Category Archives: Week 15: Conclusions

Final

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OANNES-1Download

Hello everyone,

For my final assignment, I wrote a short story inspired by the numerous readings we explored this semester, which primarily focused on environmental ethics and the human-nature relationship. My story, “Finding Oannes,” was mainly inspired by the following quote from William Cronom’s “The Trouble with the Wilderness,” a text that critically examines the concept of wilderness and its implications for our culture’s relationship with the nonhuman world. 

“we mistake ourselves when we suppose that wilderness can solve our culture’s problematic relationships with the nonhuman world, for wilderness is no small part of the problem.” 

The idea of “the wild” being a man-made concept really opened my eyes to the bleak reality that everything humanity touches MUST produce some sort of monetary value. This realization has deeply impacted my understanding of our role in the world, and I came to the conclusion that we, as human beings, have become an invasive species. It made me question the value we place on nature and the extent to which we exploit it for our own gain.

This realization didn’t shatter my world or anything like that; I still enjoy camping and hiking with friends. There is still plenty of pleasure to be had in these types of activities, and by no means am I suggesting we should abandon our attachments to the concept of nature – but one thing needs to be made clear: human order does not belong in the natural world.

The concept of ‘the wild’ and its implications have been a recurring theme throughout the semester, and I’ve grappled with articulating my insights accurately. This struggle continues, but ‘Finding Oannes’ has provided a fantastic platform for me to delve deeper into this complex and thought-provoking topic. 

Thank you all for such a wonderful semester!

In “Finding Oannes,” I investigate human ambition, exploration, myth, truth, and the effects of these endeavors on nature. The story begins with a detailed description of a world where human civilization has reached a point of stasis on land, with all available resources methodically mapped out and used. This creates the conditions for the formation of a desire for adventure and wonder, prompting humanity to look to the undiscovered depths of the ocean. On this last frontier, the spirit of exploration still appears to be alive. The story also delves into the ethical implications of human exploration and the potential consequences for the natural world.

The majestic vessel Oannes is central to the plot, depicted as a marvel of ivory and gold that represents human intellect and the peak of marine exploration. The protagonist, Captain Jonathan Glanton, exemplifies the spirit of discovery and intellectual quest, similar to legendary heroes such as Einstein and Galileo. Glanton’s thorough research and documentation of the ocean’s contents illustrate the pursuit of knowledge and the desire to discover hidden truths about our planet. His character also serves as a reflection of the human ambition and curiosity that drives our exploration of the natural world.

I made an attempt to make the narrator untrustworthy because he is too enamored with the ship and its captain to realize how their exploitation of the sea could be detrimental. Making the ship out of ivory and gold was intended to reflect both the beauty of seeking an understanding of the natural world and the aggressive attitude with which we shape the natural world to work in ways we can comprehend and profit from. The Captain’s name, John Glanton, is a reference to the same-named infamous person from the old American West – best known for his merciless exploits as a scalp hunter during battles in the American West, representing a darker side of human desire and conquest. 

The story takes a poignant turn when the protagonist discovers Oannes, fifteen years after its departure, sunken on the ocean floor. This finding, combined with the tragic destiny of a mermaid crushed beneath the ship, provides a compelling metaphor for the repercussions of human ambition. The mermaid, once a symbol of mythological wonder, now represents the neglected and shattered portions of nature that we ignore in our never-ending search for knowledge and advancement.

The image of the mermaid trapped beneath Oannes provokes a mixture of awe and grief, emphasizing the fragile balance between human enterprise and its unintended effects on the natural world. The author’s undersea picture delivers a profound contemplation on the beauty and sorrow that come with our pursuit of enlightenment.

The narrative’s complexity is found in its investigation of human ambition and its consequences on nature and in its depiction of the interaction of myth and reality. The mermaid, a mythological creature, becomes a palpable emblem of the hidden costs of exploration, encouraging readers to consider the impact of their actions on the environment.

To summarize, “Finding Oannes” is a thought-provoking investigation of human ambition, exploration, myth, reality, and their effects on nature. The story goes into the depths of human curiosity and the drive for knowledge, pitted against the potential consequences of our persistent pursuit of discovery. The terrible fate of the mermaid beneath Oannes serves as a devastating metaphor for the natural qualities that we neglect and destroy on our voyage of exploration. Finally, the story encourages readers to explore the difficult balance between human advancement and environmental stewardship, demanding a deeper examination of the ethical consequences of our acts in the pursuit of enlightenment.

