Subjugation of Women and Nature in Buck's The Good Earth and Roy's The God of Small Things

Abstract

This research work entitled “Subjugation of Women and Nature in Buck's The Good Earth and Roy's The God of Small Things” explores the domination done to nature and women in both novels using ecofeminist perspectives of Carolyn Merchant, Karen Warren, Vandana Shiva, Maria Mies, Greta Gaard and so on. Ecofeminism is the theory that shows the connection between nature and women and tries to end all kind of suppression done to both of them. Patriarchy and capitalism are the key agents of subjugation of women and nature along with the idea of hierarchical thinking and value dualism that lie at the root of environmental degradation as well as social injustice. Buck’s novel The Good Earth shows how women are presented as inferior, uncivilized people and slaves to the powerful men of the society. Men consider both land (nature) and women as their sole property which they can use in any way they like. In the novel, The Good Earth, it's not just land even women are sold and bought as animals by so- called superior men in that society. Buying and Selling of both land and women are common in practice. The major character Olan was sold to Hwang family when she was young, later Hwang family sold her to Wang Lung, who later became her husband. This is a cruel practice that was prevalent in pre-revolutionary China. Women are given less value. Girls are sold to the rich families for few pence. The birth of sons is taken as good luck for the family whereas the birth of daughter is taken as bad luck to the family. Similarly, in the novel, The God of Small Things, both Meenachal River and Ammu are the two pathetic figures of the novel. Both are the victim of patriarchal mindset of the society. Both Ammu and Mammachi are beaten by their husbands. It illustrates how patriarchal society creates boundaries to the women and how its protagonists Ammu, Mammachi and Rahel strive to dismantle those preset boundaries. As the principal theoretical tool employed in the thesis is ecofeminism, this thesis also shows how the Meenachal River and surrounding nature are polluted and destroyed by anthropocentric human beings. This project tries to deconstruct the anthropocentric perspective of men and shows the need of social and environmental justice for harmonious society. For the harmonious and egalitarian relationship between Nature and Culture and for the suitable environment and just society, injustice done to both women and nature should be ended. Anthropocentric exploitation of nature and all kinds of domination in the name of race, gender, class and caste should be eliminated. Key Words: Ecofeminism, Patriarchal domination, Hierarchal society, Pollution, Equality