What are the differences between Captain Davidson’s perception of the natural environment and Selver’s? Choose two passages to help you elaborate these differences.
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Captain Davidson and Selver hold very different perceptions of the natural environment. Captain Davidson seems to hold the ideals of a colonizer, viewing the natural landscape as one that should be conquered and changed. He does not believe in the preservation of nature, and only seeks to use its riches. After waking up, Captain Davidson decides that he wants to go visit Central to see the new colonists. He enslaves the inhabitants of the camp and calls them “creechies”. When speaking of the new land he says, “Cleaned up and cleaned out, the dark forests cut down for open fields of grain, the primeval murk and savagery and ignorance wiped out, it would be a paradise, a real Eden. Abetter world than worn-out Earth” (Guin, 9). Captain Davidson wishes to clean up the forests to make farmland and machinery. He believes this new land will be more useful than Earth because it is yet to be “used” and how it can be a paradise. The language that he uses shows his mindset and perception of the natural environment. He refers to the inhabitants and land as “primeval”, “savage”, and “ignoran[t]”. Just because the inhabitants do not hold the same values or have the same way of living as him, Captain Davidson degrades them and thinks he needs to “tame” them (a term he repeatedly uses) like a colonizer who feels the need to enforce their lifestyle because it is the correct way of living. Selver’s perception of the environment differs greatly from that of Captain Davidson. He seems to value the naturalness of the environment and seeks to maintain its originality. When speaking to the townspeople, Selver describes the yumens, “to those of us who’ve seen them cutting down the world…they come from another place which is not the forest; the trees there are all cut down” (24). Selver explains how the colonizers are different. He describes the acts of making farmland as “cutting down the world” which shows how he believes that the natural landscape should be preserved, not cut down for cultivation. Selver’s perception of the natural environment is that it should be kept the way it is and not be commoditized.
“He refers to the inhabitants and land as “primeval”, “savage”, and “ignoran[t]”. Just because the inhabitants do not hold the same values or have the same way of living as him, Captain Davidson degrades them and thinks he needs to “tame” them (a term he repeatedly uses) like a colonizer who feels the need to enforce their lifestyle because it is the correct way of living.”
This is a great point. You are right that Davidson continually uses the verb “tame”; he seems to think that it is his destiny to tame the forest by harvesting it for wood and to enslave its native inhabitants. His reference to the “creechies” as “primeval” suggests that he does not see them as equally complex beings; they are less evolved than humans and are thus closer to animals. We see that Davidson does not have any respect for wild animals when he dismisses Kees’ request to prohibit the hunting of red deer. He thinks like a colonizer because he views this separation between humans and animals, humans and nature as justification for his project of dispossession and deforestation.
You say: “He describes the acts of making farmland as “cutting down the world” which shows how he believes that the natural landscape should be preserved, not cut down for cultivation.” Yes! What do you make of the equivalency that Selver draws between the “world” and the forest?
Captain Davidson’s perception of nature was only based on the value of the natural resources provided by nature. He sees himself as the tamer of the land, where he is the one that is in control of nature. As a new land was discovered, he says that he wants to “tame it,” showing readers how powerful mankind is. In chapter one, he said,”But then Earth was a tamed planet and New Tahiti wasn’t. That’s what he was here for: to tame it.” which elaborates into the idea of how mankind is powerful enough to control nature. He wants this land to be like the other ones he has conquered, providing him with all the resources he could possibly obtain. On the other side, Selver views nature very differently from Davidson. Unlike Davidson, who focuses on the profits on nature, Selver observes nature carefully and closely. We see right at the beginning of chapter two, when he says “ The smell of the air was subtle, various, and sweet. The view was never long, unless looking up through the branches you caught sight of the stars.” He is describing nature with a tone of admiration on how the cycle works. With leaves falling, and sky changing colors, it is different from Davidson’s view of trees as wood, and the land used for crops. Both of them have a completely different approach to nature.
a. Explains what your peer is doing well.
I like how you made the connection on how Captain Davidson uses the word “tame” to demonstrate his desire of wanting to control this planet. I also like how you made the comparison on the basis of nature like how you concluded that Selver is more of a contrast as he admires nature.
b. Provides suggestions about what your peer might develop or further explore.
