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The representation of nature as a woman has long been a controversial theme. The complication is in the fact that there are both up and downsides to this representational strategy. On one end, women compared to nature presents both as kind and nurturing productive sources. However, the issue is mainly in that this representation can paint both women and nature as something to be rightfully dominated, gifted by god for men's taking - or even pushing these traditional gender roles as a "mother". The contrasting points within this tendency make it complicated as both a strong representation of both women and nature, as well as a misogynistic and out-dated viewpoint under different eyes.

(I would like to state that for the sake of my argument I will be using only "Men" and "Women" as gendered terms to simplify the ideas into their historical contexts.)

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Some of the oldest literary pieces we studied represented nature as a feminine figure. In the Yosemite John Muir wrote, "Nature had gathered her choicest treasures, to draw her lovers into close and confiding communion with her." This piece is about John Muir's own experience in exploring Yosemite National Park, mainly describing its beauty and grandeur. The description of this one part of nature is comparative to the sublime (connection to nature as created by God), aesthetics and beauty, limiting this park to what is appealing at first view for Muir. This quote specifically seems to paint nature as some seductress using beauty to lure people in, rather than what it really is: a large geological range and biodiverse area.

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Ecofeminism is a movement standing for the idea that women's rights (or lack thereof) and environmental degradation are linked. Greta Gaard (author of Critical Ecofeminism) states, "Ecofeminism's roots are really in this felt sense of identity as interconnected with other beings, and this sense of identity is very different from what Western culture has taught us,... about the separation and elevation of humans over the rest of nature." (Defining Ecofeminism) She depicts the interconnectedness of treatment of nature, women, people of color, and even just other species under a male-dominated capitalist society. Repeated exploitation of all of these separate things creates a connection in itself.

Regardless of depiction of nature itself, women are truly connected to nature; sometimes not only through the lens of society, but in a more personal way through understanding these tendencies.

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Another part of the reason that this depiction exists and is continually pushed is due to the religious ideologies spread mainly from religious belief systems (specifically christianity). Several lines from the Bible can be read as a message that nature is for men to take and do with as they please: "The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind." (Psalm 115:16). The idea is similar in representation of women, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior." (Ephesians 5:22).

In many of these older literary pieces we discussed in this course, the writers had deep connections to their God, even using writing of the sublime to connect nature to that belief. Modern politicians even use God as justification for limiting and destroying National parks, forests, and other federally protected lands (with lesser regard for separation of church and state - the very concept mentioned the first amendment of the U.S. constitution).

While religion and other spiritual belief systems within themselves may not directly be an issue, the ideologies surrounding dominance of men are. The continued push of these often misunderstand biblical ideas have lead us to the current problematic societal viewpoints in nature and feminism.

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"Ecofeminism Explained"- Ecofeminism in the real world

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"Ecofeminism Explained"- Ecofeminism in the real world

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"Ecofeminism explained" is a video made by Isaias Hernandez that describes the history of ecofeminism, but more than that, it explains real-world women in connection to this movement. One piece of ecofeminism is highlighting the roles that women play in nature. Hernandez discusses the way that women are leaders in the food justice movement, "An Ecofeminist food justice initiative prioritizes local organic and regenerative agriculture empowering communities to take control of their own food sources and women play a crucial role in food Justice movements..."

So, while representing both nature and women as nurturing and caring can be restrictive, highlighting the strengths of these characteristics and the interest they hold in environmental justice defines them both as leaders. This brings power back into the description and interpretation of both women and nature.

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Opposing Nature as a Woman: Princess Mononoke

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Opposing Nature as a Woman: Princess Mononoke

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The 1997 animated film Princess Mononoke is credited as one of the most thought-provoking environmental/conservationist art pieces created to this day. It manages to do so while actually opposing the idea of nature as a woman. The essence of nature this movie, "The Spirit of the Forest" is actually represented as a masculine deer god, as opposed to a womanly figure.

San, the girl raised by wolves and gods of nature, also assists in opposing the ideas that are normally consistent with nature as a woman. Often in these representations of "feminine nature" we see women who are docile, kind, helpless. San is far more active in protecting the forest; she is violent, stubborn, and strong.

Offering these alternate representations provides a greater range of ideas in nature and of women together.

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One Character in particular stood out in Princess Mononoke as opposition of normalized tropes of women in nature: Lady Eboshi. In many forms of media, especially those that represent nature femininely, we tend to see women represented as more kind to nature than men.

Some ecofeminists (including Greta Gaard in Defining Ecofeminism) believe that women are intrinsically more in tune with nature. This idea makes it seem that some people are born more natural than others - something we have studied over the semester and have learned to be problematic and often lead to racist beliefs.

Lady Eboshi does not at all fall into this trope. She purposely destroys nature for her own gain. While I don't support her actions had they been realized, the alternative trope for a female character opposes the outdated ideas of "intrinsic" nature.

