Category: Uncategorized

The Parable of The Talents

The parable of Talents is a fascinating book that has attracted a great deal of attention from different people, including readers and authors. It has several unique features in many aspects, mainly information and idea structure and presentation. Although it is fictitious, the story is presented so that everybody can accept it or think it is a true story. Parable of the Talent is a science fiction novel written in 1998 by American author Octavia E. Butler.

CITATIONS

Butler, Octavia E. (1998). Parable of the talents: a novel. New York: Seven Stories Press

 

The Parable of the Talents: A Visual Journey. (n.d.). Retrieved August 7, 2021, from Five Talents website: https://fivetalents.org/videos/2018/6/20/the-parable-of-the-talents-a-visual-journey

The Parable of the Talents. (n.d.). Retrieved August 7, 2021, from www.churchofjesuschrist.org website: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2014-01-0001-the-parable-of-the-talents?lang=eng

 

 

 

SUMMARY

The second book of the Parable trilogy that came to light after Butler, who experienced the author’s coalition, is Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler, a work of science fiction and the follow-up to Parable the Sower, and which focused her creative attention elsewhere. It is a post-apocalyptic series that has destroyed climate change, corporate greed, and wealth inequality. Lauren Oya Olamina, the main character of the first book, has the power of hyper empathy and the ability to share the pain and feelings of others. Parables of the Talents is about the persecution of the Earthseed religion, and ultimately it covers the success of the Earthseed. Parable of the Talent takes up a new character, the daughter of Lauren Olamina called Larkin, who reads and thinks about her mother’s journals to assist her in dealing with her sorrow following her mother’s death. The book portrays the traditional role of internal themes of social isolation and transcendence, violence and spirituality, slavery and liberty, separation, and communities, which is now an established community that thrives to survive.

In Parable of the Talents, Larkin is dealing with the death of her mother, Lauren Olamina. Larkin believes her mother was a misguided prophet who had a passionate belief and, over the top, neglected her family, especially her children. The novel retrieves some of the events of Earthseed, including Olamina’s philosophy, and talks of the State of America, when Olamina was an active religious leader in the early 21st century. America was chaotic and quickly dismantled in the early 21st century. The President enrolled Christian America as a fanatical religion for all citizens, and gangs of corruptors devastated gated communities in Los Angeles, including Olamina’s Acorn Community. Much of this is reported in the journals of Olamina, which Larkin reads and reflects on. Lamina talks of Earthseed’s foundation, a community that she creates to counteract the chaos that she sees. The founding principle of the Earthseed is “God is the Change,” which means that people are to control their destinies. Taylor, a doctor of Larkin’s father, urged Olamina to leave the Acorn community for her family in a safer way, but she was determined to spread Earthseed philosophy at any cost. The Acorn was raided, Taylor murdered and Olamina enslaved by radical religious crusaders. Larkin was taken to a Christian family and raised and was renamed, Asha Vere.

The book continues by raising Larkins’ experience away from his mother and connecting him with Marcus, his mother’s brother, a Christian who loved his sister but had been in conflict about his alternative system of belief and fanatical behavior. At the same time, Larkin reads her mother’s journals to learn about her escape from slavery to begin a settlement in Oregon. Larkin tells the story of the US president and his Christian Army’s downfall. Larkin’s uncle Marcus lies about reconnecting Olamina to her; he does not say they are related to Olamina or Larkin. When the truth comes out, Larkin is devastated by the lying of her uncle, and Olamina rejects her brother because of her child. The book ends with Olamina’s death and her ashes scattered through the stars according to her will. Her death comes when her followers in the Earthseed board a starship bound to another solar system, in which they think that they will eventually escape religious persecution. Olamina, too old, stays behind and dies watching the starboard launch. Olamina reflects her belief system. The book ends, ironically, by citing a passage from the gospel of Saint Matthew.

Butler, O. E. (2019). Parable of the talents. In Open WorldCat. Retrieved from https://www.worldcat.org/title/parable-of-the-talents/oclc/1048445128&referer=brief_results

The highly optimistic source brings the prompt message of hope and resistance against fanatism in the highly regarded novel, which is more relevant than ever. Thus, the brilliant and brutally powerful 1998 Earthseed novel Parable of Talents is presented by Octavia Butler. The author expresses how Lauren Olamina survived the destruction of her homes and family in 2032 (Butler, 2019). Based on her newly founded faith, Earthseed, she realized her view on a peaceful community in northern Calif. The emerging community is a shelter to outcast persecution following the election of an ultra-conservative president who vows to make America great again.

Parable of the Talents. (n.d.). Retrieved August 7, 2021, from sevenstories.com website: https://www.sevenstories.com/books/3951-parable-of-the-talents

This source is a highly respected journal that offers an insight on Celebration Butler’s topics in the shockingly familiar, broken world of 2032, alienation, transcendence, violence and spirituality, slavery and freedom, separation, and communion (Butler, nd). The author talks about the story concerning the voice of the daughter of Lauren Olamina, from whom she is separated with sections in the form of Lauren’s journal for most of his life. Based on a war-torn continent and an extreme right-wing religious crusader in the office of the US presidency, this is an extract from a society that has been thrown into chaos, and that seems almost impossible to meet the basic physical and emotional needs of individuals.

