Nature Essays

Nature Essays Nature Essay Nature Essay Name Tutor Course Date Nature Nature has always been a force to reckon with because of the power it has to either create or destroy. Despite humans being ecologically dominant in the world, their survival has always been connected to nature. This connection originates from the interaction that humans have with nature, which constantly surrounds them. For instance, humans need air, water and food for their survival. All these factors are part of nature, and it is because of this fact that it is crucial for man to attempt and understand his natural surroundings. The understanding of nature is beneficial because it enables one to gain an understanding of one’s self and the dynamics of human society. Nonetheless, a conflict usually arises among freethinkers when the power of nature over man is questioned. However, historical events often suggest that it is impossible for man to conquer nature. The book Into the Wild by John Krauker is a perfect example of the man vs. nature conflict. The book is based on the account of Chris McCandless life and death as he attempted to conquer nature. It highlights the story of a 24-year-old college graduate who after renouncing most of his possessions including his vehicle and life savings, decides to explore nature and the experiences it presents. He sets out from home leaving his family behind to accomplish his quest, which was inspired by his heroes Jack London and John Muir. This book attempts to analyze the relationship between man and nature by following the trail left behind by Chris McCandless during his adventure while putting emphasis on his tragic death. While this book is a good literal material, its analysis is relevant in revealing the power of nature and its relation to the survival of man. In the book Into the Wild by John Krauker, Chris McCandless has an interesting relationship with nature. His interpretation of nature conceives society as not part of nature. The separation of society from nature in his mind is evident when he decides to live in the wilderness because of his contempt towards the society, which had caused him too much pain and disgust. He believes that nature is a different entity as compared to society. It is because of this reason that he sees the decision to seclude himself from society as an action that will give him the self-awareness and social progress that is lacking in the confines of society. To him, nature is a retreat that has already been explored by denouncers of the society like Henry David Thoreau and John Muir. In addition, Chris McCandless is in constant conflict with himself on whether he can conquer nature. It is evident from the beginning of the book that Chris McCandless had the urge to prove to himself that he had power over nature. It is partly because of this unsettling urge that he decides to live in the wilderness. However, through out history nature has always bested man except for isolated cases where man chose to work according to the fundamental principles of nature. This is evident in the book when he changes his ideology and decides that nature is only a refuge for a short while and that true happiness can only be shared. This change of mindset by Chris McCandless shows how his relationship with nature had evolved since he first set foot into the wild. Apparently, he seems to agree with the fact that nature is a dominant force that has power over man. One dominant perception about nature in the book â€Å"Into the Wild† is that nature is neither benevolent nor nurturing. This is a fact that is in perfect agreement with reality with an exception of isolated cases. It is well known that nature’s principle of natural cause and effect can work against man or for man depending on the circumstances presented by a situation. A majority of people share the misconception that nature is kind and caring but only because they have no first hand experience of life in the wilderness. Life in the wilderness can be chaotic and threatening to human beings especially if the human being is isolated from the society. This is because nature is composed of uncontrollable and powerful forces that often create an environment that reduces the odds that favor human survival. These forces include weather, natural calamities and the environments natural inhabitants like disease causing microorganisms. In the book, certain instances clearly elaborate on the harshness of nature to man. When Chris McCandless first comes up with the idea of retreating to the wild, his views towards nature are of positive form. He sees the wilderness as an environment that is pure and free from the evils that are present in the modern society. However, as the tale unravels in the subsequent chapters, the true nature of the wilderness is revealed. In October 1990, Chris McCandless encounters a flash flood while driving across the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. This force of nature forces McCandless to abandon his vehicle and part of his luggage, which were very crucial for his survival in the wilderness. Another extreme example that can be used to show the cruelty of nature is the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Chris McCandless. Apparently, McCandless suffers from food poisoning after eating poisonous potatoes because he was starving. His demise in the hands of nature acts as proof t hat nature is the least bit benevolent or nurturing. Moreover, the author of the book strives to portray nature as unpredictable. Given the technological advancements made in the field of science today, it is possible to predict certain elements of nature like weather and natural calamities like