Ecofeminist Consciousness In Sanctuary

William Faulkner's Sanctuary,written during the 1930s,became a best-seller as soon as it hit the market.Ever since its publication,infinity of interpretations has been given to the novel,but it is hard to exhaust its meanings.This thesis attempts to interpret Sanctuary from a relatively new perspective of ecofeminism to reveal Faulkner's ecofeminist consciousness manifested in the novel.Ecofeminism was first coined in 1974 by a French writer named Francoise d'Eaubonne in her book,Le Feminisme ou la Mort.According to Karen J.Warren,one of the most well-known ecofeminists,patriarchal dualism deeply rooted in Western society has harmed both women and nature and has been the real cause for women and nature's lower position in society.And it is this patriarchal dualism that ecofeminists want to condemn and fight against.Adopting the perspective of ecofeminism,this thesis is to explore Faulkner's hatred toward the rooted patriarchal dualistic thought in the American South,his concern about the dominated destiny of both nature and women,and his longing for the harmonious relationship among men, women and nature.The body of the thesis falls into three chapters.Chapter 1 probes into nature as a victim of patriarchal dualism, exhibiting Faulkner's concem in Sanctuary over the spoiled nature resulting from the process of human beings' mechanical industry.As a traditional agricultural society,the American South takes on a deserted and desolate look under the shock of mechanical industry.Moreover, Popeye,a key character in the novel,is a typical symbol of mechanical industry in Sanctuary with contempt for and disharmony with nature.Chapter 2 deals with women as victims of patriarchal dualism.By analyzing the tragedies of Temple Drake and other female characters in the novel,it reveals female victims' dominated status in the American South.The essence of Puritanism worshiped in the American South coincides with the thought of patriarchal dualism.Women are thought to be affiliated to men,and their freedom is quite limited;they are inevitably degraded as the tools of satisfying men's desire;chastity is so closely related to the reputation of the family that once it is ruined, women are regarded as the shame of the whole family.Women are both physically and mentally dominated by men.Chapter 3 is designed to study the analogy between women and nature,unveiling that women have plenty of similarities with nature. Through the characterization of Temple,Faulkner exhibits his attention to the subtle relationship between women and nature.Besides,their being occupied status,their identical speechless features and their passiveness are important elements worth expounding.The similarities between women and nature once again reveal that both women and nature are victims of patriarchal dualism.Based on the analysis above,the thesis concludes that Faulkner,by digging out the profound reason of the ailment in the American South, exhibits his longing for a harmonious relationship among men,women and nature.But owing to the limitation of his times,Faulkner's ecofeminist consciousness is still at the embryonic stage.He can not figure out that it is women who can liberate themselves and rescue the ecology.