https://doi.org/10.67147/literariness.v1i4.039
Unravelling Ecofeminist Threads: Exploring Vandana Shiva and Maria Mies’ Perspectives in Toni Morrison’s A Mercy
DR B. MERCY GNANABAI
Assistant Professor
Department of English
Nazareth College of Arts and Science, Chennai-62
Email: mercy@ncas.in
Abstract: In 1974, French activist Françoise d’Eaubonne formulated the theory of ‘Ecofeminism,’ establishing a novel and innovative literary criticism in the 20th century that linked nature and women. Contemporary ecofeminists Vandana Shiva from South India and Maria Mies from North Germany further developed ecofeminism theory, expanding it into a significant subfield of feminism. In their influential book Ecofeminism, published in 2010, Shiva and Mies articulated ecofeminism as the intrinsic connection between women and nature. They posited that men have historically subjugated both women and nature through various forms of exploitation and disaster, asserting the necessity for liberation from this control. Shiva and Mies contend that women and nature are inherently protectors and that their relationship is profoundly interconnected through aspects such as monoculture, color racism, religion, agriculture, and sociopolitical movements, all of which have had detrimental impacts on both. The first discussion in this analysis explores ecofeminism and cultural ecofeminism as depicted in Toni Morrison’s novel A Mercy, focusing on how women and nature encounter and endure challenges amid disaster. The second discussion examines ecological and women’s liberation movements that have sought to protect and advocate for both women and nature, and also how Morrison analyzes multi-ethnic literature in A Mercy. I use the ecofeminism theory developed by Shiva and Mies, citing particular cultural movements and environmental disasters that have affected both women and the environment.
Keywords: Women’s Disaster and Movement, Subjugation, Vandana Shiva, Environmental Disaster and Movement
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