Ecofeminism in Virginia Woolf's Orlando and to the Lighthouse

Ecofeminist approaches challenge patriarchal and anthropocentric theories by connecting feminism closely to ecology. These approaches also provide a critical lens to scrutinize literary works. In Virginia Woolf's two major works-To the Lighthouse (1927) and Orlando (1928), the ecofeminist lens reveals the author's careful deployment of nature and natural imagery, which she uses to explore both the relationship of humans and nature, and the relationships between men and women. This essay examines the two novels to explore Woolf's ecofeminism. Relevant textual details will be analyzed and summarized; critical commentary by Woolf and some ecofeminists will serve as supplements to contribute to the presentation of conclusions. This essay argues that Woolf is deeply aware of the imbalanced relationship between humans and nature, women's intimacy with nature, as well as the dynamic relationship between genders, and that her novels offer suggestive approaches to reconstructing ecological harmony naturally and spiritually.