Indices or Ecology: The Difficulties of Differing Approaches to Promoting Conservation

In a culture where capitalist objectives further the pursuit of material goods and financial profit, conservation often feels like a sacrifice. In economics, the conundrums conservation presents us; such as preserving our Jarrah-Marri forests to save the numbats, at the cost of missing the opportunity to fell the forests for lumber; is known as an “opportunity cost” (Moffat n.d.).

While we can logically agree that conservation is necessary to ensure a sustainable future (as we are part of an interdependent system and the survival of our species depends on so many others from micro-organisms to megafauna), this argument is challenged by the largely emotive arguments of capitalism. Capitalist ventures run campaigns to convince us that we need to buy largely unnecessary products (such as bottled water) with the motivation of maximising profits. While the concept of a “triple bottom line” now is gaining some popularity in working the cost of environmental impacts into the costing process (Hindle 2009), the motivations of capitalist ventures continue to conflict with conservation objectives, as demonstrated by a recent decision by the Abbott government to seek to strip World Heritage status from 74,000 hectares of forest in Tasmania, in order to profit from logging it (Darby 2014).

The emotionally manipulative marketing campaigns consumer culture creates to compel our decisions cannot however be countered purely with logic. So conservation campaigns wrap logical arguments inside of emotionally laden narratives, in order to create a compelling argument to counter the other opportunities our natural resources could be applied towards, for short term material goods, but long term consequences.

Characterising individual species as indexes of conservation can make a compelling emotional argument, for audiences to connect to.

Indexical Signs; The Prevalance of Single Species and Vistas as Indices of Conservation

Conservation efforts are often marketed through use of singular species, or vistas which function as indices representative of larger conservation undertakings. Index signs, according to C.S. Peirce's semiotics theory is a sign which directly relates to the object it represents (Fiske 1982, 51). Within the South-West region, the Chuditch has been an index sign for sustainable use of electricity through Synergy's ongoing Switch the Future campaign with mascot Sparky the Chuditch (Future Energy Alliance 2012), and the Numbat, which has been used to represent conservation efforts to preserve old growth forests (Charlesworth 2013). It is easier to promote a narrative surrounding an individual species, than of an overall ecosystem; which may contain less immediately appealing species, like Turtle Frogs*:

Single species driven approaches to promoting conservation select species under a range of different (sometimes overlapping) criteria which draw upon differing cultural or ecological roles the species may perform.

Single species conservation approaches are divided into the following categories: flagship species, keystone species, umbrella species, and indicator species (Verissimo 2011, 5).

“Flagship Species” are selected as cultural ambassadors of conservation. They are often species which have similar characteristics as our own species, such as forward facing eyes, opposable thumbs, upright posture, or comparable size (Mooallem 2013, 60-61). An Australian example of a flagship species is the Leadbeater's possum Gymnobelideus leadbeateri, which was promoted during the 2013 federal election by the Greens party as the flagship species of their argument for conservation (Garnett, Possingham, and Woinarski 2013). Possums posses characteristics such as forward facing eyes, tiny little hands, and a tendency to haul around their offspring around which make them an easier species than some, for us to relate to.

“Keystone Species” are species which have a significant and unique impact on other species within their ecosystem, which cannot be replaced by another species (Kaufman and Franz 2000, 65). Keystone species may effect their ecosystems in different manners, and some keystone species from the South West Region of Western Australia include apex predators such as Great White Sharks (Miller and Spoolman 2012, 98), and Acorn Banksias Banksia prionotes; which during summer and autumn is the primary food source for the honeyeaters. As the honeyeaters are key pollinators within their ecosystem, the removal of that Banksia species would cause the ecosystem to destabilise (Lambeck 1999).

“Umbrella Species” is a biological term for a species which requires similar conditions as many other species within its ecosystem, so efforts to preserve the ecological conditions it needs to thrive will have a broad benefit on other species (Fields and P. 2010).

“Indicator Species” a species whose presence or absence in an ecosystem reveals valuable information as to the overall health of the ecosystem (Kaufman and Franz 2000, 64). i.e., the presence of Dusky Moorhen in a wetlands habitat, indicates that there is a sufficient abundance of reeds (O’Neill 1999).

Ecology

While it may be easier to rally support around an individual species as a focal point to attract support to conservation efforts, this approach can also be problematic, as for an individual to survive without being eternally dependent on the interference of conservationists; it must have the entire ecosystem it exists within, conserved so that it can survive independently.

While some conservation campaigns have detailed a wider array of species in their signs; virtual environments are capable of expressing greater complexities about ecosystems than can be expressed through such static signs. These virtual environments may support the greater understanding of such ecosystems, need to support conservation efforts. This, combined with the increasing expectations of immersion and engagement, and the changing literacies of audiences, make virtual environments a compelling area to explore for conservation.

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* My fixation with Turtle Frogs aside, looking as they do, (like the progeny of Doctor Who character Lady Cassandra from episode 158 The End of the World; “Moisturise me, moisturise me”), they're an unlikely index to rally support for conservation. (I can just imagine the poster: "Moisturise all the turtle frogs all the time, the precious little nightmare creatures need your help").

References

Charlesworth, D. 2013. No Hope For Old Growth? http://www.murdochindependent.com.au/no-hope-for-old-growth/ (accessed February 7, 2014).

Darby, A. 2014. Abbott government to cut 74,000 ha of forest from World Heritage zone. http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/abbott-government-to-cut-74000-ha-of-forest-from-world-heritage-zone-20140131-31qy6.html (accessed January 3, 2014).

