In the realm of literature, the portrayal of nature and its interaction with human beings often serves as a rich source of symbolism and thematic exploration. Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," and Edgar Allan Poe's "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket” are influential works that explore the complex relationship between humanity and the natural world, while also examining the primal instincts and animalistic tendencies within us. In this paper, I will compare and analyze these two texts, focusing particularly on how the authors employ nature and animals to convey a deeper meaning. Each work presents a unique perspective on the weave of human nature with the natural environment, showcasing the profound impact of these interactions on …show more content…
Burke's mention of death as a particularly affecting idea resonates with certain aspects of nature. The relentless cycle of life and death in the natural world, as well as the destructive forces of natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis, can provoke contemplation of mortality and evoke a profound sense of the sublime. Overall, these passages highlight the complex interplay between human psychology and the natural world, demonstrating how the concept of the double can manifest in both internal and external domains. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket is a novel by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1838. The novel is an adventure and exploration narrative that follows the protagonist, Arthur Gordon Pym, through a series of painful and unusual experiences. The description of the plot, with its series of dark and horrifying events befalling the protagonist Pym, mirrors the fallen world. The progression of misfortunes, from being trapped in a storm to captivity by mutineers and encounters with savage tribes and mysterious figures, reflects the harsh and unpredictable nature of the
John Muir and William Wordsworth use diction and tone to define nature as doing a necessary extensile of life. Throughout Muir’s and William’s works of literature they both describe nature as being a necessary element in life that brings happiness, joy, and peace. Both authors use certain writing techniques within their poems and essays to show their love and appreciation of nature. This shows the audience how fond both authors are about nature. That is why Wordsworth and Muir express their codependent relationship with nature using diction and tone.
From the lone hiker on the Appalachian Trail to the environmental lobby groups in Washington D.C., nature evokes strong feelings in each and every one of us. We often struggle with and are ultimately shaped by our relationship with nature. The relationship we forge with nature reflects our fundamental beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. The works of timeless authors, including Henry David Thoreau and Annie Dillard, are centered around their relationship to nature.
Perceptions of the natural world have fluctuated throughout humanity’s short time on this earth, going in and out of style as societies and technologies have grown and died. As is the the very nature of literature itself, literature and its authors have managed to capture these shifting views, expressed and illustrated by the art of written word. Naturally, the literature chosen for us to read based on this fluid theme of nature encompasses an array of perspectives. One of these views is that nature is sublime and above all else, a reflection of all that which is perfection. Another is that nature is cold, uncaring, and indifferent to the vanities of humanity.
Nature can be described as being odd, it can even be described as being distracting. Nature can be used to help with things in life such as medicine, but William Cullen Bryant uses nature in a different way that people usually do not see it. He uses nature to guide humanity through some of his darkest hours. In William Cullen Bryant’s “Thanatopsis” and “To A Waterfowl”, Bryant promotes extended metaphors in order to show nature as being a guide for humanity.
...lley’s ideology that neglecting nature due to man’s desires is destructive. Yet Scott presents nature as a status symbol, Zhora’s snake that ‘once corrupted man’ holding biblical allusions to man’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Scott thus develops Shelley’s principle further as the ‘City of Angels’ ironic entitlement reflects our pessimistic future, premising the capitalist degeneration of our world due to man’s desires since the Romantic enlightenment in Shelley’s period.
Throughout the Romanticism period, human’s connection with nature was explored as writers strove to find the benefits that humans receive through such interactions. Without such relationships, these authors found that certain aspects of life were missing or completely different. For example, certain authors found death a very frightening idea, but through the incorporation of man’s relationship with the natural world, readers find the immense utility that nature can potentially provide. Whether it’d be as solace, in the case of death, or as a place where one can find oneself in their own truest form, nature will nevertheless be a place where they themselves were derived from. Nature is where all humans originated,
Nature is often used in writing to convey the feelings and emotions of human beings. If used successfully, it can amplify a character’s despair or elation, making clear to the reader what they are experiencing. The use of nature in this capacity allows the reader a better look at the experiences of different characters. In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens utilizes nature to effectively convey human emotions. Sydney Carton is a character with many regrets.
