The Analysis Of Mary’s Tragedy In The Grass Is Singing From The Perspective Of Ecofeminism

Doris Lessing(1919-2013) is regarded as the greatest English female novelist after Virginia Woolf. On October 11, 2007, Lessing won the Nobel Prize for Literature and became the eleventh female winner in the history of this prize. Lessing is renowned for her lots of works and different literary perspectives. Her works almost involve all the hot issues of the twentieth century, including feminism, colonialism, racialism, modern psychology, and so on.The Grass is Singing was published on the year of 1950. It is her first novel and earns high praise for Lessing. This novel is seen as one of the most excellent works after the Second World War. The book firstly shows the current social circumstances of South Africa in the middle of twentieth century. Lessing depicts the white settlers’ excessive exploitation of nature, racial discrimination and gender discrimination. Till now, most domestic and overseas studies on the reasons of Mary’s tragedy have been focused on feminism, colonialism, ethical literary criticism, and so on. This paper reinterprets Mary’s tragedy from the perspective of ecofeminist criticism. On one hand, the paper is helpful for readers to deeply understand the novel and ecofeminism. On the other hand, it is helpful to advocate the harmonious relationship between mankind and nature, to equally treat male, female, the white and the black, and to memorize Doris Lessing.This paper has four chapters. The first is an introduction of Doris Lessing, her first work The Grass is Singing, the current domestic and overseas studies, and originality of the paper. The second chapter is an introduction of ecofeminist criticism, which offers theoretical direction for the whole thesis. Chapter three analyzes the reasons of Mary’s tragedy from the perspective of ecofeminism and points out that the deteriorating relationship between mankind and nature, racial discrimination and gender discrimination are the main reasons. Firstly the paper reveals the deteriorating relationship between mankind and nature by analyzing Charlie and Mary’s attitude towards nature and states that patriarchy is an important cause of Mary’s tragedy. Mary and other white settlers are hostile to nature, so that the local ecological system is out-of-balance and mankind will receive nature’s punishment. Secondly racial discrimination is rooted in the white’s minds. And this unequal relationship is another reason of Mary’s death. Thirdly the thought of gender discrimination also has effects on Mary’s final death. On one hand, Mary hopes to escape constraint. On the other hand, in opinions of both white men and black men, women are inferior to men. This unequal relationship accelerates Mary’s tragedy. Chapter four is a conclusion of the above reasons of Mary’s death from the perspective of ecofeminist criticism. Besides, the paper puts forward solutions. It appeals to eliminate patriarchy thoroughly, keep sustainable relationship between mankind and nature, equally treat all races, and respect female, so as to establish a harmonious society.