River McCaughey
Professor Jessica Pressman
ECL 305
9 May, 2024
Melusine (Pages 11 &12) and “Natives of Yosemite”
In this essay, I will be exploring the connection between the fictional story Melusine and a silent film called “Natives of Yosemite.” Melusine is a story Written originally in the 14th century by French author Jean d’Arras and adapted by Andre Lebey in the 19th century. The story itself isn’t what I’m interested in; I will be examining pages 11 and 12, which Lebey uses to describe the setting for the story, a place he romanticizes for its closeness to nature. “Natives of Yosemite” is a 17 minute short film published by the National Park Service, published in the early 20th century. The black and white film describes and depicts the trees, wildlife, and indigenous people in Yosemite National Park. It serves as an advertisement for the park and the wonders seen within. It is relevant to consider that both works were published during the Industrial Revolution. During this time, many people moved to cities as farming required less hands to support large populations. Jobs shifted from small scale agricultural work to large scale factories. The development of capitalism was in full swing, and people moved to dense cities far from nature. Although they do it in different ways, both texts display a similar theme. Andre Lebey employs imagery of nature to display the juxtaposition between Feudal and Industrial Europe and invites readers to consider how Feudal Europe sprouted The Western World’s eventual disconnect from the natural environment. Likewise, the “Natives of Yosemite” short film unintentionally conveys that The Western World has further separated itself from nature by romanticizing and commodifying the concept of The Great Outdoors, through imagery of Yosemite National Park.
Lebey describes the village as people who “lived close to nature in those days, even in towns” (Lebey 11). Here, Lebey is deliberately describing the scene as something different from the way the world he lives in now. This suggests that the way of life in towns during his time in the Industrial Revolution is no longer close to nature. The rise of large-scale industries and urban centers could have led people to become more removed from direct dependence on and proximity to nature. This early in the story, it’s difficult to say whether he is reminiscing in some way on how he wishes it could have stayed, or if Lebey is glad that the world doesn’t have to struggle against the forces of nature as it did in the 14th century. Lebey also refers to the hunter as “legendary”, which suggests that the people of his time praise hunters. During the 14th century, hunters were much more common as a way to get food. By the time Lebey wrote his adaptation of Melusine, the world had already shifted away from the hunter as a way to get food. Agriculture was the main source of food and hunting was transitioning into a sport. Shortly after, Lebey describes the forest as “menacing and dangerous, full of the unknown, concealing the surprising and unnatural” (Lebey 11). By suggesting that the nature surrounding the village is dark and scary, Lebey conveys that the villagers see the natural environment outside the walled society as fearful. With the description of the village as having fields “right up to the walls” (Lebey 11) readers can conclude that there is already some disconnect from the natural world through physical man-made separation. The fear of nature combined with the resources to separate nature from man is what Lebey argues caused society to isolate itself from the natural environment.
On the next page, Lebey begins to elaborate on this juxtaposition between the industrial world that he lives in and that of the 14th century. After discussing the feared creatures of the forest, Lebey points out that “evil reigned only if heroes failed to confront its dangers” (Lebey 12). This is where readers first see his inclination to present nature as a place that needs to be visited. He goes on to say, “Humans do not show their mettle if left to themselves” (Lebey 12). Here, Lebey is explicitly revealing that humans are not as resilient if they do not confront the dangers of nature. Lebey next gives an example of a haw that holds the “Code of Love.” Lebey is suggesting that if humans do not have contact with nature, then they will not only be left without resilience, but they will be unknowing about the secrets of the world. In this part of the chapter, readers have displayed the possibility that there is a purpose for the human connection to nature.
Shortly after in the story, it becomes clear that Lebey is reminiscing on the way that the past may have been before the Industrial Revolution. Through the imagery of nature, Lebey explains how “Man developed without dissociating or abstracting himself from the world” (Lebey 12). This suggests that humans before the Industrial Revolution existed in a state of connection with the natural world. The implication is that the Industrial Revolution caused a disconnect between humans and nature. He also reinforces the point that man is further from nature by juxtaposing the hunting back then as “so different from our own, more justifiable because more difficult and necessary” (Lebey 12). By contrasting hunting in the 14th century to hunting of his time, Lebey suggests there is no need for hunting anymore, and there isn’t any reason to do it with the development of inventions like the seed drill. Lebey continuously uses imagery of nature to romanticize it in a way that calls for readers to see that the way life is in cities away from nature is not in fact better for society.
“Natives of Yosemite” starts by boasting about the Giant Sequoia trees in Yosemite National Park. After showing a young woman marveling at one of the massive trees, the film cuts to a dialogue card that states, “Here flourish the oldest living things – giant Sequoia trees” (NPS 0:58). By displaying the trees in Yosemite as something divine and unique, the film romanticizes the wilderness. Soon after, the film depicts the road that “runs straight through the famous Wawona Tree” (NPS 1:45). Viewers can see a massive tree with a tunnel carved out in the middle so that tourists can drive straight through. Contrary to the literal tree being closer to the people and their car, the commodification of the natural world is what separates man from nature. By advertising the wilderness and commodifying it, humans are separating themselves further from the natural world. The film then shows a tree cookie that depicts the rings for how old the tree is. The tree shown is over 1,000 years old. This obsession with the extremes of nature is what causes people to disconnect from it. About halfway through the short, a dialogue card is seen that says, “Rushing silvery waters, cascading down the mountainsides, border many of the alluring trails” (NPS 9:10). The important word here is “border.” By implying that there is a physical barrier between the tourists on the trail and the wonders of nature, the NPS is displaying a literal disconnect that they engineered by creating a trail. There is nothing natural about guiding tourists through designated trails built by humans.
At the end of the film, the NPS describes how “friendly Yosemite Indians entertain with tribal songs and dances” (NPS 16:00). Viewers can see Native Americans dancing in front of an audience of white tourists. Here, the National Park Service entirely separates the Native Americans from the white people by placing them in the same field as the trees and bears in the beginning of the video. Both the trees and the Native Americans are there to entertain the American tourists. By doing so, not only is nature separated from Western culture, but those who do not live by Western standards. Additionally, the Native Americans are being commodified, which divides them even further from the tourists. More importantly, this pristine natural world that the National Park Service sells doesn’t exist. By removing indigenous people, creating trails, and altering the landscape, the National Park Service is inventing a “nature” that doesn’t exist in the real world.
Through his imagery of nature, Lebey conveys to readers of the Industrial Revolution that life before humanity was separated from nature was better than it is now. He juxtaposes the lifestyles with the historical context of the lifestyle of his industrial world. The romanticization of nature and the secrets it may hold are how Lebey draws his audience to realize how integration with nature is important for humanity. While Lebey purposefully conveys that The Western World is separating from nature, the National Park Service romanticizes the wilderness, which accentuates this separation. By commodifying the plants, animals, and even the indigenous people in the park, the National Park Service is engineering a faux natural world.