An Ecofeminist Analysis Of Beloved

The present research studies Toni Morrison's novel Beloved from the perspective of ecofeminism. Ecofeminism aims to construct a new harmonious order that the currently oppressed groups such as nature, colored peoples, and women are not taken as the inferior through reflecting and criticizing the aftermath of anthropocentricism and dualism. Through discussing how individual characters in the novel break away from the bindings of white anthropocentricism and dualism in their search for black self identity, the author analyzes the role nature plays in their searching and struggling. Victimized like nature in the white social paradigm, black people, both women and men, experience tremendous agony in the slavery system and great difficulties in their construct of selfhood. Downgraded as animals, they fight for their unique beings and search for the true meaning of manhood, womanhood, and motherhood in that society. Along with the individual salvation, the community they dwell in also gains salvation and becomes a supportive and nurturing environment for the members.Besides Introduction and Conclusion, the thesis consists of four chapters. Information about Toni Morrison and research review on Beloved is in the introduction section. Chapter One introduces the main ideas of ecofeminism and Toni Morrison's ecofeminist consciousness. Chapter Two analyzes the victimized status of nature, black women, and black men in the anthropocentric dualism. Chapter Three studies the recovery of black people's selfhood under the guidance of nature. Chapter Four discusses the restoration of natural order in black community along with individual salvation. Then the author concludes the entire thesis by highlighting the major points of the research and suggests directions for further research.