Fields, G. and J. P. 2010. Umbrella and Keystone Species. http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen06/gen06898.htm (accessed February 6, 2014).

Fiske, J. 1982. Introduction to Communication Studies. London: Methuen & Co.

Future Energy Alliance. 2012. About Switch the Future. http://www.switchthefuture.com.au/About/ (accessed February 6, 2014).

Garnett, S. H. Possingham, J. Woinarski. 2013. Let’s put threatened species on the election agenda. http://theconversation.com/lets-put-threatened-species-on-the-election-agenda-17235 (accessed January 31, 2014).

Hindle, T. 2009. Idea: Triple bottom line. http://www.economist.com/node/14301663 accessed February 6, 2014).

Kaufman, D. G. and C. M. Franz. 2000. Biosphere 2000... Protecting our Global Environment, Third Edition. Duburque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt.

Lambeck , R. J. 1999. Landscape planning for biodiversity conservation in agricultural regions: A case study from the Wheatbelt of Western Australia: 2.5 Strategic enhancement: using focal species to define landscape requirements for nature conservation. http://www.environment.gov.au/archive/biodiversity/publications/technical/landscape/chapter2b.html (accessed February 6, 2014).

Miller, G. T. and S. E. Spoolman. 2012. Living in the Environment, 17^th Edition. Canada: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning.

Moffat, M. n.d. What are Opportunity Costs? http://economics.about.com/od/opportunitycosts/f/opportunitycost.htm (accessed February 6, 2014).

Mooallem, J. 2013. Wild Ones: A Sometimes Dismaying, Weirdly Reassuring Story About Looking at People Looking at Animals in America. New York: The Penguin Press.

O’Neill, G. 1999. Renaissance on Lanark. http://www.birdlife.org.au/documents/OTHPUB-Lanark.pdf (accessed February 7, 2014).

Verissimo, D. 2011. What makes a flagship species? A case study on the birds of Seychelles. Saarbrüucken, Germany: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller.

Figure References

Amok Island. n.d. Forest Legacy Poster. http://www.amokisland.com/pages/news/page/6/ (accessed February 7, 2014).

Charley Harper Prints. 2011. Caves Poster. https://www.charleyharperprints.com/shop/caves-poster/ (accessed February 7, 2014).

Charley Harper Prints. 2011. Cincinnati Nature Center Poster (vertical). https://www.charleyharperprints.com/shop/cincinnati-nature-center-poster-vertical/ (accessed February 7, 2014).

Charley Harper Prints. 2011. Shaker Lakes Regional Nature Center Poster. https://www.charleyharperprints.com/shop/shaker-lakes-regional-nature-center-poster/ (accessed February 7, 2014).

Forest Legacy. The Last Stand Poster by Mitza Drysdale. http://www.forestlegacy.org.au/ (accessed February 7, 2014).

Friends of Leadbeater's Possum. n.d. their future is in our hands… http://leadbeaters.org.au/ (accessed February 7, 2014).

Virtual Habitats and the Value of Nature #3

Entrusting in Artefacts Rather than Shifting Baselines:
Habitat Diorama as Artefacts of Ecosystems Destroyed

Shifting Baseline Syndrome, a coin termed by Daniel Pauly (Pauly 1995) describes a:

“‘generational amnesia’, where each new generation is unaware of—or, perhaps, does not take seriously—the environmental knowledge of previous generations... loss of knowledge of even large and charismatic species can be startlingly rapid.” (Corlett 2013).

Pauly identified the syndrome as an explanation as to why the fishing industry underestimated the decline of fishing stocks — discovering that people used their lived experience as a point of comparison for declining fish populations, and therefore didn't realise the fish populations were significantly diminished already from historical levels. The baseline of what constitutes ecological diversity shifts with each generation, which prevents recognition of the long term diminishing of population size, and ecological diversity.

That we think of Tasmanian Tigers Thylacinus cynocephalus and Tasmanian Devils Sarcophilus harrisii as Tasmanian; is a symptom of Shifting Baseline Syndrome. They have not been species experienced by mainland Australians in living memory, but we know these species roamed mainland Australia within quite recent ecological history. The Tasmanian Tiger still prowled throughout Australia and Papua New Guinea 3,300 years ago (Fletcher 2008) a century after the reign Egypt's most legendary Pharaoh Ramesses II ruler (British Museum n.d.)^*, and the Tasmanian Devil became extinct on the mainland only an approximate 400 years ago (Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania n.d.).

In the current era, many artefacts remain from the reign of Ramesses II, allowing curious audiences to experience the ancient culture of Egypt; but the Tasmanian Tiger is long since extinct on the mainland, and more recently extinct in Tasmania. Little is left behind in records and specimens, but a long legacy remains of people who feel lessened by the absence of the Thylacine, often not knowing (because of shifting baselines) that the loss is greater, as this species was once endemic throughout Australia and Papua New Guinea. If this is an experience we have lost already, what experiences of our wildlife will future generations miss? 
 
Within the South West Region, it may be the iconic Carnaby's Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris. Fifty years ago they frequently flocked in the thousands, with a cacophony of keening calls. Now, because of loss of habitat and nesting locations caused by the clearing of woodland wilderness throughout the wheat-belt (Western Australian Museum n.d.); much of the remaining population is comprised of individuals beyond breeding age. While there still seem plenty about, the reality is that the population has been greatly reduced, and while these birds can live for 40-50 years, once they're gone, there will be few, if any, Carnaby's Black Cockatoos able to continue the population (Department of the Environment and Heritage 2004). 
 
