Fable for Tomorrow

A Fable for Tomorrow

                In Rachel Carson’s article, A Fable for Tomorrow, she makes a general argument about how society is creating disasters for themselves because of technology. The way she tells this short story is very interesting. She talks about famines, “shadows of death…and a strange stillness” (page 371). The significance of her work is that she is trying to tell us that we as a society are hurting our planet. Her love for nature is evident throughout her short fable because Carson is telling her audience that we are hurting the soil we live on, and that’s simply not the right thing to do. We need to cut back on energy, gasoline, and other harmful chemicals that pollute the earth. 

        So what is the point of her article? I believe that she is sending the message that we are corrupting nature, and it’s destroying the things we need to survive with. In fact, she states, “It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know the sense of wonder and humility” (page 370). Her words are profound because not only is she saying that we need to save our planet, but she goes deeper and tells us that we need to become at peace with our earth. It seems that we are fighting against nature by bringing harsh chemicals and motorized technology in abundance into our lives when simply we do not need it. As a personal example, last weekend when I was driving on the freeway with some friends, I saw a huge 4x4 truck hauling five motorized Sea-Doos, and on the top of their truck they had strapped down big containers filled with gasoline so they could refill their Sea-Doos at their leisure. I thought it was hilarious that I was actually noticing something like that and connecting it to what is being discussed in class. Normally, I wouldn’t think anything of it except for “Gee that sure looks like fun!” Overall, I maintain that we need to take Carson’s advice and get to know our earth more and perhaps reintroduce ourselves since we are so forgetful of her beauties since we are so wrapped up in technology that has us emit harmful chemicals into nature.