Understanding Of The Ecofeminist Spirit On The Color Purple

The thesis attempts to reinterpret Alice Walker's masterpiece The Color Purple from the ecofeminism angle so as to make up for the lack of study of this field. Ecofeminism, as an integration of feminist and green ecological thoughts, sees both the exploitation of nature and the subordination of women as lying in the patriarchal dualism—man/nature, men/women, mind/body—that sustains transcendence—above, outside nature and women/exploitation and oppression of them—all strands of ecofeminism are ultimately anti-dualistic, reject transcendence and embrace immanence—inside nature/interconnectedness and interdependence with nature. Employing the method of faction study and regarding "patriarchy" as the central concept and basic clue, this thesis tries to make a more overall and systematic introduction, arrangement, comment and analysis to ecofeminism reading on The Color Purple. Spiritual ecofeminism shares the major perspective of deep ecology and take a deep approach to human-nature relations by emphasizing profound spiritual change. The thesis firstly gives a brief survey of major western ecofeminist literary theories, highlighting the most influential female writers and theorists and their thoughts and ideas. The purpose of this is to provide some background information of the theoretical foundation of this ecofeminist study. It is followed by a biographical and critical review of Alice Walker and her novel The Color Purple. Then the thesis gives a detailed examination of patriarchal transcendence of nature and women through illustrating various destructions and prejudices against women and nature by some patriarchal male characters. At last, the thesis mainly applies spiritual, ecofeminist and deep ecological theories to the novel and expands upon the immanence of Earth Goddess based on interconnectedness, interdependence, compassion, reciprocity and community, which is the way for women and nature out of transcendent dualisms.