This chapter has been called "a requiem for the dead land." How do most Americans view land today? Why? Is land an expendable commodity or a precious resource? Do most of the world's citizens respect the land or abuse it? We still have vast areas of the world that are uninhabited; does this justify gobbling up land for condominiums and industry? Is land "dying" in Kansas?
Try to imitate Steinbeck's style of using repetition and poetic rhythm in your response.
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People today see the land as a thing to be wielded to their desire, never as the beautiful landscapes and glory of God. While some might prize the land others throw it away with the flick of a wrist. Litter is thrown into the grassy feilds to make a waste land. Nothing could every justify wasting the land, but people try their hardest to excuse themselves from all blame.
Most Americans view land as land, just land, a place where farmers grow crops to sell. According to the book, tractors were at their primitive stage during the Dust Bowl. Farmers were not used to seeing these “dead” machines do the farming because they did the work, just the work. The tractors were not part of the land, they were foreigners. Tractors were abusing the land, producing crops in every possible spot.
We know today that if we did not have tractors, we probably would not have enough food to feed all the people in the U.S. Many Americans have not gone through the depressing stages that many families went through, so it is difficult to feel the way these families felt for the land, being the land, sharing their feelings with the land. It felt as though life was being sucked out of these lands, creating cats into wildcats, creating houses habitable for wild animals, creating a shelter for those who were hunted and those who were the hunters. The land then felt like land, just land.
Wastefulness has become prevalent among Americans today. The deadening of land will soon lead to the death of humans. Our world, along with its resources, is the most precious thing in our existence. This seems like reason enough to respect and take care of the world’s land, but sadly we treat it as if it were an expendable commodity. In chapter eleven Steinbeck shows us the effects of deadening our land. Emptiness and vacancy are overwhelming, it sounds as if the land died and Steinbeck was describing its funeral. Through his descriptions of the “dead land” one can see that there is no justification for industry and condominiums. The dying land of Kansas is not seen to the extent of other states since it is one of the lesser populated states, but it will imminently run its course. The urban sprawl seen in many metropolitan areas is a perfect example of how today there are still “dead lands”.
Cut it down and build it up. Progress is on the way. Wip the cookie cutter out. Consistency's the key. We'll build 'em a dime a dozen, but they'll pay so much more.
Ain't we running out of room? Hell no. We got plenty.
Move 'em in and pack 'em tight. Progress is on the way. They're gonna want things. Lots of things. Call the trucks. Call the stores. Send it on the way. And when they're done will toss it over there and call for more.
Ain't we running out of room? Hell no. We got plenty.
Brick and pavement more and more. Progress is on the way. Where God has failed we shall improve. That sky's too blue add some smog. That field's too green pave it over. Industrialization its the thing to do. Factories, smokestacks, and steel that's what we need.
Ain't we running out of room? Hell no. We go-... Huh, how 'bout that. There ain't no more.
Most Americans do view land as land. Most were not brought up to care for the land. Most were raised in the city.
Land is a precious resource. We have to conserve what we have left, or we will end up having another Dust Bowl, or worse, no land left. We must care about the land.
Gobbing up land just for the sake of having a place for someone to live is not justifiable. We do have so many that do not have houses and places to sleep, but we also have places that can house them. There is no need to harm the land for our own personal gain.
Land in Kansas isnt dying persay, its just being poorly farmed. We are harmin the land by using so many pesticides and chemicals. If we let the land grow naturally then it wouldnt be so dead in places.
Land is viewed in different ways by the same people. Land when it is talked about in a real estate sense is very powerful because it is worth a lot of money these days. People are willing to pay vast amounts of money just for a specific lot of land without a house on it yet. But when we talk about the land as the earth it is treated badly. The same people that pay thousands of dollars for a piece of land are more than willing to trash the land. Land these days is valued but not respected.
