An Ecocritical Interpretation Of The Falls

Joyce Carol Oates (1938-) is one of the most productive writers in contemporary American literature. As a self-consciously innovative writer, her works are often concerned with social and spiritual problems and frequently on the cutting edge of literary development. As a case in point, The Falls published in 2004, is an eco-allegorical book criticizing the negative impact that human beings exert on nature and is of profound eco-ethical significance.In light of the modern ecocriticism, this thesis carries out an overall analysis and interpretation of The Falls from the aspects of natural ecology (the relationship between humanity and nature), social ecology (the relationship between humanity and humanity) and spiritual ecology (the relationship between humanity and the self). Through a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the work, the view of this thesis can be expressed as:The Falls shows Oates's penetrating and profound ecological view; Oates pens the novel with the aim of waking and warning the public of the consequences of ecological crisis, unfurling to the public the necessity of subverting anthropocentric superiority, awakening human beings to an attitude of respect for nature and urging readers to act without delay to probe for a way out.