The Novel When the Killing's Done by T Boyle - Literature review Example

The Novel When the Killing's Done by T Boyle Nature and humanity exist in an unsteady balance with those who support the protection of the rights of animals, as well as the sanctity of nature, maintain that nature does, in fact, need help. Alma Takesue is one such person who believes that animals need saving from each other. Dave LaJoy, on the other hand, is an environmental activist who holds the opinion that animals need saving from the likes of Alma. The novel tackles the raging tussle between animal rights activists such as Alma and environmentalists like LaJoy who struggle over the issue of whether or not humans have the right to dictate which animals die and which survive. Boyle’s writing is thought-provoking as he manages to be incisive and expansive at the same time, while addressing volatile issues. Rather than, depict Alma or Lajoy as a single-dimensional ideologue, Boyle provides multiple views on the strengths and weaknesses of both individuals’ opposing perspectives. Boyle’s presentation of Alma and LaJoy’s perspectives from multiple points of view allows the reader to wrestle with the moral uncertainties of both perceptions. Prompt 2 Both Alma and LaJoy are complex characters who battle on the basis of passion and science. However, irrespective of their opposing perceptions, both characters share a mutual love of nature, which they express in extremely contrasting manners. Alma Takesue is a humble National Park Service biologist. She spearheads a project aimed at the eradication of invasive species like pigs and rats from the Anacapa Island. Alma is aware of the inherent irony of killing certain animals in order to save others. Nonetheless, she feels quite justified by her innate mission to reestablish the natural harmony, which existed in the Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands. This was well before human beings began making modifications on the islands. However, whilst her motivation for killing invasive species seems acceptable, Alma’s godlike goal makes her tone-deaf to the humans around her. Alma seems to believe that she is only right in trying to rid the island of the invasive species that adversely affect the survival of indigenous species on the island (Boyle 37). Alma fails to perceive glaring clues that her secretary is leaking information to the animal rights group For the Protection of Animals. However, Alma’s indifference and her lack of control is quite baffling. She wrongly believes that she has the power to self-engineer not only her own life but that of species located on the islands. The triviality in Alma’s belief emerges as she becomes the second women within the novel to get pregnant while devotedly using birth control. This scenario represents Boyle’s skillful employment of incidental details to construct his case for the uncontrollable force of nature. Alma’s perceptions are innately dissimilar from those of LaJoy. Animal rights activist and founder of the For the Protection of Animals Initiative, Dave LaJoy is an egocentric rich man who owns a chain of electronics stores, a yacht and a BMW. LaJoy’s supersized ego denies the possibility of peace between his faction and that of Alma. His motivation for seeking the protection of animals is that he just happens to prefer animals to people. LaJoy detests humans, but it is not the preciousness of life that moves him to want to save animals in the island but rather his attraction to dramatics associated with his sabotage (Boyle 51). This is further fueled by his resentment towards government-hired rangers like Alma who believe they control nature and creation. Although LaJoy seems to turn his inner selfishness into a mission to protect the animals, his elaborate pranks do not suit his so-called noble mission. LaJoy’s commitment to the protection of animals emanates from his emotional epiphany, as well as his innate struggle to mange his rage. While both activists are clearly passionate about what they are fighting for, their intentions are not necessarily as pure as they would like people to believe. Alma is innately hateful towards rats despite being an animal herself. Although Alma’s perception is that she is forced to kill one species in order to protect the others, her choice is plagued by her past i.e. her grandmother’s adverse encounter with rats after her shipwreck. Alma’s passion emerges from the foundation of her family’s history where Boyle subtly shows how a single event can determine a family’s entire legacy, echoing through vast generations. Conversely, LaJoy’s lover Anise Reed seeks to save animals in order to remove the memory of a distressing event, which she and her mother observed years back (Boyle 65). Both activists’ actions make sense to them, although their emotions and public opinion play a critical role in such actions. In their individual ways, each character works outwardly for a noble purpose whose foundation is deeply rooted in personal motives. The results of these motives outline the brutality of nature, the arrogance of humans and the deep-seated bonds of family. Prompt 3 Boyle uses point of view to convey the conflict between nature and humanity, providing a backdrop for the examination of the perceptions of different characters on the issue. Point of view describes the perspective through which an author conveys the story of a novel. There are several ways through which authors use the point of view, for instance, an author may opt for a single point of view or multiple ones. Boyle presentation of the story from multiple points of view serves to add on the story of the novel. This is largely because Boyle allows different characters to provide their individual perceptions on a topic and give their intrinsic interpretations of different issues. For instance, Boyle gives Alma the platform to make her own deductions of the issue regarding the threat posed by invasive species on indigenous species of the islands (Boyle 67). Boyle takes the reader through what runs in the minds of different individuals such as Alma’s secretary who chooses to leak information to LaJoy’s animal protection group. Boyle’s use of multiple points of view invites the reader to dwell in a space and think about the world and its problems as he or she (the reader) deems fit. The reader gets the opportunity to appreciate each character’s motivation for what he or she does or thinks. For instance, Boyle’s use of multiple points of view allows the reader to appreciate that circumstances force Alma to choose to kill the invasive animal species although she would rather not kill them. If Boyle told the story from a single standpoint, the reader would not get a chance to compare the characters’ different perceptions before drawing his or her own conclusions. Boyle uses multiple points of view to provide readers with clues on Alma’s and LaJoy’s behavior and what pushes the characters to act as they do. This ultimately allows the reader to reach his or her individual inferences before realizing how the story ends. In addition, Boyle’s use of multiple points of view augments his theme of control and power, which ties the protagonist and anatomist as they both attempt to control one aspect or another. According to Boyle (103), when Alicia asks Alma whether it would be better leaving everything as made by God, Alma appears to believe it is better exerting control over nature than leave it as God intended. Alma seeks to exert control over nature and creation by altering the existence of certain species on the islands. LaJoy, on the other hand, mainly attempts to control Alma by employing ridiculous stunts to deter the killing of animals. Using a multiple point of view narrative, Boyle queries humanity’s role in the animal world and its position within the entire ecosystem. The use of multiple points of view further highlights the dangers of noble intentions by showing that nature is not necessarily a paradise but rather an irregular playing field on which animals, even humans, struggle for survival within an ecosystem, which is forever changed by a species that seeks to control all the rest, i.e. mankind. Nonetheless, Boyle effectively shows that although nature largely suffers at the hands of mankind, there are numerous instances where nature overwhelms people; for instance, the ocean plays a crucial role in the plot showing nature’s capacity to overpower humans. Work Cited Boyle, T. C. When the Killing's Done. New York: Viking/ Penguin Putnam, 2011. Print.   Read More