The Botany Of Desire Analysis

Apple Of My Eye: A Summary of Michael Pollan's 'The Apple' from The Botany of Desire
Micheal Pollan begins his bestselling novel, “The Botany Of Desire”, with a question, what is the difference between humans, and the bumblebee? Pollan argues that humans do not have control over nature as we tend to believe, he believes that nature plays an equal or even more dominant role in our relationship. He states, “this book tells a different story of man and nature”(xxv) and he tells this story through the apple. Pollan believes that the apple had much of the control over its destiny; that it is the one that chose its fate, not humans as we are so inclined to believe. He sums up his thoughts up perfectly by stating, “The apple is the hero of its own story”(6)
As Pollan’s thesis states, the apple is the hero. This idea is meant to make the reader uncomfortable, Pollan is trying to make us see the story we have been hearing all our lives in a new light. He wants us to
Pollan continually referenced back to him, for good reason. The apple and John Chapman had a symbiotic relationship, helping each other in ways they could not help themselves. They were equal in their relationship, which Pollan highlights as he discusses the tale of Chapman floating down the Ohio river-side by side, floating in matching catamarans, both essential to the others fate. Chapman owned many nurseries along the frontier and helped spread the apple across America. Pollan credits Chapmans widespread success to his “fanatical devotion to apple planted from seed’ and his ever changing location. His success can also be attributed to the fact that since he only grew apples from seed and not from grafting, as is the preferred way to grow apples, Chapman’s apples were not suited for eating, the only thing suited for his apples was cider, and the American pioneers had a great want for