An Ecofeminist Reading of Woman, Nature, and Patriarchal Society in Margaret Atwood’s Poems

This research attempts to identify the portrayal of woman, nature and patriarchal society in Margaret Eleanor Atwood’s poems. The research belongs to descriptive qualitative study which scrutizines Atwood’s two poems entitled Ava Garner Reincarnated as Magnolia and A Man’s Look as the primary source of the study. The method of the research is done by reading repeteadly, classifying and analysing the data that are collected in form of dictions, lines and stanzas. This study employs ecofeminism theory and figurative languages to analyze the poems. Ecofeminism is utilized to probe the position and problem faced by woman and nature and the way patriarchal society treat feminine and natural world. Meanwhile, figurative language has important role to understand the connotative meanings. The result shows that Atwood speaks through her poems to protest the patriarchal society’s oppression and domination using bitter tones, expressions, and strong word choices. The form of domination is situated in a world full of male gaze where the dualism exists. The domination also leads to the devaluation of female and natural values. Several aspects connect the equal position of women and nature as inferior in patriarchal viewpoint. The main problem is that the patriarchal mindset has been rooted and internalized in society. It also has affected the feminine mindset so they cannot do much bigger to deprive the domination or the oppression.