In the texts, there are a lot of use of imagery. Both characters use imagery in their own way and language. This helps to further understand their characters and connections to nature better. Hence, I feel like you could elaborate more when you mention “With leaves falling, and sky changing colors…” by giving examples from the text.
Captain Davidson perceives the natural environment as a something to be conquered for the benefit of man whereas Selver sees the value of nature in being his home. So dedicated to the construction of New Tahiti, Davidson admits his zeal for the mission saying, “For this world, New Tahiti, was literally made for me. Cleaned up and cleaned out, the dark forests cut down for open fields of grain, the primeval murk and savagery and ignorance wiped out” (12). Davidson’s hatred towards the forest stems from the fact that he believes the land and trees are useless until cut down to make space for human inhabitation and used for wood. In both of his intended uses for trees, Davidson fails to consider the indigenous inhabitants of the forest and how human interference will destroy the natural ecosystem. He promotes the clearing of the forests so that “the primeval murk and savagery and ignorance wiped out” because he has always held humans to a superior level above the Athsheans and the natural environment that they inhibit. Moreover, his preferential use of the term “Conquistador” to describe Man lends to his belief that everything in the natural environment can and should be used at man’s disposal. On the other hand, Selver appreciates and lives in harmony with nature. When describing the deforestation that he witnessed, he said, “But all the time I watched the trees fall and saw the world cut open and left to rot” (41). By using the word “world” synonymously with forest, it is evident that Selver sees the forest as something much larger and greater than he. The word “world” suggests that the natural environment is the very foundation on which he is able to exists, which is why he is so distraught by its destruction. Thus, this contrast between Captain Davidson and Selver’s perception of the natural environment emphasizes the human’s desire to control and the Athsheans desire to leave their world intact.
I agree strongly on everything you have said regarding Captain Davidson as a Conquistador who does not care about anyone but himself. He thinks highly of himself because he is from Earth and considers the natives of New Tahiti as animals.
I think it is a great point to mention ” Davidson fails to consider the indigenous inhabitants of the forest and how human interference will destroy the natural ecosystem” because it shows just how selfish and ignorant Captain Davidson is regarding the new planet they had just taken over and he does not realize that New Tahiti will turn out like Earth if he kept continuing on.
I think you have developed everything well and very clearly here.
The perspectives between Captain Davidson and those of Selver are very different. First, I want to talk about their character as I believe it helps with the understanding on how they view nature. These two characters are very differently portrayed in the book so far. Captain Davidson seems like one of ‘absolute monarchy’. He wants to rule and have control over everyone and everything on New Tahiti. He seems to only care about that and nothing else. Selver on the other hand is the complete opposite. Upon Selver’s ‘formal’ introduction, the text begins “The ground was not dry and solid but damp and rather springy, product of the collaboration of living thingd with the long, elaborated death of leaves and trees; and from that rich graveyard grew ninety-foot trees; and tiny mushrooms that sprouted in circles” (Le Guin, 38). Based on this introduction, it could be implied that the author purposely shifted the setting from the logging camp (where Captain Davidson is) to a natural setting. The author has done this in order to redirect the readers to another aspect, the opposing and different side of the story in terms of both character as well as perspective. Selver also addresses “My city was destroyed by the yumens when they cut down the trees in that region” (Le Guin, 40). It is clear that natural truly meant something to Selver if cutting down trees amplified to the destruction of an entire city. Redirecting back to Captain Davidson, he states in the beginning “Cleaned up and cleaned out, the dark forest cut down for open fields of grain, the primeval murk and savagery and ignorance wiped out, it would be a paradise, a real Eden. A better world than worn-out Earth” (Le Guin, 12). Here, it is stated that Davidson is truly the opposite of Selver. While Selver considered the destruction of nature to be an unlawful act, Davidson could not have wanted anything more than to have the forest cut down in order to use the space to grow food (which is very selfish) and even describes the land in that condition to be “a real Eden” or something divine.
I think you did a really great job of contrasting the perspectives of Selver and Davidson and it was especially interesting how you drew attention to the difference in setting, particularly Davidson and the logging camp and Selver and the forest. You also chose some really great quotes to juxtapose their intentions for the forest and emphasize this difference by saying “While Selver considered the destruction of nature to be an unlawful act, Davidson could not have wanted anything more than to have the forest cut down in order to use the space to grow food (which is very selfish) and even describes the land in that condition to be “a real Eden” or something divine.” Overall, I strongly agree with your claim that Davidson is much more selfish and controlling than Selver, as reflected in their differing perspectives of nature.