Or perhaps it will be the incredible subterranean West Australian Underground Orchid Rhizanthella gardneri, another wheat-belt species, only discovered to science in 1928 (Heberle n.d.), critically endangered and hardly known of now with only 50 individuals remaining (The University of Western Australia n.d.), it seems likely to slip nearly unnoticed into extinction. Models to show nature as it is, and as it has been; are necessary to even comprehend how habitats have changed across human history.

Dioramas are a method to assist in establishing the concept of shifting baselines through their function of artefacts capable of immersing audiences in preserved representations of wilderness. Habitat dioramas preserve habitats which no longer exist, and species that are also disappearing (Natural History Museum of Los Angeles n.d.). 

A widespread understanding of the concept of shifting baselines is necessary to understand a broader picture of how factors such as human activity are effecting ecosystems, and establishing retrospective baselines against which to compare the experience of wilderness. It is critical that we consider how we can present our wildlife to future generations, so that they can appreciate the loss of ecological diversity, and understand how ecosystems will continue to be fundamentally altered. 

 ^*Historical perspective is important – after all, shifting baselines are about forgetting how the natural world has changed throughout the lives of humans. 

References

British Museum. n.d. Ramesses II, King of Egypt (1279-1213 BC). http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/article_index/r/ramesses_ii,_king_of_egypt_12.aspx (accessed September 10, 2013).

Corlett, R. T. 2013. “The shifted baseline: Prehistoric defaunation in the tropics and its consequences for biodiversity conservation”. Biological Conservation 163.13–21. http://dx.doi.org.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/10.1016/j.biocon.2012.11.012

Department of the Environment and Heritage. 2004. Australian Threatened Species: Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris). http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/black-cockatoo.html (accessed September 10, 2013).

Fletcher, A. L. 2008. “Bring ‘Em back alive: Taming the Tasmanian tiger cloning project”. Technology in Society 30(2). 194–201. http://dx.doi.org.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/10.1016/j.techsoc.2007.12.010

 Heberle, R. n.d. Rhizanthella gardneri 'Underground Orchids'. http://members.iinet.net.au/~emntee/Rhizanthella_gardnerii7.htm (accessed September 10, 2013).

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. n.d. African Mammal Hall. http://www.nhm.org/site/explore-exhibits/permanent-exhibits/african-mammals (accessed September 10, 2013). 

Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania. n.d. Tasmanian Devil, Sarcophilus harrisii. http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=387 (accessed September 10, 2013).

Pauly, D. 1995. “Anecdotes and the shifting baseline syndrome of fisheries”. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 10 (10). 430. http://dx.doi.org.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/10.1016/S0169-5347(00)89171-5

The University of Western Australia. n.d. University News: WA's incredible underground orchid. http://www.news.uwa.edu.au/201102073251/research/was-incredible-underground-orchid (accessed September 10, 2013). 

Western Australian Museum. n.d. Carnaby's Cockatoo. http://museum.wa.gov.au/explore/online-exhibitions/cockatoo-care/carnabys-cockatoo (accessed September 10, 2013).

Virtual Habitats and the Value of Nature #2: What is a Habitat Diorama Anyway?

Habitat dioramas are an educational model form that dates back to the early nineteenth century (Quinn 2006, 12), emerging from the prior practice of mounted taxidermy specimens presented without their habitat context (Ibid., 10).

“Habitat dioramas are natural history scenarios which typically contain mounted zoological specimens arranged in a foreground that replicates their native surroundings in the wild. Ideally, the three-dimensional foreground merges imperceptibly into a painted background landscape, creating an illusion — if only for a moment — of atmospheric space and distance.” (Wonders 1993).

The invisible interstice between the real and physical and the artificial is paramount to the creation of an immersive experience. The habitat diorama presents an 'illusionistic spectacle' (Wonders 1990) that is unique in educational models.

The feeling of immersion, of being present in the natural surrounds, is a quality that's rare, and is the strongest advantage of the habitat diorama as an educational model. Successful immersion engages the lizard brain; “[T]hat part of the brain ... where instincts and gut feelings originate; primal thoughts; subconscious or involuntary processes” (Urban Dictionary n.d.) in the learning process. It's not an educational model that exists solely to provide information, it's an educational model that provides an experience. As the purpose of habitat dioramas is generally to educate about nature for the purpose of encouraging audiences to value it for its grandeur, this is the critical element of a habitat diorama: “The diorama artist is successful if, even for an instant, the viewer loses his perceptual ability to distinguish between reality and the scene before him.” (Wonders 1990). But the habitat diorama is a creature that is disappearing from museums. It's a big commitment, as the dimensions are made to life scale, to fit lions, and tigers, and bears and the scale of the human viewer. These zoological specimens of (often endangered) species are difficult to acquire. And each of these dioramas shows only one view of the world. Once the diorama is made, it's an unchanging arrangement which occupies valuable real-estate in the museum. The perception of taxidermy as an antiquated art form is also contributing to the downfall of habitat dioramas (Turner 2013). So the diorama as an educational form is waning, at the same time that vast capabilities of digital technologies are waxing with the potential to create new experiences for audiences.

