Exploring Spiritual Ecofeminism and Magical Realism in Vandana Singh’s “The Woman Who Thought She Was a Planet”

Ecofeminism, Spirituality, Magical Realism, Gender

The intersection of ecofeminism and magical realism in literature offers a unique lens through which to explore the complex relationships between gender, ecology, and spirituality. Vandana Singh’s short story “The Woman Who Thought She Was a Planet,” from her collection The Woman Who Thought She Was a Planet and Other Stories (2008), exemplifies this intersection, merging the boundaries between the real and the fantastical to interrogate patriarchal structures and their impact on both women and the environment. This chapter delves into Singh’s story and analyses it through the framework of spiritual ecofeminism which is a branch of ecofeminism that emphasizes the spiritual connection between women and nature and its interplay with the literary technique of magical realism.