Exploring the Ecofeminist Landscape: A Comparative Analysis of Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing and Gita Hariharan’s The Thousand Faces of Night

Abstract

Ecofeminism is a theoretical framework that examines the parallels between the exploitation of the environment and the subjugation of women. The existing research in the field of ecofeminism concentrates on a specific regional level. But a critical, constructive, comparative study across geographical borders is least present in this field. To address this scholarly gap, the current research focuses on a textual comparative analysis of a well-known Canadian writer, Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing and an Indian writer, Githa Hariharan’s The Thousand Faces of Night, through the lens of ecofeminism and post-colonialism. The analysis reveals how the authors challenge patriarchal norms and advocate for the empowerment of women and the preservation of the natural world. Atwood’s protagonist exemplifies cultural ecofeminism while Hariharan’s characters embody socialist ecofeminism. The current study significantly contributes to ecofeminist literary criticism by comparing a developing nation and a developed country, which is least represented in the existing ecofeminist literary discourse. The article demonstrates how Atwood presents the protagonist’s actions as a conscious political decision rather than a biological determination, and it integrates ecofeminist concerns through the symbolic merger with the wilderness. Hariharan explores a post-colonial world where mythology and modernity intersect, using mythology to reveal structural oppression and the resistance of women.