist criticism is sensitive to manufacturing and commercial models in the interpretation of text, ecocriticism examines literature with a nature-based (natural or environmental) approach (Phillips, 2003).

The adoption of an ecocriticism approach in literary studies can be expressed in the form of the following questions: first, how is nature represented in the literary work?; second, in the genre of literary works, what role can the physical environment play?; third, is ecological wisdom in accordance with the values expressed in literary works?; fourth, how do environmental metaphors influence the way people treat certain components of the environment?; fifth, how to characterize writing about nature as a kind of literary genre?; sixth, how does environmental criticism influence the categorization of contemporary literature and popular literature?; and seventh, what is the relationship between nature and literature. These seven questions form the basis of the study of literary ecocriticism, which emphasizes the relationship between the environment (nature) and literature (literary works), so that ecocriticism is a link between the two (Bate, 2000).

2. Ecocriticism and literature studies

The theory of ecocriticism can be classified as a multidisciplinary theory, because ecocriticism combines ecological and literary fields of study. From the perspective of literary studies, ecocriticism can be classified as a mimetic theory, based on the assumption that literature, with reference to paradigms, is a reflection of the reality of life as it lived at the time the literary work is written.

Nature has become an inseparable part of the birth of a number of literary works. This can be seen in several literary works, both novels and poems written by famous authors, for example, novels (Stephen Green, Hemingway, Robert Frost, Nathalie Howthorne, Orgin O'nell, Mark Twain), and Poet (Wal With Man, T.S. Eliot, Pablo Neruda, Kahlil Giran, Rabindranath Tagore and, Edgar Allan Poe). Works in the form of diction and descriptions about forests, seas, trees, mountains, animals, and so on. The two elements of literature and nature are inextricably linked. Past literature is a mirror of the past, while contemporary literature is a mirror of the present. While nature is often a source of inspiration, literary works can contribute to the will and actions to preserve nature. As ecocriticism tries to apply the concept of ecology to literary studies, making the earth (nature) the focus of its studies, ecocriticism can be defined as a study of the connection between literature and environment (Glotfelt & Fromm, 1996, 1).

According to Endraswara (2016a), ecocriticism does not arise from an empty perspective, but rather from one where the concepts of ontology, axiology, and epistemology can be understood and applied within an ecocritical philosophy of literature. From an ontological perspective, ecocriticism can be understood as combining aesthetic facts with the environment and literary studies. From the perspective of axiology, eco-criticism can be understood relative to the urgency or usefulness of finding the relationship between facts in the environment and their actualization in literature. Meanwhile, from an epistemological perspective, it can be understood that literature is a representation of the environment in which it arose (Endraswara, 2016b).

Ecocriticism is a field of literary study which combines the physical (natural) environment (including inter alia population growth, the rapid disappearance of species, soil contamination, water and air contamination, and loss of wild forests) with literary works and the relationships between the two (Glen, 2003). Eco-critics pay particular attention to the relationship between environment and literature, including ecological concerns due to unstable or consistent relationships within and between social and physical realities. The limits of environmental criticism allow us to conclude that the study of literature through the environmental criticism approach describes how a literary work is inseparable from nature, the environment and various associated problems. From this perspective, the aesthetics of literary works are built through the contribution of natural phenomena and the environment, which is understood not only as providing a setting (place and atmosphere), but as being full of complex problems.

The degradation of nature and the damage done to the natural environment as phenomena have elicited responses not only from writers and the public, but also from academics who play a role in building an intellectual climate and environmental awareness. Natural objects that are highlighted in literary works invite and inspire a broad range of responses including discussion and criticism, and well as study and research, including scientific work.