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With the apparent rise of recent male dominated right-wing media in the past several years it feels important to highlight the link between (and in this case against) women and nature. Figureheads such as Andrew Tate, Charlie Kirk, Ben Shapiro, and many others have risen to fame based on platforms that are both anti-women's rights and anti-environmental.

Andrew Tate has claimed himself to be a misogynist, and has been charged with rape and human trafficking. He has also bragged about his own carbon emissions and mocked Greta Thunberg for the environmental work (BBC).

With more a republican nation recently there has been a clear rise in spread and support of media that is inherently anti-woman and anti-environmental, most times in connection to one another. This only goes the prove the need for women and environmentalists to work as one in solving these similar issues as they are essentially one in the same.

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Men have historically been represented in nature in several different ways: hunters, fishers, sailors, explorers, or even large-scale farmers. They are almost always seen as "conquerers", taming the wild for their own use and enjoyment.

However, if they try to protect the land as it is, they are then represented as some natural savior - protecting purity on its own is simply rendered defenseless. "The majestic Sequoia is here, ... the noblest of all the noble race." (Muir). "The majestic Sequoia" is praised for its beauty and purity as symbol of "the noble race". Muir writes as if purity (described in this as "nobility") defines worth of a life as opposed to intrinsic value - or even if all life is valuable, that there purer it is, the more worth it is saving.

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These ideas have historically been translated through ideas of domination in a sexual matter as well (in context of a heteronormative sexual experience).

The conquering of wild often would mean a sexually dominant experience with a woman - or forming a monogamous relationship with a woman to limit the man to her only sexual partner.

Purity of course refers to virginity, which has long been a signifier of a woman's worth to men. Marriages used to require consummation, and often women would be examined before noble weddings to ensure their virginity for the man to take.

Many cultures have had long standing traditions of male domination over both women and nature.

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What lingers is the question of whether it is correct to represent and describe nature as a woman.

"If the American continent was to become the birthplace of a new culture and, with it, new and improved human possibilities, then it was ... a womb of generation and a provider of sustenance." (Kolodny). As described in the quote, the land provides food for humans, births new culture and thereby new possibilities within. If nature truly does act to create new life within its own "body", then why should it not be considered a mother? In some ways then, it makes a lot of sense that nature is so often associated with motherhood, as nature does incubate future life and opportunities for life.

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The story "Skywoman Falling" is an indigenous tale of how humans made way to earth. A pregnant woman fell to the water and the life there saved her from death and drowning (Kimmerer).

From this story, all human life comes from this one woman who made her way to earth. Nature adjusts itself in order to receive this woman; to make way for her life and the life to come from her. Nature takes care of this woman.

Motherhood seems to be a connecting factor through nature. All life is "born" one way or another. The normalized way of life is to then care for these offspring. This is one of the reasons that nature seems to be so often represented as a mother.

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Animals and Society institute. Defining Ecofeminism with Greta Gaard. Youtube, 10 May 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCaKVIIZf-Y.

Hernandez, Isaias. Ecofeminism Explained. YouTube, 29 Nov. 2023, youtu.be/bhqVmlUTLjs?si=6MsBhSap8Pfs5TRL.

Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass. Milkweed Editions, 2015.

Kolodny, Annette. Unearthing Herstory. University of Georgia, 1996.

Muir, John. The Yosemite. New York: The Century Company, 1912.

Miyazaki, Hayao. Princess Mononoke. Studio Ghibli, 1997.

The Holy Bible. New International Version, Zondervan, 2011.

“Who Is Andrew Tate? The Self-Proclaimed Misogynist Influencer.” BBC News, BBC, 27 Feb. 2025, www.bbc.com/news/uk-64125045.

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Within connection between nature and women - nature itself has often become sexualized.

Kolodny discusses how some writers describe mountains as similar to a woman's breasts (a secondary sexual characteristic). It is a seemingly unnecessary comparison to be made; so many other metaphors could have presented the same idea. Yet, there is some off fascination in presenting nature as something exotically sexual. Even in literature that is entirely fictional, male characters are often taking advantage of their situation "alone in nature". It's been a long-standing hyper fixation of male-dominated environmental literature.

Both women and nature are taken as emblems for their aesthetic beauty in this sense (sometimes even in place of material ability to produce or serve). So often they are both limited to only that.

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It seems that generally, the representation of nature as a woman has been brought up historically in many negative ways. The use of things like religious belief, politics, and media to support these negative ideas has wrongfully worsened conservative viewpoints to paint the image of both women and nature as simple materials meant for men to take advantage of.

Movements in the realm of ecofeminism, environmental justice, and food justice have helped to form the connection between women and nature as a powerful force instead. Both are helping to improve life, not because they must, but because they can.