Cautionary tales typically follow what their name might suggest, in that they warn how consequences affect those who might think themselves above the rules. This is often seen in cases regarding self-centered animals, overly naïve children, and to a degree those who are deemed ‘tricksters’. It is common for animals to become the subjects of stories, as the author can then apply human philosophy to the actions of creatures in order to warn against behavior that might otherwise be seen as common. An example of a cautionary tale regarding animals is seen in the textbook “Anansi, the Clever One” where the selfish spider Anansi learns the penalty of being selfish and conceited (Rosenberg, 15). While the Anansi stories depict a trickster, they also convey the message that even those who are clever and manipulative are not invulnerable to their …show more content…
Let us see who can grow the tallest!” A breeze blew through Yew’s foliage with their sigh, “I have no desire to rush.” Yet the spry little tree was determined, without giving the signal to start, Poplar stretched upwards. As it grew higher and higher, its shadow was cast on Yew who lengthened accordingly. Frustrated, the wiry tree forced himself to grow taller and thinner. Yew, as well, grew taller still. Together they raced and raced, until Poplar was as thin as a rope, whipping in the wind back and forth in the gusts of wind. The larger tree had become quite unkempt looking, with needles splaying out in every direction. A forceful breeze struck Poplar and he swayed for a moment before toppling over with a loud crack, bent and then broken into two pieces. In shock, the gentle rustle of leaves stopped, leaving the forest in a silent moment of apprehension. All around plants froze, for the tallest tree of the forest had broken! Suspicious and now fearful of the ever growing Yew, some of the low shrubs shifted their roots away from them. Others agreed and began the slow trek out from under the gaze of the mighty
3. Chapter 1, page 5, #3: “Moving through the soaked, coarse grass I began to examine each one closely, and finally identified the tree I was looking for by means of certain small scars rising along its trunk, and by a limb extending over the river, and another thinner limb growing near it.
How the World was Made and How the Snake Got Its Poison are both myths that were told for the enjoyment of all ages especially children. This paper will include an extensive analysis of the two myths/folktales. Zora Neale Hurston and Katharine Berry are excellent and fictional writers. Although the two writers write fictional myths, both writers create very different scenarios and write from different point of views. A close examination of the way both stories share the similarity of having animals with major roles demonstrates man had no input or power in the creation of the Earth or any of the animals that lived on it.
Cheng, Ah. The King of Trees. Trans: Bonnie S. McDougall. New York,NY: New Directions, 2010. Print.
Besides using the novel’s characters to convey her message, Morrison herself displays and shows the good and calmness that trees represent in the tree imagery in her narration. Perhaps Toni Morrison uses trees and characters’ responses to them to show that when one lives through an ordeal as horrible as slavery, one will naturally find comfort in the simple or seemingly harmless aspects of life, such as nature and especially trees. With the tree’s symbolism of escape and peace, Morrison uses her characters’ references to their serenity and soothing nature as messages that only in nature can these oppressed people find comfort and escape from unwanted thoughts. Almost every one of Morrison’s characters finds refuge in trees and nature, especially the main characters such as Sethe and Paul D. During Sethe’s time in slavery, she has witnessed many gruesome and horrible events that blacks endure, such as whippings and lynchings. However, Sethe seemingly chooses to remember the sight of sycamore trees over the sight of lynched boys, thus revealing her comfort in a tree’s presence: “Boys hanging from the most beautiful sycamore trees in the world.
The conflict of good and evil presents itself in “The Most Dangerous Game” and “The Child by Tiger” in two completely different ways. One story being commercial fiction and the other being literary fiction, there are many ways of viewing variables such as good versus evil, realistic versus unrealistic stories and moral significance. The stories have different voices and are meant for different audiences, but in viewing the overall moral importance of both fictional works, the story with a greater moral significance is “The Child by Tiger”.
Cheng, Ah. The King of Trees. Trans. Bonnie S. McDougall. New York: New Directions, 2010. Print.
As I have progressed through this class, my already strong interest in animal ethics has grown substantially. The animal narratives that we have read for this course and their discussion have prompted me to think more deeply about mankind’s treatment of our fellow animals, including how my actions impact Earth’s countless other creatures. It is all too easy to separate one’s ethical perspective and personal philosophy from one’s actions, and so after coming to the conclusion that meat was not something that was worth killing for to me, I became a vegetarian. The trigger for this change (one that I had attempted before, I might add) was in the many stories of animal narratives and their inseparable discussion of the morality in how we treat animals. I will discuss the messages and lessons that the readings have presented on animal ethics, particularly in The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Dead Body and the Living Brain, Rachel in Love, My Friend the Pig, and It Was a Different Day When They Killed the Pig. These stories are particularly relevant to the topic of animal ethics and what constitutes moral treatment of animals, each carrying important lessons on different facets the vast subject of animal ethics.
“... the right question for animals is not ‘Can they reason?’ ‘Can they talk?’, but ‘Can they suffer?’ ”
The Sycamore Leaves piece highlights the complexity of our environment in the way that it shows how human activity or technology is present everywhere around us. By expanding our understanding of the piece to see it as a representation of our world we see that the tree can symbolize nature as a whole while the ordering of the leaves around the tree in an unnatural way can symbolize human action and “order.” Furthermore Goldsworthy 's representation gives the idea of a complex environment a positive connotation through the way that the leaves simply sit at the base of the tree following the contours of it roots yet not encroaching on its livelihood. The cohesion underscores how human action can work alongside and complement nature making for a complex yet still peaceful environment. The relationship between humans and nature is further explored in the way that Sycamore Leaves appeals to the idea of “mastering”
Trees, some of them a few thousand years old, have majestically stood on the face of the earth and have silently witnessed the evolution of human civilization. These trees are the living alibis of our pasts, magnificent markers of history. With their unusual shapes, enchanting legends and historical significance, some of these trees have become more than just giant trunks. Listing below ten such trees whose wooden hearts have amazing stories to tell!
Armstrong, Susan Jean, and Richard George Botzler. The Animal Ethics Reader. London ;New York, NY: Routledge, 2008. Print.
Kenneth Grahame’s use of personification by having animals represent humans in many of his stories can be interoperated as an analogy for how making selfish and rash choices, can cause humankind to look barbaric and primitive, just as animals.
K. (1995). Feral children and clever animals: Reflections on human nature. New York: Oxford Univ Press.
Once this contextualising research is complete and it is understood exactly what happens to circus animals, and how this happens, the essay will then focus on the ethics that underlie these practices, posing the poignant question ‘why is this allowed to occur?’ Thus, human attitudes and behaviours towards circus animals will be analysed to determine what the ethical obligations to circus animals are, and to what degree these are fulfilled or breached in contemporary times. Therefore, the divergence between the current and the ‘ideal’ treatments of circus animals will be examined. In doing so, the sentience and morality of animals will be investigated, by considering wh...
First I am going to explain how in the book some of the animal metaphors are related with negative issues about sex and animal instincts. The main theme of the novel is the same as its title, “Disgrace”, so then I will write about how animals and humans are related in the novel and how some of them live in disgrace.