The Umpqua River is an unwieldy beast that people believe that they hold the reins to. Man has tried for many years to control the Umpqua, but all that has done is damage the river and themselves. The comparison of rust to fire in Robert Heilman’s essay, “Who Owns the River?” encapsulates not only what humans have done to the Umpqua and Los Angeles rivers, but what humans do to nature itself. Heilman argues in his essay that humans need to be conscious of the repercussions from changing the environment to their will. The Los Angeles River is a look into what the future holds for the Umpqua River. Heilman’s son asks what “the big concrete thing,” is while flying to Los Angeles and to his disbelief is that the Los Angeles River was a river, especially when the river looked like a storm drain (Paragraph 6-7). Later the Umpqua River is described to have creeks that have so much debris removed from them that the creeks are no different from concrete …show more content…
storm drains (Paragraph 26). Heilman returns back to the storm drain image he gives to the Los Angeles River to show what is most likely to going to happen to the Umpqua River. It may start out as small creeks being changed into nothing but a storm drain but it may of also been how the Los Angeles River started its way to becoming what it is presently. Presently the Umpqua River is changing into the Los Angeles River at an extremely slow pace, so much so Heilman describes it as taking decades to notice any change.
With fire and rust Heilman’s analogy best describing what humans have done to both rivers, this allows Heilman to make a comparison of the two rivers to help his argument (Paragraph 29). The Umpqua is rusting in the same way that the Los Angeles River has, Heilman had to watch with a critical eye in order to notice the slightest changes in his life. However, Heilman was able to make more swift observations by comparing the two rivers in the essay. If a car is slowly starting to rust, one will not notice, but it is easier to compare a car rusting when one sees a fully rusted car. Heilman starts his essay describing how living next to a river made he and his wife feel like millionaires even while being mostly-impoverished. After growing accustomed to the river, he started to forget about how important the river’s health is to the lives around it (Paragraph
2). A river’s health not only influences the lives of the humans around it, but in addition, the inhabitants of the land that the river passes through. Heilman writes that both rivers had huge flocks of water fowl before the rivers were touched industrially (Paragraph 43, Paragraph 50). He also mentions that this provided food for most of the fowl, which could be assumed as the Umpqua sped up and provided less food for the birds. This can cause two major changes, the birds have to migrate, and in consequence, hurts environments that are not prepared for a surplus of animals, or the birds die off, which can make many species endangered, extinct, or allow invasive species to take over with the lack of predators. An invasive species that harms the river like no other, humans, more specifically, humans that do not know the limits of the land they inhabit. Heilman explains that many who come to the Umpqua do not understand the limits of the river, which is needed in order for the river to survive (Paragraph 4). Man has drained marshes for farming, Heilman describes, “The benefits of erosion control, flood control, water storage and filtration, and wildlife enhancement [from marshes] outweigh the value of crops that the land produces,” (Paragraph 48). The farmers who drained the marshes did not understand the limit of the land and the repercussions of when the limit is reached, similar to the San Fernando Valley that has the occasional flood from how much industrial change has happened to the land, just to remind those citizens of nature (Paragraph 49). It does not matter how much is built, nature will remind those who invade it by what man describes as natural disasters. Natural disasters can be caused from a variety of reasons, but the disasters man causes can do marginally more damage. As Heilman describes the state of what has happened to Los Angeles as, “a wasteland of concrete and asphalt and smog and crime,” additionally he describes where he is living as “beautiful and safe,” (Paragraph 52). The safety of living in Douglas County is not just because of lower crime rates, but there is an environmental safety with Douglas County too. A strong example of the safety from Douglas County is that the land has not been exhausted yet, there has not been tons of concrete poured down to the point of no return for the river. The Umpqua is not just a concrete storm drain, yet, which allows for inhabitants around the Umpqua to understand the mistakes that have been made and provide security, such as Heilman explaining the restoration of the marshes, he does not use a hopeless tone when discussing the repairs that can be done to the land around the Umpqua (Paragraph 48). Heilman argues that being conscious of the repercussions caused by the river being mangled by man is important. This is important as not only does the river affect the lives of humans around it, but the animals that inhabit the area too. It is easily noticeable that the future of the river may have, if it is continued down its present treatment just by comparing it and the Los Angeles River. Natural disasters may be dangerous, but the ones caused by humans’ presence are a bigger threat to those who live within areas such as the Umpqua River. The Umpqua River may be an unwieldy river, but if humans live with the river and ride its waves, there is something to be gained from the harmony.