Both Captain Davidson and Selver have different perceptions of nature. Davidson believes that nature is to be controlled and altered for self-benefit. He does not care for the natural state of land, but what it can bring should it be completely torn down and replaced. This is shown as he says “For this world, New Tahiti, was literally made for men. Cleaned up and cleaned out, the dark forests cut down for open fields of grain, the primeval murk savagery and ignorance wiped out, it would be a paradise, a real Eden.” (12). This shows that Davidson only sees nature as land that he can control. He believes that this land has a lot of potential because prior, it has been untouched as he refers to the “worn-out Earth.” Davidson believes only in his opinion and he is a very dehumanized being. He has slaves, dehumanizes others, and treats women as objects for his control like how he sees land. On the flip side, Selver is a man who believes in the preservation of nature and calls it his home. Selver states, “I was Selver Thele, when I lived in Eshreth in Sornol. My city was destroyed by the yumens when they cut down the trees in that region. I was one of those made to serve them, with my wife, Thele. She was raped by one of them and died. I attacked the yumen that killed her. He would have killed me then, but another of them saved me and set me free.” (40). This shows that “Sornol was his home and it was torn down by the yumen. The yumen that killed his wife was Davidson. This alone shows the differing beliefs between Selver and Davidson. While Davidson is a sort fo tyrant, Selver is on the other end of that interaction where Davidson is trying to take away what is his and dehumanize him.
a. I do agree with the points you make about both Davidson and Selver. Davidson is indeed a man who only sees the “benefits” of nature. You point that, “Cleaned up and cleaned out, the dark forests cut down for open fields of grain, the primeval murk savagery and ignorance wiped out, it would be a paradise, a real Eden”. I also view that Davidson sees himself capable of changing his surroundings and the betterment of his people. You do a good job of explaining how low Davidson’s standard was for us. He owns “slaves, dehumanized other” and I think that distinguishes between him and Selver. A good sum up by the last sentence too as one makes an impression of a tyrant.
b. Some components need a few more analyses. for instance, when you describe Selver’s attempt to hurt Davidson, he is shown to be a bit more aggressive. I think this only strengthens our ideas of how valuable nature and their surrounding including other Aestehnians were.
Captain Davidson and Selver have very different view points on the natural environment. Captain Davidson sees the environment that he lives in to tame it and has the mindset of someone that has come to colonize the island of New Tahiti. They are “men” and they will get the work done. He likes the challenge of starting something new. Captain Davidson mimes on the environment is he is there to lead the men and get the work done. For example “ Get enough humans here, build machines and robots, make farms and cities, and nobody would need the creechies any more. And a good thing too. For this world, New Tahiti, was literally made for men. Cleaned up and cleaned out, the dark forests cut down for open fields of grain, the primeval murk and savagery and ignorance wiped out, it would be a paradise, a real Eden. A better world than worn-out Earth” (9). He is here to make the world clean and new and lead his people as he has the personality of a true leader and he will fight whatever comes in his way and he wants to do a lot of changing in the “new world”. While Selver lives more at peace with the nature but also being very cautious because of the Yumens. He does lots of observing of the nature because he saw the Yumens try and burn it down and he witnesses the cutting of all the trees out and he just really appreciates the nature more than Captain Davidson. Selver is very aware of his surroundings. For example, “Nothing was pure, dry, arid, plain. Revelation was lacking. There was no seeing everything at once: no certainty. The colors of rust and sunset kept changing in the hanging leaves of the copper willows, and you could not say even whether the leaves of the willows were brownish-red, or reddish-green, or green” (31). In the quote we can really see how Silver pays attention to the nature, he points out that nothing is pure anymore due to the burning of the forests and you can’t really tell a difference in the color of leaves it’s just not natural to him anymore. Selver doesn’t want the natural environment to change. As we can see, the two characters Captain Davidson and Silver have two very different view points on the natural environment.