Fiction Book Review: Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler, Author Seven Stories Press $24.95 (365p) ISBN 978-1-888363-81-4. (n.d.). Retrieved August 7, 2021, from PublishersWeekly.com website: https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-888363-81-4

According to Butler (2021), a black teenager Lauren Olamina grew up in an America which was tearing apart in the 21st century. Global warming, huge unemployment and corporate greed all unite to disrupt society and California’s poor southern neighborhood. The author states that Lauren is a victim of hyper empathy, a disorder in which her victims sense the pain of others and find themselves homeless and alone in a brutal society. Lauren escaped the urban jungle and started Acorn, a hard-working, prosperous rural community based on the lessons of Earth-seed, a religion that she founded and based on believe in the change of God and the destiny of humanity.

 

The literary device analysis from The Parable of the Talents, which appeared in the Gospels of the New Testament of Matthew and Luke at times, called the Parable of the Minas, shows how ordinary persons seem to benefit from the blessings of God. The parable starts with a master who entrusts his servants with ‘talents’ before taking a long journey. The Parable of the Talents can glean a lot of lessons. This parable is valid today as it was a thousand years ago, which explains the role of opportunity, hard work, and accountability in our everyday lives.  The Parable of the Talent gives lessons on how you can change those you love most. The parable could change people’s commitment to God’s Word and how unique blessings are applied to everyday life.

The three possible prompts for discussion on the Parable of the Talent includes

Considering the comforts and safety of Acorn and the fact that he was rescued by his long-lost sister and saved him from a life of bondage, why does Marcus think he refuses Earthseed and risks his life to strike himself? Why did he find it so difficult to embrace and understand the aims of Lauren Olamina? Why does the Christian America organization not believe that Lauren and Acorn may be cruel? After Marcus has discovered Larkin/Asha Vere and established a deep family relationship, he intentionally decides not to let Olamina know her daughter. Why does Larkin preserve everything for him?

Olamina’s daughter Larkin is resentful because she thinks Earthseed’s mother is more important than the family. After all, her mom, husband, and baby had an opportunity to relocate to a remote seaside village and start a new life that could have been safer. Do you agree or disagree with the decision of Olamina to stay in Acorn and remain devoted to its ideals and objectives and her foundation? In your opinion, what obligation is more important? What remarks about the family do it make regarding the youth of Lauren Olamina compared to the childhood of Larkin and Asha Vere and the family structure established in Acorn before it has been demolished?

The five hashtags on social media that can be used to categorize the main topic in the Parable of the Talent includes,

# We are not all formed with the same abilities, opportunities, and skills.

# Success occurs when we take action.

# When we work, our efforts must be directed towards God rather than our pleasure and goal.

# God provides us with everything we need to do.

# We will be held accountable.

Reference

Butler, O. E. (2019). Parable of the talents. In Open WorldCat. Retrieved from https://www.worldcat.org/title/parable-of-the-talents/oclc/1048445128

Fiction Book Review: Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler, Author Seven Stories Press $24.95 (365p) ISBN 978-1-888363-81-4. (n.d.). Retrieved August 7, 2021, from PublishersWeekly.com website: https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-888363-81-4

Parable of the Talents. (n.d.). Retrieved from sevenstories.com website: https://www.sevenstories.com/books/3951-parable-of-the-talents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Time Capsule Found on the Dead Planet,” Margaret Atwood, Environmentalism

By Maddy Goslee

Citations:

Atwood, Margaret. “ Time Capsule Found on the Dead Planet.”

Norgaard, Richard B. “Beyond Materialism: A Coevolutionary Reinterpretation of the Environmental Crisis.”

Murphy, Patrick D. “The Procession of Identity and Ecology in Contemporary Literature.”

MORRIS, DAVID COPLAND. “Inhumanism, Environmental Crisis, and the Canon of American Literature.”

Summary:

The short story describes the rise, thrive, and fall of a planet through a letter found within a time capsule on the dead planet itself. The author launches herself into the future, having the story appear as though someone has landed on this planet and is reading about it’s horrific past and means of extinction. 

The short story is written in four ages, each of which explains either the rise or fall of the planet. Within the first age, the author illustrates the gods that humans once believed in. This appears to be the beginning of time, where gods were worshipped above all else. The gods were considered All-Knowing, and were able to place harm or comfort upon the people. In this stage, the gods were seen as occasionally cruel and drank human blood, but also kind in offering good harvest and sunshine.

The second and third age follows the creation of money. These stages begin the fall of the planet. The money  was all that was left of the gods at this point in time, and eventually took place of them altogether. The money was seen as magical due to its ability to be exchanged for food or clothing. Money became such a glorified object that a story was created; the story went that if you had enough money, you could fly. With this view, money became increasingly powerful. As money became more powerful, so did an individual’s hunger and greed for it. This caused wars to begin, people to die, and the world to see great destruction.

In the fourth age deserts were created. These deserts were an aftermath of the wars people fought over money. At this stage, people are wreaking the consequences of losing sight of the importance of the gods and the land. As the story comes to a close, the letter asks for someone to pray for those who fell victim to materialism. This letter also serves as a warning by sharing the fate of this dead planet.

Within these various ages of the short story, Atwood seeks to shed light on the potential consequences of misplacing one’s values. In the story, the world thrives when the gods and land are of focus, and dies once money enters the picture. In this sense, the story proposes that humans should prioritize the environment and spiritual world over a materialistic one.