3. The sketch of the novel

“The Alchemist” is the novel that made Paulo Coelho famous. The book describes the journey of a young Andalusian shepherd, Santiago, who goes in search of an Egyptian treasure that appears in his dreams; finally, he finds a treasure in his homeland. This novel is full of inspirational messages about destiny. The novel, published originally in Coelho’s native Portuguese in 1988, was not translated into French until the early 1990s when it began to receive worldwide attention. New translations followed, and “The Alchemist” holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s most translated book by a living author with between 65 and 80 million copies sold.

The novel weaves a tale about dreams, symbols, omens and adventures in a way that makes the reader wish to hear again the sound of the wise voice encountered in “The Alchemist”. With his use of symbolic language, Paulo Coelho’s great work gives the message that we should not avoid our destiny. This work encourages people to follow their dreams, because the task of finding our “personal mission” and our mission in life is a way to find “God”, discover the meaning of life, happiness, achievement, and the highest purpose or reason why we were created and brought into in this world. As already mentioned, this novel tells the story of Santiago, a small boy who has a dream and wants to catch his dream. After listening to “omens”, this boy goes to pursue his dream, setting out on a journey to search for, explore and discover the potential that is within him, which in this novel is symbolized by the search for a treasure hidden in the Egyptian deserts near the pyramids. The novel presents natural objects that characterize the character’s journey throughout the story.

4. Objectives of the study

The objectives of the study were formulated as follows; 1) to analyse the relationship between humans, nature, and God in the novel The Alchemist and 2) to reveal how the characters of the novel perceive or come to realize the relationship between humans and nature as God’s creation that must be preserved. The strategy adopted to achieve these objectives was to prepare an in-depth understanding of eco-critical theory and harmonious relationship theory, then to identify and analyse fragments or excerpts from the novel that indicate a harmonious relationship between humans, nature and God in The Alchemist.

5. Methods

5.1. Data collection

In order to obtain the data needed to support this study, the following steps were undertaken; 1) comprehensively read the text many times; 2) highlight the units of analysis (paragraphs/fragments); and 3) select excerpts from these paragraphs or other units of analysis (highlighting the code in the text that shows the relationship between man, nature and God).

5.2. Data presentation

The data are presented by displaying excerpts (fragments of text) taken from the novel The Alchemist which indicate a harmonious relationship between humans, nature and God. These are followed by interpretation or analysis of each excerpt. The excerpts are viewed both contextually and de-contextually.

6. Data analysis

Data analysis comprised 4 steps. These were: 1) to analyse the coding data which shows relationships between humans, nature, and God; 2) to explore the relationships in the excerpted fragments of text/sentences (to give meaning to and an interpretation of each relationship in each fragment), 3) to highlight the result(s) of the discussion, and 4) to draw tentative conclusions based on the findings produced through the analysis of the data using a qualitative descriptive method

7. Findings and discussion

7.1. Findings

Based on the data selection process described above, seven excerpts suitable for discussion were found in and extracted from The Alchemist. These extracts included two things: a) the relationship between humanity, nature and God”, and b) the harmonious aspects of the relationship between these three entities.

In this context, the term relationship means harmonious relationships between humans, nature (physical environment: living and non-living) and God. In psychology, harmony refers to a positive state of inner peace, calm and balance, and a sense of harmony with the world. Apart from philosophical and conceptual differences, in all cultural traditions harmony is seen as directly related to well-being and represents or is an indicator of a good quality of life (Michalos, 2014: 1). The harmonious relationship shows in the following extracts from the primary data used in this research, i.e. from the Novel “The Alchemist’ written by Coelho (1988). The source of each extract is referenced as the book title (The Alchemist) followed by the page number.

Extract 1

“In order to find the treasure, you will have to follow the omens. God has prepared a path for everyone to follow. You just have to read the omens that he left for you.” Before the boy could reply, a butterfly appeared and fluttered between him and the old man. He remembered something his grandfather had once told him: that butterflies were a good omen. Like crickets, and like grasshoppers; like lizards and four-leaf clovers. (The Alchemist, 34)

In this extract, there is a harmonious relationship between humans and nature as the reader can see that the boy has a positive belief or impression of the natural surroundings, in this case the animals in the surrounding environment. He remembers the message given to him as a form of hereditary belief that the appearance of or encounter with certain creatures or other living things can be a sign that something will happen. Animals or plants can carry a message that something will happen. Animals such as butterflies, crickets, lizards and plants such as clover leaves found in the natural surroundings are believed to be signs sent by God to guide his path.

