What I find most interesting about The Vegetational Fatherhood is that the story begins with a young woman being what can only be described as raped by a rose. This seems to represent a role reversal in the relationship between humanity and nature. Human's have long exploited (or raped) nature, greedily using up its resources without care or concern for how nature will be affected. In The Vegetational Fatherhood the rose uses the young woman's womb to link humanity and nature together by creating a hybrid being. This exploitation of the young woman to serve the will of nature is no different that humanity's exploitation of nature to serve its one purposes. It is simply the norm we are used to being turned on its head.
The hybrid being, a beautiful young girl, symbolizes the way in which nature is exploited by humanity. Nature usually regarded as mysterious, graceful, and, most importantly, feminine. Humanity and cultural advancement are usually regarded as powerful, factual, and, most importantly, masculine. The young girl is mute, unable to assert a voice in order to protect herself just as is nature. Dr. Rosenberger is a scientist who intends to bend his young bride to his will. He assumes she is pious but instead of respecting who she is he plans to "break her of this habit." Dr. Rosenberger clearly represents humanity and its demands while his young wife represents the innocence and vulnerability of nature.
Because Dr. Rosenberger is careless and disrespectful of his young wife's wishes he ultimately destroys her. He does so inadvertently, yet this could have been prevented had he respected her. His wife's death results in the destruction of Dr. Rosenberger's own life as well. This can be seen to comment on humanity's disrespect for nature. If humanity continues to drain the world of it natural resources and disrespect nature's right to flourish, nature will eventually be destroyed. And because humanity cannot exist without the support of nature, if humanity destroys nature it is effectively destroying itself.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I like the idea that you bring up that humanity will destroy itself by disrespecting and destroying nature. It is also interesting that the vegetal father was in the form of a rose, which looks beautiful, but it also has thorns which can prick and wound those who try to harm it.
ReplyDeleteI really like your point about the common theme of humans exploiting nature seemingly being reversed in this tale.
ReplyDelete