An Ecofeminist Interpretation Of Anna Burns’ Milkman

The Northern Irish writer Anna Burns’ novel Milkman describes an ordinary girl’s exploration in deep crisis during the troubles.It won the Booker Prize in 2018 and National Book Critics Circle Award and the Orwell Award in the next year.This novel makes Burns well known in domestic and overseas academic circles.The considerations of violent conflicts and women’s issues reflected in it also draw much attention.This thesis will interpret Milkman with the support of ecofeminism by analyzing the oppression of nature and women during the troubles and their connection,exploring the basic reasons,and probing into women’s attitudes and growth under oppression.For one thing,the study of Milkman approached with ecofeminism helps readers comprehend the theme of women’s growth.For another,this thesis promotes readers’ understanding of the relationship between women and nature by discovering the oppression towards nature observed by women in Milkman.It mainly analyzes the concrete oppression of nature and women’s survival difficulties in the patriarchal society full of divisions and riots,offering insights into the causes of most women’s evasive attitudes.Besides,it also focuses on women’s struggle and points out the importance of breaking the binary opposition and emphasizing the sense of responsibility.It’s crucial for human beings and nature to meet the harmonious coexistence.According to research findings,in the long-term unstable society,nature and women were severely affected.In other words,women’s living and spiritual ecological space was squeezed drastically and after bewilderment and evasion women were determined to strive for the dynamic balance of the three,which embodies Burns’ thought of ecofeminism.In addition,this thesis elucidates that it’s imperative for women to work through their struggles with reconciliation and comfort among them.It intends to encourage readers to understand Milkman and enriches the research of Burns’ works.