An Eco-Feminist Analysis of The Grapes of Wrath_英语论文

摘要

《愤怒的葡萄》是20世纪美国最伟大的小说之一，讲述了佃农乔德一家由于干旱被迫从俄克拉荷马西迁加州的故事。本文旨在从生态女性主义批评的视角对小说的思想和艺术表现加以分析，通过揭示约翰·斯坦贝克的生态女性主义意识、小说中的生态危机和两位典型的具有自然特征的女性形象，探讨女性与自然的关系的重大意义，最后得出结论尊重女性与善待自然对于建立生态文明社会具有重要指导作用。

关键词：约翰·斯坦贝克；《愤怒的葡萄》；生态女性主义；自然；生态不平衡；和谐

Abstract

The Grapes of Wrath,one of the greatest American novels of the 20th century, depicts the story of a family of sharecroppers, the Joads driven from their Oklahoma home by drought to the west land of California. With the critical horizon of Ecofeminism, on which the thesis is based ideologically and artistically,this thesis makes an attempt to explore the significance of the relationship between nature and women through revealing the ecofeminist consciousness of Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath, the conflicts in the imbalanced ecology and the markedly naturalized images of two typical women characters, and the conclusion that respect for woman and nature is of great value for the construction of an ecological harmony society shall be reached at the end.

Key words: John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, ecofeminism, nature, ecological imbalance, harmony

Contents

1. Introduction.1

2. Demonstration3 

2.1. John Steinbeck and his ecofeminist consciousness in The Grapes of Wrath3

2.1.1. The awakener towards ecological crisis 3

2.1.2. The advocate of women liberation.4

2.2. Ecofeminism reflected in The Grapes of Wrath6

2.2.1. The ecological ideology in terms of ecological disequilibrium.6

2.2.1.1. Battle between nature and human beings6

2.2.1.2. Conflicts between the rich and the poor7

2.2.1.3. Conflicts between the “Okies” and local Californians9

2.2.2. The feminist thinking in terms of “naturalized” characteristics.10 

2.2.2.1. Ma Joad: an example of independence and self-reliance10

2.2.2.2. Rose of Sharon: a symbol of fortitude and feminism13

2.3. The ecofeminist significance in The Grapes of Wrath15

2.3.1. Powerful inspiration to ecological sustainability.15

2.3.2. Fresh perspective upon women liberation16

3. Conclusion.17

Works Cited19

Bibliography.20