Ecofeminism has permeated the disciplines of politics, philosophy, science, and literature – all of which are embedded in the fiction of Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer and Ruth Ozeki’s All Over Creation. In this thesis, I consider the authors’ use of scientific evidence to engage readers with their rhetorical goals of protecting the systems of nature and gender. In the first chapter, I define the history of ecofeminist activism and how Kingsolver and Ozeki continue its tradition. The second chapter considers the parallels between biodiversity and cultural diversity within both Prodigal Summer and All Over Creation. In the final chapter, I analyze themes of motherhood, maternity, and fertility in each novel, specifically as they are impacted by toxic human behavior.
","abstract_html":"<p>Ecofeminism has permeated the disciplines of politics, philosophy, science, and literature – all of which are embedded in the fiction of Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer and Ruth Ozeki’s All Over Creation. In this thesis, I consider the authors’ use of scientific evidence to engage readers with their rhetorical goals of protecting the systems of nature and gender. In the first chapter, I define the history of ecofeminist activism and how Kingsolver and Ozeki continue its tradition. The second chapter considers the parallels between biodiversity and cultural diversity within both Prodigal Summer and All Over Creation. In the final chapter, I analyze themes of motherhood, maternity, and fertility in each novel, specifically as they are impacted by toxic human behavior.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hirsch, Sarah J."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"English","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Christopher T. White, Ph.D.","Rosemary Erickson Johnsen, Ph.D.","Kerri K. Morris, Ph.D."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:24:40Z","subjects":["ecofeminism","Barbara Kingsolver","Prodigal Summer","Ruth Ozeki","All Over Creation","biodiversity","cultural diversity","motherhood","maternity","fertility","Comparative Literature","English Language and Literature","Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://opus.govst.edu/theses/103","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Christopher T. White, Ph.D.","Rosemary Erickson Johnsen, Ph.D.","Kerri K. Morris, Ph.D."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hirsch, Sarah J."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-09-13T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["English"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["ecofeminism","Barbara Kingsolver","Prodigal Summer","Ruth Ozeki","All Over Creation","biodiversity","cultural diversity","motherhood","maternity","fertility","Comparative Literature","English Language and Literature","Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://opus.govst.edu/theses/103"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Ecofeminism has permeated the disciplines of politics, philosophy, science, and literature – all of which are embedded in the fiction of Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer and Ruth Ozeki’s All Over Creation. In this thesis, I consider the authors’ use of scientific evidence to engage readers with their rhetorical goals of protecting the systems of nature and gender. In the first chapter, I define the history of ecofeminist activism and how Kingsolver and Ozeki continue its tradition. The second chapter considers the parallels between biodiversity and cultural diversity within both Prodigal Summer and All Over Creation. In the final chapter, I analyze themes of motherhood, maternity, and fertility in each novel, specifically as they are impacted by toxic human behavior.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Protecting Systems of Nature and Gender: Ecofeminism in Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer and Ruth Ozeki's All Over Creation"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Christopher T. White, Ph.D.","Rosemary Erickson Johnsen, Ph.D.","Kerri K. Morris, Ph.D."],"dc:creator":["Hirsch, Sarah J."],"dc:date.available":["2017-09-13T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Ecofeminism has permeated the disciplines of politics, philosophy, science, and literature – all of which are embedded in the fiction of Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer and Ruth Ozeki’s All Over Creation. In this thesis, I consider the authors’ use of scientific evidence to engage readers with their rhetorical goals of protecting the systems of nature and gender. In the first chapter, I define the history of ecofeminist activism and how Kingsolver and Ozeki continue its tradition. The second chapter considers the parallels between biodiversity and cultural diversity within both Prodigal Summer and All Over Creation. In the final chapter, I analyze themes of motherhood, maternity, and fertility in each novel, specifically as they are impacted by toxic human behavior.
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