Representation of women rape and ecosystem destruction in Vietnamese narratives on American anti-war from perspectives of ecofeminism

Authors: Le Quoc Hieu (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Vietnam)
Speakers: Le Quoc Hieu
Strand: Narrative and Metanarrative
Session Type: General Session

Abstract

Ecofeminism theory provides a binary hierarchy: paradise/earth; soul/body; culture/nature; women/men; human/animal; white/color… Women and nature are in the same “front line” suffered control and injury, become victims and preys conversing with men, masculinity, and biological weapons becoming the exterminators/governors. There is a similarity in which women and nature are appropriated and enslaved by men and war. Based on the representations of women rape and ecological degradation in Vietnam, we investigate some of the following issues: 1. An account of the history of the women rape and biological warfare in the Vietnamese narratives on American anti-war; 2. The profound relationships between women and nature; the rape of women and the deterioration of ecosystem from ecofeminism positions; 3. Explaining the absence of Vietnamese voices on environmental destruction especially the violation of women; 4. Drawing a comparison with American anti-war cinematic narratives on raping women; 6. Relentless traumas: suicides; deaths; half-breeds; illegitimate children; deformity; Agent Orange and Vietnam syndrome. Several works are researched in this article: Đời cơ bản là buồn (Basically, Life Is Sad by Nguyễn Ngọc Thuần); Mười ba bến nước (Thirteen Harbors by Sương Nguyệt Minh); Tình cát (Love’s Sand by Nguyễn Quang Lập); Mảnh vỡ của mảnh vỡ (Debris of Debris by Vĩnh Quyền); Người sót lại của rừng cười (The Survivor of The Laughing Forest by Võ Thị Hảo); Duyên (Grace by Hoàng Minh Tường)…

Keywords: Representation, Women rape, Ecosystem destruction, American anti-war, Ecofeminism