Davidson acts like European colonizers and is portrayed as the bad guy because he wants to push natives out of their land and have control over the area. Unlike Selver, who has the opposite mindset and wants to protect nature. Davidson shows his selfish ways by mentioning that the natives are “savage”, and that their land can be used by the terrains. He believes that the natives, because of their different beliefs and practices, are better off as workers and the land for commercial purposes, mainly for fields of grain”. If the natives submit to him and he transforms the land, then its will become a paradise for the humans. Selver, on the other hand, feels as though nature is very important and puts a lot of value into nature and wants to protect it at all costs. The author wants to show a clear evil in Davidson who has no regard for life and praise Selver and other people who appreciate nature for what it is, not what it can be used for.
I agree with your interpretation on Davidson’s vs Selver’s values, as they contrast greatly. Based on the first portion of your response where it states Davidson was “portrayed as a bad guy” it is definitely seen throughout the first two chapters as he brutally rapes the population of natives. It is also seen through his language used when addressing the creatures using terms such as savages which you mention. Your response hit your nail on the head and addresses the differences in values for both characters.
Within the book of “The Word for World Is Forest”, the characters Captain Davidson and Selver are representative of a juxtaposition. As shown within the book, Davidson perceives nature similar to how the Colonists viewed America, conquering the native’s land to reap the resources from it. Davidson believes that nature is just in the way of progression, rather than survive, take the space nature inhabits and use it to progress yourself. For example in Chapter 1 when Davidson was on the topic of farming he states: ” It wasn’t like that in Ohio; if you wanted corn you grew corn, and no space wasted on trees and stuff.”. This quote clearly indicates that either Davidson is simply ignorant towards the significance nature, or believes nature is a nuisance. On the other side of the spectrum lies Selver, who could be representative of the Native Americans, whom lived alongside nature rather than oppose it. Selver believes that is supposed to exist undisturbed, and the destruction of nature should be a punishable act. Selver even goes as far as to say “But all the time I watched the trees fall and saw the world cut open and left to rot.”, blaming the destruction of nature for all the toil and misfortune. With both of these perspectives in mind, it should lead to an interesting interaction between Davidson and Selver in future episodes, given that nature is where the conflict lies.
The book portrays Davidson and Selver to have very different perspectives about nature. Davidson sees nature as a way of getting food and as property for people to live on. He sees no beauty in it, he doesn’t understand why crops need room to grow and sees crops as just taking up space. Davidson thinks that growing should be a science. He“couldn’t see why a soybean farm needed to waste a lot of space on trees if the land was managed really scientifically. It wasn’t like that in Ohio; if you wanted corn you grew corn, and no space wasted on trees and stuff.” He wanted to use the space that was growing the soybeans to do other things. On the other hand, Selver enjoys nature and feels it is important. This can be seen when he is describing who he is and where he comes from. He says, “My city was destroyed by the yumens when they cut down the trees in that region”. Selver had no reason to have mentioned that the trees were destroyed. The fact that he does mention it shows that he cares about the trees and is genuinely upset by the destruction of them. These two characters view nature very differently.
a. Explains what your peer is doing well.
You show the differences between davidson and Selver in a very concise manner. “Davidson sees nature as a way of getting food and as property for people to live on. He sees no beauty in it, he doesn’t understand why crops need room to grow and sees crops as just taking up space.””On the other hand, Selver enjoys nature and feels it is important.”
b. Provides suggestions about what your peer might develop or further explore.
I think it’s important that you mention that the trees are part of Selver’s home. Selver more than just appreciates nature – he depends on it to live.
Captain Davidson views the natural environment as something that belongs to the humans. He believes that the purpose of the forest is to provide humans with wood and space to grow crops. Davidson claims the forest is filled with nothing but “darkness and leaves,” and that men are now present to put an end to this darkness by making use of the trees. In this scene, Davidson lacks an understanding for the true beauty of the forest, as he uses the term “darkness” to describe the forest. Davidson also sees humans, specifically men, as superior to animals, the creechies, and women. For instance, when Kees asks him to put an end to deer hunting, he replies, “You worry about deer and trees and fiberwood, fine, that’s your thing. But I like to see things in perspective, from the top down, and the top, so far, is humans. We’re here now; and so this world’s going to go our way” (14). We gain a sense of Davidson’s arrogant and controlling character, as he truly believes men have the right to utilize the forest for the advancement of humanity. On the other hand, Selver appreciates the forest and considers it his home. Before the old man Coro Mena and Selver departed from one another, Coro Mena spoke about the growth of fear within their people. In referring to humans, he says, “We have been afraid for years.. looked at the dead places where they cut down the world, or heard mere tales of the things” (59). Clearly, to Coro Mena and Selver, the forest is their “world,” and they are becoming more fearful as time passes because humans continue to invade their world and cut down their trees. Selver values the forest and wants to prevent the forest from disappearing and getting destroyed by humans.