earthquakes. However, nature still has some sense of unpredictability. It is not possible to predict the specific conditions that nature will present at a certain specific time. For instance, earthquake-warning systems can only manage to provide warnings within a few seconds of a severe earthquake. Therefore, this shows that science has not adequately captured the dynamics by which nature functions. In the light of this fact, it is virtually impossible for an individual isolated from society to survive in the confines of nature if he does not understand nature itself. This lack of understanding amplifies the extent to which nature can present itself to an individual as harsh. In this book, the unpredictability of nature has been featured well by the author. In chapter one, Jim Gallien tries to convince McCandless to reconsider his plan to live in Denali National Park in Alaska. Gallien tries desperately to make McCandless understand that nature is unpredictable because in his mind he is certain that McCandles is not ready for the harsh conditions of life in Alaskan outdoors. McCandles even goes as far as declining Gallien’s offer to buy him decent gear and in the end, McCandles dies in the hands of nature because he thought he could easily predict and adapt to nature. Apparently, his body is discovered on the sixth of September in1992 at a broken down bus in Denali National park. The police department found the body of Chris McCandless, 5 rolls of exposed film, the SOS note that he had written and a diary with 113 entries. Later an autopsy revealed that McCandless starved to death with his corpse weighing only sixty-seven pounds. Even though nature may be unpredictable, the book also uses other examples to show that man can indeed triumph over nature. A good example is the story of John Waterman, which shows how he triumphed over nature against all odds. John Waterman successfully climbs Mt. Denali in Alaska with very little gear despite being diagnosed with a mental condition that forced him to spend time in a psychiatric hospital. The isolated case of John Waterman can only be explained by speculating that he was lucky or that he was in harmony with the principles of nature. Other examples include Jack London and John Muir who were popularly known denouncers of society. It is from these two people that Chris McCandles drew his inspiration. Nature can indeed be tamed through scientific methodologies. This enables man to improve his relationship with nature and creates further understanding of the phenomena that nature possesses. Like all species, humans have exercised their impulse to interact with nature. In doing so, man has been able to domesticate landscapes and ecosystems in ways that enhance food supplies while at the same time reducing exposure to predators and natural disasters. The net results of the domestication of nature have been mostly positive with man finally having the ability to harness nature’s full potential. Taming of nature is indeed beneficial to humans because they can eliminate the factors in nature that they do not prefer, therefore, shaping the universe to their own liking. Although nature can be tamed, it is usually wiser to preserve with exception to adventurous exploration. The use of science to tame or domesticate nature often presents challenges. There are usually significant and unforeseen changes in the ecosystem’s attributes, which can lead to natural disasters. Natural disasters like earthquakes and landslides are in most cases a result of unsuccessful attempts by humans to domesticate nature. For instance, scientists often make unwise decisions while quantifying the tradeoffs among ecosystems, which cause the imbalance of nature. It is because of this reason that nature should be preserved for the purposes of distant or close exploration. It is only through close exploration that nature can be properly tamed for the benefit of man. In this book, the author uses the attempts by McCandles and others like him to explore nature as illustration that the idea is always unwise. A good example is the story of Gene Rosellini who was commonly known as the Mayor of Hippie Cove by Alaskan locals. Rosellini tried to explore the wild while independent of modern technology. She later concluded that his attempt to live off the land was a failure after thirty years and then committed suicide. McCandles is also a good example because his story resonates perfectly well with that of Gene Rosellini. McCandles who had been driven to the wilderness by his contempt towards the society tried to explore the wild to no avail. His entire life in the wild was marked with tragic incidences like the flash flood incident, which robbed him of his car and personal belongings. He later succumbed to death when he tried to prove that he could triumph over nature by trying to explore the harsh conditions that existed in Alaska with very little gear . In conclusion, nature remains a mystery that is beginning to unravel due to the influence of technological developments in the field of science. However, its strong forces continue to dominate man due to their ambiguity and unpredictability. The book â€Å"Into the Wild† by John Krauker has perfectly captured this fact by broadly addressing the man vs. nature conflict through real life accounts of people who had first hand experience with nature. Through the illustrations in this book, one can be able to analyze whether nature is a phenomenon that can be tamed by man. One can also be able to determine if the preservation of nature for adventure or observation has any advantages to man. Despite the answers to those questions, it is clear that the human vs. nature conflict is not over, at least not yet.