Interrogating Gender, Nature, and Violence: An Anarcho-Ecofeminist Reading of Ana Castillo’s So Far from God

Abstract

This research is an anarcho-ecofeminist reading of Ana Castillo’s So Far from God. The work reflects the issues of gender, nature, and violence in its American South culture. I employ Murray Bookchin’s concept of ‘anarchy’ and Greta Gaard’s idea of ‘ecofeminism’ as reading props for the analysis of the selected text. The argument of this study questions the status of patriarchal norms that provide justification for the oppression of women, devastation of nature, and practice of violence as presented in the text under scrutiny. This research also argues that Castillo uses her narrative as intellectual device in order to expose the ills existing in her society. As the American South is economically weak, mostly its social system is also unjust. The position of humans vis-a- vis nonhumans is not satisfactory. Since Castillo stands inseparable from her society, her work affirms a close link with her respective soil, ecosystem, people, and their problems. Therefore, she protests by holding out the issues of gender, nature, and violence in her novel and these concerns make it a good fare for an anarcho-ecofeminist reading. Catherine Belsey’s concept of “textual analysis” supports my reading perspective.