Response To John Green's Anthropocene Review

The Anthropocene Review is about the current geological age that we live in, mostly pertaining to the way humans have impacted the planet. The Anthropocene Review is based on the concept of applying a 5 star scale to experiences, or things that many humans can relate to or have experienced. John Green does this by writing a collection of short essays reviewing a broad scale of different human experiences, such as Diet Dr. Pepper, Bonneville Salt Flats, You’ll Never Walk Alone, and many other small essays. In these essays, John Green argues that in an era dominated by human impact on earth, individuals can find deeper meaning, connection, and hope by examining and appreciating both the mundane and extraordinary aspects of life. “You’ll Never

For me, lately, comfort has meant a show tune.”(Green 9). This first example shows how he finds comfort in a simple show tune that encourages him to push on. This is a way that Green finds hope in a small way, that he sees deeper meaning in something as simple as a song a football club sings. Revealing, he believes we can find hope in the smallest things in life. Further on in the essay Green discusses how the song brings him hope and meaning, “And yet, the song works for me. Maybe it’s the repetition of the words ‘walk on’. I think two of the fundamental facts of being a person are 1. We must go on, and 2. None of us ever walks alone.”(Green 11). Green discusses the ways it brings him hope, that no one will ever walk alone, and regardless of the circumstances, we must keep going. Green further explains how he finds encouragement and hope in small things in life, pushing us to do the same. Green concludes with a final statement about the show tune, “‘You’ll never walk alone’ is cheesy, but it’s not

Green’s statement perfectly sums up his argument, finding small things in life, such as a song, to bring us hope and joy. John Green’s first essay, “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, discusses how we can find hope in small things in life and pushes us to do the same whether the small things are as simple as a show tune. Later in the book, Greens essay “Jerzy Dudek’s Performance on May 25, 2005”, perfectly portrays the ways we can find hope in meaning in the most seemingly unimportant experiences in life. Green begins the essay by quoting Pope John Paul II, “Of all the unimportant things, football is the most important thing. And I yearn for the unimportant things at the moment.”(Green 101). This quote from Pope John Paul II and Greens explanation reveals that the unimportant things such as football can have a huge impact on us and that humans yearn for these unimportant things. This furthers Green's argument that the unimportant things in life, such as football, can bring us meaning and connection to others in a mundane