A Study Of Housekeeping From The Perspective Of Ecocriticism

Marilynne Robinson is recognized as one of the most important and outstandingfemale writers in the contemporary American literature. In her works, she expressesher concerns with her religious belief as a Christian, spiritual care, and familyconsciousness and her interest in environmental matters. Lots of the natural landscapeof the American West and wilderness in her depiction express her personal love fornature and show her particular ecological thought.Ecocriticism as a new literary approach, studies the relationship betweenliterature, culture, and environment through examining culture and human civilizationfrom the perspective of literary criticism. It provides a different angle of view tointerpret Robinson’s Housekeeping. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau,the innovational nature writers and great forerunners of the modern ecologicalphilosophy in the19thcentury, are two of the most favorite writers of Robinson andinfluence her a lot. And deep ecology of Arne Naess in the postmodern society as thephilosophical foundation sets the keynote of metaphysics for ecocriticism.Housekeeping as Robinson’s first novel, regarding the beautiful nature as atranscendent design that is aligned with individual spirit and has equally importantposition as human beings, expresses Robinson’s perception of ecological ethics byexploring the natural and spiritual ecological elements. It depicts the harmoniousrelationship between nature and human beings, presents the fulfillment and healing ofnature to human spirit, and advocates poetical dwelling on the earth and the pursuit ofthe simplification of material life.This thesis consists of four chapters besides the introduction and the conclusion.The introduction concentrates on the author Marilynne Robinson and her workHousekeeping, the foreign and domestic literature review of this novel.Chapter One gives a brief introduction to ecocriticism and its philosophicalfoundation that includes Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau’secocentric philosophy and the modern radical deep ecological philosophy. Chapter Two explores the presentation of ecological egalitarianism and depictsnatural environment and human living condition in Fingerbone and the harmoniousdevelopment between nature and man.Chapter Three discusses nature as human spiritual fulfillment and healing andlooks into aunt Sylvie, Ruth and grandmother Sylvia’s spiritual consolation fromnature.Chapter Four puts forward ecological solutions to the ecological crisis. Thesolutions are poetical dwelling on the earth and pursuit of the simplification ofmaterial life.The conclusion further sums up and sublimates the contents of the thesis. Facingthe ever worsening ecological crisis, ecocriticism regards anti-anthropocentrism as itsprimary task and focuses on the realization of the harmonious and symbioticrelationship between humans and nature. From the perspective of ecocriticism,Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping is appreciated. It aims at advocating people toreturn to nature and respect nature. The present study of this thesis is just an efforttowards the direction. It is intended to urge the general public to set up the correctview of nature.