In Joseph Boydens short story “Abitibi Canyon”, the narrator is the mother of Remi, a child with a mental disability. They live in a reserve where the people argue about the construction of a dam in their river. She is against it because it will ruin the place where she likes to camp with her Shirley, Mary and Suzanne. The way she sees the dam is an important image. She pictures it as a “concrete monster lying in our river and controlling it like some greedy giant” (364). The dam will ruin a place that has a lot of personal significance to her.
To continue, Wigmore develops his argument by looking at the multiple tensions that existed on both sides of the river. In one way, Wigmore paints the positive picture that these b...
Barry defines the Mississippi’s unpredictability through an “uncoiling rope.” One cannot experience an act such as that of an uncoiling rope, in it’s smooth, but quick movements. Its destination cannot be anticipated and its course of action can only be speculated. By using a single phrase, like “uncoiling rope,” Barry guides his audience to a complete picture of the fascinating Mississippi. He gives life to the Mississippi by relating it to a snake. His snake-related diction, such as “roils” and “uncoiling” present the river with lifelike qualities that extend Barry’s purpose in saying that the incredible river can actually stand on it’s own. Furthermore, Barry describes the river in similes in order to compare the Mississippi to a snake, in a sense of both power and grace. The river “devours itself”, “sucking” at the surface around it, and “scouring out holes” in its depths. Barry’s combination of personifying diction and similes provide his audience with a relation in which one understands the Mississippi’s paradox of strength and unpredictability, and
The topic the essay is mainly talking about is whether to initiate the San Joaquin River Project. I am with Bill McEwen on his article, “River Plan Too Fishy for my Taste Buds.” I chose this author because I do not think the government should spend more money on the river rights project. The author convinced me that he is more credible and can be trusted by all the experience he has. The article was published in Fresno Bee on March 26,2009 and is surrounded by farms so the people there know what will happen if big businesses were to start a project. McEwen demonstrates how this project will impact the city in a negative way by stating ethos, logos, and pathos.
In a passage from his book, Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America, author John M. Barry makes an attempt use different rhetorical techniques to transmit his purpose. While to most, the Mississippi River is only some brown water in the middle of the state of Mississippi, to author John M. Barry, the lower Mississippi is an extremely complex and turbulent river. John M. Barry builds his ethos, uses elevated diction, several forms of figurative language, and different styles of syntax and sentence structure to communicate his fascination with the Mississippi River to a possible audience of students, teachers, and scientists.
In Mark Fiege’s book “The Republic of Nature,” the author embarks on an elaborate, yet eloquent quest to chronicle pivotal points in American history from an environmental perspective. This scholarly work composed by Fiege details the environmental perspective of American history by focusing on nine key moments showing how nature is very much entrenched in the fibers that manifested this great nation. The author sheds light on the forces that shape the lands of America and humanities desire to master and manipulate nature, while the human individual experience is dictated by the cycles that govern nature. The story of the human experience unfolds in Mark Fiege’s book through history’s actors and their challenges amongst an array of environmental possibilities, which led to nature being the deciding factor on how
Maclean, Norman. A River Runs Through It and Other Stories. Chicago: The U of Chicago P, 1976.
"Eventually the watcher joined the river, and there was only one of us. I believe it was the river." The river that Norman Maclean speaks of in A River Runs Through It works as a connection, a tie, holding together the relationships between Norman and his acquaintances in this remote society. Though "It" is never outwardly defined in the novella there is definite evidence "It" is the personality of the people and that the river is running through each individual personality acting as the simple thread connecting this diverse group of people.
