On Brett’s Image In The Sun Also Rises From The Perspective Of Eco-feminism

Ernest Hemingway is a world-renowned writer of the20thcentury. The emphasis onThe Sun Also Rises is much higher than the other three long novels in America. The SunAlso Rises possesses significant historical reference value. The image of the femaleleading role has been arose serious controversy by the critics since The Sun Also Riseswas published. There have been some critics who provide some retrospective andprospective comments, since the serious Hemingway research appeared in1952. Thenjust as our beliefs are beginning to harden into dogma, eco-feminism, a new flourished in1990s, opens the widely-acknowledged Hemingway’s works as a masculinist andnature-explorer to new readings. This research uses the eco-feminism as the theoreticalframework, does comprehensive and micromesh researches directing at somerepresentative characteristics of Brett, thus, finds out the reasons that Brett is unable toachieve harmony with man and the nature. Meanwhile, the relative complicate femaleimage of Brett is arranged clearly. The research is expected to arouse people to thinkabout how female gets along with man and nature harmoniously by unscramble theimage of Brett in The Sun Also Rises from the perspective of eco-feminism critical.This thesis consists of an introduction, the main body and a conclusion. Its maincontents are as follows:The first part is the introduction, which mainly introduces Hemingway’s warexperience, the current situation of Eco-feminism research to Hemingway’s works andthe right innovation of this research.The second part is the main body, which is made up of four chapters:Chapter one mainly introduces the primary theoretical framework, namelyEco-feminism critiques in process. Eco-feminism is produced by the impetus of westernmodernism ideas and the third wave of feminism. It is officially named by Francoisd’Eaubonne in1974. Eco-feminism critical experiences four historical stages includingembryonic period in1960s, prophase period in1970s, vigorously developing period in1980s and the blossoming period in1990s. Eco-feminism critical concerns the researchof the relationship between woman, man and nature, as well as the research ofinter-connection between women and nature subjugated by men and the research ofwestern dualistic mode of thinking in the patriarchal society. Chapter two mainly portrays Brett’s traditional femaleness and new femaleness.This chapter analyzes Brett’s traditional femaleness and new femaleness combining thebackground of the novel and detailed portray of Brett. The conclusion is that Brett’straditional femaleness has maternal feature and anaclitic feature and Brett’s newfemaleness has rebellious feature and the feature of pursuing freedom. Brett’s traditionalfemaleness is formed when she was young, and her new femaleness is shaped by theeffects of both the war and feminist movement. The complicated characteristic is one ofthe most significant manifestations that make her become the symbol of the female lostgeneration. Meanwhile, it is the important breakthrough point to explore the reasons thatshe is unable to achieve real harmony with man and nature.Chapter three discusses the reasons that Brett is unable to really achieve harmonywith men. Firstly, the reaction of the human exploitation of nature, namely the war,tortures the characters in the novel physically and emotionally on several levels and leadsthem to be unable to have interaction with each other. Secondly, Brett’s rebellion againstthe use, conquer and control of the patriarchal culture which makes her can’t get alongwith males harmoniously. In the thesis, the reasons that Brett is unable to achieveharmony with men are analyzed by the Brett’s rebellion against Mike’s use, Cohn’sconquer and Romero’s control.Chapter four mainly studies the reasons that Brett can’t achieve harmony withnature. Firstly, patriarchal culture affects Brett’s value significantly. Brett is assimilatedby the patriarchal culture gradually. She anesthetizes her emotional torture with alcoholand trips, and refuses to approach the nature. Then, the plundering of patriarchal cultureto nature makes Brett lose the pity and sympathy to the nature of the traditional female.She entertains and content herself by the sensory impulses of torturing, controlling,conquering the non-human animals. It makes Brett be far away from the nature gradually.The last part is conclusion, which makes a summary to the preceding critique, andpoints out the main purpose of this thesis. Brett is the symbol of the female lostgeneration. Brett is a gentle and beautiful lady yet a resolute modern female. Sheunflaggingly resists the life which is imposed by the traditional patriarchal society. Shechooses her own life and love bravely. Her complicated character is shaped by thetraditional patriarchal culture, war and the female movement. It is this complicate character that makes her is unable to achieve real harmony with male and nature.However, at the end of the novel “the sun also rises” is put forward by Hemingway. Itimplies that Brett is still hopeful to find the gender-balanced true love and integrate intothe natural haven bay–nature. This research uses the Eco-feminism critics to reread theimage of Brett, and then explores the realistic significance of the novel: it appeals humanbeing to stop the incessant pillage to the nature and the ruthless oppress to the female,and then establish equal, kind and harmonious society.