Friday, April 17, 2009

Nature

Discuss the powerful influence that nature plays in the lives of the main characters. How does it heal them? How does it inspire them? Do you think modern-day people have enough hands on experience with nature? do you?

4 comments:

Seth and Julie said...

I am not a nature girl. I come from a big city and I don't like dirt. I love architecture and other man made creations.

When I went to London and was touring around I was in awe of the castles and towers and churches, all man made. At one point I mentioned that we didn't have anything like that in the US. Another person on the tour reminded me that we absolutely did but ours was all made by God.

So true!!! No one can create a mountain or an ocean. No computer can do what the brain and the heart can do. No nutritionist can create anything as perfect as breastmilk. Nature is truly amazing.

I still don't like to be dirty but I can totally understand why it was nature that awakened Colin and Mary and Mr. Craven. There is God in all of it.

sanya said...

After reading this book, I totally wanted to be outside all the time and make my boys come out too, to see if I could tell a difference. I was especially hoping I could get the rosy cheeks and get my hair to not lay flat on my head like Mary's. ha! (I did get a little rosy, but that was because I fell asleep on the trampoline and got a little sunburn... oops!)

Cheryl said...

I think it has such an effect on Mary and colin because neither one of them had ever got enough crisp fresh air..
I always feel better after going out for a walk around the block when it is kind of cool and crisp (like fall weather). Your lungs feel with it and your mind clears.

The Kings said...

It is wonderful to be out with nature. In the garden they saw things that were dead come alive ...some flowers growing because that was part of nature...and others that received the nurturing they needed to have room and sun and care to grow. This was part of the healing process for Mary and Colin. They saw beauty come alive because of what they were able to do to make the garden more beautiful and were touched also nurtured by that. I don't like pulling weeds but I do love working in my flower gardens and pulling the weeds is hard and not fun (which was another thing they experienced...working hard and seeing the results of that) but it allows the beauty of the flowers to shine and gives me a feeling of accomplishment and happiness that I am helping create spaces of beauty that I and others can enjoy. Mary was so excited and later Colin to see the weeds and dead growth be removed and the beauty of the garden come alive.