The Russian river is a place in California where Dave and his family would usually go for a vacation. He remembers this place as a quiet and peaceful place. He remembers how he and his brothers would play, how his mother would to hug him, and how they would all watch the sunset together
Eiseley, Loren “The Flow of the River” from Fifty Great Essays 2nd ed. 2002 Penguin Academics New York.
McCullough presents a meticulously researched, detailed account of the Johnstown Flood of May 31st 1889, which provides arguments for why the disaster was both “the work of man” and “a visitation of providence”. However, it is apparent that McCullough believes that man was more responsible than nature/god for the extent of the catastrophe. In McCullough’s opinion, the storm that caused the flood was no more than the inevitable stimulus of the disaster, whereas the deferred maintenance and poor repairs on the dam were the primary reason that Johnstown was devastated in 1889. McCullough exposes the failed duties of Benjamin Ruff and other members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, whilst simultaneously questioning the responsibility of the Johnstown folk who were concerned about the safety of the dam but complacently trusted the wealthy, powerful club members to fulfil their responsibilities. McCullough clearly explains the debate that took place immediately after the flood, on what or whom was to blame for the disaster, by explaining the views of the press, the townspeople and the lawsuits that were filed.
Through the course of the book, White confidently proves that in the end the Columbia River was always in charge and nature will always overcome mankind’s efforts. The book showed that the previous thought of mankind being the boss of the environment and that mankind dictates the terms is shown as untrue. The Organic Machine known as the Columbia River will restore its balance, different societies have tried to govern the river but the river ends up governing them, and human modifications might affect the river but nature and the environment will always see victory.
“How can you buy or sell the sky-the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. Yet we do not own the freshness of air or the sparkle of the water. How can you buy them from us? We will decide in our time” (Chief Seattle: 1855). In the Documentary “Flow – for the love of water” it visualizes the global crisis we face on Mother’s Earth as it pertains to the diminishing of fresh water. The Documentary portrays along with the help of experts that this global crises is affecting each and every one of us in today’s society including animals. The film shows us that water is constantly being wasted, polluted, and privatized by big co operations. Prime examples of these greedy companies were mentioned in the film such as Nestle, Thames, Suez, Vivendi, Coca Cola and Pepsi.
Antonio reflects upon the rivers’ stance in his life. The contrast of his life in town against his life in the llano. Antonio understands the situation he is in, yet he is still confused and needs more time to clear the river. Antonio describes Ultima when she first arrives, “When she [Ultima] came the beauty of llano unfolded before my eyes, and the gurgling waters of the river sang to the hum of the tuning earth” (1). When Ultima arrives ‘the beauty of llano unfolded before my eyes’, Ultima shows Antonio a new way to look at life. She shows him the power of nature. Antonio’s already muddled river becomes more muddled, with new ideas. Although Antonio is just a boy, this will ultimately result in the later purification of the river. Ultima urges Antonio to refrain from letting other factors affect his decision about his future, but while doing this Ultima shows Antonio the power of nature. Antonio’s mind symbolizes the river due to the rivers frequent movement mirroring Antonio’s constant search for answers surrounding his fate. The river is always changing just as Antonio’s idea’s and understanding of knowledge
In “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”, the river stands as a symbol of endlessness, geographical awareness, and the epitome of the human soul. Hughes uses the literary elements of repetition and simile to paint the river as a symbol of timelessness. This is evident in the first two lines of the poem. Hughes introduces this timeless symbol, stating, “I've known rivers: I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins” (Hughes 1-2). These opening lines of the poem identifies that the rivers Hughes is speaking about are older than the existence of human life. This indicates the rivers’ qualities of knowledge, permanence, and the ability to endure all. Humans associate “age” with these traits and the longevity of a river makes it a force to be reckoned with. The use of a simile in the line of the poem is to prompt the audience that this is truly a contrast between that ancient wisdom, strength, and determination of the river and the same qualities that characterize a human being. The imagery portrayed in the poem of blood flowing through human veins like a river flows ...