Leiningen Vs The Ants Analysis

Throughout the ages, man has constantly been forced to battle with nature. “Leiningen versus the Ants” by Carl Stephenson is about a landowner, Leiningen, in Brazil who is warned by a Brazilian official that an army, ten miles long and two miles wide, of ants is headed straight for his plantation and are expected to reach his plantation in two days at the latest. But Leiningen believes that the Brazilian official is “pulling his leg” when he advises him to evacuate the plantation because of ants. Against all odds, Leiningen is able to defeat a twenty square mile army of ants by possessing leadership, confidence, and intelligence. One of the key reasons that Leiningen is able to defeat the army of ants is his great leadership skill because
Leiningen believed that he could defeat the ants, which gave Leiningen and his men confidence in every precaution, and action they were taking in the steps towards defeating the ants. Leiningen had made every precaution his mind could think of, “And now he was sure he would prove more than a match for the ‘irresistible’ ants”(2). Leiningen believes that he will defeat the ants due to the great precaution that he has taken to stop them. By believing that his precautions would be successful, Leiningen illustrates confidence not only in him, but also in his actions. Speaking to the Brazilian officer about the claim he had made about the ants being an “act of God,” Leiningen replies, “Act of God, my eye! Anyway, I’m not an old woman; I’m not going to run for it just because an elemental’s on the way”(1). Leiningen not only needs confidence in what he has done, but also in what he is capable of doing. Leiningen demonstrates that he has confidence in his capability to hold off the ants and defeat them. In the same reply to the Brazilian officer who described to Leiningen the vastness and power of the ant army, Leiningen states, “I use my intelligence, old man. With me, the brain isn’t a second blindgut; I know what it’s there for”(1). Again Leiningen illustrates confidence that he will have no problem holding off the ants simply with his intelligence. Leiningen’s success can be greatly
Leiningen is a man with great intelligence who is able to use his intelligence, along with leadership and confidence, to aid in his defeat of the vast army of ants. Leiningen’s key illustration of his intelligence is his preparation towards fending off the ants. Leiningen had lived at his plantation through much fearful devastation including previous attempts of ravenous insects to acquire food. “But since then he had planned measures of defense accordingly…”(1). Intelligence is applying acquired smarts and Leiningen is doing just that as he takes precautionary actions to avoid further devastation at his plantation. Leiningen has installed every line of defense that his mind could think of on the borders of his plantation, the first of which was a water-filled ditch. “This water filled ditch was one of the defense measures which Leiningen had long since prepared against the advent of the ants”(2). Precautionary action mainly in the form of barriers became Leiningen’s primary line of defense against the ants. Precautions are preparations to defend an area in this situation and show that Leiningen had previously devised an intelligent plan to fend off the ants. The second critical precaution of Leiningen was an inner moat that protected the plantation once again. “Finally, he made a careful inspection of the ‘inner moat’—a smaller ditch lined with concrete…into this