The Damnation of a Canyon Essay

looked for a leader who he could trust to lead the expedition. When he came to his conclusion

Dennis Covington writes about a unique method of worship—snake handling, in his memoir, Salvation on Sand Mountain. He begins as a journalist, looking in on this foreign way of life; however, as time progresses he increasing starts to feel a part of this lifestyle. As a result loses his journalistic approach, resulting in his memoir, detailing his own spiritual journey. Upon the conclusion of his stay in this world, Covington realizes the significance of this journey, and argues in his memoir that we cannot entirely know ourselves until we step outside of our comfort zone and separate ourselves from our norm.

They believed humans should appreciate and use nature instead of destroying it. Since the earth had been made by God, humans did not have the right to change the landscape of the earth. Unfortunately for people such as Hawthorne, the majority of people did not consider the damage to the environment as a major issue. They thought that it was only a small part of the natural world, and they were only changing it to make the world a better place to live. They also believed that the Erie Canal would provide people a better way to view nature’s beauty, since people hardly ever went into the wilderness just to observe the natural world.

In Rebecca Solnit’s essay entitled The Thoreau Problem, the American writer analyzes the problematic response and formation of Thoreau’s reputation. She claims that the scholars and critics refuse to acknowledge the multidimensional aspect of Thoreau’s actions, not being able to see that he could be both a revolutionary figure who is able to inspire activists, as well as a man who was passionate about natural histories. In isolating these two parts of Thoreau, a reflection of the American thought is shown that there’s no belief in multifaceted ideas in regards to the environment and social justice. However, Solnit has stated that this notion is false and detrimental to society as well as nature, stating

We can’t live without nature. It’s our home and way of life. Henry David Thoreau wrote a piece about Walden Pond in the springtime. Thoreau discusses how nature has so much to offer. His use of anaphora, diction, and imagery helps to show not only his love for nature, but the impact it has on us.

Not many people know of the used-to-be 150-mile excursion that the Glen Canyon had to offer. Not many people know how to sail a raft down a river for a week. Not many people know how to interact with nature and the animals that come with it. We seem to come from a world that is dependent on time and consumed in money. Edward Abbey is what you would call an extreme environmentalist. He talks about how it was an environmental disaster to place a dam in which to create Lake Powell, a reservoir formed on the border of Utah and Arizona. He is one of the few that have actually seen the way Glen Canyon was before they changed it into a reservoir. Today, that lake is used by over a million

In the ¨River Restoration Project Offers a Sprinkling of Hope¨, Ron Jacobsma, general manager of the Friant Water Authority, said “We hope to get double duty out of that water by taking it the long way around.¨ As Jacobsma is a general manager of the Friant water Authority, this offers us his experience, his ideas and his thoughts of how we can have hope for the project. President Barack Obama signed the Omnibus Public Lands Bill in March, the agreement turned into federal law when he signed it. The parties had been working on the restoration plan for more than two years laying the groundwork for the physical changes to come. When the president signed it, it made them get the approval which he supported for them to continue the process. The credibility of the author right has now been believable because he provided us with the ethics of President Obama and Jacobsma. The river will not necessarily end up to its full, natural path along its entire length. Too much has changed in the decades since the dams construction. They would use canals along some stretches to carry the water short distances and to ferry the salmon upstream. This is showing us logos with facts and information it offers an explanation on how to solve one of the problems with the plan. A professor named Peter Moyole, from UC Davis also had his opinion on the project. He said “We have never done anything on this scale”, but we were willing to try it and approve of the

“Hills Like White Elephants”, by Ernest Hemingway, is a short story published in 1927 that takes place in a train station in Spain with a man and a woman discussing an operation. Most of the story is simply dialogue between the two characters, the American and Jig. This couple is at a critical point in their lives when they must decide whether or not to have an abortion. Certain themes arise from this story such as choices and consequences, doubt and ambiguity, and how men and women relate. Hemingway also uses many examples of symbolism in “Hills Like White Elephants”, including descriptions of the surrounding scenery, the hills themselves, and the station where the action takes place.

Many people were puzzled on why the young man decided to go on such an expedition without being properly prepared. His death has led to a controversy between whether he should be idolized for having the courage to follow

The climax of Salvation on Sand Mountain, author Dennis Covington’s account of his own exploration into the bizarre and small world of snake-handling, is when Covington himself takes up the snakes for his first (and last) time. As he describes in great detail, the experience of snake-handling for Covington was similar to that of an awakening. Covington felt no fear, as the snake became an extension of himself and the entire room faded to white. As Covington begins to come back into himself, the sound, smell, and heat of the church all return, and he hands the snake back to Carl. The most climatic scene in the work ends. As I read this scene, though, my own views and understanding of religion began to complicate because I am accustomed to thinking of religious in the context of the quiet of the Catholic Church and not the chaos of the snake-handlers’ church. Thus, I also became skeptical of Covington’s experience due to his previous affinity for danger.

Dennis Covington’s Salvation on Sand Mountain begins by focusing on the trail of Glenn Summerford. This creates a great stir in the small town of Scottsboro, Alabama, and what begins as a typical journalist seeking a hot story on an uncommon subject turns into something more. In some ways, Covington goes on a personal quest to further understand faith, though this is something that is not directly or explicitly stated in the novel. A large part of the book focuses on the snaking handling experience; and chronicles the untypical, mysterious, even strange, rural people who live in a small town in the Southern Appalachia and who devoutly believe in this religion. Once the pastor, Glenn Summerford, is convicted of trying to kill his wife with snakes from the church, the Church of Jesus with Signs Following becomes the spotlight of controversy and intense public scrutiny. However, as the novel progresses, the reader sees that the Salvation on Sand Mountain is really a story about Covington exploring the human condition, this strange religion, and his own soul.

     Not many people know of the used-to-be 150-mile excursion that the Glen Canyon had to offer. Not many people know how to sail a raft down a river for a week. Not many people know how to interact with nature and the animals that come with it. We seem to come from a world that is dependent on time and consumed in money. Edward Abbey is what you would call an extreme environmentalist. He talks about how it was an environmental disaster to place a dam in which to create Lake Powell, a reservoir formed on the border of Utah and Arizona. He is one of the few that have actually seen the way Glen Canyon was before they changed it into a reservoir. Today, that lake is used by over a million people, and is one of

One rhetorical strategy he uses fairly well is the omission of details. I will be the first to admit that the creating of any reservoir will kill any life that it floods out, which is obvious, but in this case I believe that the pros far outweigh the cons. Abbey used omission of details to make it seem that the reservoir had killed all wildlife in that area and desolated the environment, saying that after draining the dam, plant life will come back, "[w]ith the renewal of plant life will come the insects, the birds, the lizards, and snakes, the mammals." However, Lake Powell is teeming with life. According to the Lake Powell website, it is home to over 170 species of birds, 800 different mammals and more that a dozen reptile species (Lake Powell). And anyone who has been there will ask, if there is a slight lack of insects, which I am not sure

8. Do you have sympathy or empathy for the wife of Don Elias, Dona Matilde?

He was a man with an adventurous spirit and a love for the water and all things seaworthy. He realized his love for the sea at a young age.