Forests

Forests The Shadow of Civilization by Robert P. Harrison gives a detailed opinion of the importance of forests in the depiction of the development of our civilization, whether it be historical or fictional. Harrison uses many examples to prove his point using references from epic literary pieces and legends as well know historical events. Many of these references have parallels with the novel We.


The main theme deals with the concept that the‘forests came first. As illustrated in poetry, it is shown that Rome and in fact all cities started as a forest and needed to be cleared to create a community. This clearing allowed for the science of enlightenment to form. The analogy goes on further to compare ‘forest and city,’ where forest represents the uncivilized and undeveloped world, and city represents the modern developed world. Both entities are separated by a wall figuratively or otherwise. This was evident in We when the city boundary had a green glass wall that shut out the jungles of the forest. Development can only take place if we abandon our archaic ideals and primitive way of life, “Rome can become Rome only by overcoming, or effacing, the forests of its origins.” And yet the forests or nature eventually overcomes its defeat and encroaches upon the city. The author I feel means to explain that as we develop we inadvertently manage to destroy ourselves. This destruction could be in wars as in the case of Ancient Rome, or today in global warming where we are depleting the Earths natural resources. We are playing with the natural order and inviting the wrath of Mother Nature, who shows her fury with destroying the newly created world. Today environmental concerns such as the destruction of the Amazon rain forests is leading us to the first step in annihilation such as melting glaciers and the extinction of many species. Similarly, in We the city gained greatness just as Rome had done before it, but ended in being overcome with the forest encroaching.

The metaphorical comparison of forests is shown in our everyday sayings and phrases such as ‘family tree’ and ‘tree of life'. This shows how symbolic and significant, tree and forest references have become to our psyche. Despite our concrete jungles and our overcoming the laws of nature, ultimately we are ancestrally born of the earth and through our burial rituals we return there. Therefore order and balance is maintained and life comes full circle.