An Ecofeminist Reading Of Go Down, Moses

Faulkner, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1954,has produced a great many of great works, leaving us an invaluable spiritual treasure. Go Down, Moses, a famous American novel written during the late 1930s, has become a controversial book ever since its publication. Since then, infinity of interpretations has been put on the novel. But, as a treasury of human life, it is hard to exhaust its meaning. This thesis attempts to interpret Go Down, Moses from the perspective of ecofeminism to reveal its author's awareness of the importance of environment and the function of women in the society.In the novel, Faulkner succeeds in putting gender and nature together, and perceives that there are interconnections between them. That is, they are in the same discriminated and oppressed position which is imposed by the male, especially the white male. Ecofeminists make it exactly clear that women must see that there can be no liberation for them and no solution to the ecological crisis within a society whose fundamental model of relationships continues to be one of domination. The women's movement and the ecological movement are intimately connected. The demands of both require transforming that worldview which underlies domination and replacing it with an alternative value system. To realize that, smashing the worldview, centered on humans'privilege taken by patriarch and masculinity becomes their goal; criticizing the hierarchy and dualism is their main objects.The thesis is a tentative study of the ecofeminist awareness that Faulkner establishes through the presentation of the male's dominance over women and nature. The thesis is composed of five parts including the introduction and the conclusion. Apart from a brief description of the author and the novel, the introduction gives a literature review that highlights the former efforts made on the study of the novel both at home and abroad: from the perspectives of structure, racism, environmentalism, intercontexualism and so on. Treading on former steps and assimilating their achievements, this thesis would go further to deepen and broaden the understanding of the novel.Chapter One introduces the theory of ecofeminism, the process of its development and its representatives'thoughts and ideas. As the third wave of the women's movement, ecofeminism hold the idea that feminism and environmentalism are not separate themes which can be dealt with in isolation from each other, but are interconnected. Intent on addressing the problems existing in the environment and the society, ecofeminists strive to combine feminism and ecology together to work out a solution. They advocate respecting women and nature to build a harmonious and sustainable future, leaving a living planet to our children.At the beginning of Chapter Two, it points out that Faulkner isn't a woman hater but one who respects and admires them, based on Faulkner's remarks and activities. The novel was written at the death of Caproline Barr, his faithful black servant. On the head page of the novel, he speaks highly of her immeasurable devotion, fidelity and love to his family. Given their position in the novel, the female characters do not occupy much space, but they constitute a part that refuses to be ignored. They have played their own part in the struggle against parchiarchy and racism. They can be divided into three groups: the victims of parchiarchy and racism—Eunice and the nameless woman; the watchers of parchiarchy and racism—Nat and Fonsiba, and the resister of parchiarchy and racism—Molly.Chapter Three focuses on the analysis of three relationships between human and nature to prove that it is paramount for people to keep peace with nature. Through describing the well-known"forest trilogy"—"The Old People","The Bear"and"Delta Autumn", Faulkner exhibits his deep crush on nature, wilderness and hunting related to his early experience, and serious concerns in the receding nature resulting from the process of human's civilization and industry. Faulkner also anticipates the price we should pay both physically and mentally. Faulkner is caught in a dilemma. On the one hand, he is very nostalgic for the past, the pleasant relationships between human beings and nature; on the other, he knows it very well that he cannot refuse the development of the society and hold back the wheel of history. Just like Ike, Faulkner failed to find a way out and was confined to his own status.The concluding part makes a summary of the thesis. Then it comes to point out the significance in applying the theory of ecofeminism to our lives and some feasible and effective ways to be taken to improve the relationships among men, women and nature. Although we have taken some remarkable steps to reduce damage to the environment, there is still much work to do to make the sustainable development come true.