In the novel A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter, there lies in the pages the themes of nature and moths, both intrinsic motifs sunk deep into the bones of the storyline. The beauty and elegance of nature is viewed by the characters as a direct manifestation of the hand of God. As such, the characters in the story basked in the glory of the outdoors and spent most the time perusing the surrounding areas around their homes. Each character in the novel had a different relationship to nature. For some, such as nature was a way to find inner peace. For others, nature represented the turbulence and wildness upon which the course of life took you. Specific places out in the surrounding environment novel also had a noteworthy part in the theme of nature. And then you have characters in which nature played a more significant role such as Elnora and her mother Mrs. Comstock’s life. The focal point of the story is focused on the heroin Elnora Comstock with her collection of moths and her crotchety mother Mrs. Comstock. Elnora is a poor necessitous girl who receives no support from her mother. This is due to the fact that Mrs. Comstock blames Elnora for her husband's death by asphyxiation in the limberlost swamp. All of the nurturing and care she had came from Margaret and Wesley Sinton. The lack of care and support from her mother led Elnora to have to pay for her own education. She managed to collect the funds she needed by selling her rare
Author, Henry David Thoreau and Mary Oliver are both very passionate about nature and what it has to offer in life, as well as the symbolism behind nature and its creatures in their works of literature, in “Walden”, and “The House of Light”, Both authors discuss their views of nature and the beauty of the world that they want to make familiar to their audience. In this essay, I’ll provide my reasoning behind this statement.
A particularly good example of nature's impact on the characters in the novel occurs when Antonia's father, overcome with grief and despair for his distant homeland, kills himself in the midst of a blizzard. The gray, dead appearance of the land in winter surely accounted for much of Mr. Shimerda's pain, and the rolling plains of "sheet metal" could not begin to compare with his own beloved country. Man must learn to live with Nature, to work with it and still survive. Cather presses this theme time and again, not only in this novel but in 0, Pioneers! and One of Ours as well. Her own childhood on the Nebraska frontier is responsible for this humble attitude towards the natural world.
In the short story “Lullaby” by Leslie Marmon Silko, nature is an evident theme. Nature is a very important part of Native American culture and it heavily influences their beliefs. “Lullaby” is a story about a Native American woman named Ayah. Ayah goes through many hardships and uses nature to get through these traumatic events. Nature is a significant part of the story because Ayah finds comfort within it, nature is symbolic throughout the story and Ayah receives closure from nature when Chato perishes.
In the essay, “A Literature of Place”, Barry Lopez expresses the importance of nature as it applies to human life. Through this he states that humans’ imagination are inspired by the scenery around them. Lopez revolves around a central perspective; Ancient american literature has always been rooted in nature. By acknowledging that modern human identity has been interpreted by nature, Lopez describes how the landscape of an area can shape the structure of the communities and how it can help with spiritual collapse. Nature writing has often been summarised by being one of the oldest threads in american literature. With our nation's aging one needs to reflect on their literary past; therefore, Lopez insists that we find our path to nature that
In “The Luck of Roaring Camp” by Bret Harte, nature is seemingly created into its own character. Nature has the haunting role of being the giver and taker of life in this story. The forces of nature bring the men of the camp the blessing of a small child. Through this child the men are given life and see the beauty of nature around them. However, nature will ultimately strip the men of both of these things. Harte shows us that nature is the culprit that brings both beauty and pain.
In the short story “Marigolds”, the author, Eugenia Collier, uses several key events throughout the short story to represent the unseen cage that the main character, Lizabeth, is trapped in, and ultimately breaks. The story is set in a shanty town, likely taking place during the Great Depression. Throughout the story, Lizabeth goes through a difficult stage in life, a stage in which she is in conflict about whether she wants to be a carefree, innocent child, or an educated, compassionate adult. The climax of the story, when Lizabeth tears and rips up Miss Lottie’s marigolds, is such an emotional moment for Lizabeth that she finally completes her transition to adulthood, understands her endless cycle of poverty, and breaks the final bar of the cage.
