Please respond to one of the following questions:
1. What is the function of the environment or nature for the characters in the book? In what ways can you detect Kingsolver's own relationship with or to nature/the environment creeping out in the characters and their relationships to nature?
2. What is Kingsolver's purpose in writing this book? Who is her audience and what is she trying to tell or convince them of in Prodigal Summer? Or, what does this piece accomplish in terms of the natural world?
3. If you had to convince environmental studies majors to read this book, how would you sell it to them? What would you say about the book? About the author? Also, would you suggest they read it? Why or why not?
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I do feel that this book has a lot to offer in terms of interaction with the environment especially touching on human interaction and its effects on the ecosystem. Each story had its own situation where humans influenced the environment or chose to stand at a distance. The book brought up very good points about how humans have altered the natural ecosystem (i.e. killing the coyotes to save their cattle). But then this became the new ecosystem, coyote-less, but Deanna again tries to alter it, for the better, but altering it nontheless. I think that environmental studies majors could get some good insight from this book, but there was also a lot of story that would maybe be a distraction or unnecessary reading for an ES major. I personally didn't find much interest in the love story/drama that surrounded the nature parts of the novel. I think as an environmental studies major you could get the same information from an article or a science book. This "love story" yada yada would almost be a waste of time. I do however love Barbara Kingsolver. She is an amazing writer, but for more of a leisurely read not to directly learn from. Spring break was a good time to assign this book because thats what it felt like to me: leisurely reading (which i guess can also be good, learning but not realizing). Either way I think that ES majors could find something more substantial to read for the information presented.
ReplyDeleteThe beauty and serenity of nature is brought out throughout Kingsolver’s entire book. She clearly highlights the important connection that humans have with nature and how much one can gain if they recognize and embrace this relationship. Kingsolver has characters that demonstrate the different extremes of human relationships with nature. Deanna provides an example of someone who throughout the book secludes herself from the human world to live in nature. Nature is a haven for her that she associates with more so than she does with humans. The comfort she finds in nature is much stronger than the comfort she finds in humans. Both Lusa and Deanna are very well educated about nature and never lose interest in natural discoveries. Their pursuit of natural discovery is a way for them to learn more about themselves. Lusa finds numerous similarities between herself and moths. These similarities help her uncover deeper human senses that not everyone is in touch with. Deanna and Lusa’s respect for the natural world is a quality that gives them companionship. Each of them has suffered a loss of their loved ones and has used nature as a cure for their sorrows. Garett has also used nature as a cure. His preservation of chestnut trees distracts him from his loneliness that he suffers because of the death of his wife and his severed relations with his son. In planting the chestnut trees, he also is attempting to leave behind something that is very important to himself and his family history. Kingsolver successfully illuminates the healing ability of nature. Her portrayal of characters who look to nature as a companion highlight how Kingsolver might find comfort and love within nature.
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ReplyDeleteI think Kingsolver’s audience is the general public, looking for a light “beach read” by a well-known, popular author. I think she uses this as a way to promote a more general awareness of the environment and the importance of the environment whether it’s where our food comes from and how it’s grown or our ingrained fear or misunderstanding of predators and bugs. She uses a mix of relatable and endearing characters to explore different relationships and viewpoints of nature. Although, it seems the woman always have a more complete or “healthy” understanding of the nature around them than their male counterparts. Nannie and old man Walker are a good example of this, even though most of the story comes from Walkers narration and viewpoint, the reader constantly sympathizes with Nannie Rawley. Overall I think she is trying to convince her readers to be more aware of the nature surrounding us, and the fragile relationships each part of nature entails.
2)What is Kingsolver's purpose in writing this book? Who is her audience and what is she trying to tell or convince them of in Prodigal Summer? Or, what does this piece accomplish in terms of the natural world?
ReplyDeleteI believe that Kingsolver's purpose in writing this book is to show her love for the environment and how feminism is displayed in the book. She shows that though nature we are all internwined and we do not understand it at times in our busy lives. Nature in this book took a huge role in all of these characters lives and showed them in the end that they were really asleep during the past years of their life. The audance is anyone of a mature audance that is looking to understand how nature really controls us and we at times think we can control nature and move it in ways that we desire. This picece for me as being an Environmental Studies major myself just shows me that there is a realtionship that amny people think there is between nautre and love. That people have different views on how they use nature for their benifit through conservation or preservetion.