Captain Davidson in The Word For World is Forest is portrayed rather as an overpowering character compared to Salver. Davidson is the commander of the Smith camp and for him, the natives “Athesheans” also known as the “creechies” are seen lesser than humans. He justifies that “he could tame any of them” and they are lazy. Also, he views that New Tahiti should be ruled by men and their resources should be only be used by the men. Davidson clarifies that “New Tahiti was intended for humans to take over” therefore emphasizing his role as a colonist. Ursula describes Davidson to be a “patriotic man” thus strengthen our understanding of his dominated attitude of controlling surroundings. Selver in the story is characterized to be a man of dedication by Ursula. Unlike Davidson who tries to exploit nature, Selver sees the significance of it and is highly sensitive. He signifies the destruction of his city as trees were “cut down”. From this, you can conclude that the natural environment was almost what Selver took as his home. This was because Athesheans highly value the forest as they live in them.
Your response to the prompt is very similar to mine. We both agree that Davidson advocates for violence and he tends to dehumanize others. He thinks himself as the superior. Selver on the flip side prizes his nature and calls it his home. Davidson is trying to take it away. You have probably looked into this already but, you might want to observe his adaptability and apply to his race. They are changing from a race of nature and nonviolence to that of violence and retaliation. It looks like they are approaching some sort of war/rebellion against the humans.
Captain Davidson considers the natural environment something to be “tamed” and exploited. While waiting for his breakfast to be served by his creechie, Captain Davidson thinks “this world, New Tahiti, was literally made for men. Cleaned up and cleaned out, the dark forests cut down for open fields of grain, the primeval murk and savagery and ignorance wiped out, it would be a paradise, a real Eden. A better world than worn-out Earth.” He considers the natural environment of New Tahiti a convenient source of materials that the Earth has run out of due to its own natural environment being exploited. Captain Davidson believes that after “taming” the land and making it farmable, if it becomes “worn-out” like Earth, it no longer has value. He believes that after exploiting and rendering the land unusable, it should be abandoned like Dump Island, which suffered from crop failures and massive erosion.
On the other hand, Selver, a creechie, greatly values the natural environment. When talking to Coro Mena and the other creechies of his story, he tells them that “my city was destroyed by the yumens when they cut down the trees in that region,” meaning that he considers the forest his home. Selver tells them that “there presently the yumens came and began to cut down the world,” and that “I watched the trees fall and saw the world cut open and left to rot.” To Selver, the forest is the world and he considers it a travesty that the “yumens” or humans, are cutting down the trees to bring back to Earth and to create farmland. By destroying the natural environment, they’ve destroyed his home and are destroying the world.
Captain Davidson’s and Selver’s point of view of the natural environment is drastically different from each other. Captain Davidson claims that New Tahiti was a place for him to “tame” which is similar to when European colonists claimed the New World. Davidson focuses on the varies benefits found within New Tahiti to improve human live. Captain Davidson states “It’s the men that count. Not the animal. If a little extra-legal hunting helps the men get through this godforsaken life, then I intend to blink. They’ve got to have some recreation” Davidson’s statement implies that he rather satisfies the needs of his man over the negative impact on the environment by overhunting. He goes as far as disregarding the pleas of Ben, a native, to stop the overhunting but later tells Oknanawi that Creechies are animal when he says “Slaves are. Humans. When you raise cows, you call that slavery? No.” Captain Davidson takes pride in being a conquistador and world tamer despite the negative impact on the environment because he rather improves the lives of human as he sheds a tear after noticing the process of the colonies. Meanwhile, Selver’s perception of the natural environment differs from Captain Davidson because Selver appreciates and admires the beauty found in nature. This is seen through his vivid description of the forest surrounding him such as “elaborate death of leaves and trees; and form that rich graveyard grew ninety-foot trees, and tiny mushrooms that sprouted in circles half an inch across. The smell of the air was subtle, various, and sweet.” The use of “death” and “rich graveyard” can refer back to the circle of life and how every living thing is interconnected and returns to the ground. The phrases “subtle, various and sweet” shows that Selver is observant of his surrounding and finds nature to be pleasant and tranquil.
