| One of the foremost American writers in the first half of the 20th century, Willa Cather is well-known for her works on pioneering adventures and spirit. Due to the originality of her writing style and the unconventionality of her personal life, Cather has been a focus of the literary critical attention. Her novels and stories have so far been interpreted from a great variety of angles. However, the exploration of her view on happiness is a blank spot in the research field. Based upon an abundance of research literature home and abroad, this thesis seeks to probe into Cather's views of life and happiness through a study of some of her major works from the perspectives of ecofeminist literary criticism as well as traditional concepts of happiness in Western ethical philosophy. On the one hand, Cather's view on happiness embodies a rationalistic outlook on life and happiness in Western traditional ethics, which emphasizes the achievement of a person's own value and moral virtue. On the other hand, her view reflects a strong ecofeminist consciousness. The happiness she strove to acquire transcends the realization of a narrow, egoistic self. It is attained through the actualization of an interrelated, ecological self on the premise of a person's achievement of moral integrity. Cather's life philosophy is of profound practical significance, which may give a good deal of enlightenment to modern humanity confronted by both ecological and moral crises.The thesis consists of five chapters.The first chapter is a general introduction to the whole thesis, including the research objective and significance, the research background, the research perspective and its originality. The study of Cather abroad has been all-dimensioned. And her works began to be introduced to China in 1980s as Chinese female literature became mature. With the rise of ecocriticism in recent decades, an ecocritical or ecofeminist critical approach to Cather's works has become popular because of their marked local color with a Nebraskan setting. But Cather's view of happiness has never been specifically dealt with in the relevant field and therefore it is a new perspective of study. The thesis intends to make a philosophical, particularly an ecofeminist interpretation of the writer's view on happiness and to reveal its spiritual enlightenment to modern humanity: the achievement of human happiness presupposes moral integrity.In Chapter Two, the author expounds briefly on several important theories of well-being in Western philosophy and probes into Cather's view of happiness against the background of traditional concepts of happiness in Western ethics. The analysis of several major works, e.g. O Pioneers!, My Antonia, Death Comes for the Archbishop, etc. shows that her view represents rationalistic thought, which emphasizes self-realization in accordance with virtue and seeks for a rich and happy mental life.In Chapter Three, the author explores Cather's view of life and happiness from the ecofeminist perspective. In her novels, Cather emphasizes the attainment of happiness through the actualization of oneself with the fulfillment of moral responsibilities, including the practice of ecological ethics. Her works imply that human beings need to show concern and respect for nature if they want to achieve true happiness. Cather's ecofeminist consciousness is closely related to her childhood life on the Nebraska prairie and the influence of ecology upon her during her college years.In Chapter Four, the author dwells on the profound practical significance of Cather's view on happiness, analyzing the root of various issues and crises in modern society and criticizing anthropocentric (androcentric in particular) values and views of nature. It is human disregard for the intrinsic value of nature and their immoderate pursuit of economic benefit that result in ecological and moral crises. Cather's ecofeminism-oriented rationalistic view of happiness is of great immediate significance for modern humanity to establish a sustainable ethical spirit and construct a correct outlook on life and happiness.The last chapter is an objective and comprehensive conclusion of the whole thesis, focused on the practical significance of the research and its limitations as well. Happiness is the ultimate goal pursued by human beings. Views of happiness reflect human values, ethics and.worldviews and indicate in a certain degree the future development and the final destiny of humankind. Apart from its dependence upon the satisfaction of adequate material needs, true happiness should also bear deeper spiritual connotation.Well-being built on hedonism and consumerism that prevail in the modern society is highly materialized—it is the alienation of happiness. The alienated view of happiness will lead to the emptiness of mental life, the disorientation of values, the degradation of morals and finally to the hindrance of healthy development of human nature. People's chase after maximum material benefits will inevitably leave them bogged down in crisis and finally in a self-destructive situation.As the result of combining feminism with environmentalism, ecofeminism affords us a completely new field of vision in the liberation of women and nature, the criticism of patriarchical domination and oppression, and the resolution of female, ecological and moral crises in a world under the control of androcentrism. Besides, ecofeminist literary criticism, imbued with ethical concern, is supposed to undertake the mission of redeeming the spirit of modern humanity. The greatest inspiration we may draw from Cather's life philosophy is that modern people must redeem themselves morally and spiritually so as to maintain a beautiful permanent homeland. Only by constructing a harmonious relationship between human beings and nature can they step out of their plight and acquire true happiness.
|
PDF Full Text Request