The solution then, seems to be to try and translate this virtual experience out of the physical realm; and into the digital. How can the immersive experience of an educational form incorporating physical and illusionary elements be translated into a digital environment, where depth spatial relationships can only be eluded to virtually? That's what this project will be trying to find out, through an exhaustive experimental process. It is a largely speculative project, which will be investigating the potential ways this virtual educational model may be manifested in a digital environment.

References

Quinn, S. C. 2006. Windows on Nature: The Great Habitat Dioramas of The American Museum of Natural History. New York: Abrams.

Turner, S. S. 2013. “Relocating 'Stuffed' Animals: Photographic Remediation of Natural History Taxidermy”. Humanimalia: a journal of human/animal interface studies 4(2). http://www.depauw.edu/humanimalia/issue%2008/pdfs/turner.pdf

Urban Dictionary. n.d. lizard brain.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=lizard%20brain
(accessed April 21, 2013).

Wonders, K. 1990. “The Illusionary Art of Background Painting in Habitat Dioramas.”
Curator: The Museum Journal 33(2). 90-118. doi:10.1111/j.2151-6952.1990.tb00981.x

Wonders, K. 1993. Habitat Dioramas: Illusions of Wilderness in Museums of Natural History. Stockholm: Acta Universitasis Upsaliensis.

Essay #10 Doctorow: Little Brother

This is my last essay for Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Human Mind, Our Modern World, and I have to say how much I've enjoyed Professor Rabkin's unit. I think the texts chosen really offered a good cross section of both genres (and nearly all at no cost to access), and the short essay format really forced me to write leaner, meaner analysis. The increase in availability of such free and high quality education is something I'm really excited by as someone who's made a lifelong commitment to study, and I appreciate the efforts of all involved in making this course.

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Little Brother and the Technologically Informed Electorate

Little Brother is a response to the threat of constant government surveillance augured

George Orwell's 1984. In 1984 surveillance technology was used as a tool by the government led by the dictatorial “Big Brother” to control the citizenry:

“There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live—did live, from habit that became instinct—in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.” (Orwell 1949)

Little Brother makes a counter-argument to this; that technology can empower citizens with the ability defend their liberty from tyranny. This argument is closely woven with the theme of democracy.

Thomas Jefferson argued that a well informed electorate was the most important component of democracy (Blair 1997); and in Little Brother it's the citizens informed by technology who are ultimately able defend democracy. In Little Brother technology is not just a means of oppression, but a weapon and a shield in the hands of the well informed electorate:

“My technology was working for me, serving me, protecting me. It wasn't spying on me. This is why I loved technology: if you used it right, it could give you power and privacy.”

While the constant surveillance from a tyrannical government is still a major threat to private citizens, technology itself can empower citizens to organize the resistance, and subvert the surveillance. Winning freedom is a function of an electorate specifically informed in the technologies used against them; and Little Brother introduces specific tools for inform readers in such subversion. 1984 is a dire warning about a government controlling its citizens with technology, and Little Brother is a delineation for defending freedom, and democracy under similar circumstances.

References

Blair, P. 1997. The Evolving Role of Government in Science and Technology.

http://www.nae.edu/Publications/Bridge/EngineeringEvolving/TheEvolvingRoleofGovernmentinScienceandTechnology.aspx (accessed April 9, 2013).

Orwell, G. 1949. 1984. London: Penguin Books.

Gender Through Comic Books #1

It seems like I've accidentally wandered my way into another MOOC: Gender Through Comic Books, by Christina Blanch of Ball State University. In my defence, it's only six weeks long and how can anyone read that course description and pass it up?

Virtual Habitats and the Value of Nature #1: An Introduction to the Perils of a PhD

Starting this PhD is for me like getting a package in the mail, probably one filled with apple trees, and thus covered with quarantine labels, heavy duty tape, and straps; along with the presence of sundry icons across the package providing somewhat conflicting advice as to which end is up, and where I should open it. I have the certainty that something good is inside, I just fear ruining it by opening it the wrong way.

There are several things you might conclude from this prologue:

I am weak at sentence and paragraph structure, and just may be the most appalling PhD student ever have an enormous potential to improve.

I think the conventional way to do a PhD is to draft up the chapters, then start writing, and then after some tens of thousands of words; begin revising. That seems a little incongruous to my natural inclinations, so I'm going to apply the same formula to my PhD that was used for the unit I'm currently finishing through Coursera,  Fantasy and Science Fiction:The Human Mind, Our Modern World by Professor Eric Rabkin from the University of Michigan, which required one 270-320 word essay every week, though I've decided to bump the word count up by 50 words to a wordcount of 320-370, to allow me some extra room to provide evidence to my argument. Assuming this PhD takes 4 years (given that for this year at least I'll be part-time), and assuming that I write an average of 345 words a week, that's 71, 760 words. Which will allow me some left-over words with which to connect these piecemeal parts out, and all the extra words that seem to sneak in during the revision process.

Having a solid structure to this thing doubtlessly will allow me to unpack my argument with a little more direction. The working title is Virtual Habitats and the Value of Nature: Is there a value to digital habitat dioramas? And I'll be explaining a little more what it's about every week. 

Essay #9: Le Guin: The Left Hand of Darkness

The Left Hand of Darkness as an Examination of Culturally Established Ideas of Gender Binaries

The Left Hand of Darkness examines culturally constructed ideas of gender-linked character traits, by showing the gender neutral Gethenian society through the perception of individuals from a familiar gender binary culture. This tactic calls attention to the lens of culturally constructed ideas of (perceived) gender-linked behaviours in our culture. Gendered human characters from either side of this constructed gender binary struggle when attempting to interpret behavioural traits outside of a gendered society.

