The Bioregional Awareness In Barry Lopez’s Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez(1945-)is one of the most representative nature writers in America.His Arctic Dreams,a classic nature writing,won the National Book Award for nonfiction in 1986 and became the representative work of American nature writing in the1980 s.With a non-fiction narrative style,Lopez integrates natural and cultural landscapes and his attitude into his description of the Arctic.By means of close reading,based on the theory of bioregionalism,this thesis probes into Arctic Dreams from four aspects: climate and landscape,survival modes of Arctic living beings,Arctic history and culture,and establishment of bioregional communities,aimed to provide some reference for contemporary China’s nature writing and,in turn,hopes to provide some potential reference for the creation of a harmonious man-earth relationship,especially between man and their home.The thesis consists of six parts,including Introduction,four chapters,and Conclusion.The Introduction offers an overview of Barry Lopez and the main contents of Arctic Dreams,reviews the studies of Arctic Dreams at home and abroad,and covers the development and main concepts of bioregionalism.Chapter One explores Lopez’s appreciation of the Arctic climate and landscape.The Arctic appreciated by Lopez is animated and mysterious.He explores and loves the Arctic,perceiving the Arctic through his sensory system.Under such circumstances,his understanding of the Arctic relies not on imagination but on his personal experience and such perception constructs his appreciation of the Arctic.Opening his Arctic Dreams,it is filled with descriptions based on direct information and real experience in the Arctic,embodying bioregional awareness everywhere.Chapter Two discusses Lopez’s attitudes of the survival modes of Arctic living beings.Lopez spills a lot of ink over tenacious Arctic plants,full-featured Arctic animals,and tough Eskimos.He praises and respects the survival wisdom of Arctic living beings and believes that the survival modes of them are not only the result of heredity but also the result of long-term adaptation to the local natural environment.Chapter Three analyzes Lopez’s affirmation of the distinctive culture in the Arctic.Lopez knows the characteristics and uniqueness of the Arctic bioregion and highly affirms the Arctic culture.In his depiction,Eskimos still choose to live close to the Arctic land and establish a close relationship with the land so that they can form an attachment with the land.Their hunting culture,lifestyle,prehistoric ruins,and camps reveal the local dwellers’ cultural outlook.Chapter Four explores Lopez’s advocacy of establishing bioregional communities.Lopez criticizes westerners’ emptiness in spiritual life when he discusses different ways of appreciating the Arctic between Westerners and Eskimos,and points out that the self-sufficient economic mode and bioregional political mode are necessary for the establishment of bioregional communities.Moreover,he supposes that the Eskimos’ indigenous economic and political modes are essential for the development of bioregional communities,which can make a contribution to self-fulfillment and selfhealing.The last part is the Conclusion.In Arctic Dreams,Lopez describes the Arctic as a bioregion that is full of uniqueness and charm.He is concerned about not only the physical environment in the bioregion,but also cares about its political,economic,and cultural dimensions.The thesis,by analyzing Lopez’s attitude to the Arctic,demonstrates that the bioregional awareness can deepen human beings’ understanding of their home so that Lopez considers that human beings need to dwell in their home to establish an attachment to their home and emphasizes that,in a unique bioregion,the lifestyle,culture,and political patterns should adapt to the natural environment of the bioregion.Furthermore,it can be seen that Lopez advocates the preservation of local natural landscapes,cultural traditions,economic modes,and political laws,which not only inspires human beings to become more adaptive to the place where they live but also cultivates a kind of bioregional imagination to live in their home wisely,imaginatively and morally.