NATURE AS HEALER: AN ECO-FEMINIST STUDY OF THE NETTLE SPINNER BY WENDY WUYTS

Abstract

This study shows an analysis that how Wendy Wuyts’ short story The Nettle Spinner brings together literary characters, themes of nature, healing, female resistance and myth within an eco-feminist framework. It tells the story of a young woman, through her work with nettles, who grows stronger, confident and regains her closeness to the land. The research looks at how Wuyts makes nature more than a background, showing it as something alive, healing and strengthening, especially affecting the main character. Using eco-feminism as the main idea, the story studies the literature through a qualitative reading of work by Vandana Shiva, Karen Warren and Françoise d'Eaubonne. This scholarship helps us understand that women and nature share many forms of oppression, why ecology matters ethically and how to challenge traditional gender hierarchies. The author shows that The Nettle Spinner rejects control over women and nature by capitalists and men and suggests that to resist and heal; we should renew our bond with the land. By emphasizing the value of traditional ecological learning, community teaching and personal strength, Wuyts gives her book an important place in current eco-feminist literature. This research shows that storytelling can influence beliefs about nature and femininity, pushing for a greater focus on sustainable, respectful and connected ways of life.