Literary Analysis:

This story uses a first person point of view to directly tell the history of the dead planet to readers. This choice to write in first person helps strengthen the wise-tale style that Atwood aims to bring in this piece. “Time Capsule Found on the Dead Planet” falls under environmental literature and appears to hold dystopian elements in the text as well. It remains environmental because it moves through time to show the deterioration of a planet, and dystopian because of how the land is taken over by monetary values and maintains an ominous undertone throughout most of the story. The point of view, undertone and genre all serve to illustrate the warning message that Atwood aims to share. Along with these elements, she uses literary devices such as personification, hyperbole, flashback, imagery, and tone to further her message. Atwood personifies the money to appear human, causing mass destruction to all those around it. The money both created and ate things. This personification serves as a way to show the power money had over humanity. This personification also works as hyperboles as well. Even if money was alive, it is clearly unlikely that it could eat “whole croplands, forests, and the lives of children” (Atwood 3). Atwood uses exaggeration in this way though to once again express how powerful money became in the human world. This entire story is written as a flashback which allows readers to feel as if they are listening to a story told by their own friend, making the story resonate with more people. Lastly, imagery is used to illustrate the extent of the destruction on the planet. It explains the deserts as being of several kinds, “some were made of cement, some were made of various poisons, some of baked earth” (Atwood 3). Using these literary devices with other aspects of the novel, Atwood makes her warning message bold. Her advice to readers is to not fall victim to materialism as the inhabitants of her story, but rather to remain faithful to spirituality and the environment that stands before us.

This image serves as a visual for a time capsule.

Annotated Bibliography:

Norgaard, Richard B. “Beyond Materialism: A Coevolutionary Reinterpretation of the Environmental Crisis.” Review of Social Economy, vol. 53, no. 4, 1995, pp. 475–492. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/29769816. Accessed 5 Aug. 2021.

This article discusses materialism and how it drives humanity’s environmental crisis. It goes into detail about how materialism creates our environmental problems and limits our vision of the good life. The authors find that becoming knowledgeable on this concept is a step in the right direction towards a better future. These ideas come with the environmental movements aim to slow materialism so that it does not take over every aspect of our lives

 

Murphy, Patrick D. “The Procession of Identity and Ecology in Contemporary Literature.” SubStance, vol. 41, no. 1, 2012, pp. 77–91., www.jstor.org/stable/23261104. Accessed 14 Aug. 2021.

This author looks at how contemporary environmental novels question human perception, preconception, and misconceptions about the nature of nature. He attempts to get reading thinking about what inhabiting earth truly means, rather than just living on it. He challenges how humans generate their perceptions of the realities unfolding around them. He especially focuses on what prevents humans from thinking in an ecological manner regarding planetary events happening around them.

 

MORRIS, DAVID COPLAND. “Inhumanism, Environmental Crisis, and the Canon of American Literature.” Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment, vol. 4, no. 2, 1997, pp. 1–16. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44085493. Accessed 14 Aug. 2021.

This article examines in detail various literary figures and what they have contributed to environmental literature. The author looks at individuals such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and various inhumanist writers, such as Robinson Jeffers. The author David Morris especially looks at the term inhumanism and how this new stance towards nature may be necessary to have in order to resolve the environmental crisis we are in. This perspective asks humans to shift focus onto the external world and to acknowledge its significance. It emphasizes how humans are not meant to dominate nature, but rather work towards living within nature and coinciding with it peacefully. Morris uses the findings of these authors as well as this broad term to express the importance of altering our mindsets to be more aware of nature and how we affect it.

Discussion Questions:

  • The story states midway through that if humans had enough money, “you would be able to fly.” By the end of the novel, we learn that this is in fact not true. What did Atwood mean by this statement and what undertones did she use to convey that message? Can you think of any other stories that involved humans flying and ended similarly? 
  • Atwood writes this story in ages, creating a timeline which pinpoints important aspects of the history of the planet. Why do you believe she does this and what does it do for the text as a whole? Does it change the tone, offer specific emotion for readers, or make the text resonate more in any way? Consider these possibilities and more.
  • The story stems from a time capsule that inhabitants of the dead planet left for someone in the future to find. As we read, we learn that it is a sad tale. If you had to create a time capsule for our world today, what would you include in it and why? What would you want future humans to know about our world? 

 #materialism #enviromentalism #dystopian #spirituality #greed

 

A White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett: Nature and Femininity

By Samantha McDonough 

Core Text: 

Jewett, Sarah Orne. A White Heron and Oter Stories. HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN, 1887. 

Summary:

Jewett’s A White Heron was first published in 1886 and has become one of the author’s most famous short stories. The story follows a young girl named Sylvia who lives with her grandmother on a small farm surrounded by forest. Sylvia’s life revolves around her love for nature and spends her days helping her grandmother with farm chores and mingling with the forest animals. Her life is peaceful and fulfilling and the young girl feels as though she belongs in nature. However, when a young hunter arrives, looking to capture the rare white heron, Sylvia begins to shift in her comfortability. Sylvia, despite her initial fear and shyness around the hunter, begins to develop love for him and agrees to help him locate the bird. Sylvia is forced to confront her connection to nature and desire for a ‘normal life’. Her overwhelming desire to protect wildlife and explore nature begin to take precedence over her wants of money and romantic love. Sylvia’s journey in A White Heron questions a young girl’s relationship to the natural world, life-altering decisions and feelings of regret. 

Setting 

South Berwick, Maine which is where Jewett’s family was from. Jewett has said that many of her short stories are based in the area where she grew up. Sylvia in A White Heron may be based on a younger Sarah Orne Jewett.

The White Heron

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYSM2f94Uhg

This video depicts the White Heron, more commonly known as the Great Egret, which is the bird Jewetts story is focussed around. The birds are a magnificent sight, standing at around three feet tall, and a five foot wingspan. The sighting of this bird is understandably rare for the characters in our story, as they are not typically localized in Maine. 

