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Artist Statement: Matthew Mockensturm
Matthew believes that “Green” literature can take many forms. However these works all have something in common. “Green” literature is made to incite or reveal a bond between man and nature. This can take many shapes as well. Some writers choose to show this as a superficial enjoyment like the poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth. In this poem, Wordsworth glorifies his interaction with nature when he says, “my heart with pleasure fills and dances with the daffodils” (line 23-24). This quote demonstrates him recalling the daffodils and remembering only the beauty. However it does evoke a feeling of longing for nature and thus illustrates the man-nature bond. Thus it can be considered “green” literature.
In Matthew’s opinion, “green” literature should have a more realistic appeal and show a strained relationship between humanity and the natural world. This idea is prevalent in major works of literature like Walden. In Walden, Henry David Thoreau illustrates the laborious yet rewarding aspects of nature and the folly of man for abandoning it. In one passage, he even says, “Why should we live with such hurry and waste of life? We are determined to be starved before we are hungry”(Thoreau 21). His argument is that we live in such a “hurry” that we no longer have a connection with the natural world. We see only what is in front of us and carry out the small immediately concerning tasks without taking into account large overarching problems. Thus we are “starved before we are hungry.” Ideally green art should also motivate action. This can be seen in a multitude of modern post-apocalyptic literature. Books like The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood show us what life could be like if we do not change our ways. In her book, we see that humanity has taken advantage of nature and that the world is a scarier place because of this (Atwood). This mode conveys an urgency that is helps motivate people to challenge the status quo for fear of what the world could be.
Matthew’s own goal in writing a creative piece is to create a feeling of hope that we can change the world for the better. Instead of fear, he tries to draw upon a lost respect between man and nature and a sense of duty. Matthew also emphasizes the bond between humanity and the natural world.
Matthew uses this piece to highlight the relationship that man has with nature in a new light. He wanted to show the ways that man used to interact with nature before the advent of modern technology. This view is normally a view that glorifies the past and makes it seem like rugged individualism is the epitome of life. However, Matthew contends that it is not necessary to view the relationship in this way in order to argue for conservation or the protection of nature. Matthew chose the name Adam because its origin is meant to mean mankind. He hopes to portray that the struggle Adam has in survival is what forces him to appreciate the bounty of nature. It also serves to show that inherently there is a bond between humanity and nature. This is seen through the physical and mental connection that Adam feels when completing several different acts.
The symbolism Matthew uses are meant to demonstrate the unseen intimacy with nature. Adam feels inside himself what he has done to the rabbit and the tree. A key instrument that Matthew uses for this connection is the imagery of an axe. He first introduces this through the phrase “the swift blow of a broken promise.” This signals that there has been a rift forged between humanity and nature. Then through Adam’s use of the axe he feels a renewed connection through shared pain. He cannot use the axe without having an intense reaction to nature. Matthew also alternates descriptive words for the axe to demonstrate that it can represent both a “weapon” for destroying nature and a “tool” for reconnecting with it. The sunset at the end of his experience in the woods is supposed to show the final joy of being at one with nature again like the original Adam.
This feeling is short lived as he is soon ripped back into the modern world. The ending is supposed to fly by more quickly to show the difference in pace that someone experiences in the modern world. However, Adam still carries with him the memories and emotions from the forest. When he interacts with the house he doesn’t see furniture and fixtures. Instead he sees the natural components. This serves to show that the bond has lived on within him and he is truly a man for nature. Even when he learns his “true” identity he holds onto that connection and is a changed man.
Edena is a very important person as well. Firstly her name is supposed to evoke ideas of the Garden of Eden. Matthew briefly tells her story as well in order to show mirror the fall from grace by both the biblical Adam and the protagonist. Adam meets her in her full glory, at peace with nature. He then falls away into bad habits until he grows into a new person through his experience in the woods. This recurring plot point is meant to show that humanity takes for granted the natural world and we have thus fallen away from it. We no longer have a personal connection. Technology has made it even more acceptable to drift away from nature because we no longer have to put in the effort to destroy it.
At the end of the story, Matthew leaves on a note of hope, he shows that Adam has changed and reconnected with the world as well. This is meant to motivate the reader to evaluate their own lives and be hopeful that they can change. Therefore his piece ultimately shows that there is an inherent bond between humanity and nature, but this bond is strained. However it is always possible to reconnect with nature and make a change.
Bibliography
Atwood, Margaret. The Year of the Flood: A Novel. New York: Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 2009. Print.
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. Philadelphia, PA: Courage, 1990. Print.
Wordsworth, William, and Sami Suomalainen. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud. Montréal: Lobster, 2007. Print.
