An Eco-Feminist Interpretation Of The Summer Before The Dark

Doris Lessing is one of the most celebrated British female writers,and she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2007.Written in her middle age,The Summer Before the Dark has garnered widespread attention since its publication in 1973.There have been relatively few reviews of this work in China.By Eco-feminist theory,this thesis analyses the relationship between ecological harmony and gender harmony in this work and argues for three aspects: the relationship between females and nature,the relationship between males,females,and nature in the patriarchal society,and how ecological harmony promoting gender harmony.Firstly,the thesis analyzes women’s close affinity and frequent interaction with natural imagery,such as animals,plants,and water.It elucidates how women care for nature and how nature consoles women,demonstrating the intrinsic intimacy shared by women and nature.Then,it expounds the oppression on and resistance of women and exploitation of nature in the patriarchal society and illustrates that both women and nature are subservient.Nature punishes humans with disasters and diseases,while women resist by breaking the bonds of traditional marriage and realizing their self-worth in careers.Finally,it is argued that improving the ecological environment requires the joint efforts of males and females.In this process,the relationship between man and nature is gradually eased,and harmonious ecological relations reconcile the conflicts between the genders,thus contributing to a gradual move toward gender equality.Through Eco-feminist theory,the thesis reflects on the relationship between males,females,and nature in The Summer Before the Dark,emphasizing that only by reconstructing a harmonious ecological environment and rebuilding a harmonious relationship between humans and nature can gender relations be reconciled,thus gradually establishing a harmonious and equal relationship between the genders.