This fragment (Extract 1) illustrates the relationship between humans, nature and God, where humans believe that animals as part of the natural environment are a means of conveying God’s message. The characters in this extract are seen to be recognizing and that God is the controller and regulator of the universe who has given guidance to humans through religious norms, as well as using nature to provide guidelines for life, an understanding that is transmitted from the old man to the boy.

Extract 2

The old man had spoken about signs and omens, and, as the boy was crossing the strait, he had thought about omens. Yes, the old man had known what he was talking about: during the time the boy had spent in the fields of Andalusia, he had become used to learning which path he should take by observing the ground and the sky. He had discovered that the presence of a certain bird meant that a snake was nearby, and that a certain shrub was a sign that there was water in the area; the sheep had taught him that. If God leads the sheep so well, he will also lead a man, he thought, and that made him feel better. The tea seemed less bitter. (The Alchemist, 36)

The harmonious relationship between humans, nature and God is also seen in the fragment above (Extract 2). Land and sky are nature in the form of the physical environment. The boy is depicted as entrusting to what is in the heavens and on the earth to guide his journey. The appearance of certain types of birds is a sign of the surrounding natural conditions. The boy is described as believing that, quite apart from himself as a human being, the sheep are guided by God through instincts enabling them to recognize God’s messages in natural signs. The character of the boy here is described as understanding how God works and conveys messages to humans through animals as signs scattered in nature.

Extract 3

“One day, the earth began to tremble, and the Nile over flowered its banks. It was something that I thought could happen only to others, never to me, my neighbours and my wife would lose all their olive trees in the flood. And my wife was afraid that we would lose our children. I thought that everything I owned would be destroyed.

The land was ruined, and I had to find some other way to earn a living. So now I’m a camel driver. But that disaster taught me to understand the world of Allah: people need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want.

We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.” (The Alchemist, 81)

The extract above also shows the existence of a harmonious relationship between humans, nature and God, as the character describes his belief in God and how he has come to hold a positive impression of all nature, even including natural disasters that occur. He believes that natural disasters are also signs which are sent by God and that experiencing them can lead to a better understanding of God and of all His creation.

Extract 4

“It’s not easy to find the philosopher’s stone,” said the Englishman. The alchemists spent years in their laboratories, observing the fire that purified the metals. They spent so much time close to the fire that gradually they gave up the vanities of the world. They discovered that the purification of the metals had led to a purification of themselves. (The Alchemist, 83)

This extract shows that a man can try to learn something important by researching and learning about metals. Metals are non-living components of the earth; they are a part of nature. Seeking to purify metals can teach a man about purifying himself. Talking about purifying oneself is talking about spirituality. Spirituality here refers to the perceived need to be in tune with an unseen higher order. Talking about “unseen” in an Islamic perspective, a human being will not be able to see his God with the naked eyes since God can only be known with the mind and seen with the eyes of the heart.

Extract 5

But none of that mattered to the alchemist. He had already seen many people come and go, and the desert remained as it was. He had seen kings and beggars walking the desert sand. The dunes were changed constantly by the wind, yet there were the same sands he had known since he was a child. He always enjoyed seeing the happiness that the travellers experienced when, after weeks of yellow sand and blue sky, they first saw the green of the date palms. “Maybe God created the desert so that man could appreciate the date trees”, he thought. (The Alchemist, 89)

In the fragment above, a harmonious relationship between humans, nature and God can be seen. The character in the narrative above shows his positive thinking and belief through the way he perceives the relationship between two things that are part of the physical world, namely date palms and deserts. The character is described as believing that these two things were created by God to complement each other. He has come to think that the existence of date palm trees that provide benefits in the form of coolness to humans will only truly be understood and appreciated through experiencing deserts, an environment perceived by humans as an inanimate part of nature that gives a feeling of heat and aridity (see the story narrated in Extract 5).

