![asserting the Puritan value of communal solidarity.
The harmony of their community is regarded as fragile because of the environment's power to strip
their harmony from them at any time. The looming "war threats" and the eventual war itself with the
Pequots exacerbate their fears of threat of natural forces, leading them to respond vehemently to
individuals who do not conform to their society's expectations.
For instance, Bradford includes the story of Thomas Granger, a youth "detected of buggery,"
indicted for his "lewd practice[s]," and executed publicly. The animals involved in the man's
practices of bestiality were also slaughtered for fear that their meat would be tainted;
metaphorically, this communicates the fear shared by Bradford and his community that others would
be infected by Granger's example if they did not respond draconically. Puritan society developed
their strict demand for obedience and communal solidarity because of their relationship with nature,
which is clearly demonstrated in Bradford's work.
Enlightened and Rational Perspective on Nature
As America progressed passed their Puritanical roots into the enlightened post-revolution America,
man's relationship with nature changed. This change is reflected in Jefferson's Notes on Virginia, in
which nature is regarded as "sublime" and "beautiful."
A section from the Notes is devoted to describing a natural land bridge, and this description serves
to communicate the vast opportunities of American lands and natural resources present for the
country. Jefferson's act of ascending the bridge and peering out over the horizon is blatantly
metaphorically, conveying his belief in the auspiciousness of America's natural possessions.
He gives special attention to the land bridge in order to defend America against British claims of its
inferiority; it is an argument for America's potential, which is fitting because of the fragile state the
new country. It had recently defeated a major world power and needed a way to distinguish itself
from its former mother country.
One of Jefferson's answers to this need for an identity and
self-sufficiency was to turn to the natural resources of
America. Moreover, his utopian envisioning of America in
Notes is predicated on utilizing "the immensity of land" in
"the industry of the husbandman." Jefferson's ideas on
nature were not entirely new to Americans because they
were utilizing the land and expanding westward as
Jefferson was putting ink to the pages of Notes.
Transcendental Conception of Nature
Man's symbiotic and beneficent perspective on nature grew in the pens of Transcendental
philosophers, who extolled nature as something inherently connected with man, which will reveal
truths to him. Thoreau wrote extensively about man's relationship with nature, actually distancing
himself from society itself to learn more about man's relationship with nature, which he believed
could be nothing less than essential.
He "wished to live deliberately" and "front only the essential facts of life," turning to nature to do so](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/140534551653c3deec6391a-140714084521-phpapp02/85/The-Cycle-of-America-s-Literary-Attitude-Toward-Nature-2-320.jpg)
![because "life itself passes deeper in Nature." Moreover, Thoreau communicates his feelings about
nature's importance to a true and meaningful existence because he has recognized that man has
strayed from his origins. Nature is not something to be feared for its severity, but neither is it
something to be conquered for its potential: Man is to relate to nature on a personal level, embrace
the experiential lessons it has to offer, and allow its beauty and simplicity to enrich existence.
Thoreau and other Transcendentalists like Emerson assert that man's inherent position is to have
that symbiotic relationship with nature because they are pushing for America to establish its cultural
identity and define its uniqueness compared to Europe, and the uniqueness lies in nature, which is
more accessible to Americans. This is where Thoreau's conceptions of man's relation to nature build
off of Jefferson's. Both authors, like their respective epochs, conceived man's relationship with
nature as an opportunity for individualist growth, which would lead to an eventual national and
cultural identity.
Naturalist Conception of Nature: A Return to Puritannical Attitudes
However, this open-minded, optimistic perspective on the natural world in relation to man shifted
back because of Naturalist authors to a perspective akin to that of the Puritans, viewing the
environment as a formidable megalith without any inherent connection or care for man. The basic
tenets of Naturalism are present within London's "To Build a Fire", in which he describes the fatal
journey of a "chechaquo" in the Yukon with his "proper wolf-dog" "without any visible or
temperamental difference from its brother, the wild wolf."
The man's failure to heed the "the advice of the old-timer on Sulphur Creek" to check his arrogant
belief in his ability to conquer nature and to respond to his natural instincts, which would have led
him "to stop and build a fire" earlier instead of attempting to complete his journey, result in his
death. Contrasting his wolf-dog, who not only is better equipped for the condition but also heeds
"the mysterious prompting[s]" that arise from "the deep crypts of its being," keeps himself around
the man because he is a "fire-provider" not because of any "keen intimacy."
The dog is essential to London's assertion about man's relation to nature, as it has no interest in the
fate of man, looking only to preserve itself and defer to the role nature allows it. The dog symbolizes
man's need to follow his instincts and to not underestimate nature because it is more powerful and
permanent than a human existence.
London includes the old-timer in his story to symbolically convey mankind's need to rely upon each
other to protect themselves from their harsh world. Those who try to exist in the world
independently like the man in the Yukon will face similar ends. London's Naturalistic "To Build a
Fire" illustrates man as a delicate being who should understand his limits in the indifferently severe
world.
