Green Shades of Feminity: An Ecofeministic Study of Selected Poems of Sugathakumari and Kamala Das

Sreejitha P S,Midhuna M Suresh

doi:10.24113/ijellh.v9i1.10892

Abstract

The discourse on feminism and ecology is familiar in literary studies as well as in socio-cultural scenario. But it seldom merged with each other-it has probably only been five decades since Indian literature has started discussing Eco feminism. Eco feminism, in short, blends the theories of feminism and ecology. This research paper critically analyses poems of the prolific Indian writers Sugathakumari and Kamala Das who always fought for upholding the women’s issues and conserving the nature. The paper aims to study their writings through the lenses of Ecofeminism, to treat them as their unabashed political commentaries on women and nature.

Highlights

Ecofeminism is a philosophical and political movement which combines the ideals of feminism and ecology, interpreting both as a result of the patriarchal society
“Ecofeminism is a movement that sees a connection between the exploitation and degradation of the natural world and the subordination and oppression of women.”(Mellor)
The term Ecofeminism was first coined by Françoise d’ Eaubonne in 1974 in her contentious work Le Feminismeoula Morte

Summary

Introduction

Ecofeminism is a philosophical and political movement which combines the ideals of feminism and ecology, interpreting both as a result of the patriarchal society. “Ecofeminism is a movement that sees a connection between the exploitation and degradation of the natural world and the subordination and oppression of women.”(Mellor). The term Ecofeminism was first coined by Françoise d’ Eaubonne in 1974 in her contentious work Le Feminismeoula Morte. In this book, she writes about a world devoid of the male domination where humanity dominates everywhere. Simon de Beauvoir was the first one to analyse the nature-women link in her book, The Second Sex (1949). She pointed out that culture is manmade and in such a society all non-man are designated as ‘Other’. Ecofeminism, as a complex web of diverse cultural structures, consist of different streams based on various aspects

Objectives

Conclusion