Représentation de la nature et écoféminisme dans Femme Forêt d’Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette

Abstract

This article examines the representation of nature and the ecofeminist dimension in Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette’s Femme Forêt (2021). It argues that nature is no longer a mere setting but becomes a central protagonist that shapes both the narrator’s intimate experience and her worldview. The novel celebrates the beauty of the natural world while also exposing its inherent violence, closely linked to the cycles of life and death. The study further explores the concept of rootedness as an existential and identity-driven quest grounded in place, memory, and belonging to the living world. Drawing on ecofeminist theories the article highlights the deep connections between the female body, motherhood, and nature, while challenging anthropocentric perspectives and humanity’s desire to dominate the environment. Ultimately, Femme Forêt offers a subversive vision of nature as a space of refuge, freedom, and self-reconnection, calling for a renewed and ethical relationship between humans and the living world.