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Analysis Of A Mild Attack Of Locusts By Doris Lessing

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Balance Beam: Of Battle and Respect
There is a reason why one of the four known types of literary conflict is called ‘man v. nature.’ Nature has always been a thing of power and unstoppable force for all of human history, a fact supported both by our own fears and knowledge of the struggle of trying to survive within it. Nature, too, is more present in some lives than other—its whims and harsh attacks leave little scars on cities, but for the more rural folk, the farmers and the like, it can be devastating. One sort of this kind of natural disaster is addressed in Doris Lessing’s short story “A mild Attack of Locusts,” written in 1955. Within it, the reader is presented with numerous characters, all with differing experiences and differing …show more content…

When the locusts left from the farm, Margaret notes, “There was nothing left but the black spines of branches and tree trunks. No green—nothing. …The lands, which had been filmed with the green of the new, tender mealie plants, were stark and bare” (5). A single day of the locust swarm, and everything on the farm has been devoured and tainted by eggs for months to come. This is not a one-time occurrence—it is implied throughout the short story that, just like with bad rain and bankruptcy, the locusts are something that must be weathered and prepared for, because this is not a one-time occurrence. This is just one example of the delicate balance of the farm and how easily the wild ruins the farmers’ hard work in matter of hours. The life of the farm—and especially of old Stephen—is one of constant struggle against the unyielding and unpredictable power of the wild.
Beyond a mere struggle for survival, within the story itself, the farmer’s experiences with nature but especially old Stephen, is one of constant war. It is outright stated: “The men were talking as if they were planning a war” (4). The language of the passage itself supports this—the locusts are referred to as “armies” multiple times, and their original descent is compared with a thunderstorm. They are treated as an unwanted and invading force, troops aiming for every green thing, something that should be avoided and fought with, not just survived. From the

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