The Ecocritical Interpretation Of Rachel Carson’s "Sea Trilogy"

Rachel Carson,a pioneer of contemporary ecological literature and an initiator of the world ecological protection movement,has had a profound and far-reaching impact on the development of human’s ecological thinking and the entire ecological culture.Three of her books,Under the Sea-wind,The Sea around Us,and The Edge of the Sea,are known as the "Sea Trilogy." These three books,which are less concerned by academic circles,contain a wealth of ecological philosophical thinking and ecological aesthetic thinking and deserve further interpretation from the perspective of ecocriticism.The outstanding natural view in the "Sea Trilogy" is an overall view of ecology.The portrayal of the sea by Carson reveals the systematicness and regularity of the ecology as a whole.Carson described the whole ocean in her books from both dimensions of space and time,demonstrated systemic relationships between natural organisms,and showed the overall laws of ecology,such as laws of adaptation and influence,the rules between life and death,the rules of decentralization survival,the principle of differential symbiosis and so on.The "Sea Trilogy" shows three different states between humankind and nature:the opposition between human-beings and nature,human-beings’ exploration of nature and human-beings’ integration into nature.From non-ecological opposition to searching for the mysteries of nature,and finally returning to the ecological place-this is a process that Carson has prospected to improve the relationship between human and nature.Carson criticized the opposition between human and nature and revealed its intrinsic causes--the anthropocentrism and the disenchantment with nature by arrogant human.Carson advocated human exploring nature curiously and then understanding human beings’ true status in nature.She opposed blind worship of science and technology and advised people to follow the laws of nature when they explore nature.She hoped people can return to ecological place and find ecological Self.The "Sea Trilogy" reveals ecological aesthetics of inter-subjectivity,engagement and transcendent.Carson artistically expressed her ecological aesthetic concept in the three books.The ecological interpretation of the "Sea Trilogy" is conducive to understanding Carson’s ecological thinking in a more comprehensive way and to realizing the significance of Carson’s work to ecological literature and even the entire ecological culture.