An Ecofeminist Reading of H. P. Lovecraft’s Selected Works with Reference to Catherine M. Roach’s Theory of Mother/Nature

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 MA in English Language and Literature, Department of English Language and Literature, Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of English Language and Literature, Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran

10.34785/J014.2022.449

Abstract

Ecofeminist discourse is experiencing its peak importance with the rise of both feminism and ecocriticism to the summit of cultural and literary studies. Going back and revisiting authors and texts which helped shaping the current cultural forces through ecofeminist lenses may help us understand how nature and femininity both are viewed separately and together. As one of the most prominent and influential figures in horror and science fiction (and perhaps pop culture in general), Howard Phillips Lovecraft presents a thought-provoking portrait of women and femininity in his texts and since nature plays an integral role in worldview, femininity and nature almost blend into a single concept throughout his fiction. This paper intends to analyze the works of H. P. Lovecraft through Ecofeminist lenses and apply the Ecofeminist theory of Mother/Nature, developed by Catherine M. Roach, on Lovecraft’s life and fiction. The researchers intend to find a correlation between the idea of Bad Nature presented by Roach and the almost always evil representation of femininity in H. P. Lovecraft’s fiction.

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References

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Critical Literary Studies
Volume 4, Issue 1 - Serial Number 7
March 2022
Pages 121-132

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History

  • Receive Date: 25 February 2021
  • Revise Date: 06 July 2021
  • Accept Date: 20 November 2021

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