Ecopsychology in J. G. Ballard’s Fiction

Paola Della Valle (Università di Torino)

Abstract

Con la sua famosa tetralogia pubblicata negli anni ’60, J. G Ballard segnò una svolta nella letteratura distopicaallontanandosi da temi socio-politici a questioni ambientali. Appassionato di psicologia e psicanalisi, amava studiare gli effetti dell’ambiente (naturale o urbano) sulla psiche umana. Ballard credeva che vi fosse un sottile rapporto tra l’uomo e isuoi possibili habitat, la cui messa in crisi ne avrebbe minato l’equilibrio psicofisico. In romanzi come Concrete Island (1974) and High-Rise (1975), lo scrittore analizza le reazioni della psiche umana a spazi iper-tecnologizzati, inaugurando così le tematiche dell’ecopsicologia, una disciplina emergente che studia la relazione tra ambiente e salute mentale.

DOI: 10.17456/SIMPLE-71

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