Male viewpoint character Genly Ai's persistent attributions of characteristics as either masculine and feminine demonstrates this cultural fixation of attributing characteristics in gender-linked binary. Genly perceived his 'landlady' as feminine based on the presence of qualities attributed as feminine within his (and our) own culture, but the premise that these characteristics are gender-linked is questioned when it is revealed that the 'landlady' has, if anything, experiences (fatherhood, rather than motherhood) that are more biologically masculine. This examination shows flaws in ascribing behaviours to gender; rather than the characteristics of an individual, or the behaviour they have been raised by their culture to exhibit.

Female investigator Ong Tot Oppong similarly finds that the Gethenians challenge what she knows are the accepted expectations of socio-sexual relations within her own culture.

“A man wants his virility regarded, a woman wants her femininity appreciated... On Winter they will not exist. One is respected and judged only as a human being. It is an appalling experience.”

The veiled sarcasm of her report hints at a deprecatory attitude towards the way people within her own society are valued and perceived based on gender, and her viewpoint provides a more direct criticism of entrenched ideas about gender than the fallacy less explicitly revealed by Genly's narrative. The Left Hand of Darkness challenges the validity of ideas entrenched in our culture's gender binary by presenting gender as a flawed lens for perceiving the value and characteristics of individuals.

Essay #8 Bradbury: The Martian Chronicles

Rockets as a Dichotomous Motif for Advancement, and Destruction, in The Martian Chronicles

The Martian Chronicles features the motif of rockets as a possibility of both discovery and destruction. Rockets simultaneously represent the grandeur of scientific advancement, and a history of violence and destruction. The rocketry technology for space exploration originates from war; and in particular the V-2 rocket, developed in 1944 in Nazi Germany (The Guardian 2012), which was the first long range ballistic missile (NASA Spacelink System n.d.). The design of this rocket of war is credited as a major influence to the development of space exploration as after the war, the United States and U.S.S.R. utilised the technology and its developers in their own programs, transitioning rockets from purely destructive purposes, into instruments of discovery for scientific progress, which would eventually allow for further exploration into our solar system (Ibid.).

In Bradbury's experience, rocketry technology is a double edged sword capable of eithers advancing our society; or destroying it. The rocket motif is used to introduce this dichotomy into the chronicles from the onset, to challenge that the idea that the advancements made possible by scientific breakthroughs will better the the lives of people:

“'Science ran too far ahead of us too quickly, and the people got lost in a mechanical wilderness... emphasizing machines instead of how to run the machines. Wars got bigger and bigger and finally killed Earth...We were lucky. There aren't any more rockets left.. Earth is gone. Interplanetary travel won't be back for centuries, maybe never. But that way of life proved itself wrong and strangled itself with its own hands. You're young. I'll tell you this again every day until it sinks in.'” (“The Million Year Picnic”).

Scientific advancements can lead to positive outcomes, but as The Martian Chronicles explores, if we don't know how to use technology with wisdom, and for peace, everyone (Earthling or Martian) will suffer in the end.

References

NASA Spacelink System. n.d. A Brief History of Rocketry.
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/history/rocket-history.htm
(accessed March 26, 2013).

The Guardian. 2012. V2 rocket: engine of war and discovery – video.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/video/2012/aug/04/v2-rocket-engine-war-discovery-video
(accessed March 26, 2013).

Essay #7 Burroughs: A Princess of Mars

I have to admit – A Princess of Mars has been my favourite text to analyse so far, because it's easy to digest pulp science fiction, and more of a page-turner than the previously assigned reads (long epistolary works are my kryptonite).

Serialized in 1912, it's remarkably still on par with contemporary speculative fiction; though in a way that's quite disappointing because it's a classic rescue the princess story; where the focus is on the adventures of men. My mother read the Barsoom series and others growing up, and said she used to think she must be a boy, because girls never went on adventures in any of the stories she read. That's changed less in the last century than I'd hope for, as you may have inferred from my many tirades on that topic, over at my other blog.

Still, there's always been something I've loved about the sub-genre of planetary romance. The naturalistic themes of exploring alien worlds always lures me in, and all the descriptions of yellow lichens and mastodons were quite enjoyable, being that I am quite unashamedly a total natural history geek. I nearly wrote my essay on that, but it would have resulted in a rambling discussion filled with rabbit trails on the representations of familiar and alien nature in the planetary romance sub-genre involving the yellow lichens of Barsoom, the forest moon of Endor, and Delta Vega; the planet of the ice monsters.

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Earthly Elements in A Princess of Mars

A Princess of Mars constructs an analogous relationship between the ancient history of Mars to contemporary life on Earth, by integrating Earthly elements into the Martian world. The futuristic analogy of Mars for Earth explores the possibility of a dystopian future, and draws readers into considering how human culture can survive cataclysmic events; and the role of science (as salvation, and as a means of understanding life and culture on other worlds) in humanity's future.

Even before Carter's adventure on Mars begins, a clear relationship is drawn between the landscapes of Earth and Mars, with the scenery of Arizona foreshadowing the ancient and barren world:

“...the grotesque details of the stiff, yet beautiful cacti form a picture at once enchanting and inspiring; as though one were catching for the first time a glimpse of some dead and forgotten world...”

