Rachel
Carson’s work, “A Fable for Tomorrow” from the excerpt “Silent Spring” is an
important learning experience as it is considered a landmark in ecological
literature that she is able to present both what is and what can be. With “Silent
Spring” being a best seller and named top 25 of the greatest science books of
all time, it still continues to inspire environmentalists today even half a
century later. This section from the best-selling book serves as warning for
the overuse of pesticides in the eco-system. While pesticides are known for destroying
insects and other organisms that may damage cultivated plants or animals, many
of us fail to realize how dangerous the use and abuse of these deadly chemicals
really are.
Even
though pesticides are banned in the United States, almost 500 chemicals are
introduced into the country every year. Through the use of pesticides, man has altered
the balance of nature. “Man is a part of nature and his war against nature is
inevitably a war against himself. A war he will lose unless he comes to terms
with himself” (Carson). Not only did the vegetation and animal life suffer, but
the doctors were overwhelmed with the odd diseases that came into their
offices. Pesticides can effect humans by causing headaches, nausea, skin
irritation, as well as rashes; and on a more serious note, cancer, nervous
system problems and organ damage. They can also have an effect on the
environment through water, soil, plants and animals.
Carson
portrays the lack of reproduction with the “white powder” and what it impacts. For example, the chickens lays eggs but do
not produce chicks or the birds were either dead or migrated to another site
and no fruit, bees, or other animals could sustain life. She
describes the “white power” or pesticides as an evil spell that has settled on
the community. However, the author never mentions exactly what the actual “evil
spell” is in the story.
Nonetheless,
using the metaphor of an evil spell, the author explains it is a mysterious disease
which wipes out entire flocks of sheep, herds of cattle and that man has done
this to himself. “No witchcraft, no enemy action had silenced the rebirth of new
life in this stricken world…A grim spectre has crept upon us almost unnoticed,
and this imagined tragedy may easily become a stark reality we all shall know”
(Carson). I believe the
author’s true purpose was not to ridicule the public but rather to raise awareness
of the issue at hand and hopefully promote the stopping of the misuse of
pesticides, insecticides, fungicides and herbicides as these can induce such
harm to man and to the world. I also feel she is implying that this is not a
situation that lies outside the control of human beings who can do their own
ecological part to make sure that which is present is a future that is
ecologically sound for all creatures.
References
Carson, Rachel, and Lois
Darling. "A Fable for Tomorrow." Silent Spring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1962. N. pag. Print.
Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring
An example of massive spraying of pesticides onto a field of plants
An example that Rachel Carson is definitely a role model
An aircraft spraying extreme amount of poison (pesticides) over a reign
No comments:
Post a Comment