Albert Einstein spoke of nature and its value when he said, “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” As Einstein pointed out, by looking into nature you could discover something new about yourself and the world around you. John Muir and William Wordsworth both discovered joy when they looked deep into nature. This joy gave them a new perspective on nature and life and they each expressed this joy through different works of writing. Both authors have a unique outlook on nature and its impact as well as different thoughts on how to share their relationships; Muir used diction and connotation to show his relationship in his essay “The Calypso Borealis” where Wordsworth used tone and syntax in his poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”.
The nature imagery used expresses the flaws of Puritan thought and anxieties towards outside forces, both seen and unseen. Through his use of nature imagery and diction, the reader obtains a better understanding of such Puritan anxiety within the community as they try to maintain their utopian society from collapsing to these supernatural forces caused by an irritated and vengeful Devil.
The affection of nature on the main character. “The main character is a young man who believes that he knows the frozen wilderness, but he is still a tenderfoot who has not yet learned to respect the power of nature” (James M.
Nature plays a significant role in Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston uses nature throughout the story where it appears in several different forms including motif, symbolism, and theme. One major motif appears on the very first page, reoccurs throughout the rest of the novel, and at the end the book comes full circle using the motif of the horizon. Symbolism in this novel takes the form of both objects and events, enhancing the meaning of the story and adding color to the narrative style. This use of symbolism helps to express the struggles, circumstances, and traits of certain characters. Often, these symbols of nature are used in conjunction with one another, this is done in such a way that they enhance the meaning of the other. Without these specific symbols, the reader would be void of the deeper intricacies and subtleties of the story that make it so complex, so it is crucial to analyze the meaning of them when interpreting the novel.
“Continuous as the stars that shine and twinkle on the milky way, they stretched in never-ending line along the margin of a bay: ten thousand saw I at a glance, tossing their heads in sprightly dance.” This beautiful and lovely description of the daffodils portrayed in “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” helps the reader to envision what Wordsworth saw while he was out walking. Such a description makes a reader’s imagination flow and encaptures a reader. Another story that catches a reader’s attention in a similar way to “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” is the text “Calypso Borealis”. Authors William Wordsworth and John Muir both write beautiful descriptions of nature that pull readers in and allow them to see the wonders of nature through the authors’
Charlotte Bronte makes extensive use of nature imagery in her novel, Jane Eyre, commenting on both the human relationship with the outdoors and with human nature. The Oxford Reference Dictionary defines "nature" as "1. the phenomena of the physical world as a whole . . . 2. a thing's essential qualities; a person's or animal's innate character . . . 4. vital force, functions, or needs." Bronte speaks to each of these definitions throughout Jane Eyre.
In American Literature many authors write about nature and how nature affects man's lives. In life, nature is an important part of people. Many people live, work, or partake in revelry in nature. Nature has received attention from authors spanning several centuries. Their attitudes vary over time and also reflect the different outlooks of the authors who chose to discuss this important historical movement. A further examination of this movement, reveals prevalence of nature's influence on man and how it affects their lives.
My Wooded World Sheila Visingardi tells a story about how nature plays a huge part in her life. As a child she would sit in the beautiful, relaxing, woods and let her mind wander. It was as if the branches would call to her. (Lines 2-4) As the speaker grows older the woods have become an escape for her. The woods represent a sanctuary. This is where she feels inspired and creative, and also safe and at home. It is “a world full of imagination, creativity, resourcefulness, as well as inspiration.” (Lines 7-8)
Robert Frost’s nature poetry occupies a significant place in the poetic arts; however, it is likely Frost’s use of nature is the most misunderstood aspect of his poetry. While nature is always present in Frost’s writing, it is primarily used in a “pastoral sense” (Lynen 1). This makes sense as Frost did consider himself to be a shepherd.