Extract 6

“In the silence, the boy understood that the desert, the wind, and the sun were also trying to understand the signs written by the hand, and were seeking to follow their paths, and to understand what had been written on a single emerald. He saw that omens were scattered throughout the earth and in space, and that there was no reason or significance attached to their appearance; he could see that not the deserts, nor the winds, not the sun, nor people knew why they had been created. But that the hand had a reason for all of this, and that only the hand could perform miracles, or transform the sea into a desert or a man into the wind. Because only the hand understood that it was a larger design that had moved the universe to the point at which six days of creation had evolved into a Master Work.” (The Alchemist, 156)

In the snippet of the story excerpted above, a harmonious relationship between humans, nature and God is apparent where the boy is reflecting on what he has been told about taking objects in the universe scattered in the sky and on earth as a guide on his journey. He has come to believe that it was God who created and moved things in the universe and that the components of the universe thereby carried implied messages and formed a harmonious design of which they themselves were not aware.

Extract 7

But here he was, at the point of finding his treasure, and he reminded himself that no project is completed until its objective has been achieved. The boy looked at the sands around him, and saw that, where his tears had fallen, a scarab beetle was scuttling through the sand. During his time in the desert, he had learned that, in Egypt, the scarab beetles are a symbol of God. (The Alchemist, 165)

The harmonious relationship between humans, nature and God can be seen in the extract from the story given above in the part where the child character has come to believe that scarab beetles are symbols of God. In ancient Egyptian culture, the scarab beetle was seen as the embodiment of the god Khepri, the sun god of the ancient Egyptians. They thought that the ball carried by the beetle was sometimes there and sometimes lost, like the sun rising and setting.

The seven fragments of the story in The Alchemist novel described above depict a harmonious relationship between humans, nature and God. The humans depicted in the novel are shown as having or attaining a positive state of inner peace, calmness, and balance, as well as a feeling of being attuned to nature. Nature and natural phenomena are signs sent by God to humans as guides in navigating life.

7.2. Discussion

Many ecological studies and articles highlight the damage to nature caused by human activities. There is clearly more room in environmental science for reasonable disagreement than divine intervention (Garrard, 2004, pp. 93, 100). However, my opinion as a scholar is that, when we try to examine the relationship between humans and nature, it should not stop there but rather we should also involve God as the creator of all creatures (man and nature). God’s involvement in human relations and nature appears in the history of God’s seeking by the Prophet Ibrahim AS. In this narrative, it is clear that God, nature, and humans are the main themes in the efforts of the Prophet Ibrahim to seek God. As a human being, he sees himself in the landscape and tries to seek God in nature, in particular the sky he witnessed. He sought God through reflection on nature, in particular the stars, the moon and the sun. After a long reflection, with his critical reasoning he found God, and realised that He is neither the star, the moon nor the sun. God is the one who created and arranged all these things. For that period, this was an extraordinary philosophical reflection. Ibrahim’s reflection reflects the collective reflection of Ibrahim’s religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In tahiyyat prayer, Prophet Muhammad is always associated with Prophet Ibrahim. This shows the relevance of these themes in the monotheistic prophetic tradition (Sahidah, 2018, p. 21).

The triangular relationship between God, Man, and nature is described as close and inseparable by Sahidah (2018: 240 who considered that humans cannot just consider nature without paying attention to what God has said about the environment. The position of nature is equal to that of humans; humans cannot or should not treat nature arbitrarily because their position as caliph on the earth is as a custodian, and therefore does not automatically grant humans the right or power to exploit the wealth of the earth without regards to the consequences on ecosystems and the ecological balance of the biosphere.

