ADV ENVIORMENTALISM MIDTERM EXAM

Robin Wall Kimmerer - “The Grammar of Animacy”

Structure: Talks about how she is interacting with different things throughout her day to day life to help the reader understand the importance of the piece

Style: Uses lots of scene writing to get the reader hooked but then uses exposition to explain the importance of the piece

Content: Wants to reconnect with her familial language that is not being practiced as much by people throughout the country and by doing so understands the importance of respecting all objects

Theme: The theme of the piece is that all living things should be treated with the same respect as actual people, and she has recognized that by using her familial language which recognizes all objects as a proper noun.

Paul Bogard- “The End of Night”

the importance of stars and the effect of light pollution, good balance of scene and exposition

Annie Dillard - “Total Eclipse”

Structure: Starts off with somewhat normal scene writing and then leans into very creative, experimental theme writing

Style: Extremely scene heavy

Content: Scene heavy and describing her experiences when seeing the eclipse

Theme: The absurdity of things can sometimes be so overwhelming that it is hard to describe it as what is considered to be the “norm”

Wendell Berry - “A Native Hill”

Structure: Uses anecdotes throughout his life and blends scene and exposition well together

Style: Uses personification of the hills to help the reader relate to the scene and understand Berry’s relation to the land.

Content: Talks about how the hills are his home and the importante to Kentucky

Theme: Talks about how the relationship between people and place is special because the place of which someone is from heavily influences them and who they end up becoming.

Elizabeth Rush - excerpt from Rising

Structure: Talking about the different places that she visited and how they’re being affected by rising water levels

Style: Uses some exposition to describe the setting, but uses heavy exposition to explain the importance of the rising waters to the reader

Content: The fact that water is rising throughout her home, Rhode Island

Theme: Enjoying things before they are gone and immersing yourself in the present

Lauret Savoy - “Placing D.C. After the Inauguration”

Structure: Has us following along with her as explains the story about discovering her connection with D.C., using scene and exposition when necessary.

Style: Very exposition and fact heavy, and uses scene to describe familial interactions and different places throughout D.C.

Content: Uses lots of history about the stories of Black americans when it comes to living and D.C. and how their history might’ve shaped the city

Theme: Reconnecting with oneself and history through place

Ross Gay - excerpts from The Book of Delights

Structure: Told through very short stories every day of his life, uses the delight to sorrow to joy method

Style: Uses short stories and incorporates scene writing, and adds short bits of exposition to explain the point.

Content: Personal stories about his own life

Theme: Talks about how their can be joys and delights in throughout mundane every day things.