Silent Spring Book Evaluation

Nicholas Williams

Professor Melissa Santos

English 102-016

26 September 2017

Silent Spring Book Evaluation

            In the novel, “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson displayed a plethora of information in regard to DDT and other chemical sprayings that became popular as of the 50s and 60s.  She gathered citations and references of a multitude of studies and observations that show the impact that chemical spraying has on nature.  Not only does she describe as to how insects can be killed by spraying, but as to how entire biological communities can be damaged.  Pesticides killed hundreds of thousands of fish and birds, as well as generations to follow.  Carson wrote about how this impacted all aspects of nature, as well as humans through chemical connections with cancer.  Additionally, the novel touches on how products that we eat, such as fish and milk can be poisoned with DDT to some degree if their sources were.  

            The psychological aspect of the novel was what drew me it to it most heavily.  Carson calls into question the common view that man should be able to play God in nature.  “Who has decided – who has the right to decide – for the countless legions of people who were not consulted that the supreme value is a world without insects even though it be also a sterile world ungraced by the curving wind of a bird in flight?” (Carson 127) Through creating this connection between accountability and the damage that’s being done, Carson brings the audience to become more self-aware of their actions and what we allow to happen to our planet.  While not all of us write nature prose every day, it’s fair to say that most of us appreciate the natural world to some degree.  When Carson makes statements such as that, she allows us to recognize that each and every one of us has the ability to control the course of our planet.

            However, the most incredible aspect of her novel was how it was so effective.  Most of the pesticides she described are banned, extremely difficult to find, or used very sparingly.  The novel displays a powerful argument that clearly won its case through striking emotion into the hearts of the country through nothing more than the collection of facts and statistics.  This was all possible because Carson highlighted the importance of taking action against pesticide sprays.  “If we would divert to constructive research even a small fraction of the money spent each year on the development of ever more toxic sprays, we could find ways to use less dangerous materials and to keep poisons out of our waterways.”  (Carson 152) It was because she not only highlighted the problem but provided solutions and answers to these issues that real action could be taken to remedy the situation.  Carson’s insights shaped our nation and made our society come to realize the harm that chemicals can cause.  The fact that she was able to cause such an impact is incredible beyond belief, especially given that she was struggling with cancer and had no funding for this research.

            In my eyes, the way that Carson conveyed her messages and viewpoints was what made this novel so powerful.  She never allowed herself to become too biased, but still conveyed her thoughts through the facts that she displayed.  As Radford wrote in his own book review, “Her use of imagery and emotion is almost perfectly judged. She keeps her anger under control and simply marshals the tragedy that requires no comment.”  Her ability to remain seemingly impartial on issues that were even as personal as the relation between chemical spraying and cancer is stunning to me, as she was struggling with cancer throughout her time writing the book.  Radford goes on to state that, “Most of the time, she lets the information do the work, and confines her poetic urges to the chapter headings and the odd, throwaway conclusion.”  I felt that her ability to command the narrative with strictly statistics and facts, yet still convey emotion was particularly effective.  It was this tactic that brought her novel to not only be taken seriously but, as previously mentioned, for people to act on the issues.

            I would primarily recommend this novel to anyone interested in conservationism or environmental awareness.  Carson’s novel was groundbreaking and should be taken as a precedent for other activist groups to look to in the future.  Additionally, history majors would benefit from understanding that the perfect portrayal of 50’s America wasn’t as wonderful as we’ve been taught to think.  However, I believe that it’s important for all college students to read at least portions of this book.  I’m glad that, even though I don’t plan on going into a field that would directly connect to the themes and topics discussed in the novel, I was introduced to this book.  Just like Sinclair’s “The Jungle” and Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” shaped our country, “Silent Spring” had an impact that, know it or not, still exists in our country to date.  I believe it’s important for everyone to understand how far we’ve come with protecting our environment, as that opens the door to pushing everyone to try to continue to help our planet to thrive.

Citations

Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. First Mariner Books, 2002.

Radford, Tim. “Silent Spring by Rachel Carson – review | Tim Radford.” The Guardian, Guardian News

and Media, 30 Sept. 2011, www.theguardian.com/science/2011/sep/30/silent-spring-rachel-      carson-review.