Literary Analysis: 

On the surface, this is simply a story about a young girl who is deeply connected to nature and is protecting a white heron from a male hunter. Jewett uses symbolism and other literary devices to address issues of womanhood, environmentalism, and personal growth, The story focuses on womens’ inherent ability to focus on the importance of nature and the parallels between the oppression of women by the patriarchy and the exploitation of nature. Sylvia, who can be looked at as the feminine perspective, has a deep admiration for nature and birds and is entranced by the white heron. Jewett uses Sylvia as a device to describe the feminine outlook on nature. The hunter can be looked at as the masculine or patriarchal perspective and also claims to have admiration for the bird, but is hunting with the intention of killing it. Sylvia, or the feminine perspective, takes on a motherly and preserving role for nature, while the patriarchy seeks to monetize, comotify and benefit from nature. Jewett also addressed Sylvia’s internal struggle between following her passion (nature) and her instinctive desire for love, of which she feels for the first time in her childhood with the hunter. 

Resources:

WESS, ROBERT. “Geocentric Ecocriticism.”, Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment, vol. 10, no. 2, 2003, pp. 1–19. www.jstor.org/stable/44086141. 

In this journal, author Robert Wess discusses the concept of geocentric ecocriticism and how we can look at works of literature through this lens. Wess argues that “to humanize the nonhuman is to anthropocentrize it and in that sense to falsify it.” Wess connects this concept to A White Heron in his analysis of the story where discusses the actions of Sylvia, the hunter, and Sylvia’s grandmother. He talks about the hunter’s connection to nature and how it is damaging to nature itself. He also criticizes Sylvia’s connection to nature as well, despite its typical analysis being pure and protecting. Wess looks critically at her relationship to nature, arguing that her love of nature, in of itself, is selfish. This article offers an interesting perspective to the deep roots of human relation to nature. 

Pratt, Annis. “Women and Nature in Modern Fiction.”, Contemporary Literature, vol. 13, no. 4, 1972, pp. 476–480, www.jstor.org/stable/1207443 

In this journal, Annis Pratt analyses women’s relation to nature in numerous stories, including Jewett’s A White Heron. Pratt goes into detail in her analysis of Slyvia’s decisions and how they relate to her connection to nature and her own desires. Pratt discusses the internal struggle that Sylvia undergoes as a result of her interactions with both the hunter and the white heron. She is at a crossroads in her mind and is torn between her internal desire for romantic love with a man and her deep connection with nature. Pratt discusses the underlying connection women in literature have with nature and how that can be recognized in popular fiction.

Held, George. “Heart to Heart with Nature: Ways of Looking at ‘A White Heron.’” Colby Quarterly , vol. 18, no. 1, Mar. 1982, pp. 55–65. 

George Held, in this article, looks deeper at A White Heron and analyzes the text’s literary significance through a new lens. Held analyzes Jewetts literary devices and how they are used to further the underlying themes of the story. He looks at how the symbolism in Sylvia and the hunter characters develop throughout the story and how that lends to themes of gender, feminism, and personal growth. 

Discussion Questions:

  • How does Sylvia’s perception of nature differ from that of the hunter? How does the hunter’s anthropocentric perception of nature affect his actions toward it?
  • Despite this story being written much earlier than the large environmental movement began, how does Jewett communicate themes of environmentalism throughout the story? 
  • How does Sylvia’s difficulty with her decision to help the Hunter relate to her socialized gender roles?

Remember by Joy Harjo

By: Nicole Taylor, Christina Cylc, and Kylie Davis

Pictured above is author Joy Harjo.

Core Text:

“Remember.” Copyright ©1983 by Joy Harjo from ‘She Had Some Horses’ by Joy Harjo. Used by permission of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Summary:

‘Remember’ written by Joy Harjo is a poem that gives the understanding that everything in life is connected somehow. Harjo talks to her readers as if she was giving them a life lesson.  The poem is incredibly detailed and allows readers to picture what is being discussed in the poem as if they are there. In this poem, Harjo writes about nature and how it relates to humans. The author also emphasizes the importance of remembering one’s roots, meaning the ancestors and the struggles they have endured to lead to your existence eventually. One of the most significant elements Harjo emphasizes is ‘identity.’ She wants everyone to remember that our identity comes from recalling our past. Without mistakes or troubles, you can’t be as educated or intelligent. Fascinatingly enough, Harjo has a way of making the title of her poem leave the reader with a task of finding out precisely what Harjo wants you to ‘Remember.’ 

Pictured above is a decorated version of the poem.

Teacher resources:

bycrazzybharath3696, P. (2021, June 7). Remember by JOY HARJO Poem analysis and summary. Unread Poets Society. https://unreadpoetssociety.com/2020/10/30/remember-by-joy-harjo-poem-analysis/. 

This source above was chosen because it details the author Joy Harjo while interpreting the poem line by line. This source is credible and accurate when describing the history of Harjo and the meaning behind each line of the poem. Whenever I struggled to understand a line from ‘Remember,’ I relied on this source to walk me through a different perspective of what the line’s meaning was. I would recommend this source to anyone who would like to scan for the poem or find the meaning of the words used. The interpretation line by line is easier for someone who may not comprehend poetry well. The explanation provided is in-depth yet straightforward. 

