Mowat’s Pastoral Barren

Farley Mowat is a prominent Canadian writer and environmentalist who is known for his deep love and respect for nature.His most works explore the relationships between humans and the natural world and are informed by his own experiences living and working in remote areas of Canada.And his works,People of the Deer and Never Cry Wolf,are the perfect examples of his ecocritical perspective.In these two books,Mowat presents readers with the images of the kind and simple Eskimos,as well as the images of deer and wolves,which represent two important species in the barren ecology.Through realistic records of the natural environment,Eskimos and wild animals in the Arctic Barrens,Mowat aims to change people’s negative perception of the ecology in the Barrens,and hopes to awaken the ecological consciousness of human beings with ecocritical ideas in order to eliminate the disconnection between human beings and nature brought about by the anthropocentrism of civilized society.Based on the study of the two books mentioned above,the research in this thesis is divided into five chapters:In chapter one,the thesis starts with an introduction to Farley Mowat and his masterpieces,providing a brief overview of his literary achievements and introducing the two books under discussion,People of the Deer and Never Cry Wolf.In addition,this chapter introduces the concept,origin and development of ecocriticism,and gives a brief literature review of the two novels at home and abroad.Chapter two as the main part of the thesis,discusses in detail the human invasion of the Canadian wilderness areas,with particular emphasis on the brutalization of the invaders,the materialization of the wildlife and the marginalization of the indigenous population.This chapter presents how armed intruders and marginalized aborigines are depicted in the works,and how they are portrayed as a threat to the delicate balance of the barren ecosystem.It also highlights how the exploitation of wildlife for recreational hunting and commercial purposes leads to the destruction of the Barrens.In chapter three,this thesis further explores the roles of different characters in the Barrens in Mowat’s two books.Firstly,this chapter studies how Mowat took a back seat and actively conveyed the real cognition of aboriginal people about the barren world and the real image of wolves as a medium.Secondly,this article analyzes his portrayal methods of irresponsible government and nameless hunters in two books,exploring their roles from an anthropocentric perspective.Finally,the thesis analyzes the repositioning of the roles of caribou,wolves and Eskimos in the periphery,aiming to eliminate the alienation between humans and nature brought about by anthropocentric thought in civilized society.Chapter four analyzes the vision of the pastoral dream in the Canadian Barrens.This chapter delves into the harmonious coexistence of animals and aboriginals in the Barrens and how the aboriginals view nature as an interconnected whole.The reciprocity between caribou and wolves,the interdependence between wolves,and aboriginal people’s beliefs of reciprocity with animals and wholeness with nature are explored in detail.The last chapter provides a systematic summary of all the research contents,concludes the ecological ideas contained in the two books and expresses the hope for the harmonious coexistence of humans,animals and the natural environment.In conclusion,Mowat’s works,People of the Deer and Never Cry Wolf,provide a unique ecocritical interpretation of the Barrens and humans of Canada.Mowat’s descriptions of the intrusion of human beings into the Barrens,the destruction of ecosystems and the importance of protecting nature are of great importance to the field of ecocriticism.His vision of a pastoral barren,where animals and aboriginals coexist in harmony,provides an important perspective on how human beings should view and interact with nature.