An Ecofeminist Interpretation Of The Grass Is Singing

Doris Lessing (1919-), a brilliant British female writer in the20thcentury, makes agreat contribution to the post-war development in British literature. She has receivedmany famous awards for literature, including the Somerset Maugham Award, the JamesTait Black Memorial Prize and the David Cohen British Literary Prize. Lessing got thenomination for the Nobel Prize several times and finally became the winner of NobelPrize for Literature in2007. In her long writing career, Lessing has created a series ofworks related to a variety of genres. Her early works are deeply autobiographical, manyof them emerging out of her early life experiences in South Africa.Lessing’s first work, The Grass Is Singing, raised immediate attention after it waspublished in1950, which laid the solid foundations of her status in the contemporaryliterary circle. The novel, set on the South African land which is under the Britishcolonialism in the middle of the20thcentury, presents the white colonists’ extremedestruction to the natural environment in South Africa and describes the miserable fate offemales, blacks and lower-class whites under the concepts of gender discrimination,racism and class exploitation.This thesis analyzes the novel from the ecofeminist point of view, reveals theecological consciousness, feminist awareness and Lessing’s reflection on the issues ofhumans and nature, genders, races and classes, which presents Lessing’s advancing withtimes.This thesis consists of an introduction, the main body and a conclusion. Its maincontents are as follows:The first part is introduction, which mainly gives a brief introduction to DorisLessing and her major works, the basic content of The Grass Is Singing and the researchstatus on it both at home and abroad. Meanwhile, it points out the significance of theanalysis on the novel from the ecofeminist viewpoint.The second part is the main body, which is made up of three chapters:Chapter One introduces the emergence and development of ecofeminism, its mainviewpoints and Lessing’s awareness of ecofeminism in her works. Ecofeminists believethat there is a connection between the oppression on women and the degradation ofnature, advocate caring and respecting mutually, and oppose all forms of inequality. The concern for ecofeminism is the key factor of social harmony and sustainabledevelopment. Humans can have a bright future only through maintaining the ecologicalbalance and emphasizing the social equality.Chapter Two discusses the oppression on nature and women in The Grass Is Singing.Ecofeminists advocate respecting nature and women and regard the patriarchal ideologyas the root of the oppression on nature and women. Driven by profits, a large number ofwhite colonists arrive in South Africa and extremely destruct the local environment.Meanwhile, influenced by the patriarchy, men oppress women eventually. The heroineMary suffers the oppression and prejudice from her father, her husband and her blackservant in succession in her life. In the novel, Lessing reveals the oppression on natureand women. As a female writer, Lessing hopes to build an ideal world in which humanscoexist with nature harmoniously and women are equally treated by men.Chapter Three analyzes the unequal relations between races and amid classes in TheGrass Is Singing. Ecofeminists advocate building the social relations equally andconsider the patriarchal ideology as the root of racism and class conflicts. The concept ofracial discrimination is rooted in the South African society. Blacks are rudely treated bywhite colonists and their miserable situation is worsened by the government’s coldness.Meanwhile, inequality and prejudice also exist within the white society. Rich whitesdespise the poor and consider that their poverty harms the white dignity. In the novel,Lessing exposes the inequality in the South African society and expresses her sympathyfor the blacks and the poor whites. As a white writer, Lessing looks forward to buildingan ideal world in which the equality exists between races and amid classes.The last part is conclusion, which sums up the previous analysis and points out themain purpose of this thesis. From the ecofeminist viewpoint, the white colonists, who areinfluenced by the patriarchal ideology, not only break the balance of the ecologicalsystem and gender relationship, but also cause the racial discrimination and classexploitation. The final tragedy in the novel stimulates people to consider deeply humans’contemporary way of thinking and living as well as other problems and appeals to peopleto maintain the social harmony and sustainable development.