Demystifying Ecofeminism: An Analysis of Ann Pancake’s Strange as This Weather Has Been

Abstract

This article highlights the ruthless treatment of the Appalachian landscape by the capitalists through critical analysis of Ann Pancake’s novel Strange As This Weather Has Been (2007). The article argues that biodiversity is being lost due to the practices of capitalists and patriarchal stakeholders, who alienate people, especially minority groups from their natural habitats, and perform ecocide in the region that Jason W Moore calls Capitalocene. Markedly, women and nature are the subaltern objects in these minority groups, which are abused by the agents of patriarchy and capitalism, and subsequently bring gender, class, and land exploitation. Mountain Top Removal (MTR), in which the surface of the mountain is removed through a mechanical process is the commonest among these treatments bringing health hazards to the community. By using the concepts of Carolyn Merchant in favor of mining communities, this research further unveils the far-reaching extraction of coal and timber leaving the zone without monetary, ecological, and social growth. The Paper also highlights women’s rejection of the essentialists’ claim of staying at home, and Appalachian women’s political stance to keep their roots intact. This research is significant because it addresses the structural disparities done to the Appalachian region and raises voices for their civil rights through this creative fiction. It concludes that Appalachian women have transformative potential for their rights and sustainable lifestyle.