An Eco-feminist Study On Fefu And Her Friends

Maria Irene Fornes(1930-), a Cuban-American playwright, is one of the early important members of Off-Off Broadway movement and the representative of avant-garde in contemporary American theatre. Fefu and Her Friends is Fornes’ s masterpiece, after the public performance, it caused a sensation in American theatre and finally won Fornes the Obie Award. The story of the play takes place in Fefu’s country house in New England. Eight women gather in Fefu’s house to rehearse a presentation for a theatre education charity program. Before and during the rehearsal, the eight women talk to each other about their daily lives. They pour out their thoughts and feelings about life, and express their pains, fear, anxiety and isolation. The play is full of mystery. Julia is paralyzed in a hunting accident, and since then, she is confined to a wheelchair. What makes it mysterious is that in the story the hunter shot the deer, not Julia. Furthermore, in the end of the play, when Fornes grabs the gun and goes outside to shot the rabbit, Julia who in the room is wounded again.Eco-feminism, as an inheritance and further development of feminism, holds that there are intimate connections between women and nature, and both of them are under oppression of patriarchy thoughts. Therefore, eco-feminism not only concerns about women’s equal rights, but also strongly appeals to humans to protect nature. This thesis gives an interpretation of Fefu and Her Friends from the perspective of eco-feminism and goes through men’s oppression on women and nature, besides, it also indicates that only by breaking dualistic value thinking pattern can the oppression on women and nature be eliminated and the harmonious coexistence of men, women and nature be achieved.This thesis contains Introduction, five chapters and Conclusion.The Introduction gives an account of Maria Irene Fornes’ s life experience, writing style, literary positions and the latest literary review of Fefu and Her Friends both at home and abroad. Besides, this part also indicates the study purpose and significance of the thesis.Chapter One is the theoretical part. It contains the development and the important theoretical viewpoints of eco-feminism.Chapter Two interprets the relationship between women and nature through the heroines’ play in nature, their love to water game and their protection of animals.Chapter Three explores the male oppression on women and nature in the patriarchal society. In the play, both Fefu and her Friends suffer the mental and physical torture and anguish. And men’s oppression on nature is mainly manifested in their hunting of animals, through which they show male chauvinism.Chapter Four narrates the torture of the terrible dream that Fefu and her friends suffer from. They resist oppression and seek liberation through all kinds of “leisure” and through establishing “sisterhood”.Chapter Five analyzes the current situation of women and nature in our society. Women still suffer discrimination and oppression in life and work, and nature is severely destroyed by humans’ unscrupulous exploitation, which has already resulted in the deteriorating ecological crisis. Therefore, people must take measures to defend the rights of women and nature, and restore the ecological balance.The Conclusion part sums up the thesis: both women and nature should be paid careful attention to; humans should eliminate all kinds of oppressions that exist in our society; men, women and nature should achieve a harmonious coexistence.