An Ecofeminist Reading of Doris Lessing's The Grass is Singing (1950) and Its Film Adaptation The Killing Heat (1981)

Abstract

This thesis examines the ecofeminist elements present in Doris Lessing’s debut novel The Grass is Singing and its film adaptation, The Killing Heat, directed by Michael Raeburn, with a special focus on the themes of patriarchy, racism, capitalism, and colonialism. It interlocks these themes with environmental and feminist issues, particularly in the context of the Rhodesian landscape depicted in both mediums. Rhodesia is a land-locked country where environmental changes have been observed as a direct consequence of colonial exploitation and domination. The effects of environmental degradation such as drought, food shortage and water scarcity have impacted not only human but also non-human entities as propounded by the ecofeminist theory. The thesis aims to shed light on the multiple perspectives and approaches employed by the author and the director in addressing the complex interplay between gender, race, class, and the environment. Both the novel and the film present simultaneous domination and exploitation of women and nature at the hands of patriarchal, colonial and capitalist injustices. They represent, if not critique, the violent and unjustified domination of African landscape by colonial pursuits under the guise of a well-celebrated mission of civilizing the savage and taming the wild. The first chapter traces the historical evolution of ecofeminism and its relevance to the analysis of The Grass is Singing and The Killing Heat. The second chapter looks at the novel, with a focus on the ecofeminist elements that are present in it. The final chapter examines The Killing Heat, by exploring how ecofeminist elements in the novel are translated onto the screen. The study discovers that ecofeminism is a relevant theoretical framework for the analysis of both works. Ultimately, the present thesis contributes to the scarce research on ecofeminism and provides new insight into the ecofeminist analysis of literature and film.