Human and Nature -- An Analysis of O Pioneers! from the Perspective of Ecocriticism_英语论文

摘要

薇拉·凯瑟是美国20世纪上半期一位杰出的小说家，她以美国中西部广阔的内布拉斯加草原地区作为故事背景，创作了一部部描写大草原风土人情的作品，赢得外界的多方赞誉。其中，在这些被称为“内布拉斯加小说系列”的作品中，《啊，拓荒者！》作为薇拉·凯瑟首部以边疆拓荒者为题材的长篇小说，有着很高的研究价值。作为一种新兴的文学批评流派，生态批评产生的背景十分复杂。它是在当代生态问题不断恶化且生态运动高度开展的背景下产生的，它提倡人类要热爱和尊重自然，从而与自然和谐相处。本文从生态批评角度解读该作品，主要是基于生态批评美学原则中的交融性原则，分析解读《啊，拓荒者！》中三代女性与土地、和三代女性与花园的关系，揭示小说中女性拓荒者与自然和谐相处背后蕴含的生态启示，启发人们该如何更好地与自然共处。希望通过本文的分析能够丰富对薇拉·凯瑟的研究，从而进一步挖掘《啊，拓荒者！》的文学价值。

关键词：《啊，拓荒者！》  生态批评  薇拉·凯瑟

Abstract

Willa Cather is an outstanding female author in the US. Thanks to the Nebraska Novels, which are mainly about the Nebraska Prairie in the Midwest of America, she wins her literary reputation. Among those novels, her masterpiece O Pioneers! is greatly worth for researching as her first frontier novel. Ecocriticism, as a new trend of literary criticism with complex backgrounds, appears in the context of the increasingly serious ecological crisis and ecological movements in the contemporary era. It advocates that individuals are supposed to get along with nature and blend with it. This thesis interprets O Pioneers! from the perspective of ecocriticism, analyzing the relationship between three generations of women and the land, and the relationship between three generations of women and the garden, primarily based on the aesthetic ecocriticism principle of blending. Also, it will offer an insight into the coexistence mode that behind American female pioneers’ lives, which will provide us with some inspirations to better live with nature. Hopefully, this thesis can enrich the research on Willa Cather and further explore the literary value of O Pioneers! . 

Key words: O Pioneers!  Ecocriticism  Willa Cather

Contents

Chapter One  Introduction 1

1.1  A Brief Introduction to Willa Cather 1

1.2  A Brief Introduction to O Pioneers! 2

1.3  Purpose of This Thesis 3

1.4  Structure of This Thesis 3

Chapter Two  Literature Review 5

2.1  Previous Studies on Willa Cather Abroad 5

2.2  Previous Studies on Willa Cather at Home 6

Chapter Three  Theoretical Framework 9

3.1  Definition of Ecocriticism.9 

3.2  Development of Ecocriticism .10

3.3  The Aesthetic Ecocriticism Principle of Blending11

Chapter Four  An Analysis of the Relationship Between Human and Nature in O Pioneers! 13

4.1  Introduction 13

4.2  Humanized Nature -- the Relationship Between Three Generations of Women and the Land 13

4.2.1 Mrs. Bergson -- the Traditional Pioneer 14

4.2.2 Alexandra -- the Daughter of the Land 15

4.2.3 Marie -- the New Generation with Free Minds 16

4.3  Naturalized Human -- the Relationship Between Three Generations of Women and the Garden 16

4.3.1 Garden as a Pure Outlet to Mrs. Bergson 17

4.3.2 Garden as a Spiritual Pillar to Alexandra 18

4.3.3 Garden as a Leisurely Solitude to Marie 19

4.4  The Ecocriticism Idea Reflected in O Pioneers! 20 

Chapter Five  Conclusion 22

Bibliography

Acknowledgments