Studies which are centred on the treatment of human and environmental destruction in literary works are commonly known as anthropogenic studies. For example, Endraswara (2016, pp. 45–46) considered that anthropogenic literature comprises literary works that focus on (or study other works that describe) environmental damage and destruction and/or the extinction of living organisms caused by human activity. Humans are the focus of anthropogenic literature because it is the human being’s lust that is destructive of the environment and that is highlighted through this type of literature. Within this genre, studies which focus on humans, devastating environmental destruction and also relate to some transcendent, untouchable and unseen thing are called apocalyptic. Buell (1995, p. 285) argues that “the apocalypse is the most powerful primary metaphor possessed by the contemporary ecological imagination”. Like millennial Christians, environmental apocalyptics must face the shame of failed prophecies even though they can’t let go of clues.

This paradigm can also be seen in a new genre of literature called apocalyptic, which comes from the Greek word Apo-calyptein, which means “to expose”. Apocalyptic literature is a revelation about the end of an era, a civilisation or even of history or life on earth. Cruel and strange images may coexist with images of a changing world; the main theme is usually a titanic struggle between good and evil. Apocalyptic has been described as a genre born out of crisis that seeks to strengthen the resolve of a struggling community by developing a vision of sudden and permanent liberation from captivity. This is secret literature, a comfort to the persecuted (Garrard, 2004, p. 86).

In line with that description, apocalyptic literature is a type of work that seems to have a “voice of God” or at least one where humans often raise the voice of prophecies to describe something in the environment. Apocalyptic literature is literary work that cares about the environment in a way that relies on transcendental forces that are difficult to predict. As yet unexplained natural conditions can be perceived as secrets and such phenomena can give rise to apocalyptic literature. Sometimes the genres of anthropogenic literature and apocalyptic literature can blend with one another. For example, when the environment is damaged, burned, or persecuted, writers often attribute certain phenomena to supernatural powers (Endraswara, 2016b, pp. 45–46).

Stifflemire (2017, p. 95) also stated that apocalyptic literature is “a genre of revelation literature with a narrative structure in which revelation is delivered to human recipients of the afterlife, revealing a transcendent reality that is at once a storm … if we imagine eschatological and spatial salvation if touch another supernatural world.” Common features of apocalyptic literature include: (1) writers tend to choose one of the great men of the past (such as Enoch or Moses) and make him the hero of the book; (2) the hero travels frequently, accompanied by a celestial leader who points out and comments on places of interest; (3) information is often communicated through sight; (4) visions often use strange or even enigmatic symbolism; (5) often pessimistic ideas about the possibility that human intervention can or will improve the current situation; (6) visions usually end with God bringing a terrible end to the current situation and creating a better situation; (7) apocalyptic writers often use pseudonyms, claiming to write on behalf of their chosen heroes; (8) writers often take past stories and rewrite them as if they were prophecies; (9) The essence of apocalyptic literature is the consolation and preservation of the “good remnant”. Furthermore, Stifflemire (2017, pp. 97–99) stated that apocalyptic literature is a genre of narrative literature that: (i) tells about the mediation of revelations by beings from another world that are accepted by humans; (ii) reveals a temporally transcendent reality; (iii) concerns the eschatological image of salvation; (iv) is spatial in nature; (v) involves another supernatural world.

Studies such as this one generally colour the study of literary ecology by referring to the ecocritical approach. This article attempts to enliven the treasury of thoughts about the harmonious relationship between humans, nature and God depicted in Paolo Coelho’s novel The Alchemist by seeking to reveal how the nature, natural phenomena, and signs in nature bring humans to a deeper recognition of the creator of man and nature, i.e. God. This article aims to show that God cannot be separated from the relationship between humans and nature. Kartanegara (2007, p. 70) mentioned in his book chapter that in the view of Muslim scholars, nature has never been released or separated from its intrinsic relation to the transcendent (God); indeed nature is a mirror of God. For Muslim thinkers, nature is a part of God’s verses and the existence of nature and natural phenomena actually indicates the existence of a Creator.

