Leonard Pitt's Essay 'Sometimes The Earth Is Cruel'

Sometimes the earth is cruel. In Leonard Pitt’s essay Sometimes the Earth is Cruel he explains this concept of unfairness. Pitt’s focuses on the country of Haiti and the mass destruction it has faced. He uses a specific language when comparing the relationship between Haiti and nature. For example comma he states, “Sometimes though, you have to wonder if the planet itself is conspiring against this humble little nation.” Pitt’s talk as if the earth has it out for Haiti, and if you look at the facts, he might be right. Haiti has been attacked by the earth in 1994, 1998, 2004, three times in 2005, and twice in 2008. Some are saying the death toll may be as many as 100,000. One main theme that Pitt’s gives his readers is that no matter

The world isn’t always fair, but in some cases it is downright cruel. In his poem, Pitt’s states, “Surely some homeless, dust-streaked Haitian can be forgiven for thinking it is always Haiti's turn this morning, two days after the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere saw its capital city smashed by the strongest earthquake it has ever known, a 7.0-magnitude monster.” Haiti seems to get knocked down by this cruel earth over and over again while all the other countries are just spectators. He then follows that up by saying, “It is to write relief checks, donate blood, volunteer material and time and to fear, even in the doing, that these gestures are small against the need, inconsequential against the ache of a people whose turn seems never to end.” The rest of the world tries to help as best they can while Haiti takes its turn in the ring over and over.

Pitt’s purpose in writing Sometimes the Earth is Cruel, is to show people how powerful and cruel our earth can be, especially to Haiti. He wants to open people's eyes to what is really happening outside of our country. The one main message that Pitt’s want his readers to get is that no matter what happens, we dig ourselves in. By digging ourselves in we don’t give up, we stick together, and we deal with the world’s unfairness. This is significant because without this main trait of digging ourselves in, the earth would simply eat us alive. We would not be able to