Conference Program

According to Greta Gaard and Patrick D. Murphy (1998), «ecofeminism is a practical movement for social change arising out of the struggles of women to sustain themselves, their families, and their communities. These struggles are waged against the “maldevelopment” and environmental degradation caused by patriarchal societies, multinational corporations, and global capitalism.». In this sense, ecofeminism is, by definition, oriented toward eco-social change. In fact, despite the plurality of ecofeminist perspectives, they all share the aspiration to identify concrete alternatives to environmental exploitation and social oppression. Within this framework, ecofeminist youth fiction represents a particularly effective educational tool for facilitating such a transformative process, especially by engaging young people, who are the protagonists of the future. In recent decades, alongside the consolidation of ecofeminist literary criticism as an interdisciplinary field of research (Campbell, 2008; Donovan, 1996; Gaard, 2013; Gaard & Murphy, 1998; Vakoch, 2022), several empirical studies conducted in educational contexts have demonstrated that the reading of ecofeminist fiction can significantly influence worldviews and representations of the future (Kostecka, 2025; Deininger, 2023; Echegoyen-Sanz, Pont-Niclòs & Martín-Ezpeleta, 2025). From this perspective, ecofeminist fiction for young readers may be interpreted as a pedagogical resource capable of challenging hegemonic worldviews, while promoting a commitment to concrete action for social and environmental change.

This contribution explores the transformative potential of ecofeminist fiction drawing on the graphic novel Il limite del mondo (2023) by Barbara Borlini and Francesco Memo. Il limite del mondo is a double-sided book, a volume with two covers and two autonomous stories that unfold in opposite directions and meet at the center of the book. Both stories address the issue of climate change through the depiction of a dystopian future, which is narrated by two young characters facing a crisis that the older generation has created but cannot resolve. The choice to employ a graphic novel reflects the direct and engaging nature of the comic book language, which can be highly effective in depicting complex scenarios such as the ecological crisis, facilitating critical interpretation and emotional engagement.

The analysis of Il limite del mondo focuses in particular on two aspects: the recognition of the interdependence of the web of life and the construction of the young protagonists’ agency. It is precisely through their growing awareness of the connections between human beings, other animals, and the planet that the two characters learn to imagine alternatives to their present situation and to take action aimed at transforming reality. This graphic novel can therefore be interpreted as a significant example of contemporary ecofeminist youth fiction capable not only of promoting values of inclusivity and environmental sustainability, but also of encouraging the implementation of concrete actions toward more equitable and sustainable futures, thus embodying a pedagogical approach aligned with ecological and gender justice.