The Naturalists portrayed nature as a deleterious element to man for the same reasons as the
Puritans: social constrain individualism in order to encourage collective action and cooperation. But
unlike the Puritans, the Naturalist were not seeking communal harmony to protect their own
survival. They were seeking communal harmony because they felt it would solve the myriad of
societal problems that resulted from America's Industrial Revolution during the latter half of the
nineteenth century.
London and other Naturalist authors like Stephen Crane and Theodore Dreiser place man in the
same general relationship with nature as did Bradford and Puritan authors. They saw the
environment as a threat to humanity's harmonious existence, which consequently led both to regard](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/140534551653c3deec6391a-140714084521-phpapp02/85/The-Cycle-of-America-s-Literary-Attitude-Toward-Nature-3-320.jpg)
The Cycle of America's Literary Attitude Toward Nature
- 1. The Cycle of America's Literary Attitude Toward Nature Nature has figured prominently in American literature from at least the first landing of the Pilgrims to the close of the nineteenth century. The interplay between authors' imaginations and their surrounding natural spaces has been an impetus for a continual growth of American literature. Furthermore, the way in which man defines himself, his fears, aspirations, values, and limits in relation to nature is a recurring theme throughout America's nature literature, but instead of continuing forward linearly, this theme has had a circular trend. The Puritans were wary of the foreign land they had decided to make their home, fearing that it would end their life and interfere with their spiritual goals, but after the American Revolution, Americans opened their minds to nature, seeing it as an opportunity for greatness. These attitudes grew into a regard for nature as a source of truth and inspiration to transcendental philosophers during the middle of the nineteenth century, but nature had returned to a formidable force that reduces existence to a struggle to survive by the end of the nineteenth century. William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation, Thomas Jefferson's Notes on Virginia, Henry David Thoreau's Walden, and Jack London's "To Build a Fire" reflect the circular trend of man and nature's relationship in American literature. Puritanic Attitude Toward Nature The Puritans were tenacious in their habitation of the New World and quickly learned they had to preserve their tenacity or they would quickly be extinguished by the severity of their environment. These apparent threats to survival resulted in a general fear and wariness of nature. Thus, Puritan society was tightly knit with little tolerance for individual differences or threats to the collective; these values were consequently reflected in the literature. Of Plymouth Plantation is an account of the "hard and difficult beginnings" of the Pilgrims, describing their fears of the unknown land's "savage barbarians," struggles to climb out from the "depths of winter," and battles against "scurvy and other diseases." Bradford glorifies the way in which the Pilgrim community comes together over their first and extremely severe winter, subtly
- 2. asserting the Puritan value of communal solidarity. The harmony of their community is regarded as fragile because of the environment's power to strip their harmony from them at any time. The looming "war threats" and the eventual war itself with the Pequots exacerbate their fears of threat of natural forces, leading them to respond vehemently to individuals who do not conform to their society's expectations. For instance, Bradford includes the story of Thomas Granger, a youth "detected of buggery," indicted for his "lewd practice[s]," and executed publicly. The animals involved in the man's practices of bestiality were also slaughtered for fear that their meat would be tainted; metaphorically, this communicates the fear shared by Bradford and his community that others would be infected by Granger's example if they did not respond draconically. Puritan society developed their strict demand for obedience and communal solidarity because of their relationship with nature, which is clearly demonstrated in Bradford's work. Enlightened and Rational Perspective on Nature As America progressed passed their Puritanical roots into the enlightened post-revolution America, man's relationship with nature changed. This change is reflected in Jefferson's Notes on Virginia, in which nature is regarded as "sublime" and "beautiful." A section from the Notes is devoted to describing a natural land bridge, and this description serves to communicate the vast opportunities of American lands and natural resources present for the country. Jefferson's act of ascending the bridge and peering out over the horizon is blatantly metaphorically, conveying his belief in the auspiciousness of America's natural possessions. He gives special attention to the land bridge in order to defend America against British claims of its inferiority; it is an argument for America's potential, which is fitting because of the fragile state the new country. It had recently defeated a major world power and needed a way to distinguish itself from its former mother country. One of Jefferson's answers to this need for an identity and self-sufficiency was to turn to the natural resources of America. Moreover, his utopian envisioning of America in Notes is predicated on utilizing "the immensity of land" in "the industry of the husbandman." Jefferson's ideas on nature were not entirely new to Americans because they were utilizing the land and expanding westward as Jefferson was putting ink to the pages of Notes. Transcendental Conception of Nature Man's symbiotic and beneficent perspective on nature grew in the pens of Transcendental philosophers, who extolled nature as something inherently connected with man, which will reveal truths to him. Thoreau wrote extensively about man's relationship with nature, actually distancing himself from society itself to learn more about man's relationship with nature, which he believed could be nothing less than essential. He "wished to live deliberately" and "front only the essential facts of life," turning to nature to do so
