Linda Hogan’s Ecofeminist Consciousness In People Of The Whale

In American literature of the 1960 s and 1970 s, the Indian culture becomes one of the most significant branches. Known as award-winning Chickasaw poet,essayist and typical eco-novelist, Linda Hogan focuses on such issues as Native American history and culture, social problems and environmental protection. She is considered nowadays to be one of the most accomplished and influential writers in Native American literature.In 2009, Linda Hogan was a Pulitzer finalist for People of the Whale, which was published in 2008. This novel fictionalizes the ongoing controversy over indigenous whaling rights in the northwest of United States. Hogan describes the conflicts between indigenous religious freedom and the Endangered Species Act. In this book, Linda Hogan expresses views of women, nature, native cultural tradition, survival and animal protection. This thesis attempts to analyze the related issues in People of the Whale from the perspective of ecofeminism. It has interpreted Linda Hogan’s views of ecology and environmental values, which has the realistic significance. Through the study of ecofeminist literary criticism, this thesis guides people to pay attention to ecological crisis and sexism, rouses people’s awareness of equality between nature and humans, men and women, so as to build a society with the characteristic of harmony between men and women, harmony between human society and nature and the coordinated growth.This thesis consists of six parts: introduction, four chapters and conclusion. Introduction provides a general presentation of the author—Linda Hogan, and the main idea of People of the Whale. This part also provides the current and creative literature reviews on Linda Hogan’s ecological thinking and People of the Whale.Chapter One is the theoretical basis of the thesis, introducing a thorough study of ecofeminism and Linda Hogan’s ecofeminist thinking. Ecofeminism is a philosophy that draws a connection between the domination of sexual, ethnic and social minorities, and the domination of nonhuman nature. Linda Hogan counters the disruption of Native American tribal traditions by the dominant culture. Natives should find a peaceful solution to oppose the domination of Euro-American patriarchy. She also suggests that we should pay attention to the endangered animals and Native women, who suffer both whites’ invasion and male domination. It is one way to get out of environmental crisis, to rebuild a harmonious society between human and nature and between men and women.Chapter Two is mainly about Linda Hogan’s main points of view on the interdependence and mutual-care relationship between nature and women. She also unfolds her critique on patriarchy ideology and the Vietnam War. Through the analysis of the novel from the perspective of ecofeminism, this part reveals the miserable fate of both women and nature as victims of patriarchy, and the victims of the Vietnam War.Chapter Three illustrates that nature and women are awakening, they are not going to be the victims of men’s domination any longer. Nature takes revenge on men’s exploitation; with the awakening of self-consciousness, women come to realize that they should be independent in life and spirit instead of relying on their husbands or fathers any more.Chapter Four reveals that Linda Hogan expresses her hope of the harmonious coexistence between nature and humans, and her pursuit and recognition of real equality and harmonious relations between women and men. This chapter also explores the ways to rebuild the harmonious relationship between humans and nature and between women and men.Through all the analyses above, this thesis comes to a conclusion that recapitulates the main ideas of the thesis and sums up the ecofeminist consciousness in People of the Whale. Hogan condemns war’s destruction on nature and humans. As can be seen, besides paying attention to the harmonious relationship between humans and nature, men and women, Hogan fights against all kinds of ruling forms and pursues racial equality and harmony. Linda Hogan’s pursuits of equality between men and women, equality among different races, and harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, have significant implications of building a harmonious society and world.