Forbes Jack D. Forbes, Jack D. “Indigenous Americans: Spirituality And Ecos.” American Academy of Arts & Sciences. 2021. Web. 04 Aug. 2021.

https://www.amacad.org/publication/indigenous-americans-spirituality-and-ecos

This source was chosen because it provides good insight into Native American culture. This is closely related to this poem for a few reasons; one being that the author is a part of the Muscogee tribe, which allows us to really understand what she is trying to communicate in her writing. Another reason that this is so closely related to the poem is because this article discusses the history behind the Native American culture and explains how and why they place emphasis on a connection between human and earth. It discusses how they refer to the earth as ‘Mother Earth,’ who is a living being and has provided humans with ‘her’ gifts. The text also informs readers how many indigenous people see the world as a beautiful creation that is extremely powerful and has feelings. This aligns with some of the messages in the poem about being thankful for the earth. Another topic that is touched on is the importance of family and respecting one’s ancestors, which is communicated in Harjo’s poem. Overall this source is very important because it allows readers to to fully understand the poem by informing them of the history and culture behind it. 

“Incredible Bridges: “Remember” by Joy Harjo.” Poets.org. Academy of American Poets. Web. 04 Aug. 2021.

https://poets.org/lesson-plan/incredible-bridges-remember-joy-harjo

I chose this source above for a couple of reasons. As a future teacher, this source stuck out to me because of the layout. It takes the poem ‘Remember’ and goes through a lesson plan. In this Source, you can see the literary standards that could align with the poem and lesson. The source would be helpful because it looks at Indigenous / African Americans inside the lesson plan related to Joy Harjo. Since she comes from a tribal background and is considered Indigenous, it pairs together nicely. Also, one of the best parts about this source is the video that is included. In the video, you can see Joy Harjo herself reading her poem ‘Remember.’ This is an excellent source for someone to view if they would like to see her and hear her voice over her work. 

“Joy Harjo’s Inaugural Reading as U.S. Poet Laureate.” doi:10.3998/mpub.10584.cmp.3. 

We decided to choose this source because of the focus on Joy Harjo, the poet. We also chose this source because it mentions some of her more famous works and describes them (summarizes them) by telling what her purpose was for each one and her style while writing it. Harjo received just about every notable poetry award that she could receive from the literary world. All of her work is a way of sharing her survival and uses nature to structure her work. In Harjo’s writings, she refers to herself witnessing events when she says “I,” and she will more often use “we” as her way of saying she was physically there; she was involved. Harjo likes to be brutal with her work; she is a political poet and exposes the truth about the world. Harjo investigates your responsibility toward your culture and the fear of being buried under its weight. This source would be beneficial for someone who wanted to learn more about her way of writing and the reasons behind her poems. 

“Joy Harjo.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation. Web. 05 Aug. 2021.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/joy-harjo

This source was chosen to provide more of a detailed description of the author Joy Harjo and her life. Joy Harjo was born in Tulsa, OK. She is a member of the Muscogee nation and has earned her BA from the University of New Mexico. Most often, Harjo’s poetry focuses on feminism and social justice while incorporating our nation’s history as well. Her work also focuses on nature and centers around the need for “remembrance and transcendence. Harjo says that she feels that her writing is a way for her to free herself and that writing poetry is her way of fulfilling the responsibility to the “sources” that she is. Harjo is a critically-acclaimed poet winning many awards and was named U.S. poet laureate in June of 2019. She first started publishing poetry in yeaHarjo was considered with r 1975, and her first volume was a chapter book that contained nine different poems in the volume. As mentioned in previous sources, Harjo was concerned with politics and keeping tradition in poetry. She often tends to explore her heritage while creating poetry. 

“Critique of JOY Harjo’s Remember – Free Courseworks Examples.” Woodstock Online. 13 Mar. 2020. Web. 13 Aug. 2021.

https://woodstock-online.com/critique-joy-harjos-remember/

This source is a critique of the Poem “Remember” by Harjo. This lyric poem focuses on what is needed to become human, including remembering your roots and connecting to nature.  This poem connects to today’s world by telling us to observe our surroundings and keeping cultural traditions. Harjo often repeats “remember” throughout the poem and wants us to remember our family members before us, who have had so many responsibilities. In this poem, Harjo repeats several aspects of nature, hinting that connecting to nature can benefit your body. She refers to these aspects of nature as “she’ which alludes to the readers that the female gender is more prominent in this poem. She tries to focus on people communicating and interacting with your culture. Harjo also tells her readers to look back at the past and see what lessons they have learned. She tries to tell her readers that even though some of those experiences may have been bad, they should still never forget them. Always remember your past, and learn from it, the good and the bad. 

Joy Harjo, and Tanaya Winder. Soul Talk, Song Language : Conversations with Joy Harjo. Wesleyan University Press, 2011. EBSCOhost,  search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=nlebk&AN=399905&site=ehost-live 

This source is found on Millersville University’s library database. It is an article written about an interview conducted with Joy Harjo, the author of ‘Remember,’ and many other poems and texts. The interview with Harjo touches on many different things. Because she has a solid connection to her Native American heritage. A lot of that is communicated through her writing. During the interview, Harjo is asked to reflect on her upbringing and how her roots have shaped her into the author she is today. She is very proud of her heritage and wants this to be apparent to her readers.

