A Study Of Butterfly Images In The New-Century English Writing

In the Western literary tradition,the butterfly image is always endowed with symbolic connotation.However,in the new-century English writing,the subjectivity of the butterfly has been highlighted and the value of butterflies' lives and the function of the butterfly as a mirror of environment have also been reflected emphatically,which updates and renews people's understanding of the relationship between the butterfly and human beings,and even between animals and mankind.The thesis selects four works as research texts including The Butterfly Isles(2011)by Patrick Barkham,The Moth Snowstorm(2015)by Michael McCarthy,Rainbow Dust(2016)by Peter Marren and Flight Behavior(2012)by Barbara Kingsolver,covering both fiction and non-fiction,to explore the connotation and the function of the butterfly image more fully.The natural writing presented in the first three non-fiction works and the scientific literary narrative in the novel share the homogenous comparability,demonstrating the charms in interdisciplinary writing.First of all,this thesis uses concepts in psychology such as trauma and memory to analyze the role as the healer of soul played by the butterfly in the relationship with children in The Butterfly Isles,The Moth Snowstorm and Rainbow Dust and discuss the importance of the butterfly in the formation of children's wholesome personality.Through the portrayal of the butterfly's positive effect on healing young children's psychological trauma as well as establishing valid ecological consciousness,the author breaks the anthropocentrism to a certain extent and affirms the agency of non-human beings.Then the thesis mainly discusses the role as the changer of fate played by the butterfly in its relationship with women in Flight Behavior and Rainbow Dust from the perspective of ecofeminism.In these works,the butterfly and the female who face the similar survival predicament form a natural fate community,which challenges the discourse of oppression and social structure,breaking the boundary between human beings and non-human species and the barriers between the two sexes,expressing author's expectation for the harmonious coexistence of all beings.Finally,the thesis explores the role of the butterfly as a crisis reminder in its relationship with humans beings in Flight Behavior,The Moth Snowstorm,and Rainbow Dust from the perspective of Anthropocene ecocriticism.Under the small size of the butterfly is the great power it represents: the abnormal migration of butterflies subtly demonstrates the issue of climate change,warning people that “the butterfly effect” brought by climate change cannot be overlooked.In short,butterflies are often endowed with agency in the English literature of the new century.As a part of nature,butterflies have become important healing power to children's psychological trauma because of their external beauty;as the natural alliance of women,butterflies give women the chance to gain power to fight and get empowered;as a chain of the ecological web,butterflies become an important carrier to present climate change issues.The study of butterfly images provides an important reference for Animal Studies and Anthropocene ecocriticism in the new century literature.