A Study Of Ecological Crisis In Victory From The Perspective Of Ecocriticism

Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) is a pioneer of modern English novels, who is famous in the world because of his navigation novels. Created in 1915, one of the representative works of Conrad, Victory has attracted much attention from the literary critics. The critics have studied it through the perspectives of post colonialism, racism and psychoanalysis and thought highly of the novel. Since ecocriticism prevailed in the last century, people have studied Conrad’s works from perspective of ecocriticism. It is attempted in this thesis to study the environment, society and characters in Victory by combining the ecocriticism and the view of ecological holism, which is hoped to be helpful in advancing the study and understanding of the novel.In this thesis, with the combination of ecocriticism and ecological holism, the author explores the ecological crisis theme of the novel. In this thesis, first, the behaviors of the people are analyzed who neglect the law of nature and set up coal company to over exploit the resources in order to earn the money, which makes huge damage to the environment. Then the alien colonizers are also exposed who regard the tropical island as "meat and potatoes", come to the peaceful island disguised with capitalist mask, expanding the so-called industrial civilization and bourgeois ideology. Moreover, it is revealed that the harmonious society and honest folks are subjected to different degrees of pollution. In such an environment, people gradually lose their faith as they become tainted with mercenary attitudes. Women, consequently, for their lower status, suffer even more unequal treatment. Finally, all consequences are summed up about those incidents due to the greed of human beings and the punishment from nature upon breaking the rule of nature. This thesis indicates that Conrad advocates the idea of cultivating a positive view of ecology, building a harmonious society. What’s more, many useful and valuable experiences can be summarized from this thesis. Conrad has the spirit of humanity and the longing for a harmonious society. He wrote vividly about the tropical islands of Southeast Asia, the rise and the fall of coal age, the ugliness of alien colonizers, the degeneration of the society, the alienation of human relationships and the disharmonious relationship between man and women. He satirized the hypocrisy and brutality of the alien colonizers and condemned the hegemony of colonialism. He revealed the true nature and ugly faces of capitalism, and expressed his longing for a harmonious society. He indicated that people should show respect to nature and restore ecological harmony between human and nature.Through exploring ecological crisis theme of the novel Victory, it is attempted in this thesis to expose the deterioration of environment, the evil and dirtiness of society, the desolation of modern people’s spiritual world and the helplessness of women. The ecological crisis in this novel gives alarm to people so that we should advocate a positive view of ecology, advance the moral development, improve the social status of women, and build a harmonious society.