Clarks and Abbeys (NJ5)


It is interesting how some trees have these nodules in their trunk. I call them nodules only because I do not know what else to say and a nodule is the best description I can provide.  Nonetheless, the nodules have this peculiar appearance of an eye. It has different texture and coloring than the surrounding bark. Slightly darker and raised. Round of course, and a shade heavier on the inside to resemble the pupil. Perhaps it serves as a reminder that the tree too is living, breathing, interacting with us and the other animals. It is obvious the squirrels and foxes are alive because they can communicate. While this communication rarely occurs through voice, we still interpret their movements and do not need to be reminded that they are filled with life. By contrast, the trees and plants are silent except for the sounds made through their interaction with an outside force. While unmoving, the “eye nodule” of a tree gives us an avenue to connect through some convoluted pathway.

I find it intriguing how we relate to our environment, other animals, and the people around us.  In particular, why do I feel I can understand certain writers better than others? I struggle with Timothy Clark, for instance, probably for numerous reasons. In addition to his instructive presentation of complicated material, his complex sentences coupled with sophisticated British vocabulary certainly does not help me enjoy his content. But removed from his advanced semantic and syntactic style, I cannot imagine myself enjoying his company during a dinner party. I am not saying he is unfriendly or uninteresting but that his writing fails to make me relate to him or the information written.  By contrast, writers like Rachel Carson and Edward Abbey have personalities that make me feel like I am walking alongside them. Of course, it is unfair to compare Clark’s didactic text with the descriptive writing of Carson or Abbey, but something about how Carson and Abbey write makes it easier for me to read and agree with their statements.


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