Addresses the prompt well and proceeds the answer the question clearly. For example, we both spent no time in saying what Davidson had wanted to do with the land, and they acted similar to European Colonists. As for what could be approved upon, I was hoping that you addressed what Selver had thought about the actions of the Coloniststs and how they were destroying the environment that the inhabitants loved.
In the novel, The Word for Word is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin, Captain Davidson and Selver hold completely different perceptions of the natural environment. Captain Davidson`s perception of the natural environment is that of a European colonizer, who completely disregards the natural habitat of the colonized environment and only cares about making a profit off the environment’s natural resources for their monetary gain. This is exemplified when Kees Van Sten notifies Captain Davidson about how the other settlers have been hunting down the red deers that reside near the area that they colonized, “I could stop ’em. But look, it’s the men I’m looking after; that’s my job like you said. And it’s the men that count. Not the animals. If a little extra-legal hunting helps the men get through this godforsaken life, then I intend to blink. They’ve got to have some recreation” (Guin, 5). This clearly shows Captain Davidson`s ignorance and lack of care for the environment and its animals that they have seized from its native inhabitants. Another example is when Captain Davidson talks very rashly about the land`s native inhabitants and uses derogatory terms when addressing them, “Primitive races always have to give way to civilized ones. Or be assimilated. But we sure as hell can’t assimilate a lot of green monkeys. And like you say, they’re just bright enough that they’ll never be quite trustworthy” (Guin, 12). These quotations show how Captain Davidson is very ignorant of the native inhabitant’s culture and way of life. Due to the fact of how the natives look very different from the colonizers and have very differing cultures, Captain Davidson dismisses their difference as inferiority and degrades them greatly. However, Selver`s perception of the natural environment is quite different from Captain Davidson. Selver was one of the natives of the land seized by Captain Davidson and other settlers. Selver expressed great sorrow and anger when recalling how the colonizers burned down their forest and cleared out their natural habitat. For example, “There presently the yumens came and began to cut down the world. They destroyed a city there, Penle. They caught a hundred of the men and women and made them serve them, and live in the pen… So they set fire to the forest” (Guin, 23). This clearly shows how Selver deeply cared about his native environment and how it pained him to watch the colonizers burn down the forest that they deeply valued and loved. This also shows how the colonizers Captain Davidson and others alike were the ones who are barbaric because they destroyed the homes of the natives just for their greedy desires. This narrative illustrates great parallelism to the events of how Native Americans were deprived of their lands by the European settlers, and how many settlers from Europe destroyed the lands of the natives in hopes of growing crops and making a monetary profit.
Captain Davidson is very patriarchal towards his own home and reluctant to accept the “little green men” to which he murders and rapes to exploit. He seems to be strong minded in his views and relays this onto his view of nature. He reformed the natural aspects of the forest seen in this passage as “he saw the green of the uncut forests of the great island, and beyond that dark green the pale green of the sea going on and on. Now Smith Camp looked like a yellow spot, a fleck on a vast green tapestry.” This shows with his involvement in the camp, getting rid of the trees and wildlife which constitutes nature and being aggressive in doing so. He orders the killings of the so called aliens in order to take over the piece of land and destroys physical and sentimental beauty towards to the natives of the land. Selver on the other hand is deeply connected with his land and witnessed the beauty being destroyed by people like Davidson. There he sat, his back against the broad, twisting bole that seemed to hold a little sun-warmth in it still… Selver sat as quiet as the gray owl on a branch above him, unsleeping, his eyes wide open in the rainy dark.” This emphasizes how in tune with nature he is and how his surrounding’s brings him peace. With that he is angered by Davidson’s actions with the killing of his wife and him destroying the land.
a. Explains what your peer is doing well.
