Kelsey Quinlan
Prof. Santos
ENGL 102-112
Book Evaluation: Silent Spring
Oct 27, 2017
Environmentalist Heard Round the World
Revolutionary in its content, Silent Spring by Rachel Carson changed the history of environmentalism in only two hundred and ninety-seven pages of non-fiction writing, opening the reader’s eyes to the monstrous effects of mankind's thoughts on nature. Environmental concerns, for many of us, don’t stand at the forefront of our minds. However, Rachel Carson was so invested in, and passionate about her environmental concerns that it shaped history itself. Chapter to chapter, Carson reveals to the public the truth about humankind's ignorance of effects of poisonous chemicals on nearly all species one can imagine. Almost every paragraph contains a new scientific study hidden from society in order to let the government continue its asinine charades. One voice alone is rarely enough to move our nation, but using the voice of all muted scientists, and outraged believers fueled with horror and cold anger of the harsh reality we live in, allowed Rachel Carson to recreate the very ecological laws we abide by.
One truth that was proven, without a shadow of a doubt, to the reader, was humankind single handedly destroying itself from the inside out. Carson even states, "Only within the moment of time represented by the present century has one species - man - acquired significant power to alter the nature of his world" (Carson, 5). Not even a full page before, Carson had set a breathtaking and heartbreaking scene to the reader, of the world to come. She hit home in saying that man had done it to himself, with his so called "authority" over that which gave him life. Tim Radford, in his 2011 book review of Silent Spring, even contended to Carsons flowing yet piercing writing style. Radford writes, "It is brilliantly written: clear, controlled and authoritative; with confident poetical flourishes that suddenly illuminate pages of cool exposition" (Radford, 4-5). As Radford so eloquently and truthfully explains, Carson is using the beauty of nature to worm her way into the readers hearts and minds, before shattering such images with the terrifying reality in which we have built for ourselves under such false authority.
Authority, while giving our civilization the guidelines it so desperately needs, often times lead to civilizations very own demise when places in the wrong, arrogant, hands. Rachel, while aware of the fact that solutions are needed for insects and crops, has shown us the blatant ignorance we have put into finding the CORRECT alternative. Carson writes, "I do contend that we have put poisonous and biologically potent chemicals indiscriminately into the hands of person largely or wholly ignorant of their potentials for harm." (Carson, 12), while going on to say, “I contend, furthermore, that we have allowed these chemicals to be used with little or no advance investigation of their effect on soil, water, wildlife, and man himself” (Carson, 13). She further exemplifies the fact that such harmful substances as DDT and other pesticides/ insecticides used by our government are done so blindly, and bringing harm to not only ourselves, but what is needed for us to survive. Carson having put such examples and opinions as this in her text is what led Radford to add the following comment about the book into his review, "It has earned a sure place in history and is a reminder that complacency is a dangerous state; that all human commerce has consequences that must be considered carefully; and that watchfulness is democracy's surest defence" (Radford, p16). He uses such principle as human commerce and democracy to take a shot at those who have used complacency so blindly in regards to the nature of, well, ...nature.
Mankind has never truly had a right to know about anything in nature, other than the fact that it is what sustains life for every species we know. After exercising and exhausting the use of over 200 chemicals, described in glorious detail by Carson herself, she drives home the fact that it is time to let biology itself be the only leading factor. She writes, “If, having endured much, we have at last asserted our “right to know,” and if, knowing, we have concluded that we are being asked to take senseless and frightening risks, then we should no longer accept the counsel of those who tell us that we must fill our world with poisonous chemicals; we should look about and see what other course is open to us” (Carson, 278). Civilization needs to learn to stop falling to false, self-proclaimed authority of what our government "believes" to be true. Carson, through her double meaning writing, proves to the reader her counter argument of why our “right to know” isn’t even remotely true. She follows up in saying, “The “control of nature” is a phrase conceived in arrogance, born of the Neanderthal age of biology and philosophy, when it was supposed that nature exists for the convenience of man. The concepts and practices of implied entomology for the most part date from that Stone Age of science. It is our alarming misfortune that so primitive a science has armed itself with the most modern and terrible weapons, and that in turning them against the insects it has also turned them against the earth” (Carson, 297). Essentially, we seek to find balance. Our own arrogance has led to nature turning against us, and further proving that we are never truly in control. Carson is driving home the fact that nature never existed for the convenience of man, that it contains its own checks and balances, and we as a civilization are using technology in order to contain our own image of simplicity instead of finding revolutionary new outcomes.
