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Why its important to talk about nature in literature
Margaret atwood in thesis of oryx and crake
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In Greg Peterson’s, view, a renowned environmentalist "Our downfall as a species is that we are arrogant enough to think that we can control Mother Nature and stupid enough to think it is our job.” But we as humans ignore that fact, we ignored it for centuries and we still do. In Tangerine, we see that that idea is perfectly woven into the story. In Tangerine, most people are not affluent and the land there had gone through many stages of development that worsens the rift between man and nature but yet they have an uneasy balance with nature. One that may not last.
His solitary expeditions in remote mountain ranges reflect his independent spirit and his desire to test himself against the forces of nature, and through his experiences in the mountains, he develops a sense of humility and respect for the power of the natural world. The portrayal of nature in both works affects the characters in different ways. As for McCandless, nature serves as a mirror reflecting his inner struggles and desires, leading to his tragic end. In McCandless’s story, as depicted in Jon Krakaure’s book “Into the Wild”, nature is shown as a place of solitude and set-discovery for McCandless. He seeks solace and meaning in the wilderness, but ultimately faces the harsh realities of survival in the wild.
The author Richard Louv wrote an essay on the connection of nature to humans in the modern world. He expands on the fact that technology has taken away our abilities to appreciate nature for it’s true beauty. Children growing up in today’s world aren’t having the resources to appreciate nature and it’s beauty because of technology, according to him. He gives examples of the changing technology in the world: cars, mobile devices, advertisements, you name it. In Last Child in the Woods, Louv uses rhetorical devices to display his thoughts through examples and evidence.
Ever take a walk after a stressful day and feel a sense of calm? Many do not know it but being in, or even simply viewing nature has the power to heal the mind and body. Within the novel Indian Horse by renowned indigenous Canadian author Richard Wagamese, there are numerous instances of when he illustrates the healing power of nature and the connection humans have with it. This essay will discuss how nature heals, how Wagamese describes the connection between humans and nature, and some of the examples in the novel of when nature heals.
In his passage from “Last Child in the Woods,” Richard Louv uses various rhetorical strategies in order to make his audience more supportive of his argument. The passage discusses the connection, or really the separation, between people and nature. On this subject, Louv argues the necessity for people to redevelop their connection with nature. His use of tone, anecdotes, rhetorical questions, and factual examples all help develop the pathos and logos of his piece.
This paper intends to investigate Jon Krakauer’s book Into the Wild (1996) through ecological perspectives, and how man takes/claims his own place in/above nature. Human beings are continuations of natural evolution/universe, but humans enjoy and are the centre of everything. Krakauer uses William Cronon’s essay The Trouble with Wilderness, where he argues the idea of sublimity in which the concept of anthropocene comes into being. Additionally, politicised nature, evidenced in, for example, The Wilderness Act of 1964, authorizes Congress to designate wilderness areas, reinforcing and legitimizing colonial expansion, blurring the line between nature and culture. I shall also discuss John Krakauer’s Into Thin Air (1997), where we see how climbing
The novel, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, beautifully illustrates that humans must continually adapt and repurpose in order to survive. The theme of adaptation is most evident in the windmill that William created. William got the idea to build a windmill from a picture he saw on the cover of the textbook, Using Energy. But William did not have the specific materials, money or resources to build it.
In Mark Twain’s novel The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, Emerson’s essay Nature, and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, Minister’s Black Veil, nature causes skepticism within society. These texts show that skepticism contradicts the presence of nature. Society in these texts feel as if nature is pulling them one one rather than another. Mark Twain shows this concept through essence of natural law. Emerson believes that the views of nature and the beauty of nature can only be understood by a man when he is in solitude.
In society, there are those who are highly regarded, and those who are looked down upon. This system displays itself through exclusive gated communities. Those who are high up in society separate themselves from those who are of lower status by locking themselves in private residences. In Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, the employees of powerful companies are the most valued and live in compounds. In The Corporation by Joel Bakan, white, affluent families are the most valued and live in fantasy worlds.
What we do not realize, is the fact that we use nature for what we want, but eventually we will use up all of the nature and then there will be none to use. Growing up, children were taught about the world saw it through the backseat. In the article, "Last Child", it describes that we tend to give our children more of an opportunity to watch anything but nature, yet we complain when they want nothing to do with it. We grew up with nature as our movie, and because of our actions there will soon not be a movie like that to watch. It is a fact that with the way that humans are not connecting with nature, it is foreshadowing the fact that there will soon be no nature to connect with, even for our own
Oryx and Crake is a novel set in a dystopian future in Eastern North America. This book was written by Margaret Atwood and published in May 2003. The book is written in the third person and there are three main characters, Oryx, Crake and Jimmy/Snowman, but Jimmy/Snowman’s thoughts are the only one that readers are able to know. Jimmy/Snowman is the main protagonist of the story. He is known as Jimmy when recalling stories from before the world ended and known as Snowman in the current world they live in after the world ended.
Richard Louv, a novelist, in Last Child in the Woods (2008) illustrates the separation between humans and nature. His purpose to the general audience involves exposing how the separation of man from nature is consequential. Louv adopts a sentimental tone throughout the rhetorical piece to elaborate on the growing separation in modern times. Louv utilizes pathos, ethos and logos to argue that the separation between man and nature is detrimental.
Many people who go into nature always see it as something beautiful and aesthetic, but they never see the other side to nature. Humankind’s connection with nature isn’t a real one. They always look at the bright side of nature but are blind to the true dark side of nature. JB MacKinnon’s article “False Idyll” (2012), reveals that nature is not just flowers in a field but can also be the survival of the fittest. He backs up his claim by talking about nature through anecdotes and expert’s research.
Atwood feels that it is the responsibility of the writers to mirror whatever takes place in the world be it child abuse, violence against women, terrorism and so on. The novel Oryx and Crake brings out the issues related to the natural world and how much damage has been done to nature by humans and how the implications would be in the following years. This novel raises questions about the present state of the natural world and how nature is being treated. The environmental questions such as global warming, social inequalities that is being carried out relating to the environment, pollution, over-population, the modification and diminution of natural resources has been clearly raised. Though, Atwood have produced many works, not any of her works has this much portrayal of nature and environmental issues as it is done in the novel Oryx and Crake.
Nature is easily projected onto, as it allows for a sense of peacefulness and escapism. Due to its ability to evoke an emotional reaction from the masses, many writers have glorified it through various methods, including describing its endless beauty and utilizing it as a symbol for spirituality. Along with authors, artists also show great respect and admiration for nature through paintings of grandiose landscapes. These tributes disseminate a fixed interpretation of the natural world, one full of meaning and other worldly connections. In “Against Nature,” Joyce Carol Oates strips away this guise given to the environment and replaces it with a harsher reality.