Reflection

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Wow! I can’t believe it is already the end of the semester. It is impossible for me to recite everything I have learned in this class but my biggest takeaway is how I view perspective now. To be more specific, the way we talk about history and how it is not one universal truth has really stuck with me. I have always been really stubborn and wondered “how do we know?” in a classroom or based on a textbook and it is sometimes difficult to get a productive answer. I feel like this discussion has allowed me to realize things don’t have to be right or wrong, left or right, and they can be a combination of anything and everything. There is comfort knowing that knowledge is so personal and dynamic, and that not everyone has to understand each others history. With that being said, I definitely am excited to continue learning and looking for new perspectives in all aspects of life, to continue asking why, and thinking of this class whenever I see a mermaid! So grateful for this class and everyone in it, cheers and good luck!

Final Essay Thesis Statement

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In The Little Mermaid by Hans Christain Andersen, the high and low design of the stories landscape maps onto the vertical ascension of Christianity associated with hell, purgatory, and heaven. Each ascension correlates to it’s respective vertical plane and leads the mermaid closer towards a heavenly life. This transition from plane to plane involves sacrifice and encompasses the Christian tenet of the body may die but the soul lives on. Within the frame of Christianity and religious life (?) of the little mermaid, sacrificing ones own life in the name of a higher power is noble and elevates your position in the spiritual world. (connect back to religious propoganda)

Final Essay Proposal

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I don’t have a set thesis statement, but it will discuss literatures use of mermaids as a lens to discuss the environment. This will be a culmination of my two essays about Sedna to further my analysis. It will dive into the way literature is a way of understanding the culture from which it comes from, and also how Sedna’s entangled hair is symbolism for pollution and how highlights a close relationship between human actions and the health of the environment. I may also include some exploration of the Shaman and close read/ analyze that area more. My goal for this final essay is to emphasize that literature is powerful by exploring how in this class, it helps with understanding humans’ relationship to the Ocean.

What I learned in this class…

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One of the biggest things I learned in this class is to appreciate the Ocean and see it as a multifaceted body rather than a dark abyss. Growing up, a lot of media associated the Ocean to darkness, being lost, scary, dangerous, unknown, unexplored, which framed the way I viewed it. This class was a change in perspective, it allowed for the exploration of the Ocean in various ways through poetry, art, literature, scenography, and more. These new lenses removed the limitations I felt towards the Ocean, and I am amazed at how much the close reading we practiced in class unveiled about literature, mermaids, and the environment. Some of the elements that stood out the most were: the ocean as an archive, mermaids as a metaphor and lens, everything can be read (paintings, videos, etc) as literature, the Ocean is and gives life, and perspective is key,

“The salt of the ocean is the salt of tears” – Stephanie Burt

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This week’s poem “We are Mermaids” by Stephanie Burt was an interesting read. There’s a lot to dissect from the poem, but one main theme I found was human connection to nature. The first stanza makes a clear comparison between humans and the Ocean, it reads, “The salt of the ocean is always the salt of tears, melancholy but at the right dilution, or concentration, life giving.” In this quote, salt serves as a commonality between the Ocean and human tears. Both are bodies of water, and this suggests they both carry sadness that can fruit new opportunities. I found this very interesting, if I had read this quote before this class I would have wondered “how is the Ocean melancholy?” I knew the ocean had power; I see it in the crashing waves when I visit the beach, but I had never associated it with having feelings. Now having the context of this class, I understand the Ocean not only as an archive that holds history but also emotions. Overall, Burt prompts a reevaluation of human relationship to nature to recognize the symmetry between the two.

The Requirement to be Useful

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After reading this weeks poem, “We Are Mermaids,” the concept of usefulness and the land requirement of being useful in society and the unnecessary need of being useful in the ocean.

This theme was strong to me due to the last two stanzas of the poem, “You don’t have to be useful. You are not required to come up with something to say. You can spend your life benthic…”.

