The Golden Notebook From Eco-critical Perspective

Doris Lessing is a complex and prolific writer in English literature in 20th century. She has published 20 novels,11 volumes of short stories, six works of nonfiction, five plays, and a volume of poetry. But she is most famous for her Golden Notebook. In this novel not only the ecological crisis of nature but also the crisis of man s spiritual ecology that is much more severe are exposed by Doris Lessing. In her works, Doris Lessing also gives some suggestions to heal the crisis. She appeals that mankind should join nature and get along harmoniously with nature. what Doris Lessing and her contemporaries are perceiving is such kind of harmonious relationship between man and nature. It is only in such of harmonious condition that mankind can live happily and develop on a right way. After close reading of Golden Notebook, my thesis uses the theory of eco criticism and aims to study Doris Lessing s Golden Notebook from new standpoint.This thesis consists in four chapters with one introduction and a conclusion. In the introduction I briefly introduces Doris Lessing s biography, The Golden Notebook,and eco criticism. The introduction part also looks through the previous studies of Doris Lessing s novels at home and abroad and presents the central argument of this thesis.Chapter One analyzes Doris Lessing s natural ecology view which is embodied in the novels. She describes magnificently the natural world and thinks deeply of the relationship between man and nature, which reveals that she has a deep love and unique understanding of nature. Doris Lessing states that mankind is the child of nature and cannot be isolated from nature.Chapters Two and Three explores Doris Lessing s worry for Social Ecology and Spiritual Ecology embodied in the works. In her works, the destruction brought about by the Industrial Revolution comes easily into view. Industrial civilization not only destroys beautiful nature, but also ruins humanity and causes painful split of spirit and flesh. People can not achieve self-fulfillment and consequently lose themselves in life.Chapter Four analyzes Doris Lessing s solution to deal with the Social Ecology and Spiritual Ecology crisis. Doris Lessing appeals that man should keep a close and harmonious relationship with nature, which is the top concern of eco-criticism. Human beings should regard nature as a good friend because only in nature their crisis can be solved.The conclusion part goes over different eco-critical study of Doris Lessing s novels. I reinforces the significance and value of my study in this part.