One word sums up Americas view quite well, Property. We place possession of land as highly important. How we view land is different to every individual though i can generalize that most people consider it expendable, at least thats the case with many rain forests. Is building justified? I'm not sure, most of what we do is bad for us, not the earth. We are destroying the earth as we know it yes, but that's only bad for us not the earth itself, it is always changing and renewing itself. So we are justified in doing whatever we want really, we just have to pay the consequences for such actions.
Sadly most people consider the land as just another possession and nothing more. They see it this way because that's not how the majority of Americans make their living. The problem with this is the land is a valuable and prominent resource. Then when we look at the rest of the world, we see that some countries respect the land more than we do, yet others abuse it even worse than we do. And just because there are sitll areas of land left doesn't mean we can continue ruining our own land, because these lands are quickly disappearing. Finally, we notice our immediate surroundings, and pathetically Salina is a perfect example of what is happening to Kansas. Salina is quickly expanding and more and more homes are taking up the land that was a farm only five years ago. So, yes land is "dying" in Kansas.
There are three different perspectives on land, its value, and its usage. The farmer views land as almost part of the family, not just a means to the end of a paycheck, but something that must be respected and preserved. The farmers love their land and treasure it, simply because they work with it each day. Many businessmen and bankers, not all, but at least in the perspective of Grapes of Wrath, view the land as an object and a means to the end of a paycheck. As an average American, who has had both city and agricultural experience, I see validity in both viewpoints. The banker is reasonable and simply does his job by selling land, the farmer does his job as well, but his occupation requires him to cherish the land. Industrializing more land is not necessarily bad, as long as we still preserve a significant amount. In Steinbeck's poetic fashion, my response can be summarized as this: "Farmers plow, looking only towards the sun in the horizon, bankers sell, dependent upon the paychecks and graphs. Farmers love the land, bankers sell the land. The land cries when abused, but only farmers hear the sound."
Some Americans see land as a precious resource but they do little to help preserve it. Forests are cut down everyday to build businesses and parking lots. In most cases, land is seen simply as property that is owned and then sold. The land that is uninhabited will soon be overtaken with the growth of the population and it's need for businesses and homes. This should not be allowed to happen because soon there will just be concrete and buildings. National Wildlife Parks are America's only hope to preserve land and animals. Kansas' land is somewhat dying. The demand for farmers is less than it use to be and people are moving here to get away from overpopulation.
Because most americans aren't involved in agriculture, I would have to say that most americans view land as real estate. Land, as farmland is worth less in areas surrounding cities if it is farmed than if it is sold making it real estate. Farmers today are facing the issue of selling their farmland/real estate, because corporate farming is putting the small farmer out of busines anyway. Land is becoming a major source of debate because there is only so much land. Like fossil fuels, we have only so much, but unlike other natural resources, we know exactly how much we have. Land is still very much so a precious resource which is not getting enough attention as being precious. Land in Kansas is not dying in the sense that the soil is bad, but people view Kansas's land as dying because more farmers are being put out of businness by mass farming corporations. Kansas is following other states in industrializing which is going to mean large scale abuse of the land in the years to come which could be considered to make the land in Kansas alive.
Americans are wasteful. We waste food, we waste water, we waste land. Its that preconcieved notion that no matter what, we will always be provided with what we need. What happens when that notion is proven false? What happens when our land is torn down, build up, and molded to benefit our wants to the point where one day, it chooses to stop giving? So they say there's more, but what if there isn't? Big contractors, future business owners, large corporations, they'll all tell you "Yes, of course clearing this land is okay, just imagine how nice it will be to have this Wal-Mart instead of the rolling hills near you." Have we used to much already? Does the pollution really deplete the ozone layer? It doesn't matter, we're too greedy to stop using it as we please. This land is your land, this land is my land, but generations to come, will it be their land?
It's there, use it. Use the land as you want. Plow through the hills, plow through the forests. Tear down the habitat and put up new. Habitat for people. Build the houses, build the industry. It will all work out the in end. We have the land, use it the best it can be used. Don't worry about the crops. There will always be land for crops. Let the rest of the world cherish the land. Use it to grow crops. If all else fails, we'll import. What you need to worry about is the industry. Assemble it, construct it, fabricate it. After all, industry means jobs. More jobs, less unemployment. Less unemployment, more happy people. That's what America is really about, happy people. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, that's right. Happiness is what America is about. That's the key right there, tear down and torture the precious land. But don't worry, you'll be happy.