Literary analysis & literary devices:

Overall, ‘Remember’ uses many literary devices to communicate the author’s message that humans are with the earth. Each line has a different meaning and says many things, even in the few words written. Harjo uses repetition at the beginning of every stripe to emphasize the importance of remembering such things as your ancestors or where you came from. The author also uses many literary devices in her poems. There are many uses of metaphors, comparing humans to part of the earth. She also uses personification in her writing to further prove that nature is alive and not just something humans should take for granted. This poem is a free verse poem. Being a free verse poem, there is no rhyme scheme, metrical pattern, or musical form. This poem also gives the author a more significant opportunity to write how they wish, without meeting specific requirements. In ‘Remember,’ the only part that often repeats is the word remember. Harjo uses this word to start many lines and to get the meaning of her poem across. Throughout the poem, ‘Remember,’ one of the literary devices present often is enjambment. This is when the poet decides to cut off a line before its natural stopping point. Specific locations where this occurs are the transition between lines four and five and lines twelve and thirteen. One more major section where this happens is in the final lines of the poem. The purpose of enjambment is used to allow ideas to continue beyond the limitations of one line… it is also to reinforce specific concepts within any of the lines themselves. 

Examples Of Literary Devices From The Poem

  • Repetition: 

The word ‘Remember’ is said at the beginning of each line.

  • Metaphor: 

Line 11 “Remember the earth whose skin you are.” She is comparing the reading to the earth. 

Lines 14-16 “Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their tribes, their families and their histories too. Talk to them, listen to them. They are alive poems.” Harjo is comparing nature to “alive” poems. 

  • Personification: 

Line 3 “Remember the moon, know who she is.” 

Line 17-18 “Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the origin of this universe.”

  • Enjambment: 

This occurs at the transition between lines four and five and lines twelve and thirteen. Enjambment can also be seen in the final lines of the poem.

discussion questions:
  • How do you think this poem would be different if it included a rhyme scheme instead of free verse? 
  • In what ways does Harjo describe the relationship between humans and the earth? 
  • How can you relate this poem to your ancestral tree? 
  • What do you think is the overall theme of the poem? In your opinion, which line(s) do you think conveys the theme of the poem? 
  • Harjo titled this poem ‘Remember,’ with a purpose. What is she trying to have the reader “Remember?” 
  • Harjo wanted readers to learn from their past. What do you think Harjo could have learned from her past that she mentioned in her poem?
hashtags:

#RememberYourRoots  #Ancestors  #Growing  #Nature  #LoveTheEarth  

#IndigenousAmericans  #Identity #CreationOfTheUniverse #FreeVersePoem 

#LearnFromYourPast #ConnectWithNature #Observe

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

By Liana Ockenhouse

Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring

Core Text

Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. Penguin Books, in association with Hamish Hamilton, 2015.

Silent Spring by Carson, Rachel: Very Good Soft cover ...

Summary

Rachel Carson was a marine biologist who wrote the environmental science book Silent Spring. The story begins with Carson establishing the narrative of a fictional small town located in the heartland of America. All things considered, the town sounds perfect in every way, with animals and town folks living in harmony and a thriving community. However, suddenly in this short introduction, an unnamed, mysterious plague falls onto this small town and decimates the local wildlife, and causes the nameless town’s community and economy to collapse. This introduction for Silent Spring serves as a wake-up call for the rest of Carson’s work, where she begins to go into detailed, scientific reviews on environmental concerns. Carson discusses a wide range of topics concerning environmental issues, stemming from the devastation on birds to the dwindling of our sources of water, and Carson uses her education as a marine biologist to talk about the damages that humans have brought upon the environment and the animals. Many of the chapters’ focus is on chemicals such as insecticides and how they affect the ecosystem but Carson also speaks about general waste products and trash thrown out by people that are also harming the environment. Carson covers all ecosystems, specifies how each is suffering and does not hold back on explaining how severe the damage is, and going into the science of why it is all so devastating.

Literary Analysis:

Setting: In the first chapter of Silent Night, “A Fable For Tomorrow”, the setting is at a nameless town located in the American heartland. Carson describes this as a seemingly perfect town that has a thriving community and is in harmony with the nature and woodlands around it.

MOD Learning Center: Rural and Small Town Transportation

Narration: In “A Fable For Tomorrow”, the fictional introduction to Carson’s work, the narration is in an omniscient third-person point of view. The narrator describes the town, goes into detail about its situation, and has full knowledge of the characters and their situations while holding no bias towards or from them.

Conflict: The conflict of the introduction story falls under the Human vs. Nature category. The nameless town, obviously populated by humans, has a thriving community that has farming and has a booming tourist attraction in the form of its surrounding nature. When Carson’s “strange blight” strikes the area, the farm animals and the humans’ health take a severe decline and the surrounding woodlands and streams are contaminated and wither away as well.

Man v Nature by tupilak on DeviantArt

Symbolism: The nameless town itself serves as something symbolic. This town Carson has crafted is meant to symbolize the current state of affairs in the world finds itself in regards to the environmental situations of the time. These environmental afflictions are symbolized by the nameless blight that sweeps over the entire town at the beginning of the book.

Resources:

Mishra, Sandip Kumar. “(Pdf) Ecocriticism: A Study of Environmental Issues in Literature.” ResearchGate, Unknown, 11 Nov. 2016, www.researchgate.net/publication/318350741_Ecocriticism_A_Study_of_Environmental_Issues_in_Literature.

Sandip Kumar Mishra, a PhD scholar in English who has studied at multiple universities including Harvard University, gives a general overview of the literature that focuses on environmental issues. In this particular paper, Mishra speaks on how “The extensive misuse of natural resources has left us at the brink of ditch. The rainforests are cut down, the fossil fuel is fast decreasing, the cycle of season is at disorder, ecological disaster is frequent now round the globe and our environment is at margin.” (Mishra). Mishra also talks about the genre of Ecocriticism and that it has an intentionally broad approach to its own subject matter and that sciences of all kinds contribute to the growth of the field. Even though Mishra’s article covers the specifics of environmental literature and the movements that have birthed it, his article provides ideal context on Carson’s work as well, not just Silent Spring but all of her environmental journals as well as others. Knowing the history of this field of literacy and its structure helps give information on Carson and why she publishes the work she put so much care and knowledge into.

