Autumn Leaves Thoughts

Avoiding the Buy n Large Fate: Environmental Advice from Disney Pixar’s WALL-E

December 14, 2016

Preface A concept that we have encountered repeatedly throughout the semester is mankind’s association with the environment, and the role that perceived value plays in that association. For this project, I drew ideas from course authors such as Momaday, who discusses the Native American love and perception of the land even though it has been … More Avoiding the Buy n Large Fate: Environmental Advice from Disney Pixar’s WALL-E

A Pleasurable Holiday

December 1, 2016

One of the concerns that Singer and Mason raise in The Ethics of What We Eat is the lack of ethical choices that consumers make when they shop for food. All too often convenience trumps ethical habits. This photo essay is my attempt to connect the Thanksgiving staples found in the grocery store to a … More A Pleasurable Holiday

Consider Your Neighbors

November 17, 2016

The Ethics of What We Eat is largely composed of stories that invoke empathy from the readers. Quite obviously, the book engages readers with stories of how animals are raised as our food. Tight cages, invasive insemination techniques, forced starvation, beak searing, and maiming are all aspects of the industry that unsettle readers. We suddenly … More Consider Your Neighbors

Back to Basics

November 10, 2016

In this week’s readings from Wendell Berry, some of the common themes that emerged were mankind’s relationship with the natural realm and Berry’s call for responsibility toward the land and its resources. In “Renewing Husbandry,” Berry detailed America’s change from a healthy farm community to a world concerned only with the production of animals and … More Back to Basics

Developing a Natural Sense

November 5, 2016

In Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Dillard reveals her vision of nature through the exploration of her backyard. Using both her literary and scientific knowledge to enhance the description of what she observes, she aids readers in understanding some of the science involved in nature, while not distracting them from seeing the creek’s environment. In Dillard’s … More Developing a Natural Sense

Our Beautiful Land

October 27, 2016

Dillard’s mindset has many similarities to the Native American worldview as seen in N. Scott Momaday’s “A First American Views His Land.” The Native Americans recognize the importance of communing with the land and celebrate this relationship in their lifestyle, artwork, and oral traditions. Throughout Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Dillard explores the relationship between man … More Our Beautiful Land

The Prize of Seeing

October 21, 2016

In Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard repeatedly returns to the concept of seeing nature. From the color patches and confusion of the formerly blind, to the humorous observation of a coot, and the intimate study of the organisms living in the soil beneath a sycamore tree, Dillard uses skills honed through years of careful … More The Prize of Seeing

Reclaiming Responsibility

October 6, 2016

This week’s readings focused on man’s relationship with the land through various aspects of nature. From the figures of trees and forests in the writings of Muir, Cooper, and Emerson to the in-depth look at soil through Burroughs and Whitman, it is possible to see the connections between man and his behavior towards these natural … More Reclaiming Responsibility

Appreciating the Anthropocene

September 30, 2016

At the end of “The Ponds” chapter, Thoreau discusses the topic of man’s lack of appreciation and connection with nature. Despite his experiment to live deliberately and Spartan-like in the forests surrounding Walden Pond, Thoreau admits that he is unable to fit as smoothly into the natural environment as the animals and plants; rather, he … More Appreciating the Anthropocene

A Human Connection

September 22, 2016

At the beginning of Walden, the reader gets the impression that Thoreau’s experiment of “living deliberately” has to do with living simply in nature. He builds a small cabin and spends his days observing his natural environment, contemplating solitude, and conducting research on Walden Pond, its depth, and its ice. The initial observation, however, leaves … More A Human Connection

Thoreau’s Neighborhood

September 15, 2016

The inner chapters of Walden are a puzzle of contradictions. The observations, actions, and advice that Thoreau gives seem to waver between supporting either a more rugged or civilized way of living. In “Sounds,” he listens and observes the nature outside his window, but admits to enjoying domestic chores like housework, and is enthralled with … More Thoreau’s Neighborhood

Settling Nature

September 8, 2016

Much of the first two chapters of Walden are dedicated to finding a more fulfilling, yet simplistic way of life. In “Economy,” this is explored through food, clothes, fuel, and shelter—the four ingredients that Thoreau considers “necessary for life” (45). In “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For,” Thoreau meditates on how life is … More Settling Nature