Obviously, most Americans do not appreciate land and its valuable resources and those who do are too few to achieve any success in convincing others. It relates back to the early to mid-1800's when President Jackson forced the Cherokee Tribes on the Trail of Tears solely for the purpose of obtaining their land. Of course, the Native Americans used the land resourcefully, while the white Americans used it industrially. Industrialization-focused Americans were (and still are today) the ultimate death sentence for using the land resourcefully. Instead of considering the amount of damage that they cause, these people take from the land in order to fulfill their immediate needs and wants in clear disregard for the land. Because America is still growing rapidly industrially, we apparently continue to have that mindset.
We are America, the land of plenty. It is our God given right to use this land. We will use this land however we like. Wasteful? Us, wasteful? It would be wasteful if we didn’t tear it up. Some else here before us? They didn’t know how to use it properly. Do you see the buildings that scrape the sky? Do you see the black clouds rising to the sky? Do you smell the stench of plenty? Land dead? Do you see how it is being used? Who cares if there was an ocean here, an ocean of grass and prairie. With an ocean stocked with brown whales that grazed on grass, benignly existing. A sky streaked with a palate of colors. It was all in the way of progress, in the way of Manifest Destiny. What do we do? Drain the ocean, harpoon the whales, and muddy the sky. Dead? We have not killed anything; we just gave it a different life, a better life. We are America, the land of plenty.
We live on the land and treat the earth as a tool. It is our source of life, and the very thing that embodies us when we die. It makes us, and destroys us, and it is one with us, and yet we are it's murderer.
Americans view on land is the bigger the better, but not for farming, it is for building. Today land is scene as a way to expand businesses and cities, to gain money. A massive piece of land may be bought that would be great for farming, but instead a mall is constructed there. Not only building, but they way our waste is disposed at the landfills, or just littering. Abuse is all the world does to the land. We are all guilty of abusing it.
In the world of technology most Americans probably don't think about land. Therefore abusing the natural resources coming from the land and taking for granted the everyday things that are produced by the land. There is a great area of uninhabited land but because it is uninhabited it is undeveloped as well. This makes land that is developed more desirable. The more growth seen in developed land the more valuable it becomes because there is only a certain amount available to use. Land is not dying in Kansas. Citizens from the populated coasts realize the value of land because it is scarce and costly where they live. They are selling their land at a huge profit and moving to Kansas where land is less expensive.
Commercialism is taking over the precious land resources in today's world. The free and open fields are seized by machines and turned into platforms for steel structures of department stores, football stadiums, and amusement parks. Because we appear to have "everything" in America (water, food, gas, land...), we have a tendency to use, use, use. Land is not only a limited necessity in our world, but also a beautiful gift. What will happen when when all the land is occupied by homes and stores and there is no nature to enjoy?
Commercialism is taking over the precious land resources in today's world. The free and open fields are seized by machines and turned into platforms for steel structures of department stores, football stadiums, and amusement parks. Because we appear to have "everything" in America (water, food, gas, land...), we have a tendency to use, use, use. Land is not only a limited necessity in our world, but also a beautiful gift. What will happen when when all the land is occupied by homes and stores and there is no nature to enjoy?
When the world began anew
the land was plentiful and clean.
Plants thrived and the world still turned round and round.
The people came, their fads grazed
the top of the soil. Mother Nature furrowed her brow and wrinkled her nose, yet the plants were living and the world just kept on spinning.
The indian ways died, the dust
became the way of life. Waste thickened, much as plots of a novel do, pooling together to form the clouds that drove the people away. But still, the plants were there and the world continued its trek.
Wars over this and mighty battle over that. The land became soaked with the blood of the fallen. The Mother rebelled and punished the men, heating their world to the hottest. Yet, the plants still grew and the world continued its trek.
