Timothy Treadwell wants more than
anything to be one of the bears, to be their friend, to be their equal. He wants to be part of their world—a world
more appealing because of its beauty and simplicity. He is drawn to the mystery and power of
another reality just as Mary Anne Bell is sucked into the chaos of the Vietnam
War in O’Brien’s Things They Carried. She was mesmerized by the war and “The land
too, and the mystery” (O’Brien 71).
Treadwell and Mary Anne were both exposed to something new, something
refreshing that became a sort of addiction (“Vietnam had the effect of a
powerful drug” (O’Brien 109)). Suddenly
they felt more alive, more like themselves that they ever had before in the
confines of conventional society. The
wild became their new individual realities.
Mary Anne finds a new environment more suited to her being. Although Treadwell thinks he has too, his
situation is different because in his, he is dependent on interaction.
In Cat’s
Cradle, Vonnegut argues that we all live by a set of foma—harmless untruths that make conceivably sad lives more
livable. In Timothy’s case, I think his
untruths were, in fact, harmful. While the San Lorenzans fabricate an entirely
new reality to live in, Treadwell attempts to live in another world that
already exists. While the San Lorenzans
create a new set of beliefs that fit their needs, Treadwell tries to alter his
life to fit into another’s (the world of the grizzlies). Forcing oneself into another world is
different from creating a new one that surrounds you (a phenomenon that is natural, and in some respects inevitable).
I really love how you connected Grizzly Man, Cats Cradle and Things They Carried all in one post. I think the idea of Timothy and Mary Ann both finding new worlds where they feel ' refreshed' is really interesting. I like that you say that ' the wild became their new individual realities,' however, I wonder if the wild became Timothy's reality or if it was rather, an escape from reality.
ReplyDeleteI also love the connections you made to the invading instead of a creation of a new suited world. I think that putting himself into this world with animals that cannot verbally respond (disapprove) of him makes it easier for him to feel wanted or loved (whether the love is there or not) because he will never be told that he is unwanted. This is another reason why I believe that this may be an escape from people who treat him like he is strange and people who are unkind.
Great post!
I really like your comparison of Mary Anne and Timothy. I believe that this calls into question whether it would be appropriate to compare other aspects of the situations of the two characters rather than simply their intoxication with a strange place. Was the Vietnam War as dangerous and unpredictable as life in the Alaskan wild? Furthermore, were soldiers as wild as bears? I believe that the argument can most definitely be made. Thank you for bring up the metaphor, it is very thought-provoking!
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