Bell Hooks Touching The Earth Analysis
Charmeka Singleton
Ms. Anya Groner
English 102
March 22, 2011
Lost Connections
Environmentalists argue that Northern big cities have prevented one from fully connecting with nature. This proves to be evident in Jerry Mander’s essay “The Walling of Awareness” and bell hooks’ “Touching the Earth.” In “The Walling of Awareness,” Mander examines how the construction of big cities has impaired people’s relationship with nature. Similarly in bell hooks’ “Touching the Earth”, she argues that when the blacks migrated to the North they suffered both physically and mentally from their lost relationship with the land. Although Mander and hooks agree that we are disconnected to nature, both examine these losses and its consequences differently by their proposals to restore the lost connections. Mander suggests that we remove technology and return the earth to its true nature and hooks advise that we look towards our ancestors to help restore our relationship with the land.
According to Mander, the advent of electricity prevents one from experiencing nature directly. An explanation of this is that “most Americans …show more content…
Mander proposals to restore the lost connection between man and nature would be to reestablish the environment’s natural state like it was years ago (207). It is also inferred indirectly that he feels that the world and people would benefit without the use of technology. Hooks however, uses a different approach in how we can reconnect with the environment. Hooks proposes we can better ourselves by re-establishing our connection to the earth and by evaluating the way of our ancestors. The connection of earth and body is one that “when the earth is sacred to us, our bodies can also be sacred to us” (hooks 173). This shows the impact that the land had on the ancestors and how if we can remember the ways of our ancestors we too can identify ourselves with the nature just as they
Ms. Anya Groner
English 102
March 22, 2011
Lost Connections
Environmentalists argue that Northern big cities have prevented one from fully connecting with nature. This proves to be evident in Jerry Mander’s essay “The Walling of Awareness” and bell hooks’ “Touching the Earth.” In “The Walling of Awareness,” Mander examines how the construction of big cities has impaired people’s relationship with nature. Similarly in bell hooks’ “Touching the Earth”, she argues that when the blacks migrated to the North they suffered both physically and mentally from their lost relationship with the land. Although Mander and hooks agree that we are disconnected to nature, both examine these losses and its consequences differently by their proposals to restore the lost connections. Mander suggests that we remove technology and return the earth to its true nature and hooks advise that we look towards our ancestors to help restore our relationship with the land.
According to Mander, the advent of electricity prevents one from experiencing nature directly. An explanation of this is that “most Americans …show more content…
Mander proposals to restore the lost connection between man and nature would be to reestablish the environment’s natural state like it was years ago (207). It is also inferred indirectly that he feels that the world and people would benefit without the use of technology. Hooks however, uses a different approach in how we can reconnect with the environment. Hooks proposes we can better ourselves by re-establishing our connection to the earth and by evaluating the way of our ancestors. The connection of earth and body is one that “when the earth is sacred to us, our bodies can also be sacred to us” (hooks 173). This shows the impact that the land had on the ancestors and how if we can remember the ways of our ancestors we too can identify ourselves with the nature just as they