During his Martian adventure, Carter makes further discoveries of similarities between the ancient history of Mars, and present life on Earth. An ancient mural depicts how life on Mars once was, with “...scenes which might have portrayed Earthly views but for the different colorings of the vegetation.” Clear relationships are also drawn between the ancient “higher” Martian people, and those of Earth's present. The familiar identifier of “human” is applied to all, and the ancient “higher” Martians are revealed to have been similar in appearance to different races of Earth.

The similarities between these planets at different stages of their history establishes the precedent for a world like Earth to suffer a cataclysmic ecological event, for which scientific advancement is the only means for survival (as it was on Mars, to prevent total climate failure). Ultimately this analogy inspires speculation on the futuristic role of science, and fulfills the key purpose of a science fiction story: to speculate on what may come to pass in the future, and explore the “undiscovered country” of futuristic life (Powell 2009).

References

Powell, G. L. 2009. The Role Of Science Fiction.

http://www.garethlpowell.com/the-role-of-science-fiction/

(accessed March 19, 2013).

Essay #6 Wells: The Island of Doctor Moreau

The Monstrous Nature of the The Island of Doctor Moreau

The Island of Doctor Moreau creates horror, not by the chimaerical (Brown 1993, 387) humanoids created by Moreau's experiments themselves; but by the savagery they highlight about human nature. This is achieved by constructing the Beast Folk as an allegory for the imposition of civilised over natural animalistic behaviour. The failure of the Beast Folk's civilised order, and the manner in which Doctor Moreau has failed to adhere to civilised practice; underscores the savagery shrouded by civilised behaviour.

Upon observing this ability of civilised order to conceal savagery, Prendick fears that civilised order will fail in larger human society as well. Upon his return to London, a famed bastion of civilisation, regarded at the time as the world's greatest city (Johnson and Lubin, 2013), Prendick recounts that:

“I would go out into the streets to fight with my delusion, and prowling women would mew after me; furtive, craving men glance jealously at me; weary, pale workers go coughing by me with tired eyes and eager paces, like wounded deer dripping blood...”

and:

“...unnatural as it seems, with my return to mankind came, instead of that confidence and sympathy I had expected, a strange enhancement of the uncertainty and dread I had experienced during my stay upon the island.”

This socially constructed order is seen as a mask concealing animal nature. Upon his return to London, Prendick's fears are engendered by the animalistic traits he sees lurking underneath the veneer of human civilisation: “When I lived in London the horror was well-nigh insupportable.”

The confluence of the natural order and civilised order disorients Prendick's perception of the world:

“I may have caught something of the natural wildness of my companions... such a restless fear as a half-tamed lion cub may feel.”

Prendick is comforted by relocating to the countryside, as it returns him to nature, and away from the perceived charade of civilised behaviour.

References

Brown, L. ed. 1993. The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Johnson, R., and G. Lubin. 2013. The 16 Greatest Cities In Human History. http://www.businessinsider.com/largest-cities-throughout-history-2013-1?op=1

(accessed March 12, 2013).

Essay #5 Hawthorne: Dr. Heidegger's Experiment

The Phases of Day and Night as Symbolism in Dr. Heidegger's Experiment

Frequent allusions to the phases of the day and night, and their respective illumination or darkness, are used to echo the key themes in Dr. Heidegger's Experiment through symbolism. Light, in any form, is deeply symbolic of knowledge, and for that reason words describing light (brilliance, bright) are commonly synonymous with intelligence (wordnik n.d.), while “dimness” is synonymous for stupidity (wordnik n.d.), and darkness: “Can be an emblem of bad judgment, misfortune and ignorance” (Protas et al. 2001). Dusk; the time at after the sun has fallen below the horizon (NIST 2011), is used as a cryptogram to reference to the foolishness of Dr. Heidegger's friends.

Sunrise is symbolic of rebirth and resurrection (Protas et al. 2001), and the the water's power granted the experiment's subjects opportunity to be young again without repeating past ignorance when; "...the shadows of age were flitting from it like darkness from the crimson daybreak.” The water from the fountain of youth itself is said to cast illumination in the darkness:

“It was now so nearly sunset that the chamber had grown duskier than ever, but a mild and moonlike splendor gleamed from within the vase...”

The contrast of the darkness and light symbolism here emphasises the opportunity for revitalisation against the foolishness of those gifted with it, through invoking once more the symbolism of dimming light to represent the misfortune and ignorance which characterise the experiment's participants. Whatever the illusion of brilliance, and the chance for a reawakening offered by the fountain of youth; it is unable to transform the inner ignorance and foolhardiness of the participants:

“Yet, by a strange deception, owing to the duskiness of the chamber and the antique dresses which they still wore, the tall mirror is said to have reflected the figures of the three old, gray, withered grand-sires ridiculously contending for the skinny ugliness of a shrivelled grandam.”

References

NIST. 2011. Times of day. http://www.nist.gov/pml/div688/times.cfm

(accessed March 4, 2013).

Protas, A., G. Brown, J. Smith, and E. Jaffe. 2001. Darkness.

http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/D/darkness.html

(accessed March 5, 2013).

Protas, A., G. Brown, J. Smith, and E. Jaffe. 2001. Dawn.

http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/D/dawn.html

(accessed March 5, 2013).

wordnik. n.d. Bright. http://www.wordnik.com/words/bright

(accessed March 5, 2013).

wordnik. n.d. Dim. http://www.wordnik.com/words/dim

(accessed March 5, 2013).

