Diasporic Ecologies of Survival: Ecofeminist Approaches in Firoozeh Dumas’ Funny in Farsi and Souvankham Thammavongsa’s How to Pronounce Knife
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1610.05Keywords:
Ecofeminism, Diaspora, cultural identity, Iranian immigrants, Laotian immigrantsAbstract
Ecofeminism emphasizes the commonality between the experiences of oppressed women and a polluted planet. It is also a method of analysing how much each of these writers brings out the hushed voices of diasporic groups and how much they are connected with nature. This study examines the application of ecofeminism in comparing Firoozeh Dumas’ Funny in Farsi and Souvankham Thammavongsa’s How to Pronounce Knife. This research explores how and why each of these texts relates to Gender, Nature, and Cultural Identity. Dumas and Thammavongsa, in each of their autobiographical narratives, breach Patriarchal traditions and are struggling with environments that shape their identities. Dumas’ Funny in Farsi amusingly defies her struggles with adapting to becoming an Iranian in America and is a subtle satire on Cultural Displacement and Nature. Similarly, Thammavongsa’s collection of short stories, How to Pronounce Knife, voices concern for Lao Immigrants and their struggle with survival and resilience, not only within their environment but also within their societal position. This research examines how these two authors incorporate the concepts of ecofeminism within the description of Gender, Cultural Survival, and Ecological Awareness. It uncovers the intertwining of personal and communal histories with the physical and social landscapes in which they live. Through this comparison, the research identifies the role of environmental and gendered experiences in constructing narratives.
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