Woman and nature in Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady : an ecofeminist study

Abstract EN

The paper aims at exploring Henry James's vision and method of the connection between woman and nature.

It also aims at showing that James is an ecofeminist, who finds out some connections between woman and nature and uncovers the patriarchal oppression and subordination that have befallen them.

A thorough reading and analysis of the text show James's feminine orientation.

The analysis is based on the ecofeminist theory, which defends woman and nature and calls for their preservation.

The Portrait of a Lady is selected for this study because it represents the middle period of James's writing, in which his orientation is feminine.

The conclusion presents the results of this study, which prove that James is an ecofeminist, in spite of the fact that this movement appeared at the second half of the twentieth century.