My First Summer In The Sierra

John Muir explains three different encounters with creatures he experiences while in the Sierra. The purpose of this reading is to give us a deeper look at creatures that we take for granted, giving us insight as to why they are also very important in life.

Ethos is displayed in the stories because they are all personal encounters he had while traveling. Pathos is shown in the story of the bear encounter. He runs at the bear waiting for it to run away, ending up in a stare off. Finally the bear turns around and walks away, like he is happy. Another example of pathos is the personification given to the animals involved in the story. Logos is shown in the explanation of the landscape.

A Thousand Mile Walk To The Gulf

John Muir wrote an article in hopes to persuade those who believe that the earth was made for them alone, that the world does not revolve around them. He displays ethos in the story by citing personal stories such as when he talks about how he witnesses alligators in their natural home and sees that they are not evil creatures, they are just trying to survive.  An example of pathos is the story of the man whose dog was eaten by an alligator, instead of being eaten himself. Logos is displayed when he talks about how we are homo sapiens and are just another creature on earth, sharing it with thousands of other creatures that are very different from us.

A First American Views His Land

A First American Views His Land was written as an article for National Geographic magazine by N. Scott Momaday. It is an article about Native Americans and their view of the earth compared to the view shared by many that earth is for us to use without giving back or appreciating. N. Scott Momaday's background is very interesting because he comes from Native American descent, his father is from the Kiowa tribe, while his mother is caucasian, but adopted the Native American lifestyle as her own. 

This excerpt is written as a persuasive article to those who do not understand how much the earth means to the Native American people. The structure of the article is kind of all over the place, but does a great job of giving examples and stories of how the tribe and earth interact. One example that stuck out to me was the story of the woman who was buried in a dress and jewelry made from resources given by an animal. Nobody remembers her name or where she was buried, but they know that she was given back to the earth as a sort of give and take system between the Native Americans and the earth. Overall, the article is very convincing, but the structure seems like it could have been a bit more orderly so the effect would have been greater as well.

Polemic: Industrial Tourism and The National Parks by Edward Abbey

This short story is an excerpt from Desert Solitaire, written in 1968 by Edward Abbey. It is written in a "call to arms" kind of style because it mainly focuses on why industrial tourism is ruining our parks and why we need to stop it. His main audience are those who agree with him. The chapter is structured in a way that is able to persuade someone to take action. It opens with a story of how he is visited by the government and told about a road they are building through the national park, but before we hear what happens, he goes on to talk about why we need nature and why it isn't necessary to have highways or automobiles running through the parks. At the end, he give us some good ideas as to what we can do to save nature without letting automobiles in, which set up debate for those who both agree and disagree with him.

Speech at the Grand Canyon, Arizona, May, 6, 1903

This short speech was given to the governor and citizens of Arizona by Roosevelt in 1903. He opens the speech by praising the governor and the people of Arizona. He tells them they are good people and he is privileged to be among them. The second paragraph is spent talking about the irrigation act that he wants passed by congress. He fuses in some politics with this paragraph trying to inform and sway the public. The next paragraph, and longest paragraph is the main focus of the speech, and that is of preservation. He talks to the citizens about how special the Grand Canyon is and how it is one of a kind. It shouldn't be tampered with or tainted by industry or modern marvels.

Thoreau Vs. McCandless

Both stories tell of men who rid themselves of normal life to set out in nature in hopes that they can find happiness in a more simple way of living. They are both challenged with having to completely provide for themselves by finding food, building/finding their home, and living day to day without the normal privileges that most have. By doing this, they find beauty in small things and appreciate the environment around them.

Patricia Smith/ Wildness Symposium

I arrived around 12:55PM to the Sun Room at the Memorial Union to hear Patricia Smith read from her award winning book "Blood Dazzler". Upon entering the room, I saw two people standing outside, giving me the impression that it wasn't going to be a very well attended reading. Almost more awkward than anything, but once I stepped foot into the room, I found that many people had shown up to hear her. I found my seat in front of the stage. The podium set up with a microphone with a panel to the right of it for the following event. I pulled out my notebook and a pen to jot notes before deciding to head over to the refreshments table for some lemonade and a brownie. I noticed an African American woman doing the same thing. Not thinking anything of it, I went and sat down. Patricia Smith was introduced and to my surprise the same lady who was getting refreshments was exactly who I was there to see. She looked normal on the surface, but as soon as she began reading her poems that she had selected, she showed everyone in the room why she was standing where she was. She read with grace and confidence. Her facial expressions, pronunciation, and stamina were perfect. After each poem she would take a sip from her lemonade to clear her throat showing that she too was just a normal person with a gift for words.