More than 150 years have passed since the peak of the romantic era. The world has inconceivably reached heights unknown seemingly at the expense of nature. The very paper that this has been written on has come at the killing of countless trees. It seems that in the war between the genius against the noble savage, the scientist against the romantic, man against nature, those who believe in nature have lost all the battles. However war is not always starkly clear. The complex relation between man and nature creates a base for conflicts and resolutions between human and nature in Frankenstein by Mary Shelly and the film Beasts of the Southern Wild. Despite seeming to be on the losing foot, it is nature that wins the war ultimately.
Authors’ Steven Crane and Jack London are known for their stories using naturalism, the struggle between man and nature. Naturalism is like realism, but it explores the forces of nature, heredity, and the environment on human beings, who are faced with the forces of nature. Both “The Open Boat” and “To Build a Fire” demonstrate how inferior and small humans’ really are to nature. Humans cannot control nature or determine its outcome. In both stories nature is the antagonist constantly challenging the humans’ ability to survive. I chose the topic over naturalistic elements because I enjoyed reading these stories. Both stories have a strong since of naturalism in it and both authors’ are known for naturalistic features existing in their writings. In this paper I will give you more of an insight to what naturalism is and what naturalistic elements are present in the two stories listed above.
In the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, there are many themes, symbols, and motifs that are found throughout the novel. For my journal response, I have chosen to discuss nature as a prevalent symbol in the book. The main character, Montag, lives in a society where technology is overwhelmingly popular, and nature is regarded as an unpredictable variable that should be avoided. Technology is used to repress the citizens, but the oppression is disguised as entertainment, like the TV parlour. On the opposite end of the spectrum, nature is viewed as boring and dull, but it is a way to escape the brainwashing that technology brings. People who enjoy nature are deemed insane and are forced to go into therapy. Clarisse says “My psychiatrist wants to know why I go out and hike around in the forests and watch the birds and collect butterflies,” (Bradbury 23) which shows she is a threat to the control that the government has put upon the people by enjoying nature.
Nature writing can be found in numerous genres and each can portray different opinions, thoughts, examples, solutions, etc. Therefore, setting up a general set of guidelines allows people the opportunity to define what is meant by nature writing. Defining genre can be highly influential when readers are trying to capture the essence of what they are reading. Lawrence Buell’s four criteria for what constitutes an “environmental text,” provide a basic set of understandable guidelines. However, as the criteria stand they are too directed at the factual context and overlook the “experience” or emotional resonance of reading such works.
Nature is often a focal point for many author’s works, whether it is expressed through lyrics, short stories, or poetry. Authors are given a cornucopia of pictures and descriptions of nature’s splendor that they can reproduce through words. It is because of this that more often than not a reader is faced with multiple approaches and descriptions to the way nature is portrayed. Some authors tend to look at nature from a deeper and personal observation as in William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, while other authors tend to focus on a more religious beauty within nature as show in Gerard Manley Hopkins “Pied Beauty”, suggesting to the reader that while to each their own there is always a beauty to be found in nature and nature’s beauty can be uplifting for the human spirit both on a visual and spiritual level.
Wordsworth recognizes the connections nature enables humans to construct. The beauty of a “wild secluded scene” (Wordsworth, 1798, line 6) allows the mind to bypass clouded and obscured thinking accompanied with man made environments. “In which the heavy and the weary weight of all this unintelligible world, is lightened,” (Wordsworth, 1798, lines 40-43). Wordsworth observes the clear and comprehensive mindset conceived when individuals are exposed to nature. Wordsworth construes nature as a force, delving further into the depths of humans, bringing forth distinct universal and spiritual perspectives. Wonder and awe in the face of nature is awakened within even the most stubborn of minds. The human spirit becomes at mercy to nature’s splendor.
Through the ingenious works of poetry the role of nature has imprinted the 18th and 19th century with a mark of significance. The common terminology ‘nature’ has been reflected by our greatest poets in different meanings and understanding; Alexander Pope believed in reason and moderation, whereas Blake and Wordsworth embraced passion and imagination.
Many poets are inspired by the impressive persona that exists in nature to influence their style of poetry. The awesome power of nature can bring about thought and provoke certain feelings the poet has towards the natural surroundings.