The Ecological Feminism In Willa Cather’s Pioneering Novels

Willa Cather(1873-1947) was an outstanding female author in modern Americanhistory, whose representative novels include O Pioneers!, My Antonia, The Song of theLark, A Lost Lady, The Professor’s House, etc. Her novels describe the relationships oftradition and modern, country and city, nature and industry, through which her love tonature, the rebellion to patriarchy, the reflection on modern society and her pursuing forhomeland are all showed to the readers, so she became the defender for the spiritualbeauty in the process of material civilization.The ecological feminism opposes anthropocentrism and patriarchal theory. Itpromotes the reconstruction harmony relationships of human beings and nature,advocates the gender equality, especially the protection of women rights. Besides, theecological feminism advocates people to reshape human spirit value, and tries toreconstruct human society according to the principles of ecologism and feminist. Throughanalyzing Willa Chater’s pioneering novels, we search the ecological thought andfeminist consciousness. Firstly, the novels depict life in the vast prairie. There are somewilderness prospects in which human beings and nature harmoniously exist together. Hernovels express her love to land and awe of nature. The equal and harmonious naturalecology outlook is shown everywhere in the novels. Secondly, Willa Cather’s views onthe social ethics are the rebellion of patriarchy, the desire of gender equality andupholding harmonious human relationship in the novels. To some extent, they can expressher reconstruction of patriarchy-centered culture, the pursuing of gender equality andsocial ecology with harmonious interpersonal relationship. Thirdly, the thesis examinesthe human nature crisis under the background of prevalent capitalist business cultureshowed in the novels. They show that she was a defender for the spiritual beauty in theprocess of material civilization, and she looked for poetic "Paradise Lost World"dwelling.Nowadays, as the global ecological crisis has become more and more serious, theecological feminism thought in Willa Cather’s pioneering novels has its importantpractical significances for enhancing ecological protection and constructing harmonioussociety. And their contemporary values of the ecological feminism thought are expressedin the following three aspects. Firstly, in order to realize the harmonious relationshipbetween human beings and nature, we should strengthen the protection of natural ecology and actively promote the construction of ecological civilization. We should also rationallyexploit resources to promote the sustainable development of human society. Moreover,we should oppose the patriarchy-centered culture outlook to promote the gender harmony.For the purpose of promoting the construction of harmonious society and world, weshould advance social equity and justice. Last but not least, we should actively promotethe return of human internal nature, reshape sound and harmonious humanistic spirit, andreconstruct health and happy spiritual home. Through the joint efforts, the author hopethat we can construct a harmonious world in which natural ecology, social ecology, andspiritual ecology can achieve coordinated development.