Interweaving the threads of Ecofeminism and reviving the theory through a comparison of two cross-cultural novels

Ecofeminism is an offshoot of Feminism and Ecocriticism. It is preoccupied with the link between the oppression of women and the exploitation of nature in patriarchal societies. This approach is fairly new and is still evolving and developing. Ecofeminists seem to have two conflicting positions or points of departure. One identifies women with nature, and the other rejects the connection between them and suggests that it reinforces the ideologies of dualism and hierarchy that render women subordinate.;The aim of the current study is twofold. First, it will attempt to describe and more thoroughly define Ecofeminist literary theory by presenting views of various major Ecofeminist critics, and it will take a stand on which Ecofeminist position should be adopted. Second, it will apply this suggested position to Solar Storms by the Native American writer Linda Hogan, and Al Dahiya (The Victim) by the Egyptian novelist Abd El Mon'em El Sawy with the aim of recognizing the elements Ecofeminism added to Feminism and Ecocriticism, and suggesting a mode of critique that scholars can use for applying Ecofeminism to literary works. The two novels will be examined through the lens of Ecofeminism. The representation of nature and women, and the language used in the two texts will be investigated and critiqued. These two novels were deliberately chosen against more mainstream ones as they represent the voice of the margin that is rarely heard. Besides, one of the main aims of ecofeminists is to bring the concerns of the marginalized to light, so this study will fulfill this ecofeminist goal.