Analysis Of Richard Louv's Last Child In The Woods

Last Child in the Woods was a well written Non-fiction book by Richard Louv, an American journalist and nonfiction author. His purpose for writing this specific book was to document the decreased expose of children and nature in American society. In todays ever-changing environment, society is increasingly disconnecting themselves with nature. Louv claims that this is a sad truth that continues to progress in severity. In a well-developed excerpt, Louv effectively argues against the separation of mankind, nature, and the growth of technological consumerism.

The mood is set through diction that creates an informal but informative tone that attempts to appeal to a specific older audience. This is apparent when Louv makes a comparison to a car

Perhaps his most effective rhetorical device—imagery—paints a familiar picturesque scene, evoking deep emotional connections to older generation, who would look out the car window for entertainment compared to the current generation who are glued to television screens. His description of the “fogged glass,” the “telephone poles ticked by,” and “birds on the wires and combines in the fields,” evokes nostalgic memories of the readers own childhood. Not only does this flood decades of emotion into the minds of the audience, but it also encourages them to preserves these memories for the future generations that succeed. By the use of imagery, Louv makes the reader understand that these beautiful memories may be quickly replaced by the illuminating glare of electronic devises. Through this emotional connection, Louv demonstrates that children are demoting the importance of the natural world. Louv’s nostalgic imagery encourages the older generation parents to feel sympathetic and guilty towards the new generation of children because they will not get to experience the same nostalgic memories of their childhood. Instead, children will grow up in a new world where technology is supreme and nature is considered a second class citizen. Louv intentionally uses these newly formed emotional connections to toy with the audiences mind and encourages them to chance how much technology is a part of their