An Ecocritical Reading Of Willa Cather's Works

As one of the most important and prolific women writers in the fist half of the 20th century, Cather vividly depicts the beautiful scenery of the American Midwest prairie and eulogizes the pioneering and persistent spirit of European immigrants. She completes 16 novels and a number of short stories in her lifetime and works on the expression of the harmony between nature and human to call on human's ecological consciousness. O Pioneers! and My Antonia are the two novels that lay a solid foundation for her literary life. In which Cather delicately expresses her love for nature and her strong ecological consciousness. The writer expresses her love of nature through short story "Neighbor Rosiky" as well.In recent years, more and more critics have analyzed Cather's works from various perspectives. Such as the analysis of Cather herself, the feminist approach, stylistic approach and so on. However, with the severe environmental crisis, the ecocritical interpretation of her works has been a focus of the critical attention. Ecocriticism is an approach which studies the relationship between literature and environment, which aim is to revitalize literary study and arouse human beings' ecological consciousness.This thesis intends to give an ecocritical study of O Pioneers, My Antonia and "Neighbor Rosiky" with the new rising ecocritic approach. O Pioneers, My Antonia and "Neighbor Rosiky" reveal the relationship between human and nature. They embody the author's ecological thought that longs for nature and cares for nature. This thesis attempts to interpret the ecological ethic thought in these three works, probing the profound ecological implications reflected in these works.Accordingly, the thesis is divided into five parts: Part One mainly presents a brief introduction of the author's family background, her woks and current studies on her works. Part Two introduces the theory of ecological ethics and the moral principles. Part Three introduces the sources of Cather's ecological consciousness, which are her early life experiences, Transcendalism and the National Parks Movement. Part Four focuses on the presentation of the relationship between human and nature. Human beings' love of nature and the writer's ecological consciousness are expressed in the three works. The conclusion emphasizes that deep ecological thinking embodied in Cather's works. Cather articulates an enduring vision of human integrate with nature.With the interpretation of the three works, the thesis reveals the necessity for human to be harmonious with nature, which is human beings' responsibility. Humans represent only one strand in the intricate web of life; all forms of life have a right to continued existence. The purpose of this thesis is to arouse human beings' ecological consciousness; to provide a yardstick for human to utilize nature and adjust human beings' attitude towards nature; to calls on people to respect all living beings and love nature. Only by doing this, can human beings create a better environment and enjoy a healthy, lasting, and happy life.