An Ecofeminist Approach To Toni Morrison’s Song Of Solomon

Song of Solomon is one of the most important novels of Toni Morrison, the famousAfrican American writer. After its publication, Song of Solomon has attracted critics’interests and received comments from different aspects. Though the reevaluation of it fromecocriticism and feminism has been increasing for recent years, the compatibleecofeminism approach to this novel is new and relatively rare.This thesis tries to reinterpret Song of Solomon from the perspective of ecofeminism,discussing female’s intimate relationship with nature and the same oppressed position asnature in a patriarchal world, thereby to deconstruct the patriarchal dualism (human/nature,men/women).Ecofeminism, first created and elaborated by famous French femal scholar Francoisd’Eaubonne in1974, takes age-old connection between women and nature as the bridge tostrengthen feminist and ecological movements. This bridge was built on the belief thatwomen and nature are oppressed in a similar manner—the patriarchal dualism. Allversions of ecofeminism are ultimately anti-patriarchal dualism.First, this thesis overviews ecofeminist and critical theories, especially focusing onphilosophical ecofeminism, spiritual ecofeminism and social ecofeminism. Then the thesisdeconstructs the patriarchal dualism between human and nature through analyzing theconnection and interdependence between human and nature, especially women’s intimacywith nature. Only when men learn from women to consider themselves to be part of naturecan they draw wisdom and power from it. At last, along the same concept framework, thethesis deconstructs the patriarchal dualism between women and man through analyzing thecomplex conflict and interdependence between them. Only when men understand and careabout women can they live integratedly and harmoniously in the gender relation.Adopting an ecofeminist approach to interpret Song of Solomon offers us an extraperspective to broaden and enhance our studies of Toni Morrison’s works. At the sametime, it sheds light on the redressing of western dualistic concept framework and thesolving of urgent environmental crisis and the still prevailing gender prejudice, whichmight lead to a harmonious coexistence between human and nature.