Mark Twain and Wendell Berry, Essay Example

Mark Twain. Two ways of seeing a river. Copyright 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin’s

The author of the article talks about the experiences he had on the river.  The author reminisces about the times when the river was a beauty and recalls the familiarity he had about the river. The beauty and the pleasant memories of the river gone, and he recalls one sunset back then. The memories of the evening are still clear in the author’s mind, and he relays what he saw on the sunset evening as something he had never seen. The author of the article recalls all the details of the memorable evening. The visualization according to the author is one that was breath taking.

The author goes ahead to state that the scenery ceased to amaze him, and he did not notice it in the subsequent instances.  The author laments that, in the case of a repeat of the sunset scene, he would have commented upon it. The comments of the author are that the scene had  symbolic significance.  According to him, the sun in the scene meant the following day would bring wind, and the floating log meant the river level was rising.

The author retorts that the river had lost all the beauty and romance it once had. The only thing left behind was the usefulness of the river in the navigation of the steamboat. The author has since that day pitied the doctors due to what they see in their patients that are the sickness tacked away by the outward beauty.

Wendell Berry. Home of the free. Copyright 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin’s

The author inquires on the satisfaction attained through increased efficiency, production and consumption. The efficiency in this case portrayed by the use of remote control of everything by the year 2001. However, the world of the future according to the author already established and was developing rapidly. The author brings into light two advertisements where the author tries to clarify the position and questions the sources of satisfaction. The first advertisement highlighted by the author is that from John Deere where the advertisement portrays the advanced features of the “earth space capsule” which incorporates the comfort and efficiency in the machine. The second advertisement on which the author looks at is that of a housing development.

The advertisement relays to its audience the comfort brought in with them doing things the audience dislike and leaving the consumer to be free. The author retorts that the two advertisements are similar in that they both bring about the appeal of freedom to the readers. The freedom here is the diversion from the natural conditions in the surroundings and the necessity of humanity. The author notes that this freedom associated with the cost and the possibility of life becoming a holiday.

The author further observes that the condominium advertisement tends to have a focus on people who dislike working, consider themselves superior to others, and, therefore, want to give advice to those who work while they sit back. The John Deere advertisement, on the other hand, focuses on farmers who hate farming and tractors, which they desire to, have protection.

The author comments that the only sure way to escape the hassles of life is death. The author connects the desires in the advertisements to the appeal of death. According to the author, the advertisements directed to those individuals who have no interest in earthly things.  The author goes ahead to inquire why the people who seek these things have not been sold coffins by a superb salesperson. The author retorts that these individuals cause trouble for the rest of the population with their desires. In the author’s perception, the natural conditions have not caused any trouble, and desire to put up with nature in the future. The author’s desire is that humans in search of comfort and convenience should leave nature to thrive without the interference.

In the authors, opinion the law imposed on humanity is that of returning everything to its source. The haters of nature, on the other hand, violate this law with the desire for convenience. The adoption of convenient methods according to the author results in the misuse or the natural products. The effects of these desires for convenience and efficiency result in what the author describes as pollution of the environment. The author claims that the evolution in this regard brings the notion that the work of the individual would by another person while the person relaxes. Accordingly, attainment of freedom is not by these notions but by taking personal responsibility of our consequences

The production of products from the both convenient and efficient perspective results in a much more negative impact than the desired outcome. The author goes ahead to give an account of a pleasant experience he had in manually spreading manure on the farm without assistance from any machine which in the authors regard considered convenient and efficient.