I believe you did a good job expressing how Selver feels about nature and his connection with nature with the line “There he sat, his back against the broad, twisting bole that seemed to hold a little sun-warmth in it still… Selver sat as quiet as the gray owl on a branch above him, unsleeping, his eyes wide open in the rainy dark.” This emphasizes how in tune with nature he is and how his surrounding’s brings him peace”.
b. Provides suggestions about what your peer might develop or further explain
I think you need more analysis on the connection between Davidson and Selver to show how Selver is also defending nature because of what happened to his wife.
Captain Davidson sees nature as a right to humans and he thinks they can exercise control over it. He doesn’t have a genuine love for nature he just wants to profit off it’s destruction, “For this world, New Tahiti, was literally made for men. Cleaned up and cleaned out, the dark forests cut down for open fields of grain, the primeval murk savagery and ignorance wiped out, it would be a paradise, a real Eden.”.Davidson presents himself as a colonizer and shows that he is selfish in thinking he can conquer the land that he comes across. His way of speaking on other cultures is a common theme that we have explored in class, he believes that more civilized groups of people are basically worth more than people who are believed to be “barbaric”. On the other hand, Selver appreciates nature and finds a deep connection to it, “He went out to see what kinds of trees they were. They all lay broken and uprooted”. Even if the midst of madness, in his own mind, Selver is still interested in nature and learning more about it.
I agree with you that Captain Davidson feels that the colonists feel like they are deserving of the resources that New Tahiti’s natural environment possesses, and that he can just take the resources with no further concern for the land. Which is troubling considering the destruction of Earth that has resulted from similar beliefs of the humans living there.
I think that you could’ve expanded on Selver’s perception of nature, as you largely speak on Captain Davidson’s. I agree that Selver and the Athsheans are deeply connected to the natural environment, and that they feel that the forest is the world rather than merely part of it.
Captain Davidson and Selver have very different views on nature. To Captain Davidson, nature is something for his people to take control of and use to their own benefit. He does not see nature as any more than its material value. When speaking of trees and wood, he simply states that they are worth more than gold. This implies that he sees no it as no more than a resource. In another instance, he dismisses the illegal hunting of red deer. He says, “I could stop ’em. But look, it’s the men I’m looking after; that’s my job, like you said. And it’s the men that count. Not the animals. If a little extra-legal hunting helps the men get through this godforsaken life, then I intend to blink. They’ve got to have some recreation.” Again, showing that he barely cares about nature. On the other hand, to Selver, nature is a home. His people live in the forest, so of course they believe that nature is important. At one point, when he is talking about “yumens”, Selver says, “That too is clear, to those of us who’ve seen them cutting down the world.” This shows that Selver sees the forest as the world, and maybe for his people, quite literally, the word for world is forest.
I think you accurately describe the different perspectives that Davidson and Selver have on nature. Davidson thinks nature is there for its resources and does not appreciate all that the forest, crop and all of nature gives. Additionally, he has no regard for animals all he cares about is himself and his men. Opposite of Davidsons perspective, Selver embraces nature to the fullest and thinks of nature as home.
I think you wrote a great description of the two perspectives but I think you can add a little about how Davidson wanted the growing of crops to take up as least room as possible so that there was more room fro the humans to colonize.
The main difference between Davidson and Selver can be seen through the way that they perceive the environment an dEarth. Davidson sees the Environment as something that he gets benefits from he also sees it as something that is tamable which he can change and arrange to his liking. In the passage Davidson discusses how “back in Ohio if you wanted corn you grew corn, and no space was wasted on tress and stuff” (10). This shows how he did not care much about the environment and the elements that help the environment remain healthy such as trees. He only cared about his personal gain such as the food that he can get from the environment. Selver on the other hand took care of the planet he sees the planet as his home and as something valuable. In the passage it shows a scene where he goes out to see the trees and he says how the “birch tree was broken”(48) basically giving it human abilities. This shows his true care for the environment and how he wants to take care of it.
You did a good job capturing the main idea and the different perspectives of Captain Davidson and Selver. I thought it was interesting how you made use of certain quotations and scenes that I personally didn’t recognize, such as when Selver was walking through the forest at the end of chapter 2. You focus on the imagery used, in regards to the nature and forest. I liked how you pointed out the imagery, because there is indeed a distinction between the nature described in both chapters 1 and 2. Since chapter 1 was told in Davidson’s perspective and chapter 2 was told in Selver’s perspective, we gain a sense of their feelings towards the forest, through the imagery used.
