A Postmodern Ecocritical Analysis of Leslie Marmon Silko's Gardens in the Dunes.

This paper studies Leslie Marmon Silko's novel Gardens in the Dunes from an ecocritical perspective to identify the Native Americans' connection to land and culture in a white-dominated society. It analyzes the stories, culture, flora, fauna, rituals and ceremonies of the Native Americans, which help in the ecological balance and sustenance of the ecosystem. It analyzes how Silko experiments with multiple genres, such as poetry, multiple narratives and memoir, within a single work. It examines how she subverts the conventional form of writing and introduces Native American narratives, songs and cultural symbols to elevate her indigenous Pueblo heritage. It addresses the major concern of the relationship between the human beings and the natural world, highlighting the complex struggles to continue and conserve the Native American traditions in a patriarchal white world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]