- 3. because "life itself passes deeper in Nature." Moreover, Thoreau communicates his feelings about nature's importance to a true and meaningful existence because he has recognized that man has strayed from his origins. Nature is not something to be feared for its severity, but neither is it something to be conquered for its potential: Man is to relate to nature on a personal level, embrace the experiential lessons it has to offer, and allow its beauty and simplicity to enrich existence. Thoreau and other Transcendentalists like Emerson assert that man's inherent position is to have that symbiotic relationship with nature because they are pushing for America to establish its cultural identity and define its uniqueness compared to Europe, and the uniqueness lies in nature, which is more accessible to Americans. This is where Thoreau's conceptions of man's relation to nature build off of Jefferson's. Both authors, like their respective epochs, conceived man's relationship with nature as an opportunity for individualist growth, which would lead to an eventual national and cultural identity. Naturalist Conception of Nature: A Return to Puritannical Attitudes However, this open-minded, optimistic perspective on the natural world in relation to man shifted back because of Naturalist authors to a perspective akin to that of the Puritans, viewing the environment as a formidable megalith without any inherent connection or care for man. The basic tenets of Naturalism are present within London's "To Build a Fire", in which he describes the fatal journey of a "chechaquo" in the Yukon with his "proper wolf-dog" "without any visible or temperamental difference from its brother, the wild wolf." The man's failure to heed the "the advice of the old-timer on Sulphur Creek" to check his arrogant belief in his ability to conquer nature and to respond to his natural instincts, which would have led him "to stop and build a fire" earlier instead of attempting to complete his journey, result in his death. Contrasting his wolf-dog, who not only is better equipped for the condition but also heeds "the mysterious prompting[s]" that arise from "the deep crypts of its being," keeps himself around the man because he is a "fire-provider" not because of any "keen intimacy." The dog is essential to London's assertion about man's relation to nature, as it has no interest in the fate of man, looking only to preserve itself and defer to the role nature allows it. The dog symbolizes man's need to follow his instincts and to not underestimate nature because it is more powerful and permanent than a human existence. London includes the old-timer in his story to symbolically convey mankind's need to rely upon each other to protect themselves from their harsh world. Those who try to exist in the world independently like the man in the Yukon will face similar ends. London's Naturalistic "To Build a Fire" illustrates man as a delicate being who should understand his limits in the indifferently severe world. The Naturalists portrayed nature as a deleterious element to man for the same reasons as the Puritans: social constrain individualism in order to encourage collective action and cooperation. But unlike the Puritans, the Naturalist were not seeking communal harmony to protect their own survival. They were seeking communal harmony because they felt it would solve the myriad of societal problems that resulted from America's Industrial Revolution during the latter half of the nineteenth century. London and other Naturalist authors like Stephen Crane and Theodore Dreiser place man in the same general relationship with nature as did Bradford and Puritan authors. They saw the environment as a threat to humanity's harmonious existence, which consequently led both to regard
- 4. unchecked individualism or arrogant pursuits of self-interest as a divisive force in the community of man. Thus, communal solidarity and checks to individualism are called for by both groups in their literature, conceiving such a rational conclusion from their observations of man in relation to nature. Conclusion The circular trend of man's relationship with nature in American literature from the landings of the Puritans in America to the late nineteenth century is paradigmatically realized in the works of Bradford, Jefferson, Thoreau, and London, in which nature goes from a threat to an opportunity and resource back to a threat to man. The way in which people in each period of time related themselves to nature had social implications, which these authors reflect in their work. When nature was conceived as a formidable, dangerously powerful force that was indifferent to the fate of man, like in times of early colonization efforts and the industrial revolution in the latter half of the nineteenth century, society made communal ideals and conformity a priority, which was reflected in Bradford and London's literature, respectively. The environment was conceived as an opportunity to distinguish and define America as superior in the world and an opportunity to discover something true about the nature of existence after the American Revolution and continuing to the middle of the nineteenth century, which is reflected in Jefferson and Thoreau's literature. American literature has taken an interestingly circular trend in regard to one of its popular themes, man's relationship to and with nature, which has been an outgrowth of literary imagination and America's abundance of natural spaces. Sources Bradford, William. Of Plymouth Plantation. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Wayne Franklin, Philip F. Gura, Arnold Krupat. New York: Norton & Company, 2007. Vol. A. Jefferson, Thomas. Notes on the State of Virginia. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Wayne Franklin, Philip F. Gura, Arnold Krupat. New York: Norton & Company, 2007. Vol. A. Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Robert S. Levine, Arnold Krupat. New York: Norton & Company, 2007. Vol. B. London, Jack "To Build a Fire." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Wayne Franklin, Philip F. Gura, Arnold Krupat. New York: Norton & Company, 2007. Vol.C.