Eco Feminism

Ecological feminism (ecofeminism) emerged in the 1970s predominantly in

North America. In 1975 feminist theologian Rosemary Radford Ruether
suggested that there can be no liberation for women and no solution to the
ecological crisis within a society whose fundamental model of relationships
is one of domination (race, class, gender, sexual orientation, etc.)

Novel:
George Eliot is a progressive writer who has been influenced by her
contemporary ideologists in the Victorian age. The Mill on the Floss is
a novel written by George Eliot; and in the novel the consciousness of
ecofeminism is clearly reflected.

Ecofeminism:
Ecofeminism, opposing the pressure on women and nature under the
domination of patriarchal view of the world

Theme:
The novel describes in detail the lives of Tom and Maggie Tulliver, a
brother and sister who grow up by the river Floss near the village of
St. Oggs in England. Both the river and the village are fictional. The
novel lasts a period of10to15years, from Tom and Maggies childhood
up until their deaths in a flood on the Floss. In the novel, due to the
industrial revolution Maggies father Mr. Tulliver goes bankruptcy.
Besides, under the pressure of the Victorian morality Maggie sinks
into a dilemma of her romantic relationships with Philip Wakem and
Stephen Guest.

In a word, in the Victorian age women were under severe oppression

of men. They must be submissive and obedient. On the other hand,
due to the industrial revolution initiated by men nature was damaged
and at the same time the society became more and more utilitarian.
At the end of the novel, the brother and sister are drowned in the
flood on the

:firstly,
 the links between Maggie and nature.

Secondly
, the oppression on nature and female by a male-
dominated society. To be specific, in chapterl introductions to the
theory of ecofeminism, George Eliot and the novel The Mill on the
Floss will be presented.

The literature review on the novel is also given in which the previous
studies on the novel are summarized.In addition, the significance and
originality of this thesis are explained in this chapter.

In chapter2
the links between the heroine Maggie and nature will be
discussed. Maggies links and identification with nature will be
exposed from three aspects:the symbolic links, the experiential links
and the links in the aspect of social status.

Chapter3
will mainly present Maggies awakening and struggle
against the male-dominated society.

Chapter4
will show George Eliots wish that reflected in the
novel:the harmony between female and male and a conclusion of this
thesis will be presented. With the hope to arouse the consciousness
to create a harmonious society and a harmonious world this thesis
has been done.