Lear, Linda J. “Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring.’” <i>Environmental History Review</i>, vol. 17, no. 2, 1993, pp. 23–48. <i>JSTOR</i>, www.jstor.org/stable/3984849. Accessed 6 Aug. 2021.

Linda J. Lear’s paper, published by the Oxford University Press, has a primary focus on Carson’s work, her accomplishments, and also the environmental history attached to her. The first pages of the paper is a biography of Carson’s early life, noting her reserved personality, her hometown of Springdale Pennsylvania, and even her husband, Robert Carson, and his career paths. Lear also speaks about Carson’s work outside of the Fish and Wildlife Service in Maine, such as her work on studying clouds for the “Omnibus” television series. Lear then goes into the making of Carson’s famous Silent Spring, noting how, as a young biologist, Carson had a mounting concern about the increasing use of synthetic pesticides. Lear describes that, because of Carson’s generation, that the scientist used her understanding of nuclear fallout and applied that knowledge to bring awareness to the scarily similar behavior of synthetic pesticides. Lear discusses how Carson used Silent Spring and her background in marine biology to become a public educator, speaking on the behave of conserving nature and the wildlife.

Cotton, Peter A. “Avian Migration Phenology and Global Climate Change.” PNAS, National Academy of Sciences, 14 Oct. 2003, www.pnas.org/content/100/21/12219.

Winter Robin | Winter, Robin, Birds

Peter A. Cotton from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Plymouth gathered data on migratory birds and how climate change has affected them, specifically how it has prolonged the migrating seasons and altered their breeding and migration, among other issues. In Cotton’s study, there are three species of birds who had considerably weak data in concern of arriving at their breeding grounds on time. The birds in the study are the whinchat, lesser whitethroat, and yellow wagtail. The study could not determine a precise reason as to why these species of birds did not make it to their breeding grounds at an appropriate time. This article serves as a good parallel with Rachel Carson’s eighth chapter in Silent Spring where she discusses the decline in songbirds due to the spreading of DDT spray. Both articles take note of the steep decline of birds in their respective habitats and/or migratory paths.

Questions:

1. How does Rachel Carson go about applying her background as a marine biologist to the text of Silent Spring? What are types of human products affecting the environment does she cover throughout the book?

2. In the introduction, Carson provides a very clear image of what kind of damage can be caused by the environmental issues of her time. Are these issues still relevant today or have these problems been handled properly?

3. Carson describes the devastating effects insecticide has on plants and animals throughout her text. How did the insecticide in chapter ten contaminated farmlands and how did the government spread it in the first place?

#insecticide #climatechange #avian #environmentalissues #smalltown

The Word for World is Forest, Ursula K. Le Guin, by Hanna Ciesielka

https://images.app.goo.gl/AKFRYnB1cHC8zVHE9  

 

Core Text: 

Le Guin, Ursula K. The Word for World is Forest. Tom Doherty, 1972. 

 

Summary: (250 words) 

A life without trees will cause humans to leave. Davidson, a human from earth and a leader which they trust has found himself in a difficult position. His home is now filled with cement with not even a sight of green. He takes it upon himself to recolonize onto a new planet, Athshe. Already home to natives, they call “creechies,” have taken their way of life, and enslaved most. Davidson and the rest of his people were tearing up this new planet; so much so that humans became nervous, and “creechies” became angry. One night a violent attack involving rape and a death happened due to Davidson attacking a female “creechy,” Selver’s wife. Selver and Davidson were alike, not in the sense that they are different species, but that they were seen as leaders. Selver had enough of the human’s anticks and attacked Davidson for the crime he did. “Creechies” are non-violent creatures, so for Selver to attack him was really out of character. Both Davidson and Selver flee to calm down. Only to return moments later with different mindsets. Selver talks to his kind, telling them enough is enough and that the humans are turning their planet to dust. He hatches a plan to kill every human in sight, every woman, child and man, in order to save Athshe. They succeed and as they act against their once non-violent ways. Selver, not proud of what he has done, believed it was necessary to save his kind and his planet.  

 

Resources: (658 words) 

Clement, Matthew Thomas, et al. “Urbanization and LAND-USE Change: A Human Ecology of DEFORESTATION across the United States, 2001-2006.” Sociological Inquiry, vol. 85, no. 4, 2015, pp. 628–653., doi:10.1111/soin.12097.  

    • The reading and study show us the impact on urbanization and the population have on forests across the United States. This research was done in 2001 to 2006. Although the information gathered is not around today’s time frame, it still presents us with much needed information. In relation to the novel and this article, I found that they both one thing in common, over population and destruction or construction for that matter. With a lot of people, come more homes, schools, parks, and construction on our green land, leaving us with cement. In fact, Davidson left due to over construction. As said in the article, “Hard deforestation involves the permanent loss of forest cover to roads, houses, commercial centers, and industrial facilities…” (Page 246-246) Once this starts happening trees will begin to fall faster and we’ll be left with fake air. Soon after, we won’t want to live on earth and move to another planet. The novel is very scary in that almost possible outcome in the far future. (169 words) 

Jorgenson, Andrew K., and Thomas J. Burns. “Effects of Rural and Urban Population Dynamics and National Development on Deforestation in Less-Developed Countries, 1990-2000.” Sociological Inquiry, vol. 77, no. 3, 2007, pp. 460–482., doi:10.1111/j.1475-682x.2007.00200.x.  

