Ecofeminism as a Perspective of Studying 21st-Century Fantasy for Young Adults: Between Ecological Involvement and Postfeminist Paradigm

Abstract The article explores potential ecofeminist themes present in YA fantasy literature, represented by Donde los árboles cantan [ Where the Trees Sing ] by Laura Gallego, The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin (Griffin, The Nature of Witches, Sourcebooks. mobi, Naperville, 2021), and The Lone City trilogy by Ami Ewing (Ewing, The Jewel, HarperTeen, New York, 2014;Ewing, The White Rose, HarperTeen, New York, 2015;Ewing, The Black Key, HarperTeen, New York, 2016;). The author posits that, since fantasy books have become a popular reading choice among young people, they play a pivotal role in the transmission of sociocultural patterns and beliefs, including those regarding gender roles and the natural environment, and in an era marked by a growing environmental crisis, there is a pressing need to examine YA literature for its role in shaping ecological awareness. Bridging ecocriticism and feminist criticism, this article examines how femininity is constructed in YA fantasy literature through an ecofeminist lens. The first section outlines the theoretical framework of ecofeminism and ecofeminist literary criticism, and the second section briefly discusses postfeminism. The analysis presented reveals various strategies used in the literary narratives to weave in ecofeminist topics and messages. While all the novels examined imply the need to develop an ethics of care and empathy towards the natural environment and marginalised social groups, question the binary categories of human/non-human and nature/culture, and aim to redefine relationships between women and nature, they also reveal ideological tensions, referring to both ecofeminist postulates and reflections, as well as anthropocentric and falsely feminist convictions.