What happens next, when the battle will end: Will man destroy us all or will nature's wish come true?
A/N: Hopefully that helped answer the question. However, to be on the safe side, this is the non-poetic response.
Most Americans view land as a money maker. The sad thing is that hardly anyone is willing to put their foot down as a whole and protect the land. We are extremely impatient and impractical people.
Land is definetly a precious resource. Not to go all "hippie" on everyone, but we are only going to have one chance to make a difference on this world. Why not preserve the few beauties that we still have so that our children and lineage can take delight in the land as well?
Most citizens abuse the land, however, awareness is finally increasing. Now, if only those thick skulled politicians could be convinced...
Nothing justifies selling the land to industry. Yes, we have made significant advances, but at what cost? The sacrifice of our true home.
Land is dying everyone, Kansas included. Our respect is dwindiling, and I am sure that few care to the point that it will make a significant difference.
Most Americans today feel that there will be plenty of land forever and they can abuse it as much as they please. The average American does not care how ruined the land will be for future generations. Although i'm sure it is a commonly used excuse, the fact that a great deal of land is uninhabited is no excuse for destroying other areas of land.
During the 1930's people realized the importance of maintaining and respecting farmland. Unfortunately, new technology has sort of tricked our minds into thinking that we're doing the right thing when we really aren't. Today, society is working more towards preserving our farmland and taking good care of our crops.
Land today is empty and barren but not because of a layer of dust or a natural disaster, but because the creation of man and his creations and the things that come along with his creations. Skyscrappers, sidewalks, streets, and all other concrete monsters cover our the surface of the land. Land is dying because we don't focus on land anymore. We don't feel like we need to focus on land when we have the wonderful gifts technology provides.
The majority of Americans today view land as an expendable commodity, but i believe it is more of a precioius resource. It somewhat relates to the stereotypes about how if you throw a piece of trash on the ground in front of a Native American, a tear will come to his eye. This stereotype was created because Native Americans first discovered the land and therefore had more respect for it. Whereas the Americans came along and just abused the land in order for their colony to grow, despite the the costs. I believe that if Americans had been the first people to inhabit this land, then we would have more respect for it today. I wouldn't say that the land in Kansas is dying, but it isn't thriving either. It is kind of bitter sweet because it's growing with cities and amusements parks etc. for the people, but at the same time these things are killing the land.
Slowly, slowly has the land in Kansas been dying, marked by events throughout history. The first fateful event came when the land was originally tilled. Abuse quickly transformed the luscious prairie into a dusty land of desolation. This stage of the lands history ended, and was, eventually, replaced by one of proper farming techniques. But this era was ended by the world of today; with production, profit, and progress outweighing land preservation.
The people are indifferent, not caring but not yearning for destruction. The plight of the land slips from their minds, as images of shopping centers, of corporate buildings, of housing complexes crowd all other thoughts from the mind. It is the ones building the consumer-based monstrosities; they are the ones responsible for the devastation of the land. They roll on, will continue to roll on, like a steam engine on the loose, till the end is upon them. Be it the end of the available land, or the end of everything, it will happen, that is certain.
Unfortunately the United States views our land as "bulletproof" so that anything that we throw at it, it will keep producing our crops for us for years to come. It doesn't work like that though, because after a couple or seasons the land loses it minerals so it get tougher and tougher to get crops out of the land. If we keep planting crops in the depleated soil history will repeat itself and we could have another depression or Dust Bowl in the future. We need to keep rotating crops and letting the soil rest inbetween so we can possibly stop that from happening.
In this day and age people see land as something that's there for them to use as they desire. They are not thinking of the consequences of their actions when they bulldoze trees and the habitats of animals just to build yet another mall or apartment complex or just simply throwing out the McDonalds cups that's been sitting inside their car for a week on the side of the road. The land happens to be like oil in the fact that once we plow everything down for commercial or housing investments that there will be no going back and getting more.
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