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Date
Nov 24, 2024
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Leopold Study Questions
1. List 3 key aspects of the “land ethic” that Leopold outlines in his book?
Something that stood out to me in Leopold's book is the personification of the land. He
explains how the land has the same needs as humans, and how land can be in need of things as
humans are in need of things. However, Leopold doubts the fact that humans provide those needs
to land like they provide to themselves. Even though nature as a whole seems like such a
complex being, he still believes that nurturing the land as humans nurture other humans will be
crucial to the idea of caring for nature and the environment that humans inhabit. Moreover,
humans live in and take advantage of most of nature's natural resources, and without remorse or
awareness of what the consequences might be. Leopold provides several instances in history
where this has occurred, and expresses his distrust in the human race and states that he does not
believe humans have the best interest of nature in mind.
2. Leopold wrote that “we can only be ethical in relation to something we can see,
understand, feel, love, or otherwise have faith in.” Do you agree? Or disagree? Explain why
you agree or disagree.
I agree with the simplicity of being ethical in something that you can see,
understand, feel, love, or otherwise have faith in, as this is how most people base their individual
beliefs and faiths. It is more than common for the defense of “why” one believes in something to
be that they love it or can see or feel it, and this is why religions become a controversial debate
of - why believe if you cannot see or feel it? Many of today's disagreements occur because they
are loyal to one side, and love it because they see or feel more of one side of things, which tends
to be what people prefer to surround themselves with, especially when it's comfortable or
familiar.
However, I do think that it is both okay and necessary to become ethical in something
that is significant and important, even if it does not affect or benefit oneself. Those who tend to
not be ethical to things they see or believe is because it may not be extremely beneficial to them.
It is obviously easier to be ethical in something that we are already aware of or comfortable with,
but there is much more in the world that holds significance and needs more awareness. With that,
there is also a lot in this world that is not fully understood by humans, and that is uncomfortable
for most. Nature is something that humans do not have a full understanding of, and many still
stand ethical to making it a much needed priority in today's society. I would have to say that I
disagree with what Leopold wrote, just because I think that one can still be ethical in relation to
things without having to understand, see, feel, or love it.
3. Consider your relationship to a place in the natural world that you have a connection to.
In what ways does that connection inspire you to be “ethical” in relation to that place?
Does that ethic involve stewardship? If so, in what ways? Does it involve self-discipline or
sacrifice? If so, in what ways?
Use the exercise from class.
Savoy Study Questions
One: Savoy uses the “snapshot” technique that we did in class to evoke vivid memories and
embeds these as short vignettes on p 19. Find 2-3 other places in the text where you identify
Savoy breaking into language that is stylistically closer to the snapshot form ( or other
short snapshot/vignettes) – in other words, more vivid and poetic, even fragmented at times
and less working on the power of analysis – in order to make her writing more impactful.
2. Savoy is alert to Emerson and Kant and the long tradition of writing about the natural
world in American literature and her book is deeply researched. On page 33, she cites Aldo
Leopold’s “Land Ethic,” and commends the way he “enlarged the boundaries of
‘community’ to include ‘soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively, the land.’” Yet,
she takes issue with Leopold. What is her critique of Leopold? Why is it deeply personal
for Her?
One of the main critiques that Savoy expresses of Leopold's literature is the idea of
slavery. Leopold discusses slavery in his book, but limits his references to ancient Greece, and
the idea of slavery that derives from that location. Savoy expresses how Leopold leaves out other
origins of slavery, and how he leaves out her people's culture. Savoy mentions that, if given the
opportunity, she would reach out to Leopold and question whether he intended to exclude her
culture in that sense. In her writing, Savoy clearly questions if “Leopold consider[ed her]?” This
creates quite the significance to Savoy's story because when she was little she already had the
difficult feeling that she had a place in society. Additionally, she then reads a book where she
then feels unseen by the author and representation of her culture and heritage.
3. The title of her book is Trace. In what ways is trace a theme and what is she tracing
throughout the book? What particular arenas of history does she feel it is important to
remember and engage at this time and why?
In this book, Savoy uses a personal take on nature and the environment around us by
giving the readers insight to her very own interests and background. Throughout this book,
Savoy emphasizes concerns about one discovering a relationship with a place. When she
discovers the lack of records about her ancestry, she raises the question of our past and what we
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know about them are silenced, and the discrepancies of history as memory. Savoy does her own
research and studies in geology in an attempt to battle this. This is how she not only created an
identity revelation, but one greater understanding of the world and environment that we all live
in. With this, she found the significance of bonding with a location or place, and concluded that
exploring in the remote landscapes of the earth can be risky, and even dangerous. She explains
that carefully exploring the land creates the idea of history, and traveling becomes a form of
becoming aware of the lands.
The Sixth Extinction
Study Questions
1. Find places in The Sixth Extinction where you identify Elizabeth Kolbert structuring the
factual material and presenting it in ways that make it “interesting to read.”
2. Analyze what engages you as a reader. Consider the storytelling techniques she is using
and look carefully at word choice. Find 3 places that you enjoyed as a reader and consider
what transported you.
3. Find a passage where you have learned something new. Read it over and consider how
Kolbert was able to convey the information in a way that made it both interesting and
engaging. What facts did she present and in what order? How did she make connections
with you as a reader?
In an interview with the Paris Review, the famous nonfiction writer John McPhee
commented on the difference between fiction and nonfiction.
“A fiction writer is feeling her way, feeling her way – it’s much more of a trial and
error, exploratory thing. With nonfiction, you’ve got your material, and what you’re
trying to do is tell it as a story in a way that doesn’t violate fact, but at the same time is
structured and presented in a way that makes it interesting to read.”
Answer the following questions, typed, double spaced. Due on Tuesday
March 21
1. Find places in The Sixth Extinction where you identify Elizabeth Kolbert
structuring the factual material and presenting it in ways that make it
“interesting to read.”
2. Analyze what engages you as a reader. Consider the storytelling techniques
she is using and look carefully at word choice. Find 3 places that you enjoyed
as a reader and consider what transported you.
3. Find a passage where you have learned something new. Read it over and
consider how Kolbert was able to convey the information in a way that made
it both interesting and engaging. What facts did she present and in what
order? How did she make connections with you as reader?