One truth that was proven, without a shadow of a doubt, to the reader, was humankind single handedly destroying itself from the inside out. Carson even states, "Only within the moment of time represented by the present century has one species - man - acquired significant power to alter the nature of his world" (Carson, 5). Not even a full page before, Carson had set a breathtaking and heartbreaking scene to the reader, of the world to come. She hit home in saying that man had done it to himself, with his so called "authority" over that which gave him life. Tim Radford, in his 2011 book review of Silent Spring, even contended to Carsons flowing yet piercing writing style. Radford writes, "It is brilliantly written: clear, controlled and authoritative; with confident poetical flourishes that suddenly illuminate pages of cool exposition" (Radford, 4-5). As Radford so eloquently and truthfully explains, Carson is using the beauty of nature to worm her way into the readers hearts and minds, before shattering such images with the terrifying reality in which we have built for ourselves under such false authority.
Authority, while giving our civilization the guidelines it so desperately needs, often times lead to civilizations very own demise when places in the wrong, arrogant, hands. Rachel, while aware of the fact that solutions are needed for insects and crops, has shown us the blatant ignorance we have put into finding the CORRECT alternative. Carson writes, "I do contend that we have put poisonous and biologically potent chemicals indiscriminately into the hands of person largely or wholly ignorant of their potentials for harm." (Carson, 12), while going on to say, “I contend, furthermore, that we have allowed these chemicals to be used with little or no advance investigation of their effect on soil, water, wildlife, and man himself” (Carson, 13). She further exemplifies the fact that such harmful substances as DDT and other pesticides/ insecticides used by our government are done so blindly, and bringing harm to not only ourselves, but what is needed for us to survive. Carson having put such examples and opinions as this in her text is what led Radford to add the following comment about the book into his review, "It has earned a sure place in history and is a reminder that complacency is a dangerous state; that all human commerce has consequences that must be considered carefully; and that watchfulness is democracy's surest defence" (Radford, p16). He uses such principle as human commerce and democracy to take a shot at those who have used complacency so blindly in regards to the nature of, well, ...nature.
Mankind has never truly had a right to know about anything in nature, other than the fact that it is what sustains life for every species we know. After exercising and exhausting the use of over 200 chemicals, described in glorious detail by Carson herself, she drives home the fact that it is time to let biology itself be the only leading factor. She writes, “If, having endured much, we have at last asserted our “right to know,” and if, knowing, we have concluded that we are being asked to take senseless and frightening risks, then we should no longer accept the counsel of those who tell us that we must fill our world with poisonous chemicals; we should look about and see what other course is open to us” (Carson, 278). Civilization needs to learn to stop falling to false, self-proclaimed authority of what our government "believes" to be true. Carson, through her double meaning writing, proves to the reader her counter argument of why our “right to know” isn’t even remotely true. She follows up in saying, “The “control of nature” is a phrase conceived in arrogance, born of the Neanderthal age of biology and philosophy, when it was supposed that nature exists for the convenience of man. The concepts and practices of implied entomology for the most part date from that Stone Age of science. It is our alarming misfortune that so primitive a science has armed itself with the most modern and terrible weapons, and that in turning them against the insects it has also turned them against the earth” (Carson, 297). Essentially, we seek to find balance. Our own arrogance has led to nature turning against us, and further proving that we are never truly in control. Carson is driving home the fact that nature never existed for the convenience of man, that it contains its own checks and balances, and we as a civilization are using technology in order to contain our own image of simplicity instead of finding revolutionary new outcomes.
Holding the title of one of the landmark books of the twentieth century, Silent Spring is quite possibly the most pressing factor in the launch of the environmentalist movement. Rachel Carson put her heart and soul into outing the government’s destruction of the environment in which we live. Tim Radford himself put it best, “Most of the time, she lets the information do the work, and confines her poetic urges to chapter headings and the odd, throwaway conclusion. The book is a study in how to put an argument and win it” (Radford, p8). Her whole work consisted of carefully constructed eye-opening arguments meant to plant seeds in the minds of the readers. Not a soul that is faced with this book will ever return from its pages with the same emotion and mindset towards our species and morals as that of which they went in.
Citations
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.
Carson, Rachel. Silent spring. Penguin Books, in association with Hamish Hamilton, 2015.
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