Woman and Nature: Reading Farah's From a Crooked Rib from an Ecofeminist Perspective

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine ecofeminism in an African context through a close reading of N. Farah's From a Crooked Rib. To achieve this goal, the framework of ecofeminism is utilized to investigate forms of patriarchal domination and exploitation of women and nature in the novel under scrutiny. From a Crooked Rib is written to deconstruct patriarchal dominance as the main catalyst for the damage to nature and the environment constituting a threat to human existence, particularly the existence of the African woman. The text explicitly highlights how women and nature are conceptualized in similar ways due to their fertility, reproduction and, also, vulnerability. It also examines the correlation between environmental degradation and the subordination of women by the African patriarchal system. The study, therefore, attempts to raise social awareness of the importance of protecting women and the environment in order to guarantee environmental sustainability and human survival.