Towards Symbiosis

Margaret Atwood is one of the most famous women writers in Canadian who enjoys international reputation and is hailed as “the Queen of Canadian literature”.She was nominated for Nobel Prize for literature for her concerns for women,ecology,disadvantaged groups,and human future.So far,Margaret Atwood has published more than fifty works including novels,essays,children's literature and literary criticism,covering topics ranging from feminism to nationalism and ecologism.She not only described vividly man's insatiable greed,cruelty and demand but focused on the future and destiny of human ecological environment.She published Oryx and Crake in 2003.It's a dystopian eco-warning novel from a male perspective that tells the story of “Snowman” who survived the great ecological catastrophe that swept through the world and became the only man he believed to have survived.On the one hand,the novel depicts “Snowman” struggling in the imaginary wilderness of the future.On the other hand,it reflects on human beings' endless misuse of technology,which destroys nature and thus causes a devastating catastrophe through the recollections of Snowman.Some scholars think this novel is a science fiction but Atwood thinks it is a speculative novel.This thesis analyzes Oryx and Crake from the perspective of ecocriticism.In addition to analyzing the ecological crisis in the novel,this thesis further explains the underlying reasons for the ecological crisis,and then points out the possible solutions to the crisis.This thesis consists of five parts.The introductory part gives a brief introduction of Atwood and her novel Oryx and Crake.Besides,it reviews the studies on Atwood's plays at home and abroad as well as the theoretical basis.It further points out the factors influencing the formation of Atwood's ecological consciousness.Chapter One focuses on the influence of ecological crisis on nature and society as depicted in the novel.It discusses the problems faced by human beings such as the deterioration of the natural environment and the chain reaction caused by environmental problems,and analyses the consequences brought about by the abuse of bio-engineering technology.Chapter Two explores the causes of the ecological crisis.Human ideological consciousness has its limitations.Anthropocentrism leads to the neglect of non-human society.Also,human beings' desire for money exceeds the control of human nature and leads to the decline of humanistic spirit.What's more,under the influence of the money-oriented capitalist market economy,human beings pursue the maximization of their own interests and conduct disordered competition,ignoring the relationship between man and man as well as man and nature.At the same time,the male chauvinism regards man as the standard to measure everything,ignoring the social status of women,leading to the loss of female identity.Chapter Three discusses human attitudes and solutions to the ecological crisis.Human beings should insist on non-anthropocentrism philosophy and adhere to ecological holism.Also,they should attach great importance to the interests of the non-human.By living in harmony with society and nature,human beings can seek the harmonious development of ecology and eventually attain the symbiosis between human and non-human species.The last part is the conclusion,which summarizes the discussions in the previous chapters.Based on ecocriticism,the novel Oryx and Crake rings an alarm bell for humanity and urges them to reflect on themselves.The ecological consciousness in this novel is of great practical significance.Irreversible ecological disasters will be caused if human beings ignore ecological holism and overemphasize the development of science and technology.The ecological consciousness points out the direction of environmental protection and without which,a sustainable world cannot be achieved.