Transnational Deep Ecologies: Comparative Eco- Consciousness in Le Guin’s "Always Coming Home" and Crvenkovska’s "The House Above the Waves

This paper explores the presence of deep ecological thought in Ursula K. Le Guin’s Always
Coming Home and Biljana Crvenkovska’s Куќа над брановите (The House Above the Waves),
focusing on the ways in which both texts embody an environmental consciousness rooted in
interconnectedness, humility before nature, and non-anthropocentric values. Drawing on
Arne Naess’s principles of Deep Ecology, the paper examines how Le Guin constructs a
fictional society (the Kesh) whose worldview is integrally ecological—marked by balance,
restraint, and spiritual kinship with the land—offering an ecotopian vision of a possible future.
In contrast, Crvenkovska’s novel situates nature within a deeply personal and symbolic
framework, where the sea becomes an extension of memory, selfhood, and transformation.
While Le Guin’s work projects a collective, systemic expression of ecological awareness,
Crvenkovska’s text internalizes that awareness, portraying nature as an intimate force
shaping emotional and existential landscapes. By comparing these distinct yet resonant ecoliterary
visions, the paper aims to illuminate how Deep Ecology can manifest both as a
cultural ethos and an individual journey. Ultimately, the analysis demonstrates the flexibility of
ecocritical frameworks in crossing cultural and genre boundaries, fostering a broader,
transnational understanding of ecological storytelling.