I had to read this section over a few times and am still trying to conceptualize what this means exactly, as there truly isn’t a purpose for everything in the Ocean. On land, people are held to high standards of contribution and are always expected to contribute financially, physically, mentally, etc. and when one is not contributing whether in a personal or group setting they are looked down upon and shamed. These are established regulations, stereotypes, and necessities that we as a society have placed upon ourselves and forced ourselves to adhere to. The Ocean is self-governed. I say this because it is important to understand, that the Ocean is self-governing and embraces all entities that contribute or do not contribute, there is no force or requirement to be something or say something, but to just be. The Ocean is one of the most if not the most powerful things on our Earth and governs almost all aspects of our life, yet it does so with light command and does not command its entities to behave in any specific way. On land, we are governed with constraints and are commanded to behave in specific ways, with laws, teachings, and regulations, that describe the way all societies must act to uphold their citizen standing. I’m not saying that this is wrong but it is interesting how two communities that are so invested in one another ( The Ocean and land) can be so opposing and different in their approach to governing and usefulness.

Week 15: We Are Mermaids

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Stephanie Burt’s poem, “We Are Mermaids,” has a contemplative tone that provokes readers to consider how nature’s essence intertwines with the human experience. The opening line “The salt of the ocean is always the salt of tears,” establishes a connection between the grandeur of the ocean and human emotions. This interconnectedness between humans and nature is further established in the seventh stanza. The line “You can spend your life benthic, or brackish” invites readers to reflect on the various experiences life offers. “Benthic” refers to the bottom of a body of water while “brackish” refers to water that is a mix of fresh water and salt water. This line proposes that one can live a life grounded in stability, or in a state of ambiguity and change. Burt uses imagery in “Subsisting and even thriving where a fingertip / comes away saline and still refreshing” to explain that there is still sustenance in “brackish” environments. This line explains that one can grow in a state of uncertainty. The word “refreshing” proposes that while it may be challenging to find this wisdom it is also invigorating. The last lines of the stanza, “Exploring the estuary, the submerged lip / and congeries of overlapping shores / on the green-black water, the harbor, the bay,” may symbolize the boundaries between the water and land. “Congeries of overlapping shores” suggests the interconnectedness between nature and humanity— perhaps symbolizing the various life transitions humans experience.

In other words, this poem enables us to consider nature’s fluidity in relation to our own lives. As a college student, I feel that I am in a current state of ambiguity. Burt’s language suggests that we learn from the fluidity in nature. Humans are also a part of nature, and this poem reminds us that we can find wisdom in embracing uncertainties in life and, ultimately, learn from nature’s rhythm.

We Are Mermaids

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I didn’t know what a thermophile was, but after looking it up I see that it is a bacteria that thrives in high temperatures. I wonder if Burt included this to show how the Ocean is a harsh place, yet a place of origin. The fumaroles that the thermophiles feed on are arguably some of the earliest catalysts for human life. Burt then references more Ocean dwellers like zoarchids, known for being sluggish and consumptive. To me, Burt is highlighting the fertility of the Ocean. They want readers to know that the Ocean is the birthplace of humanity. The first stanza also hints at the origin of life on Earth, calling the Ocean “life-giving.”

Later in the poem, Burt references the liminal spaces of the “harbor” and the “estuary.” Why did they surface liminal spaces? The estuary, between fresh and salty waterways. the harbor, a place between the human world on land and the Ocean.

I wonder if this poem serves as a reminder that if mermaids exist, then we evolved from them. Burt repeatedly hints that the Ocean is the origin of all living things, and the title of the poem “We Are Mermaids” furthers this idea. Maybe this is a calling for us to acknowledge all that has come before us, all the species that lead to humanity.

What does Burt mean when they say, “Some of us are going to be okay.”

Week 15: We Are Mermaids

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Reading this poem felt like a breather in a way. I really enjoyed the feelings it gave me like a peace of mind, an escape from my current life, but also to picture my life in a different way. There was a specific part of the poem that stuck with me, “It has been there since before the beginning of tragedy”. It put into perspective how big, impactful, and strong the Ocean truly is but yet it’s still neglected for what it really is. It made me stop to think what does the Ocean know that humans don’t? What is the Oceans endurance to the damage that is always done to it? From this single stanza I was able to see how my life and what I think are “major” problems are really a speck in comparison to this huge body of water.

Another point in the poem that made me picture life in a different place was, “You can spend your life benthic, or brackish” as it makes me question if life in water is possible? I decided to look up the word benthic which is simply anything that is at the bottom of a body of water and I couldn’t help to think about the mermaid stories we’ve read and how they all take place living at the bottom of the sea. So can this mean that living at the bottom of the Ocean is indeed possible? How would life be down there? Or is there already life right under our noses? This poem brought out so many questions to me as it lets me try to picture things in a different lens as anything was possible instead of being impossible.