Similarities Between Kill The Badger And Thinking Like A Mountain

In both essays, “Thinking Like A Mountain” by Aldo Leopold and “Kill the Badger!” by William S. Burroughs, they deal with the encounter of wild animals. They illustrate in how they handled or witness the animals’ final fate in the hands of man power. The Sierra Club, can analyze that within both essays, there can be spotted some similarities in these scenarios or how the author's detailed and reason each story. The differences behind each killing in these two essays’ is that ,only one of them comes to reflect on his actions.
“Thinking like a Mountain”, by Aldo Leopold, the author begins the story describing the environment and creatures that inhabit the mountains. Detailing that within those mountains live packs of wolves who can be heard but not necessarily seen; arguing that it takes someone naïve not to know they inhabit the mountains (Leopold). Leopold was having lunch one day in those mountain and not wanting to pass up the chance of a wolf hunt, shot it at site. Later to question whether his decision was the best choice for both him and the mountains. In the

second essay, “Kill the Badger”, by William S.

Burroughs, retells the story of when a counselor took the school boys outside by the campfire to tell them stories , when a badger appears too close to the young boys. The counselor quickly pulls out his gun to shoot at it, leading it to his dreadful death of the badger at the end of the stream. (Burroughs 14)
Moreover, there is a certain theme in the first essay by Leopold. From the reading one can see throughout the essay the theme of man vs. nature, or man dominance. Leopold explains how when you see a wolf you kill it, “we have never heard of passing up a chance to kill a wolf”, (Leopold). Explaining how he sees it beneficial because they are killing the deer’s main predator, granting more hunt for the hunter. He saw no wrong in killing an animal in the

wilderness for no reason or purpose because Leopold wanted to control the mountain’s inhabitants population stating that, “ fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters' paradise.”(Leopold). Now the tone set in this essay is not only descriptive of its surrounding but as well signaling to the readers that he is maybe regretting his choice to kill the wolf , foreshadowing what he did , “My own conviction on this score dates from the day I saw a wolf die.”(Leopold) Talking about the noises and scenery from the mountains with great details on where he was when he had first mistakenly spotted the wolf. Towards the end of the essay, we see how the narrator reflects on his actions and seems he gained a different perspective once he saw into the wolf eyes which he decided to shoot, “watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes.”(Leopold). From this he believes to have connected with the wolves and mountains relationship in nature. He realized then the effects of killing off an innocent bystander just to gain pleasure for his future deer hunts and now has the knowledge to understand the importance wolves are to the mountains. Wolves not only protect their cubs but as well, prevent the doe’s from eating all the greens and overpopulating the wilderness risking extermination of all plants in the wilderness. He then comes to understand just as the deer’s serve as the prey to wolves, deer’s are the mountains predators. Leopold, does believe that man has power over nature, but as he kills the wolf, there seems to be a tone of regret behind the killing, “...too much safety seems to yield only danger in the long run.” (Leopold). Realizing at that moment the importance of respect to nature’s ways of life.
Similarly, “Killing of the Badger”, carries the same theme as the previous essay by Leopold; Man dominance over nature. Burroughs’s lets the audience know that the counselor’s stance was that, “You see an animal you kill it….” (Burroughs 14). Demonstrating his man dominance over an animal who meant no harm to the boys, “just playful, friendly and inexperienced…” (Burroughs 14). The counselor just instantly pulled out the 1911 Colt .45 and shot the badger until death. Different from Leopold’s essay, the tone in Burroughs’s essay is dark and reprehensible. He describes witnessing how the counselor killed the badger, “… rolling down the slope, bleeding, and dying.” (Burroughs 14) The author in this essay seemed shameful of what his counselor did and bewilder by it. Burroughs is a bystander in this situation so he is reflecting on what he witness happen to this badger and not fully agreeing with the argument his mentor had, “ You see an animal you kill…It might of bitten one of the boys.” (Burroughs 14). Instead he ended the essay questioning who was truly the enemy, whether the badger or the gentlemen who shot it. (Burroughs 15).
As can be seen, both Leopold and Burroughs’s essays, they share some similar characteristics because both demonstrate their power over nature by killing their threat. On the contrary, Leopold realized there is a limit between safety and arrogance. Leopold saw how wolves were not just predators but actually contributors to the mountains wellbeing. While in Burroughs’s recollection of his counselor’s killing, demonstrates how man’s arrogance leads them to not know how to differentiate from safety and power.