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On the Reconstruction of the Harmony between Man and Nature

Author: XuXiao
Tutor: ZhaoXiuFu
School: Shandong University
Course: English Language and Literature
Keywords: Reconstruction Harmony Nature Man Emerson
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Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2011
Downloads: 136
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Abstract

In recent years, with the rapid development of the modern industrialization, there is no doubt that people’s daily lives have become much more convenient and faster. However, every coin has two sides. At the same time of bringing us comfort and convenience, modern technology has also caused a growing number of environmental damages and pollutions, which cannot be ignored as well. With the accompaniment of the intensification of all kinds of pollutions and the frequent occurrences of natural disasters, people have gradually realized the importance and immediacy to care for whether our beloved nature could stand such a great number of exploitation.Nature has sounded the alarm bell of environmental protection to the world. This has reinforced people’s care and attention on nature, which has been sustaining our lives ever since people’s existence but received little attention from human beings in return. The reflections of such consciousness on literary circles are people’s recollections on the relationship between man and nature, a gradually growing number of researches on writers and works of nature literature, and the re-existence of ecological literature and ecocriticism in recent years. As a matter of fact, nature is always a special and important theme in American literature and its relationship with man has also become the focus of concentration of many American writers. In particular, we should mention the transcendentalists led by Ralph Waldo Emerson, who have viewed nature from a brand new aspect and promoted the man-nature relation to a new comprehension. Most of Emerson’s works are essays, including Nature, The Over-soul, The American Scholar and so on, among which Nature is the most important one. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to make a comprehensive and all-rounded analysis of Nature, the representative work of Ralph Waldo Emerson who is the representative of American transcendentalism and a writer of American trait. By analyzing and generalizing, we will summarize Emerson’s views of nature and conclude the progressive opinions for directing our correctly dealing with nature. Nowadays, in the substantial society, it will be of great enlightenment for purifying our impulsive souls to re-read this classic. The structure of this paper will be in accordance with the four functions of nature to man summarized by Emerson, that is, commodity, beauty, language and discipline. The four chapters will go forward one by one.For the introduction of this paper, we will mainly discuss the structure of the little book, the reason to re-examine nature and Emerson’s definition of nature.The first chapter is about the commodity that nature has provided for us. Emerson’s definition of commodity is defined to be all those advantages which our senses owe to nature. This is the most basic and lowest providence that nature brings to us, but is also absolutely essential at the same time. Nature has provided us with a comfortable environment and sufficient resources, which have ensured our basic living and the foundations for us to pursue a better life. What’s more, every part in nature also cooperates with each other and therefore has brought people numerous benefits. Moreover, by the combination of natural elements, people will also invent more useful survival skills and technologies with their wisdom. In a word, with the help of nature, people will be able to make their lives much easier and more convenient.The second chapter is primarily about the beauty that nature has furnished us. This chapter can be divided into three separate parts—the sensual beauty, spiritual or moral beauty and the intellectual beauty. This part will introduce the idea that beauty is a part of nature that has been serving our needs all the time. Following the former chapter, this chapter makes clear the notion that beauty is a nobler want of humanity than commodity, which everybody must have to survive. Although beauty is not necessary for physical survival, it is useful for its restorative powers.The third chapter discusses the other higher need that nature provides to man, language. This chapter is made up of three parts. To begin with, words are signs of natural facts. This part mainly talks about the origin of the words that we use in daily life. Every single word, if traced to its source, is transformed from our natural world. In addition, we can also find the linguistic support of this statement. Secondly, particular natural facts are symbols of particular spiritual facts. Apart from words, everything in nature is symbolic and corresponds to some state of mind of human beings. Thirdly, nature is the symbol of spirit. Such statement can be tested from some folk proverbs.As for the reason, it is the analogy between nature and spirit. The analogy can be sensed by everyone who can take time to work on it. Consequently, as long as we would love to study nature and its relationship with man, nature will become an open book for us one day.The fourth chapter mainly discusses the function of discipline of nature on man. This is the highest level of nature’s favors to man. This part will include two aspects:nature’s discipline on understanding and reason. Every natural object in nature possesses some kind of knowledge that we can learn from. By communicating with nature, we will have new understandings on physical materials and natural laws. Moreover, as all the natural objects are moral, nature will influence people morally by showing them the truths and reasons.

On the Reconstruction of the Harmony between Man and Nature

Abstract

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