Peiyun Liu

English 336

Linda Helstern

October 2, 2010

Short Literary Argument/Analysis Paper

To a God Unknown is a novel by John Steinbeck. The novel is describing a man

Joseph Wayne’s relationship with his land, nature, and his family. However, in the story I

noticed that John Steinbeck’s novel To a God Unknown is not all about exploring man’s

relationship with nature, but also women’s relationship with nature. In the novel shows

there is a connection between Elizabeth and the rock, which reflect to one of the ecocritical

frames Ecofeminism. Ecofeminism describes the movements and philosophies that

between feminism and ecology. It connects the exploitation and domination of women with

the environment, and shows that there is a special connection between women and nature

in a positive way.

In John Steinbeck’s To a God Unknown, he shows the ecofeminism by describing the

relationship between Elizabeth and the rock, and how does it affect Joseph’s love for his

land. In the almost end of the novel, Elizabeth attempts to confront her fears of the rock by

climbing on top of it but she tumbled from the rock and to her death. In ecofeminism way of

this novel, what are the significance or the point of Elizabeth’s death? I think the

significance of Elizabeth’s death in this novel is to make Joseph loves his land more and also

to the point he is extremely in love with the rock, so he chooses to stay with the land and

protect it by suicide himself in the end of the book.

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After Elizabeth died next to the rock, I think the novel shows Joseph believes that

Elizabeth’s spirit has entered in the rock, just like he believes that his father’s spirit has

entered in the oak tree as well. In page 133, after Elizabeth died next to the rock, Joseph

said, ““It was the on chance to communicate,” he said. “Now it is gone.”” Then he sat by

Elizabeth’s body for a while then he stood up lifted his head and stroked the rock said,

“Now you are two, and you are here. Now I will know where I must come.” It shows that

after Elizabeth died, he thought she is gone, but after he sat next to the rock for a while, he

believes Elizabeth’s spirit has went into the rock after she died. In page 137, he said to

Rama “of Elizabeth and of all the things that die. Everything seems to work with a recurring

rhythm except life. There is only one birth and only one death. Nothing else is like that.” it

shows that Joseph is comparing Elizabeth’s life with nature’s life. He thinks once human is

died then is died, but natures can always come back like a recurring rhythm or a circle. I

believe that this is the reason he loves nature so much because the life of nature is

permanent and he wants to believe that Elizabeth’s soul is in the rock so it will always stays

permanent as well.

When the lands and animals are dying from the drought. Thomas and Rama asked

Joseph to go with them to find a new place to start. Joseph refused and said to Rama

“There’s a circle in the grove, and a great rock in the circle. The rock killed Elizabeth. And

on the hill over there are graves of Benjy and Elizabeth,” and “”The land is struck,” he went

on. “The land is not dead, but it is sinking under a force too strong for it. And I am staying to

protect the land.”” He thinks that he has to stay there to protect the land because the grove,

the rock, and Elizabeth. In page 159, Joseph smiled at the pine grove and said, ““Now we are

one,” he thought, “and now we are alone; we will be working together.”” I think he is talking

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to the rock and Elizabeth both, because since Elizabeth died, the love he has for Elizabeth is

combining with the love he has for nature and rock. Now for Joseph, the relationship

between the nature and Elizabeth are together so that makes his love of the nature and

rock stronger.

In the almost end of the story, the drought is there, and everything seems dying. In

page 183, “”Joseph regarded the dying moss and the circle of tress. “This is gone now. I am

all alone.” And then a panic fell upon him. “Why should I stay in this dead place?””

Apparently, he thinks when the moss on the rock is gone there is no point for him to stay,

and by trying to stop it from dying he cut his wrist from the top of the rock. He wants to

save the moss by giving it his blood. In page 184, he thinks, ““I am the land,” he said, “and I

am the rain. The grass will grow out of me in a little while.”” So he thinks he is the rain, by

sacrifice his life and blood for the rock and the moss, his sacrificing also bring the ring to

save the land.

In To a God Unknown, after Elizabeth died, the relationship between the rock and

Elizabeth did changed Joseph’s behavior and his love to the nature. His behavior towards

the land and the rock became more protecting and loving. I believe that he thinks

Elizabeth’s soul went into the rock so that makes him wanting to protect the grove and the

rock more. Even thought, Thomas and Rama asked him to leave the land and go with them

to start a new home at other place, he refused and wanting to stay for his land and protect

it. In the end, he thinks the sacrificing of himself and his blood will save the rock and

eventually it did. I think one of the reasons he loves the nature so much it’s because he

thinks the life of nature is a circle and a recurring rhythm which is permanent. It will

always come back. Then he makes himself to believe that his wife’s spirit entered the rock

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so her soul will also stays permanent. Also, he love he has for Elizabeth and the rock and

nature combine together after she died, and that’s the reason his love towards to the rock

becoming extremely and more, so he tried everything he could to not let the land and moss

fade away.

Ecofeminism is the movements and philosophies that between feminism and

ecology. In the novel To a God Unknown by John Steinbeck, I found the ecofeminism is

really interesting, especially after the protagonist’s wife died in this novel. After Elizabeth

died next to the rock by climbing on it, the relationship between Elizabeth and the rock

changed Joseph. Which is the significance of Elizabeth’s death that he believes Elizabeth’s

spirit is with the rock, and that changes Joseph loves the nature and the rock so much,

which is too much that he sacrifices his life and blood for it.

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Works Citied

Steinbeck, John. To a God Unknown. New York: Penguin, 1995.

Warren, Karen. Ecofeminism : Women, Culture, Nature. n.p.: Indiana University Press,

1997. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 1 Oct. 2012.

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