    • Written even before the article above, this article addresses most concerns from above. The difference between rural and urban is quite simple. Yet the impact each has on deforestation is surprising. Rural areas are known as farms and open lands. Urban areas have cities, overpopulation and construction all around. However, the information from studies within this article show research one may not expect. “… growth in rural population increases deforestation while growth in urban population suppresses or decreases this form of environmental degradation.” (Page 476, paragraph 2) To my surprise, rural areas, areas with green land and freedom, come at a price. Poverty and deforestation go hand in hand in rural areas. Due to the lack of material, these areas struggle with desertification, soil degradation, and erosion. Not only that, but the high areas, succeeding with forests get taken over by big cooperation’s and factory’s, which also lead to the lack of green. To connect the novel and this article, it is not about rural, urban, or suburban areas; while I thought it was interesting, it is more about human impact on earth. In the novel, Selver killed humans as they were ripping up his land. It also explained Davidson and his reasoning for fleeing earth as it was filled with cement. In the novel the struggle with human activity and from 1990 to 2000 we see the same thing. I can only imagine what it would be like today. (240 words) 

Pau, Stephanie, et al. “A Dynamic History of Climate Change and Human Impact on the Environment From Keālia Pond, Maui, Hawaiian Islands.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, vol. 102, no. 4, 2012, pp. 748–762., doi:10.1080/00045608.2011.652853.  

    • Taken place on Hawaiian Islands, this article gives clear and detailed information on how humans impact our environment. In the novel, it is clear humans made a big impact; not only on earth but also on Athshe. Davidson, the leader, decided to take over Athshe and affect their way of life without considering the damage he’s doing. He must have thought that would be no consequences or that natives would simply let him do this. Either way, the reason for him and his people to leave earth was due to the lack of nature and cement everywhere. With his arrival on a new planet then caused the decrease in nature’s beauty. When this was brought to Davidson’s attention, he dismissed it. The lack of understanding and learning from the past is incredible. In the article, we learned that while humans have not made significant and quick impact on the Hawaiian Islands, there has been a steady disturbance to nature. Humans are not the only reason to blame, forest fires and other natural disasters play a role. However, humans add to the disruption, such as construction. It is important to understand nature and development. As time passes, it is normal for cities, towns, and other areas to develop, but to control it is key. I believe the novel and the article are different in this aspect, as Davidson did what he wanted and for that the natives wanted revenge, but Polynesians understand and develop the Hawaiian Islands as time progresses. (249 words) 

 

Literary Analysis and Devices: (373 words) 

Analysis 

The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin gives a sad and scary fictional story that almost seems too real. In the novel, natives from the planet Athshe are welcomed by humans from earth. Humans left earth when they realized the damage, they put upon it. Once earth and nature were no longer beautiful and sustainable, they left. Now embarking on new territory, they enslave natives, giving them new names, “creechies.” This novel represents war, destruction, and damage to our world. It isn’t until an incident involving sexual assault and death when Selver, a “creechy”, decides he’s had enough. Him and his natives attack the humans, killing and burning down everything. They did so to keep their planet safe. Towards the end of the reading, there was a question as to if the natives will leave their non-violent ways and turn on each other. It is up for the reader to interpret what may happen. (158 words) 

Devices 

Allegory– to start off, allegory is defined as discussing or revealing something with a deeper meaning, typically about real-world occurrences. Our world is of course real and should be taken seriously. By the novel saying humans had to leave earth because we destroyed it by playing with cement is a real thing that humans do daily. This novel lets readers realize what could happen if we don’t stop the unnecessary construction.  

Imagery– this literary device is what it sounds like, what the novel provides visually. In this novel, because it is violent, you can visually imagine the attacks. Each character is described in great detail as well, giving the reader the ability to see what the author wants them to see. It is almost like a movie in that sense.  

Cliffhanger– ever seen a really good movie about a couple that is friends but loves each other and then the movie ends without giving you an answer on whether or not they got together? Well, this is a cliffhanger. In the novel, Selver says he doesn’t think their planet, Athshe, will return to normal as the natives now know how to kill. The ending doesn’t specify whether or not natives turned on each other and for that reason, I label this novel as a cliffhanger. (215 words) 

 

Discussion Questions: (215 words) 

  1. From The Word for World is Forest we learned that “creechies” are non-violent creatures. However, when Selver became a “God” to his people, he instructed that they kill every human to save their planet. How would you describe Selver’s actions in the novel and do you agree with them? Explain. 
  2. From the novel, “creechies” now know how to murder. At the end of the book, Selver admits he is nervous if they will start killing each other as they are now no longer non-violent. What do you think will happen? Will “creechies” remain peaceful or will they turn on each other? Describe your answer and explain how you believe this will impact their planet. 
  3. Why does deforestation from rural, urban, suburban areas impact us? Natural disasters and lack of resources for instance; we have people coming to our country to be free but what if they were coming and destroying our forests. Do you think we will start turning on others as they did in the novel?  
  4. Not only from the novel and sources provided but also from the information we learned throughout this course, we learned that a lot of people are taking nature for granted. How would you help our environment and change this to keep our planet green?  

 

Hashtags:  

#Deforestation  

#War 

#Violence 

#ScienceFiction 

#SaveTheTrees