The Unification of Nature and Man in Jack Turners Metaphor of Pelicans - Essay Example

?The Unification of Nature and Man in Jack Turner’s Metaphor of Pelicans Introduction The use of is not only able to show relevance to a given topic, object or theme. More important, there is the ability to describe different concepts with a hidden meaning that relates directly to the author’s point of view. In Jack Turner’s description, the pelican is looked into as a metaphor of what the human wishes or desires for. Turner uses specific factors that relate to the pelican and its nature and implies that these natural attributes are something that every human mind longs for. By showing this relevance, there is the ability to create the pelican as a metaphor, as opposed to being a part of a vast landscape that is described by Turner. The metaphor then becomes a unification of how men naturally are, as opposed to observing these as nature that is outside of those who are observing the birds. Describing the Pelican The observations that Turner makes about the pelican are related to specific attributes and parts of the character that this bird holds and which others don’t. Turner not only uses this to imply specific aspects of the bird from the natural perspective. There is also a connection to the descriptions and the desires which the author has to have these same attributes. Turner describes specific details about the pelicans, while leaving others out, specifically to show how these relate to the natural elements of men. The first concept which shows this is when Turner tells about the pelican in flight. “So although 19,000 feet is impressive, and no one knows how high pelicans can or do fly, the most interesting question is this: What are they doing up there? Soaring. Cackling. Yes, but why? I don’t think anybody knows, and this mystery, along with inevitable speculations, are a large part why I find them so appealing” (Turner, 837). This particular passage is one that is only describing the nature of pelicans and the high flight which they take. However, Turner grabs onto this notion as one that is filled with mystery and an attribute that no other bird has. This becomes a metaphor for what the author desires, specifically because of the appeal which he has when describing this component of the pelican. This also links to the attributes which the author believes that every human has. The mystery as well as the ideal of being able to fly to places where others can’t find the birds becomes the desire which Turner also longs for and believes is a natural human element that all have. Another application which Turner adds in when describing the birds is with the sounds that they make. This is first described with the sound and absence of sound that the birds have when they are in breeding season or when applying this to other aspects of their natural habitat. Turner states that this is not heard as often and is difficult to observe because of the mystery of the birds and the desire to stay away from humans. There is another reference which goes beyond this to show how the pelicans are quiet and when observed have different sounds that are distinguished. Turner takes the concept of the sounds that are with the birds and relates it to another attribute that he finds appealing. “The silence of pelicans, along with their great age, contributes to their dignity” (838). These types of statements show how the natural elements of the pelican relate directly to the fascination of the author. More important, it becomes a metaphor that creates a desire in the author to be similar to the pelicans and the dignity in which they have. The Pelican as Metaphor The concept of the pelican is one which Turner changes from description into recognition that there is a reflection of the human spirit in the pelican. The attributes and the way in which the pelicans live is one which is similar to what humans long for. The metaphor becomes one of what humans long for and is a reflection of their spirit. Turner states that the pelican becomes a metaphor because of the natural habitat and characteristics that they have. “We also fail to appreciate that many of our descriptions and explanations of human behavior are appropriations from wild animals….and this suggests that life is a spectrum where unity is more pervasive than difference” (843). The application that Turner states is one that ties in the nature of pelicans to show how it becomes a metaphor for man and the desires that each man has. The dignity, mystery and attributes that Turner states at the beginning then become more than scientific expression and lead to a metaphor for life. Turner divides the concept of attributes with the pelicans into several applications of how this relates to man. The author shows how the main attributes of the pelicans with the soaring and the moving through thunderstorms is one which is reflective of the natural state of man, as well as the spiritual ecstasy that Turner refers to throughout the essay. “It is no more odd to say that pelicans love to soar and do so in ecstasy than it is to say what we so commonly say of human love and ecstasy: that our heart soars. Or, to take another example, to describe meditation as Dogen does in the “Mountains and Rivers Sutra” (844). The concepts that Turner applies is one that can be a metaphor for all human desire. This ranges from the meditative state in which one has to the ideas of love and ecstasy that every human wants. The human then becomes a part of the pelican and the natural ways that it lives, as opposed to only being a scientific observation within the text. The metaphor that Turner describes is not only seen with the statement that the pelicans are representative of these specific attributes. This goes a step further into describing how man has its own nature, similar to the pelicans and is able to represent this in the different ways in which humans decide to express their desire. There is reference to climbing through a canyon during thunderstorms, similar to the pelicans, while understanding how to maneuver through the situation. There is also reference to how the expressions which many create are natural and similar to the pelicans. For instance, when describing the cellist, there is a reference to how she is representative of the natural and is a reflection of the unity in nature. “Last year the first violinist was a young woman who played beautifully. Her skin was a color found only inside seashells. Bent to her violin, she swayed in oblivion, concealed in the solitude of her music, fully present, but lost, as luminous and self – contained and remote as a star” (844). This specific description doesn’t remain as one of the human playing a violin. Instead, Turner changes it into a landscape of the woman who is playing the violin, where she represents the seashells of the ocean as well as becomes the reflection of a star. One is able to create a picture and metaphor that unites the natural with the element of the music and the woman that is playing the violin. This description is able to link to the same concepts of the pelican, where the concepts about their nature is a direct metaphor of man’s nature and the natural actions which he takes in different situations. Conclusion The concepts that Turner applies in his essay show that the pelican is not outside of human nature and the metaphor of man having specific desires that are natural. The pelican becomes one which is directly associated with the attributes of men as well as the way in which individuals link to the natural elements of the pelican. Turner displays this at one level by creating a metaphor of the attributes and actions that are similar to men, such as the dignity and mystery that each has. This moves into metaphors of the nature of pelicans, such as the desire to soar and to live in a state of ecstasy. The main point that Turner defines with this is that man and nature are unified, as opposed to being different. While the descriptions and the hidden elements of the pelican may make the birds seem outside of man, the metaphor and the actions of the pelican unite both in similar ways of carrying desire. References Turner, Jack. “The Song of the White Pelican.” The Abstract Wild 1996. Read More