A Study Of Gone With The Wind From The Perspective Of Ecofeminism

Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize in1937by the virtue of her only work Gone withthe Wind. This novel was created in the early20thcentury and was on the background of theAmerican Civil War. It vividly shows the prosperity and decline of the Southern plantation, andthe heroin Scarlett’s life and love during and after the war.In Gone with the Wind, women’s intimate relation with nature is a contrast with that ofmen’s. It is a positive material of ecofeminism. Therefore, studying this novel from theperspective of ecofeminism can help to know the themes and characters better, and deepen theunderstanding of ecofeminism. Ecofeminists agree that there are important connections betweenthe domination over women and nature because the domination over women and nature isanalogous since the system is from the same source—the oppressive patriarchal concept. On theone hand, ecofeminists strongly reject the oppressive patriarchal concept which justifies men’stwin domination over nature and women; on the other hand, it aims at the achievement ofecological sustainability and equality between women and men.This thesis consists of six parts.Chapter One is an introduction to the author and her novel, and also the purpose andframework of the thesis.Chapter Two is the theoretical basis and literature review. It introduces the development andmajor theories of ecofeminism, and the studies of this novel home and abroad. Studies of thisnovel mainly focused on feminism, prototype image, comparison of the characters, and thecharacteristics of the heroin. In contrast, few of them offered ecofeminist reading of this novel.This thesis uses theories of ecofeminism about the similarities between women and nature tostudy the thoughts of ecofeminism in Gone with the Wind. It analyzes patriarchal society’soppression over the heroin and nature, and women and nature’s similar status and experiences inpatriarchal society.Chapter Three to Chapter Five is the main part of this study.Ecofeminism concerns for women’s living condition. Thus, Chapter Three shows men’sdomination over women through two different groups of women. Ellen and Melanie yield totraditional concept and lose themselves. They finally become victims of patriarchal domination.Scarlett is different from them. She is brave, independent and full of rebellious spirit. She fightsagainst patriarchal domination.Chapter Four shows the patriarchal oppression over nature through the analysis of men andwomen’s different attitudes towards nature. On the one hand, men’s war destroyes thousands of houses and the fertile land in the South. On the other hand, women care a lot about houses andland. In order to protect Tara, Scarlett faces the northern soldiers bravely and she sacrifices herhappiness.Chapter Five shows the close relation between women and nature. Women in the novel arenaturalized and nature is full of female characteristics. Their similar status and experience inpatriarchal society make the relation between them more close. So, women should not onlyachieve self-realization but also protect nature.Chapter Six is the conclusion. It summarizes this paper, and addresses the significance andlimitations of this study.