Old Turtle Critique - Essay Example

Number] “Old Turtle” by Douglas Wood Analysis Outline: Douglas Wood in the Old turtle toyed with theidea of presence of God on Earth and in each of his creation. Yet, his supreme creation has always been occupied with the debate on his presence, which has created chaos on Earth. Yet, Krantz calls this association as a result of tribal life style in the most natural environment, where presence of spirits, hunting, and sacredness of natural entities is essential phenomena; let it be Native Americans or people from Asian hemisphere. Simultaneously, nature would not be significant without humans and humans can’t nourish, survive and exist without Earth, they both are inevitable to each other. Thus, it is vital for humans to handle nature with most peculiar care and respect. Moreover, presence of ancestors and voices of natural entities proclaim the need to preserve them for human survival and future generations. Thus, a supernatural force has always been needed for humans to guide them of their wrong actions. Analysis: ‘Old Turtle’ by Douglas Wood is a tale which revolves around many themes. However, the most notable of those are two, which declare that the presence of God can be seen and felt in his creation and natural life of Earth has been a power and sign of God’s presence. Since, the inception humans argued about the presence of God and that created a chaos and discord on Earth. Therefore, the author eventually signifies through animals, rock, mountain, river and breeze (every God created entity) that God is present and need not to be seen but felt and believed in. Existence of God, spirits, and life on Earth is closely intertwined and that was the core religious ideas for the preliminary habitants of Earth. According to Ake HultKrantz, due to geographical location Native American tribes mainly believed in spirits, shamanism, hunting and animal rituals as both cultural and religious practices (12). Same can be observed in ‘The old turtle’ when different animals associated God’s presence in the excellence of their personal trait. In the tale, animals and natural entities like breeze and rocks have voices so to speak of their presence and significance. Thus, wise turtle sums up how to consider mightiness of God at the supreme level of each and every trait of all the species of Earth (Wood). Simultaneously, Native American life style was closely associated to nature (popular perceptions like mother Earth) thus, hunting and belief in spirits were considered religious trait and due to tribal life style differences in religious norms appeared as none of the tribes followed single religion or similar norms (Hultkrantz, 11). Simultaneously, life on Earth is deeply associated to one another, humans cannot survive without Earth and Earth cannot nourish and develop without human life. Thus, if innate patterns of Nature are disregarded by humans then their existence and survival is also in jeopardy. Similarly, in the story “Brother Eagle Sister Sky” theme of oneness and belonging is proclaimed, “We are a part of Earth and it is part of us” (4, Seattle and Susan). Human being’s relationship to Earth and with each and every species is most significant to their survival and well being. The same is concluded eventually in the “old Turtle”. “And after a long lonesome and scary time the people listened, and began to hear and to see God in one another and in the beauty of all the Earth” (Wood) Likewise, in the “Brother Eagle Sister Sky” presence of ancestors in the most natural environment was considered most prestige and sacred and their religious belief was that Earth should be treated as a living being instead of considering it a thing of use only. “The earth does not belong to us. We belong to Earth” (7, Seattle and Susan) In the same manner Argument on God’s presence started by humans in ‘Old Turtle’ shows that their association with Earth was most powerful and influential than any other species on it. Yet, they misused their power and intelligence and instead of benefiting from God’s blessing ruined their own home land and kind. Earth as a living creature felt hurt and eventually an anonymous voice wakes them up from their deep selfish (racist) slumber. “But the people forgot. They forgot that they were a message of love, and a prayer from the earth. And they began to argue…” (Wood) Belief in super natural powers and their presence in the natural surrounding has been a vital yet, sophisticated matter for Native Americans and habitant of Asian hemisphere. As their folk tales always contain spirits of ancestors in most natural things like river, breeze, mountains, sky, rocks, river, flowers and etc. (Hultkrantz, 16; Seattle and Susan, 6). These ancestors have been guardians and their presence is accepted as a mandatory religious perception. Similarly, in ‘Old turtle’ anonymous voice portray that supernatural beings have existence and they can speak when put into such situation. The native tale takes a rapid turn where all the beings of Earth are in disaster due to one being that is man, thus; human being needed addressing from powers, which were more influential than them. Eventually, after an excruciating process of destruction and bloodshed human beings understood their veracity. Through, the voice which has to give the final message “Until one day there came a voice, like the growling of thunder, but as soft as butterfly sneezes. Please, STOP.” (Wood) Perseverance of nature, well being of all the species on Earth especially; human beings without racial bigotry and their association to God is the core idea of Old Turtle. However, HultKrantz proclaims that instead of personality entailed religious pattern like Islam and Christianity, Native Americans and habitants of Asian hemisphere developed natural patterns as religious belief (19). Their theory of religion revolved around Earth and natural entities it entails and they treated everything around them like air, rivers, mountains, flowers sacred as these entities entailed spiritual qualities. Sky, sun and earth entail the mystic qualities of free but powerful spirits, which needed purity of action from its habitants and in return it bestows uncountable benefits to them. Bibliography:  Top of Form Hultkrantz, Åke. Native Religions of North America: The Power of Visions and Fertility. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1987. Print. Top of Form Seattle, Chief, and Susan . Jeffers. Brother Eagle, Sister Sky. New York, N.Y: Dial Books, 1991. Print.Bottom of FormBottom of Form Wood, Douglas. Story Of “Old Turtle” | Healing Tones. Healingtones.org. N.p., 2014. Web. 21 Oct. 2014. Read More