An Analysis Of A Thousand Acres From The Perspective Of Ecofeminism

Jane Smiley is one of the most important female writers in the contemporaryAmerican literature. In1991she published her masterpiece A Thousand Acres whichwon the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Award in1992. As a rewriting work,this novel doesn’t share the same subjects with King Lear. It depicts a story about amiddle-class family on the one-thousand-acre farm. In this story, Smiley’s ecofeministconsciousness is vividly reflected. Ecofeminism tries to explore the complexrelationship between men’s devaluing of nature and oppression of women in thepatriarchal society and advocates fighting against patriarchal ideology. In this novel,the ecological crisis and feminist issues are skillfully combined together by JaneSmiley. On the vast farm, both nature’s and women’s fates are under Larry Cook’spatriarchal domination. Not only ecosystem but also women’s physical andpsychological health is seriously damaged.This thesis aims to analyze A Thousand Acres from the perspective ofecofeminism. And there are five parts: in the introduction part, a brief introduction ofJane Smiley, the main plot of the story and the history of ecofeminist theories arepresented. In Chapter One, the interconnections between nature and women areexplored, which indicates their same inferior status. And meanwhile, this thesisanalyzes how these interconnections are illustrated with the application of ecofeministtheories. In Chapter Two, the plights of nature and women are presented. Inpatriarchal society, nature and women confront the same tragic fate: brutally abusedby men. Besides, the root of this tragedy, patriarchal ideology is discussed as well. InChapter Three, the protagonist, Ginny’s awakening process of is illustrated. In orderto get rid of the patriarchal control, women have to fight against patriarchy bravelyand the only way to freedom and independence is self-redemption. The last partserves as a conclusion containing the purpose of the thesis. This thesis also revealsSmiley’s longing for a harmonious world, in which both the relationship betweennature and human beings, and the relationship among human beings are harmonious. This thesis adopts ecofeminist theories to analyze the novel, reveal theinterconnections between women and nature and exposit men’s physical andpsychological abuse of women and nature. By doing this, it can help readers broadentheir view, encourage them to reflect upon the relationship between men and women,nature and human beings, and also enrich the present research of A Thousand Acres.