Indignation Of Nature: An Ecological Study Of The Falls

Joyce Carol Oates(1938—) is one of the most prolific writers in contemporary American literature. She creates many novels, short stories, poems, and dramas. She uses writing techniques of realism, naturalism, modernism, and postmodernism. She absorbs nutrition from history, philosophy, psychology, and popular culture and devotes to present subject matters such as history, politics, medicine, murder, and rape which are commonly considered as peculiar to male writers. As a case in point, The Falls which was published in 2004 and received much favorable comment;with the thread of the heroine, Ariah’s emotional life, it makes a panoramic account of the area of Niagara Falls during 1950 s to 1970 s. Oates interweaves the fictional story with the real-life environmental scandal occurring in American history, mercilessly exposing the ecological crisis resulted from industrialization and expressing her worry about unbalanced ecology. It is an eco-allegorical book that criticizes the negative impact that human beings exert on nature and is of profound eco-ethical significance. On the basis of thorough textual analysis, this thesis aims to study The Falls in terms of ecocriticism and make contribution to the study of Oates and her work.The introduction of this thesis is made up of these parts: introduction of Oates and The Falls, literature review abroad and in China, an overview of ecocritical theory, and the framework of this thesis.Chapter One interprets this novel from viewpoint of natural ecology. According to Oates, nature has been spoiled by the invasion of industrialization and the plunder of human beings, for which humans also have paid great cost. Nature can not be dominated by human beings at will; instead, it has spirits and mysterious force. If man attempts to conquer nature both man and nature will be victimized.Chapter Two explores the social ecology revealed in the novel and Oates’ s concern about social ecology. In the writing industrial civilization not only destroys beautiful nature, but also ruins humanity and normal human relationships. In the society, the gap between the poor and the rich is increasing, and the political and judicial corruption prevails, and ecological injustice is startling.Chapter Three examines the spiritual ecology presented in the novel. In modern society, human is alienated from nature, from society and from self. Spiritual vacuum is also serious spiritual morbidities.The last part is a conclusion. The Falls embodies the basic ecological ideas on the relationship between man and nature, between man and man, and between man and self. Oates writes the novel with the aim of waking the public to the consequences of ecological crisis, showing to the public the necessity of subverting anthropocentric superiority, awakening human beings to the need to respect nature and urging readers to act without delay to probe for a way out. And the happy ending of the novel shows Oates’ s optimistic attitude to the improvement of ecological awareness of the whole society.