Do Seek Their Meat From God Analysis

Charles G.D Roberts is known for his 250 odd realistic animal stories published in the contemporary period. These so called realistic animal stories may be thought of as a response to Darwin’s exploration of the connections between man and animal; it is around this time when the “Origin of Species” broke down the barriers between the two. “Do Seek Their Meat from God”, one of Roberts’ animal stories, is no different in its ability to force a comparison between man and beast. With that said, in an essay concerning “Do Seek Their Meat from God” Seifert explains that “Roberts opens the story with a seemingly traditional nineteenth century landscape description… The wilderness is not depicted for its own sake…but directly bears on the theme, plot,
Additionally, the moon is described as an “orange disk” (Roberts 19) whose rays lit the ravine “strangely”(Robert 19). The mention of the darkness and the strange moonlight create a distinct first impression of what is to come. For example, the child’s strife, the battle of man versus beast, and the “rapidly decaying” bodies of the panther cubs. The tone may be foreboding in terms of these events. Perhaps the darkness and the moonlight may connect yet again to Darwin (his connection between animal and human) in the sense that there is a sense of mourning for the cubs (and even the adult panthers). The reader may emotionally connect with the weeping child, but there is no denying that Robert’s provides for the reader a sense of mourning for the panthers and the decaying cubs. As discussed, man is simply a more cunning animal and so, there is a darkness and a mourning for the animal as well as the
Darwin’s “The Origin of Species” is what he is tapping into. The ravine (and the two sides of the ravine) forges the connection between man and beast. Where animals simply act out of bare necessities, humans have a capacity for emotion with regards to their decision. Separately, the darkness and the strange moonlight provide for an eventual mourning of both man (the child’s cries) and animals (the panthers and their cubs). Again, the connection is forged. Robert’s is using “Do Seek Their Meat from God” to point to the connection between man and animal and more specifically, the panther and the settler. By the end the lines are blurred as to who the reader should be sympathizing with due to the