Essay #4 Shelley: Frankenstein

Opening Pandora's Jar out of Scientific Curiosity:

Frankenstein's Inter-textual Relationship with Greek Mythology

As literary theorist Julia Kristeva explained, texts construct their narrative not only from the sum of their contents, but also by referencing existing texts, to shape the reader's understanding of the story: “Every text is from the outset under the jurisdiction of other discourses which impose a universe on it.” (Chandler 2011). Shelley makes a direct allusion to the mythology of the titan Prometheus from the onset of Frankenstein, establishing a clear inter-textual relationship between the two texts. In doing this, she utilizes the reader's knowledge of the story of Prometheus as a cipher which will allow the reader to gain additional understanding and resonance from Frankenstein's atavistic themes.

In the Greek legend Shelley parallels; the titan Prometheus crafted the first men out of clay (Theoi Project n.d.). In punishment for the deeds he performed for his creations, Zeus had Pandora, the first woman made; knowing her curiosity would cause her to open the jar she'd been gifted with, and unleash dark forces on the world (Theoi Project n.d.). In his ability to manufacture a living hominid, Frankenstein is compared to Prometheus, but in the unintended consequences of his curiosity, his story is more directly paralleled with that of Pandora. What is discovered out of curiosity may be wondrous or horrifying (as was the case for Pandora). As Victor tells Captain Wolton discovering new knowledge can be “a serpent to sting you”, and remarks that an apt moral can be deduced from his tale.

The purpose of the inter-textual relationship within the narrative is to cause the reader to fear the possibilities of what scientific curiosity may allow us to discover, and what dark forces we may unleash on the world with that knowledge. Frankenstein begins by believing himself a modern Prometheus, only to realise his role is more similar to that of Pandora.

References

Chandler, D. 2011. Semiotics for Beginners: Intertextuality. http://users.aber.ac.uk/dgc/Documents/S4B/sem09.html (accessed February 25, 2013).

Theoi Project. n.d. Pandora. http://www.theoi.com/Heroine/Pandora.html (accessed February 25, 2013).

Theoi Project. n.d. Prometheus. http://www.theoi.com/Titan/TitanPrometheus.html (accessed February 25, 2013).

Essay #3 Stoker: Dracula

Dust and Moonlight: Metaphors for Mortality and Supernatural Transmutation in Dracula.

Dust is used biblically as a symbol of “...transiency and humility of human life...” (Missouri University n.d.), and in Dracula that symbolism is drawn upon to remind the reader that despite their supernatural abilities, the vampires were once human, and now exist as creatures which have passed beyond death. Upon his defeat, Dracula is reduced to no more than dust, which is said to be “as though the death that should have come centuries ago had at last assert himself.”, re-enforcing the metaphor of dust of the transiency of human life.

The moon is symbolic of transmutability; because of the phases the moon itself passes through. “The moon’s continually changing phases led to its association with mutability, metamorphosis, inconstancy, or fickleness.” (Ferber 2007, 130). Appearances of the moon are used throughout the narrative to herald supernatural creatures who possess the ability to transform themselves in order to prey upon innocent humans; such as the wolves, who are described as behaving “as though the moonlight had had some peculiar effect on them.”, and the moon itself is implied to influence the powers and behaviours of these creatures.

The dust and lunar metaphors are combined, with Dracula described as travelling “...on moonlight rays as elemental dust...”; where the elemental dust is representative of his former mortality, and the rays of moonlight the transmutation that has allowed him to exist beyond death. The use of these metaphors weaves the story for the readers of dangerous forces that exist in the world; which defy explanation. This helps establish the horror elements of the story. That the moon itself may be a cause of supernatural transformation, advances the myth of 'lunar madness' (Sarton 1939), establishing an environment able to produce more monsters like Dracula himself, and giving readers greater reason to fear things that go bump in the night.

References

Ferber, M. 2007. A Dictionary of Literary Symbols: Second edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Missouri University. n.d. Signs, Symbols, Meaning, & Interpretation. http://web.mst.edu/~gdoty/classes/concepts-practices/symbolism.html (accessed February 12, 2013).

Sarton, G. 1939. Lunar Influences on Living Things. Isis 30(3): 495-507. JSTOR. http://www.jstor.org/stable/225527 (accessed February 19, 2013).

Stoker, B. 1897. Dracula. http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/s/stoker/bram/s87d/ (accessed February 12, 2013).

Essay #2 Carroll: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and Through the Looking Glass

Through the Looking Glass: The Mirror as a Satirical Framing Device

The mirror Alice tumbles through in Through the Looking Glass functions as a framing device to place the story within the context of satire. Framing devices 'frame' a story (Alice playing with her kittens and looking though a mirror), around another story (the world through the looking glass); to ensure that the inner story will be understood through a set perspective (TvTropes n.d.).

The mirror metaphor frames the story as a satirical commentary on Victorian society, drawing from classical symbolism in which mirrors have represented introspection (Kalach n.d.);

“With respect to the replicative and 'reflecting' function of thought, the mirror is a symbol of knowledge, self-knowledge and conciousness as well as of truth and clarity.” (Becker 2000, 199).

That the world in the mirror is a satirical device for examination is first hinted at when Alice holds the black kitten up to the mirror “that it might see how sulky it was” (Carrol 1871). The looking glass world presents a satirical comedy:

“...whereby folly is seen everywhere, but the author’s attitude is one of laughter... from this perspective, the writing of satire portrays itself as the sane response to a world gone astray.” (The Satirist n.d.).

