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Journal
Environmental Apocalypse and Human Survival in The Death of Grass by John Christopher
ELS Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities
ISSN 2621-0835, 2621-0843
Published 2026-09-07
Publisher Hasanuddin University
Language en
Abstract
Environmental crises have increasingly become a major concern as they threaten both ecological systems and human survival. Literary works often portray these concerns by imagining the consequences of environmental collapse and its impact on human behavior. This research examines the portrayal of environmental apocalypse and its impact on human survival behavior in The Death of Grass by John Christopher. The study employs a qualitative descriptive method and applies Greg Garrard’s (2004) ecocritical concept of apocalypse to analyze the representation of ecological catastrophe and survival behavior in the novel. The findings reveal that environmental apocalypse in the novel is portrayed through three major aspects: the spread of the Chung-Li virus, the inability of human institutions to control the crisis, and the collapse of natural and food systems. Furthermore, the environmental catastrophe significantly shapes the characters’ survival behavior through acts of violence, distrust, moral division, and self-preservation. The study concludes that the novel portrays environmental apocalypse not only as the destruction of nature but also as the transformation of human behavior and morality under conditions of extreme scarcity and social collapse.
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Metadata source: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) https://journal.unhas.ac.id/index.php/jish/oai, first harvested 3 Nov 2026, last seen 3 Nov 2026.
Original metadata (oai_dc)
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<dc:title xml:lang="en">Environmental Apocalypse and Human Survival in The Death of Grass by John Christopher</dc:title>
<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Pangaribuan, Anabela Romaito</dc:creator>
<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Joko Yulianto, Henrikus</dc:creator>
<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Environmental Apocalypse</dc:subject>
<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Ecocriticism</dc:subject>
<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Survival Behavior</dc:subject>
<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Post-Apocalyptic Literature</dc:subject>
<dc:subject xml:lang="en">The Death of Grass</dc:subject>
<dc:description xml:lang="en">Environmental crises have increasingly become a major concern as they threaten both ecological systems and human survival. Literary works often portray these concerns by imagining the consequences of environmental collapse and its impact on human behavior. This research examines the portrayal of environmental apocalypse and its impact on human survival behavior in The Death of Grass by John Christopher. The study employs a qualitative descriptive method and applies Greg Garrard’s (2004) ecocritical concept of apocalypse to analyze the representation of ecological catastrophe and survival behavior in the novel. The findings reveal that environmental apocalypse in the novel is portrayed through three major aspects: the spread of the Chung-Li virus, the inability of human institutions to control the crisis, and the collapse of natural and food systems. Furthermore, the environmental catastrophe significantly shapes the characters’ survival behavior through acts of violence, distrust, moral division, and self-preservation. The study concludes that the novel portrays environmental apocalypse not only as the destruction of nature but also as the transformation of human behavior and morality under conditions of extreme scarcity and social collapse.</dc:description>
<dc:publisher xml:lang="en">Hasanuddin University</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2026-09-07</dc:date>
<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion</dc:type>
<dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
<dc:identifier>https://journal.unhas.ac.id/index.php/jish/article/view/52294</dc:identifier>
<dc:identifier>10.34050/nvyrp984</dc:identifier>
<dc:source xml:lang="en">ELS Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities; Vol. 9 No. 3 (2026): SEPTEMBER; 720-730</dc:source>
<dc:source>2621-0835</dc:source>
<dc:source>2621-0843</dc:source>
<dc:source>10.34050/xw9ghv23</dc:source>
<dc:language>en</dc:language>
<dc:relation>https://journal.unhas.ac.id/index.php/jish/article/view/52294/14977</dc:relation>
<dc:rights xml:lang="en">Copyright (c) 2026 Anabela Romaito Pangaribuan, Henrikus Joko Yulianto</dc:rights>
<dc:rights xml:lang="en">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0</dc:rights>
</oai_dc:dc>
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Cite this article
APA 7
Pangaribuan, A. R., & Joko Yulianto, H. (2026). Environmental Apocalypse and Human Survival in The Death of Grass by John Christopher. ELS Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, 9(3), 720–730. https://doi.org/10.34050/nvyrp984
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IEEE
A. R. Pangaribuan and H. Joko Yulianto, “Environmental Apocalypse and Human Survival in The Death of Grass by John Christopher,” ELS Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 720–730, 2026, doi: 10.34050/nvyrp984.
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