Jessica Kaplan -- Blog 5: Animals

By Jessica Kaplan

“There are those who never once have even considered animals’ rights: those who have never been taught that animals actually want to be used and abused by us, as small children ‘love’ to be frightened, or women ‘love’ to be mutilated and raped…” Alice Walker is making a rather strong statement here, but one that I believe is crucial to the “animal world” (which we are so strongly connected to whether we believe it or not). Some people tend to separate themselves from the larger world we are a part of, which includes animals like ourselves.

Alice Walker writes about the story of Blue, a horse living in her closest neighbor’s five-acre meadow. Blue was a rather lonely horse that enjoyed the company of Alice, and especially the apples from the just- barely -out-of-reach apple tree that accompanied her. As you start to picture this white horse—a symbol of freedom—you start to see the closeness we all should feel with not only Blue, but all creatures. Walker comments on the idea that animals, like Blue “are forced to become for us merely ‘images’ of what they once so beautifully expressed.” The view of this white horse from her kitchen window became something taken for granted, something that meant less than the living, breathing animal in sight. Blue is a prime example of everything we are doing wrong. I know that there are so many extreme cases where animals are used and abused, but it’s also important to consider a case like Blue. He wanders around a huge amount of land—which would have fooled any outsider as being a great life for this horse, and anticipates the next human contact he will have. Although Blue’s “needs” (meaning sustenance) were taken care of, he was denied one simple aspect of human life that is widely taken advantage of—contact. As humans, we recognize that we would go mad without the companionship in our everyday lives. We are social creatures—yes, we are indeed creatures just like Blue. We are dependent on other people. We need to know that our solidarity will be broken when we need it, but who’s to say that Blue doesn’t feel the exact same way?

Common to most animal rights writing is the idea that aspects of animals are so “human-like” (very anthropocentric of us humans for sure) and maybe this is just a way for humans to find common ground with animals, but I think it creates a great divide. After Blue was given a companion for a short time he had a “different look in his eyes” it was “a look of independence, of self-possession, of inalienable horseness.” Is this is the problem with our connection to animals? That we have to be able to see their feelings through their eyes in order to understand their capable of everything we feel too? Why can’t the sheer reality that they too breathe and feel be enough?

Linda Hogan comments on another divide in our understanding of animals. “The leading cause of death for wolves is contact with the human world. Our presence means tragedy to them. They are shot by hunters, trapped, poisoned, and hit by logging trucks as they travel the human roads.” She brings up a very important point about the “human roads.” We create intrusive things like roads that only deepen human miscommunication with animals, including wolves. Hogan writes in a more analytical tone. She analyzes spiritual connections between wolves and comments on her experience working with wolves as well. She believes there’s a deeper connection, “we are walking here to speak with the wolves. That’s what we want. We want to reach out to them, to tell them we are here. We want them to answer, acknowledge us, maybe even to like us. We think they see our souls.” She struggles with the sight of other team members she worked with taking pictures while holding up carcasses of wolves. Hogan understands that there is an underlying importance of wolves to people that used to interact with them and she believes that’s the understanding we need to get back to.

Julia B. Corbett alludes to how we associate animals to places and make them symbolic of different things. She uses the example of how we attach wolves to phrases like, “wolf down your food, cry wolf, and wolf whistle.” Personally, I think this is interesting because I never realized that this can create negative connotations with the animals they refer to. This especially for wolves does not help their current situation. Corbett adds to the arguments of Hogan, but makes more literal comparisons. She identifies the behaviors humans have with animals. An important one being the idea that we tend to connect a person’s animal beliefs to their natural world beliefs. So if you believe that animals and humans are intertwined, then you probably also believe that humans have a huge impact on the environment. It’s interesting that we do this because we are all a part of one entangled ecosystem that depends on each other.

Swans in New York tend to have a very negative connotation. They aren’t seen as the symbol for peace and tranquility like they once did in America. In a New York Times article, “New York States Changes Plan to Reduce Its Swan Populations” you get a sense of the complex New Yorkers have with swans. The article lays out the options that were given to New York to deal with the overpopulation. The few and far apart swan lovers have rallied together to stop the total elimination of the birds, making the state seek alternatives. This fits in with the story of Blue and Corbett’s symbolism. Swans were once seen as a beautiful piece of the natural world, adding happiness to any pond or park. At this point they have become a nuisance to some and so the novelty of the swan has fallen apart.

I am an avid documentary watcher, but some of the most difficult ones to watch are the ones that are about any animals. Before I watched The Cove and How I Became an Elephant I knew they were about animals and I was a little weary. As much as I don’t want to admit this, I tend to stay away from these types of films because I honestly just don’t want to know. Both were equally as heartbreaking and are made to do just that. These films allow the viewer to understand and appreciate the activism done without having to do much themselves. People are definitely affected by the image of dolphins being killed and abused elephants and they may possibly make different choices. Many people have taken stands against things like zoos and circuses because of what they have seen in the media. These films can be a call to action as well. Get people away from their screens and do something about the injustices done to animals all the time.

“Something wild must hold such sway over the imagination that we can’t tear ourselves away from any part of wilderness without in some way touching it.” Hogan writes this in terms of our understanding of the concept of wild and how we feel the need to leave our tracks on every path. Wolves and elephants and dolphins and basically every other “wild” animal needs us humans, equals to advocate for them without exploitation. A concept as old as time displayed in pop culture will forever require the work of poetic writers and fearless adventurers to remind the common city dweller that that squirrel on the city trash can is no less wild than a wolf in Yosemite National Park.