The chess game played by the Red and White queen and their looking glass denizens is a satirical parody of social manoeuvring, with each character attempting to advance their status within society. Throughout this game the authoritative behaviour of royalty, etiquette and conventions of society are all parodied (The Victorian Web 2007).

The story's conclusion, which proposes that “Life, what is it but a dream?” (Carrol 1871), concludes the satirical commentary. The looking glass examination of society and social protocols demonstrate both to be nonsensical, and therefore the suggestion that life itself is not a serious pursuit, further re-enforces the similarities between the real world and its satirical facsimile; the world through the looking glass.

References

Becker, U. 2000. The Continuum Encylopedia of Symbols. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group.

Carrol, L. 1871. Through the Looking Glass. http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/c/carroll/lewis/looking/contents.html (accessed February 12, 2013).

Kalach, M. n.d. Atelier Balbec - The Mirror in Renaissance Paintings. http://www.atbalbec.com/post/24476662806/the-mirror-in-renaissance-paintings (accessed February 11, 2013).

The Satirist. n.d. The Satirist - Satire (and Related Terms) Defined. http://www.thesatirist.com/_thesatirist_admin/thesatirist_definitions.html (accessed February 12, 2013).

The Victorian Web. 2007. "Alice-Mutton: Mutton-Alice": Parodies of Protocol in Through the Looking Glass. http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/carroll/lim.html (accessed February 12, 2013).

TvTropes. n.d. Framing Device - Television Tropes & Idioms. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FramingDevice (accessed February 12, 2013).

Essay #1 Grimm: Children's and Household Tales

I was immediately drawn to writing my essay on The Golden Bird, which is another telling of Tsarevitch Ivan, the Fire Bird and the Gray Wolf; one of my favourite fairytales largely because of Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin's wonderful illustrations. In this essay especially I was disappointed by being unable to upload accompanying illustrations... I feel always, that I am far more articulate with pictures than words.

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The Role of Organic Gold as a Catalyst in The Golden Bird and Rumplestiltskin.

Gold is a valuable but finite resource, inorganically formed as a mineral (ThinkQuest 2000). Organically formed gold is a recurring plot device in fairytales, as it is a catalyst to quickly transform a character's fortune through the potential for an infinite supply of gold through organic reproduction. In The Golden Bird (Open Library n.d., 237) there exists a tree that bears golden apples, the golden bird, and golden horse; the titular character in Rumplestiltskin spun straw into gold for the miller's daughter (Open Library n.d., 228), and even in Jack and the Beanstalk a hen laid golden eggs (Marshall 2007).

The youngest Prince's fortune in The Golden Bird is dependent on securing organic forms of gold; he won't prove his worth to his father unless he can retrieve the golden bird, and the bird's owner will execute him unless he steals the golden horse. Securing these earthly golden riches is allegorical (Limouze n.d.) for the young prince proving his innate worthiness.

The King in Rumplestiltskin is drawn to marry the miller's daughter upon hearing her remarkable talent for spinning; alleged to include the ability to spin straw into gold. Her survival, like that of the young prince in The Golden Bird; is dependant on her ability to add to the King's fortune with organically produced gold “as he could never have enough of gold” (Open Library n.d., 229). Once she apparently accomplishes this feat through a deal made with the magical Rumplestiltskin, the King marries her, securing her future as a Queen.

In The Golden Bird the princess's testimony ultimately proves the young prince's accomplishments and worth, and in Rumplestiltskin the Queen defeats Rumplestiltskin by learning his true name; however in both tales the catalyst allowing these characters to prove their worth is organic gold.

References

Limouze, H. n.d. Rhetorical Figures of Style. http://www.wright.edu/cola/Dept/eng/limouze/STYLE711.HTM#allegory (accessed February 5, 2013).

Marshall, L. 2007. The Project Gutenberg EBook of Favorite Fairy Tales, by Logan Marshall. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20748/20748-h/20748-h.htm#beanstalk (accessed February 4, 2013).

Open Library. n.d. Household Stories. http://www.archive.org/stream/householdstories00grimrich (accessed February 4, 2013).

ThinkQuest. 2000. What is a Mineral? http://library.thinkquest.org/J002289/minerals.html (accessed February 5, 2013).

Writing about Stories

I started taking a couple of units through Coursera over the Summer. My favourite unit is Fantasy and Science Fiction:The Human Mind, Our Modern World by Professor Eric Rabkin from the University of Michigan. One of the things I wanted to work on with these units is my written argument skills, as they're the area that needs further honing to get me through the PhD candidacy process.

So what I love about this unit is how grueling it is – there are ten set texts, and each week requires a 270-320 word essay on the week's text. The turn around time and brevity of each essay really has been forcing me to develop and articulate my arguments with great efficiency.

Over the next couple of months I'll be posting my short essays on the following texts here:

1. Grimm — Children's and Household Tales (Lucy Crane translation with Walter Crane illustrations)
2. Carroll — Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
3. Stoker — Dracula
4. Shelley — Frankenstein
5. Hawthorne & Poe — Stories and Poems
6. Wells — The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Invisible Man, "The Country of the Blind," "The Star"
7. Burroughs & Gilman — A Princess of Mars & Herland
8. Bradbury — The Martian Chronicles
9. LeGuin — The Left Hand of Darkness
10. Doctorow — Little Brother