Deconstruction Of Patriarchy: Towards Eco-feminism

Eco-feminism is the theory which combines feminism and the theory of environmental protection. This paper focuses on the themes of the three novels by the famous Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, namely, Surfacing, Eatable Woman and The Handmaid's Tale, from the perspective of eco-feminism. These three novels all hold the theme of feminism, and the main characters are all females whose destiny, sufferings and spirit of revolting are described in these novels. Meanwhile, the article pays attention to the subject of ecology, the relationship between human and nature. Atwood uses her particular writing method and style revealing her high sense of responsibility about protecting the environment and the problem of women. The Eatable Woman sets the theme of Maria resisting the traditional force which fetters women. Meanwhile, the novel also expresses the problem of the worsening of the environment, which indicates the beginning of Atwood using novel to reflect the problem of ecology. In the novel Surfacing, trees and other living things are also suffering from damages. The novel The Handmaid's Tale describes a fearful living view-under the control of the autocratic political power of Gilead, everyone is worried about themselves day and night, the environment is suffering from serious damages, and the human nature is also distorted. Atwood uses her excellent writing ability, together with her social experiences and the unfair treatment she has been suffering from, creating a series of active women characters. They have the sense of justice and suffer from difficulties, but they keep on creating their future by themselves. They are independent and keen. Although most of them become the controvertible person in their times, they don't want to become the victims of the patriarchy society any more. Therefore, they try to achieve women's independence and liberation. The paper reveals the process of women searching for their inner self and the springing up of women's self-consciousness of human dignity, discussing women's soul process of pursuing the authority discourse belonging to women. The paper discusses deeply consciousness of eco-feminism, the relationship between women and nature, patriarchy and thinking mode of dualism, putting forward the thinking mode of counter-dualism and the idea of combining the two opposite things together which leads to the deconstruction of patriarchy.