The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin

They state, “We could not, however, ignore the fact that ‘modernization’ and ‘development’ processes and ‘progress’ were responsible for the degradation of the natural world” (2). After all, much is at risk to the process of modernization as Mies and Shiva account in their co-authored work, Ecofeminism. Concerns regarding ecology are combined with feminist concerns as both are observed to have resulted from a patriarchal society whose greatest interests lie in acquisition of capital. Within ecofeminism, the relationship between gender and the environment are examined. This patriarchal, male view of society establishes a hierarchy which concludes that humans are greater than nature, men are greater than women, and consumption is greater than production. Of the most prominent elements is Le Guin’s demonstration of vibrant ecofeminism within the plot, which is demonstrated through the questioning of a masculine knowledge to kill versus a feminine reason to kill.Įcofeminism, in its most basic terms, is a challenge to the capitalist patriarchy. In The Word for World is Forest, Ursula Le Guin highlights several elements of environmental justice within the guise of science fiction. Very rarely is killing viewed as a feminine characteristic, yet when it is, the intellectual knowledge of the repercussions of killing one another come into play. Finding the reason to kill, however, is another thing entirely.

You’re a man if you’re strong enough and know how to take another life. More tracks like The Word for World Is Forest (Ursula K.For centuries, one of masculinity’s most identifiable traits in media has been the power to kill.Playlists containing The Word for World Is Forest (Ursula K.Users who reposted The Word for World Is Forest (Ursula K.Users who like The Word for World Is Forest (Ursula K.And once the killing starts, there is no turning back. For every blow against the invaders is a blow to the humanity of the Athsheans. But in defending their lives, they have endangered the very foundations of their society. Forced into servitude, the Athsheans find themselves at the mercy of their brutal masters.Desperation causes the Athsheans, led by Selver, to retaliate against their captors, abandoning their strictures against violence. Le Guin Full Pages.Īlso appears in the anthology Again, Dangerous Visions (1972) and the collection The Eye of the Heron / The Word for World Is Forest (1991)When the inhabitants of a peaceful world are conquered by the bloodthirsty yumens, their existence is irrevocably altered. Read Or Download The Word for World Is Forest By Ursula K.

The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin