The Subsistence Perspective: Nizar Qabbani's Non-hierarchical Eco-Feminist View of Women/Nature

Taking the ecofeminist notions of women subjugation and the exploitation of Nature in a patriarchal system as its point of departure, this paper addresses the issues related to the need for setting this male-female relationship to balance again. This goal can be reached through the close study of Nizar Qabbani's poetry from Maria Mies's Subsistence Perspective. The study examines the extent to which this perspective, eco-feminist in essence, can be applied to the renowned Syrian poet's work. Nizar Qabbani (1923- 1998) has been widely studied for his feminist attitude and his revolt against the deeply rooted orthodox ideas related the role of women in society. However, with the advancement of women's studies in general, and ecofeminism in particular, a study of his non-hierarchical view of nature, women and men will provide a novel approach to the poet's vision. What Maria Mies calls for in her The Subsistence Perspective seems in harmony with such a vision.