Relationship Between Nature and Culture

Paper Summary:

This paper takes a look at John Muir, a respected naturalist who influenced greatly both the period of the late 19th century and the environmental policy of the US. According to the paper, the major impact of his work comes as a result of his methodical affirmation on the political scene, advocating a greater attention for the environment and nature in general. The paper reviews his work, "My First Summer in the Sierras" and "The Dharma Bums".

From the Paper:

"His work is pure description of the places he encounters in his journey and a depiction of his experience across the country. throughout his book there is a sense of a deeper aim for his writing however, that of drawing the attention on the unwanted exploitation of the Californian sights "...Muir considered himself primarily an explorer; he turned to writing relatively late in life as part of his effort to prevent unlimited commercial exploitation of the California wilderness." (Poupard 239). Thus, he tried to use his writing to integrate his subject in the wider environment of the political scene. "... [Muir] eventually [became] one of the foremost advocates for the growing conservationist movement, and he succeeded in having vast expanses of land designated as national wilderness preserves...Muir was a strident proponent of wilderness preservation who wrote descriptive essays intended to increase public awareness of the beauty of the American West." (Poupard 239). "

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Achievements". Jack Kerouac. The Official Web Site. 2004. 16 May 2006. <http://www.jackkerouac.com/about/achieve.htm>
• Athenaeum, The. "A review of "The Mountains of California". Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Dennis Poupard, Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1988, 242-243.
• Chowder, Ken. "Can We Afford the Wilderness? The Battle still rages at the heart of the conservationist movement". Sierra Club. 1993. 16 May 2006. <http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/frameindex.html?http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/life/god_john_muir_mark_stoll.html>
• Hayward, Michael. "Unspeakable Visions: The Beat Generation and the Bohemian Dialectic". Simon Fraser University's Master of Publishing degree program Web Site. 1991. < http://www.harbour.sfu.ca/~hayward/UnspeakableVisions/Absorption.html>
• Kerouac, Jack. The Dharma Bums. New York: Signet Books, 1959.

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