From Perplexity To Integrity: An Ecofeminist Look Into Willa Cather's Early Fictional Writings

Willa Cather (1873-1947) was one of the most famous and prolific women writers in the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. Her works have been interpreted from a wide variety of angles. Today the ecocritical or ecofeminist interpretation of her writings is becoming a focus of the critical attention. Against the background of the developing ecocritical approach, Cather's writings emerge as environmentally-conscious texts characterized by detailed depiction of nature as well as the close relationship between the female and nature. By creating the powerful women characters whose strength derives from their integration with nature, Cather breaks the traditional female stereotypes of "angels" and "monsters" in literary texts, establishes for women their unique gender and cultural identity. This thesis undertakes a systematic study of the female characters in Cather's early fictional writings, and by focusing on their relationship with nature, it attempts to explore how these women struggle out of perplexity to establish their own identitiesCather's early fictional writings (1892—1918) can be roughly divided into three phrases. During her apprenticeship stage(1892—1912) Cather adhered to the traditional female stereotypes, and created "angel" and "monster" women images by imitating her literary forefathers. In this thesis, several typical images of these two types are analyzed from a feminist perspective. It is pointed out that creation of these characters is partly associated with Cather's internalization of patriarchal culture. Besides these two images, in this period Cather also creates a group of "talented but failed" women artists to express her anxiety of authorship. This creation foreshadows a change in her later treatment of women characters: compared with the lifeless "angels" imprisoned in house and the vicious "monsters" enclosed in literary texts, the women characters in her latter writings are animate, powerful, and independent.O Pioneers! is a turning point in Cather's early creations. The heroine Alexandra Bergerson appears as the image of goddess in the matriarchal society. The heroine Alexandra Bergerson reminds the readers of the goddesses in the matriarchal society. Similar to these goddesses, Alexandra has androgynous qualities and derives strength from the land by establishing an intimate relationship with nature. The creation of this character reveals Cather's ecological consciousness, which coincides with the central tenets of ecofeminism.In My Antonia, Cather's most famous novel, she creates a character of woman pioneer, who is much more real to life than Alexandra in O Pioneers!. Different from the goddess-like Alexandra, Antonia has to transcend her own limitations in her search for identity as well as in the course of establishing a harmonious relationship with the land. Bycreating this character, Cather shows her expectations for women. That is, a woman should keep her uniqueness as a female while sharing the good qualities of both sexes. By holding a comprehensive, tolerant attitude, which is totally different from the patriarchal traditions, a woman can embrace men, nature, and different cultures in her life.