8. Conclusion

Ecological studies that examine the relationship between humans and nature are incomplete without considering the connection to God as the creator of creatures (humans and nature). God’s involvement in the relationship between humans and nature is told in the history of the search for God by the Prophet Ibrahim AS (Islam perspective). It is said that God, nature, and humans are the main themes in the story of Prophet Ibrahim’s journey to seek God. He as a human sees himself in the midst of nature and tries to find God in nature. He seeks God through reflection on nature, namely the stars, moon, and sun. He believed that it was God who created and governed for all.

Ibrahim’s actions are reflected in the collective reflection of Abraham’s religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) regarding the close and inseparable triangular relationship between God, Man and Nature. In this context, the position of nature is parallel to the position of man, both being God’s creations. For this reason, humans should not treat nature arbitrarily because of their position as caliphs or stewards on this earth—they should not simply exploit all the wealth of the earth without paying attention to ecosystems and the balance of nature.

Studies that discuss the damage to nature and the environment caused by human behaviour are called anthropogenic studies in popular literature. These studies generally colour the study of literary ecology by referring to an eco-critical approach.

This study clearly supports the idea that a harmonious relationship between humans, nature and God is depicted in Paolo Coelho’s novel The Alchemist, as it explores how the existence of nature, natural phenomena, signs of nature lead humans into a deeper recognition of the creator of man and nature, namely God. Nature is also depicted in a way that shows that God cannot be separated from the relationship between man and nature. This is in line with the view of Muslim thinkers that nature is part of the verses of God whose existence will only strengthen belief in the existence of a Creator.

Based on the discussion, the researchers found the following points: 1) Paolo Coelho’s novel The Alchemist explores how the existence of nature and natural phenomena are signs of nature that lead humans to a deeper recognition of the creator of humans and nature, namely God; 2) in principle, humans cannot treat nature arbitrarily because of their position as caliphs on this earth who should not exploit all of the earth’s wealth without paying attention to ecosystems and the balance of nature; and 3) the harmonious relationship between humans, nature, and God depicted in this novel leads to a positive state of inner peace, calm and balance, as well as a sense of harmony with nature.

These results show that literary works can contribute to providing readers with a new or enhanced awareness of the relationship between nature and humans and their relationship with the creator. The implications of this study are that literary works such as The Alchemist can contain many simple life lessons as well as carrying a very strong moral message.

Acknowledgements

This article is derived from the first author’s doctoral thesis, to be submitted as a requirement for the fulfilment of the degree of Doctor. Prof. Fathu Rahman, Herawaty Abas, Ph.D and Dr. M. Amir P. were the thesis advisory team and provided feedback on the original paper. This study did not receive any external funding and the authors state that there is no potential conflict of interest. Special thanks to Abigail M. Moore, a native English speaker, for assistance in proofreading the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported for publishing article.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no direct funding for this research.

Notes on contributors

Nahdhiyah

Nahdhiyah is currently studying at Hasanuddin University for a doctoral program. Nahdhiyah is a teaching staff at UIN Alauddin Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Her research interests are Literature, Philosophy and Ecolinguistics.

Fathu Rahman

Fathu Rahman is a Professor of Literature and Culture at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Hasanuddin University, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. His research interests are Literature, Semiotics, Stylistics, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies.

Herawaty Abas

Herawaty Abas is a lecturer at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Hasanuddin University, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. She is currently the Head of the Language Center of Hasanuddin University

M. Amir Pattu

M. Amir Pattu. is a lecturer at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Hasanuddin University, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. He is now Head of the English Language Studies Program (PhD level) at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Hasanuddin University.