Caring,Determination And Resistance

In Native American writer Leslie Marmon Silko’s novel Gardens in the Dunes,Indian female characters and the white female characters successfully show women’s tremendous power to the readers.They care for others,have the strong determination,and dare to resist the oppression and unequal treatment.Silko’s thought in the characterization of these female roles echoes the relative standpoints of cultural feminism,which are praising women’s temperaments,encouraging women to stick to their own decisions,and advocating resisting oppression and patriarchy.This thesis mainly applys the theories of cultural feminists Carol Gilligan and Adrienne Rich on caring,determination,and resistance to interpret the cultural feminist thought presented in the novel.And this thesis further reveals the feminist thought of the novel’s author,which are encouraging women to see their own merits,accomplish their goals with determination and confidence,and resist the oppression in their lives bravely.First,how Silko presents her praise for women’s power of caring for others in the novel is analyzed.According to cultural feminist Carol Gilligan,in the patriarchal society,caring is considered as feminine qualities,which are always seen as signs of weakness.However,in Gilligan’s opinion,only the people who are strong enough could have the power of caring.In the novel,Silko praises women’s power of caring for the family members by portraying Indian women’s thoughtfulness when they raise their family members.By depicting women’s mutual help and women’s help to the women in need,Silko praises women’s power of caring for other women.Moreover,through the Indian female characters and the white female characters,Silko praises women’s power of caring for plants and animals.Next,Silko’s admiration for women’s determination to return home,adhere to the tradition and control their own lives is discussed.Silko believes when Indian women have the determination to return home and adhere to the tribal tradition,they could successfully achieve their goals just like the Indian sisters in the novel.Furthermore,Silko has the similar thought with the cultural feminist Adrienne Rich,and both of them admire women’s determination.In the novel,Silko arranges two white women characters who have the strong determination to control their own lives to live the lives they want happily.Last,the author of this thesis demonstrates Silko’s setting of the novel advocates women’s resistance,which echoes to one of the viewpoints of cultural feminism.Cultural feminists Carol Gilligan and Adrienne Rich both declare that women’s resistance to oppression and unequal treatment is very necessary.In Gardens in the Dunes,Silko shows the readers how Indian women firmly and wisely resist the colonial oppression,and how white women bravely resist the male monopoly on culture and the patriarchal oppression.To sum up,Silko was influenced by her tribal feminine centralism tradition,and her feminist thought reflected in Gardens in the Dunes coincides with some standpoints of cultural feminism,which are praising women’s power of caring,admiring women’s determination,and advocating women’s resistance.As a Native American writer as well as a female writer,Silko wants to use her works to make more women see their power and confidently and bravely resist different kinds of discrimination and oppression to women by descripting women’s power of caring,determination and resistance.