Though, I feel that you could have expanded on your analysis of their different views. Perhaps, you could also incorporate a quote straight from Selver’s dialogue in chapter 2, that displayed his desire to protect the forest and how he describes it as his home. An example is when Selver is speaking to Coro Mena, and says, “or look at the dead places where they cut down the world,” which illustrates his devastation and his love for his home.
Captain Davidson and Selver have different a perception of the natural environment. Captain Davidson believes that nature belongs to the humans for them to manipulate, claiming that “this world’s going to go our way.” (Guine 14). Captain Davidson describes the landscape before their presence, “But when they came here there had been nothing. Trees. A dark huddle and jumble and tangle of trees, endless, meaningless. A sluggish river overhung and chocked by trees, a few creechie-warrens hidden among the trees, some red deer, hairy monkeys, birds. And trees. Roots, boles, branches, twigs, leaves, leaves overhead and underfoot and in your face and in your eyes, endless leaves on endless leaves.” (Guine 15) Captain Davidson. uses words like “endless”, “meaningless” and “sluggish” to show his judgement of the world as dull and boring. Also, Through the use of repetition, Captain Davidson perceives nature as just “trees”. Because he perceives trees almost like nothing, this gives him reason to change nature the way he see fits so that its more than nothing. However, Selver’s familiarity with the world gives him more of a sense of home. When describing his tale of the yumen’s takeover, he describes his horrible experience that both he and the world experienced, “But all the time I watched the trees fall and saw the world cut open and left to rot.” While there were tragic events like Selver’s wife getting raped and many cities getting torn, Selver also makes an observation that their species isn’t the only ones facing the same treatment but that nature is also being treated by the yemen harshly. Thus, Selver because of his special connection with the forest, he feels the necessity to protect both his people and the world.
You did great on analyzing Davidson’s perspective on nature by focusing on the words he used. The words “Endless,” “meaningless”, and “sluggish” show the characteristic of Davidson, where he is just trying to exploit all the natural resources from nature. You were specific by saying ” he perceives trees almost like nothing,” which further emphasize your idea that Davidson wants to control nature and change it for his own benefit. As a suggestion, maybe you can try to add another sentence to clearly compare Selver and Davidson because I see that you included quotes from both people to use for differentiating them but it would be better if you has a sentence on closely analyzing their perception of nature more closely.
Davidson and Selver have opposing views on their natural environment. Selver and the rest of the ingenious people strive to preserve the forest ecology upon which their culture depends. In other words, these species believe in respecting their living environment not only for the sake of their well-being, but because of their strongly rooted, almost spiritual-like connection with the natural environment. For example, Selver cried out with anger as well as despair when he remembered how the colonizers burned down and destroyed his home, “There presently the yumens came and began to cut down the world…so they set fire to the forest.” Additionally, Davidson’s views on the natural environment is that it is simply there to serve his needs and cut it down for his selfish purposes. He does not at all respect nature and the impact that it has on planet earth. Humans need to preserve trees, other plants and animals because if one of these things were to go extinct then the entire ecosystem will crash which will result in humans eventually being affected too. However, Davison does not see this and acts very narcissistic towards the ingenious peoples and doesn’t want to listen to logical or sympathetic reasoning. Furthermore, Davidson was discussing on how he was going to conquer the natives’ land and stated, “For this world, New Tahiti, was literally made for men. Cleaned up and cleaned out, the dark forests cut down for open fields of grain, the primeval murk savagery and ignorance wiped out, it would be a paradise, a real Eden.” To summarize he wants to take over an already occupied land and to wipe out even the forest because he wants to make it a place where he would most want to live in. He does not care if this plan negatively impacts the natives or the natural environment.
I really liked that Liora explained that Selver was representative of the views of the indigenous people, who believed that there was a “spiritual-like connection with the natural environment.”. Then following that with Selver’s response to the injustice they endure, using powerful language such as ” cried out with anger”, to really drive the point home. Similarly, Davidson is explained in a clear fashion shown as the narcissistic conqueror who unjustly wants to destroy the inhabitants land. As for improvements, I can’t find much to say besides a few spelling errors and providing a answer summary for Selver as you did for Davidson.