Ecofeminist Perspectives On Woman On The Edge Of Time

Ecofeminism is an ecological revolution initiated by feminists to subvert the patriarchal system,which combines the equality of men and women with the protection of nature.It aims to establish an equal relationship between men and women and a harmonious relationship between human and nature;its core is to link the patriarchal oppressions on nature and women together and to seek the liberation of women and solve the ecological crisis by deconstructing patriarchy.Ecofeminist literary criticism is a literary research method,and it is not known for the construction of the theory,but for the use of ecofeminist consciousness to analyze the texts and the literary phenomena.It expresses the views of ecofeminist criticism and reflects the values and functions of ecofeminist critical discourse in the practice of specific criticism on the texts.Woman on the Edge of Time is Marge Piercy’s ecofeminist utopian fiction.In this fiction,Marge Piercy shows the oppression of patriarchy on women and nature in the real world,and at the same time depicts a future utopian world in which men and women live in harmony with nature.As a small branch of science fiction,feminist utopian fiction not only has the characteristics of traditional utopian novels,but also contains science and technology obviously.Woman on the Edge of Time shows the male oppression on women and the abuse of nature,and further reveals the phenomena that the science and technology which should benefit human and society are utilized to oppress women and nature.The thesis is divided into four parts.The first part is the introduction and the theoretical basis.Firstly,this part introduces Marge Piercy and her work Woman on the Edge of Time as well as the writing background of this book,and summarizes the research results of the fiction.Then it introduces ecofeminism,which paves the way for the interpretation of the ecofeminist utopian fictionWoman on the Edge of Time.The second part is about women and nature under the patriarchal system in Woman on the Edge of Time.This part first discusses science and technology as the tools for men to control women,such as mental hospitals which are controlled by men to oppress women,and male doctors use technology of psychiatry and reproduction to control women.Then it discusses the women under the male dominance.Dolly is totally controlled by men,and Connie is abandoned in a mental hospital.Connie,Sybil,Tina and Alice are male subjects used to do the experiment.Further it discusses the damaged New York environment.There are only a few green plants in the whole city,and the environment around Connie’s house is contaminated.Finally,the relationship between women and nature is discussed.In the eyes of men,Connie abandoned in a mental hospital is the same as the garbage dumped to the landfill,and Alice tested in the psychiatric hospital is also the same as lab monkeys.They are the same objects used and oppressed by men,and will be discarded when they lose their value.The third part of the article is the deconstruction of patriarchy in Woman on the Edge of Time.In this part,the women in 1976 begin to resist the male oppression.Tina and Alice are hermits away from men,while Connie and Sibyl are female warriors against men.In 2137 Mattapoisett’s feminist utopian world,men and women are equaland interdependent on each other,and human are friendly to nature and keep a harmonious coexistence.The fourth part is the conclusion.Woman on the Edge of Time shows women and nature are under the oppression of patriarchy in the realistic society,and science and technology are in the hands of men to be used to oppress women and nature.At the same time it builds a 2137 utopian society,where men and women are equal and human beings and nature are in harmony,furthermore,science and technology have become an effective tool to realize the gender equality and human beings and nature coexistence.This fiction not only criticizes the patriarchy of the realistic world,but also makes a positive assumption on the mode of human existence,so as to make the world a better and harmonious place to live in.