I am an environmental studies major and if I had to sell this book to others in this major I would suggest they read it for pleasure not a class. I think this book would be a great pleasure read but reading it for class and not for individual interest is harder. This is an ideal book for people who care about the environment from both a local and global perspective because it brings home some major environmental problems. I would explain the interesting tale Kingsolver’s creates by intertwining both love stories and critical ecological dilemmas. The major story lines in the book like Deanna’s tracking of coyotes in the Appalachian Mountains, Lusa’s choice to raise goats instead of tobacco cash crop, and the ideas of sustain ones’ environment are topics which will intrigue many environmental studies students.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest this book to many of my friends because it is a good read and interesting story. I enjoyed the interlacing of three different stories. Each story offered different lessons and each provided a little scandalous romance. This book also gave me the sense of the true interconnectedness everyone in the world really has.
Deanna and Lusa share the same views about nature and its rights. They share a “whatever happens, happens” view to life that favors both predators and subjects, which makes me enjoy the book even more. By having those two pivotal (and in my opinion, most interesting) characters share the same opinions about wildlife, it makes their views even more substantial. When Deanna defends the moth against Eddie’s desperate attempts to catch/kill it, she proves that it is more than just an irritation to humans, but a necessary part of the environment. Lusa sides with her when it comes to the infatuation with coyotes- one of- if not the only one in Zebulon County who shares her knowledge that to kill an animal for doing what it was designed to do would be messing with nature, and the morals of nature. It is clear that Barbra Kingsolver meant to get the messages of Deanna and Lusa’s animal loving, nature awareness, tree-hugging perspectives across to others who may not know the importance of animal/insect preservation. However, it is not only that, but a novel that expresses female empowerment and the invigorating aspect of achieving your goals.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Kingsolver wrote Prodigal Summer because she is an author, and that is what authors do. Even though there are clear environmental themes and even some feminist ideas, the story is not rooted in these contexts. I feel like the love stories completely overshadowed all other themes, and this was no mistake. If Kingsolver wanted to make people truly write about nature, or how women are treated and act in certain subcultures she could have. She clearly is a proficient author when it comes to conveying a message, and for Prodigal Summer the message is love.
ReplyDeleteThis is not to say that nature is not important in the book. Kingsolver cleverly uses nature and the environment to enhance her beliefs about love. The repeated theme of moths is a perfect example of this. Kingsolver includes scientific knowledge about the ecology of moths as a way to make an analogy to Lusa’s love for Cole. She is able to make moths seem like beautiful creatures that are much more complex than expected. To some, this is her own way of expressing her environmentalist views. The way I see it however, is just a clever analogy.
Kingsolver has a wide range for her audience. Environmentalists, feminists, and people just looking for a simple read could all be suggested this book. However, for those looking for a very specific book on only one of these topics would not be too pleased. This is why I think she just set out to make an average, enjoyable book.
Personally, I’ve always been a huge Barbra Kingsolver fan. Yet, I don’t know if Prodigal Summer is a perfect choice for Environmental Studies majors. There are obviously environmental undertones, but I feel that the book focuses more on the human aspect of the story. She discusses the coyotes, the chestnuts, and the battles Lusa faces (with the honeysuckle, etc.), but overall the book is just fiction. It’s a great story for someone who may be uneducated about the environment. It shows in the best way possible the conflicts an environmentalist faces. For example Deanna talks to Eddie about how she’d kill strays because they destroy nature. Or how all the chestnut trees were cut down in order to attempt to preserve them. In the end of the book all of the characters have human trials and tribulations to face, along with environmental ones. Personally, when it comes to environmental books, I appreciate books with more facts, such as Pollen to give me facts that I can use. Kingsolver writes great novels that are fun to read, but it’s not the book I prefer to read for an environmental class.
ReplyDeleteKingsolver has created a novel that does incorporate the natural environment in great abundance through the characters and their unique outlooks, opinions, and experiences. Each character brings a new perspective on the natural world, some trying to protect all that is native and purely natural in their eyes, and others trying to section it off to protect certain aspects of the natural world, like protecting cattle by killing coyotes. In both cases man has taken a role of caretaker and im not sure either is right or wrong, only different. I think that kingsolver might have conflicting views herself on what is right and wrong, and i think she portrayed these many views and perspectives through the different characters. The way these characters intermingle however seems to show an overarching theme of love. In my opinion this is the only thing that Barbara Kingsolver sees as pure and true and just. She does not put emphasis on any characters views being more right than any others, but the fact that love is so prevalent means to me that she wanted to convey to the reader its importance not only in the plot but as a function of nature.
ReplyDelete2. I don’t believe that Kingsolver is addressing a specific audience in her book. I think she wants to educate the general public about the beauty of our environment. Her audience is anyone who is interested or willing to understand the environment in a unique way. In this book Kingsolver expresses her love for the environment by giving it a feminine touch. She is trying to create awareness to the audience about the small aspects of our environment that people tend to forget about. Kingsolver explains the environment in a unique way that people might find entertaining, she flirts with the pieces of the environment and gives them a feminine characteristic. I think she approach to the environment is very persuasive because she convinces people the environment is very beautiful.
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