Research Paper Sample on Rebecca Solnit's Essays

Rebecca Solnit's Body of Work

The modern world is subject to a wide range of violence. This includes physical and environmental injustices endangering the existence of different species in the world. The alarming question lies in the role played by the human in the acceleration of the violence. Violence arises from revolts which on most cases arise from hard life status and unbearable living conditions. Rebecca Solnit is widely known for her wide range of essays which introduces several social injustices such as gender disparities and environmental destruction as pointed out in some of her works. Among Rebecca Solnit's works Climate change is linked to an increase in violence in the essay "Climate Change is Violence." This is justified through higher conflicts in the tropics during the El Nino years. This is just the basic interception of climate change and its adverse effects on human existence. In this case, the era of climate change can be as well be linked to an era of increased civil and international conflicts. The effects of El Nino on the productivity of the tropic's countries increased the tension on the available resources and tension on states and citizens. Consequently, the behavior of people across the world is likely to deteriorate focusing on the wrangles over the anticipated declined production, famine, drought, and migrations due to harsh climatic conditions (Reuveny). The common factor brought about in the essays include lack of oppression of the minority and the poor in the society which points at the poor and women as her main concern with relation to the manipulation by the societal system.

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Rebecca Solnit addressed the issue of climate change in relation to violence and pointed out distinctively the wide spectrum of social, political and economic impacts of violence in the society (Parenti). Rebecca Solnit addresses social inequality by majoring in feminist works and men dominance in society. Across her works, she exhibits the prevalence of diverse forms of violence in society with a focus on gender and environmental status. She appeals to the entire world on the challenges faced by women in her feminist essays as well as the contribution of human to violence across the globe. The theme of violence runs across many of Solnit's works with the much-anticipated call to humanity to change the course of events that result in violence. Gender disparities are held closely with men domination in women matters highlighted as violence towards women. This in dictates her radicalism with the concern of the role of women in the society. In-depth and comprehensive evaluation of Rebecca Solnit's assertions on climate change and violence will be highlighted along with the associated violence and a comparison made based on the on some of her writings. A close emphasis will be pointed out at the common themes across her works. Violence and oppression are similarly emphasized in Rebecca Solnit's literary works such as "Men Explain Things to Me", "Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities" and "A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster; Storming the Gates of Paradise" as well as "Climate Change is violence".

In her essay, "Climate Change is Violence" Climate change itself is considered as the violence of higher order, and is on the extreme level, horrific, long-term as well as widespread across the global countries. Rebecca Solnit talks of the anthropogenic nature of climate change which is entirely linked to human causes. The global climate is affected by human activities such as the emissions of carbon barons. Continued acidification of oceans results in the decline in aquatic species, and disappearance of islands such as the Maldives. Floods, drought, and change in the soil composition lead to failure in crop production resulting in increased food prices which in turn result in famine. Lack of food and social amenities increase tension in the population that may lead to revolutions, due to unbearable life conditions. Increasing weather turbulence through hurricanes, typhoons, and heat waves that account for many deaths of the elderly people. In this light, it is apparent that the change in climate can only be tackled as violence to engage the associated injustices effectively (Pearce).

The strain in the society, tension, class difference and the unrest caused due to the variations in the treatment of individuals are highly criticized in Solnit's works. The detrimental part can be associated with the manipulation of the environment by the few wells off people in the society adjusting the climate and resulting in the eventual conflicts as brought out in the French Revolution, The Arab Spring, and the threatening of the Maldives Island.

Men Explain Things to Me

In Men Explain Things to Me, Rebecca Solnit shows the silencing in women by the men in society carrying the better part of the society's responsibilities. According to Solnit, the better part of the women silencing is rooted in old gender wars, but the young girls need to evaluate their role in the society (Solnit). women shy away from making critical decisions and contributions in the society owing to lack of self confidence which oozes in men who govern them. The Middle East is pointed out as a good example of where women's contribution is limited by legal obligation limiting the legal standing of women testimony (Solnit). This indicates the oppression exhibited in the society. women are calling for restraining order limiting contact with abusive men also calls for accreditation of the guy to confirm the threat posed. These discredits the credibility of women's voice. Spouse caused deaths are prevalent in the US mainly executed by men who bring out the need for embracing feminism cues. Audibility and credibility of women can be enhanced through the struggle for feminism which targets giving legal standing to women oppression through rape, domestic violence, and works place sexual harassment.

With reference to Climate change is violence, the struggle of the poor in the society is neglected by the few minorities in the society who manipulate the environment in favor of the economic benefits. The effects of the environment reduce the productivity of the farms, increase vulnerability to natural calamities such as drought, hurricanes, and floods. It is certain that natural calamities such as floods, and drought lead to conflicts. Similarly, it should be apparent to everyone that the same calamities are silently bred through the change in climate. Material property constitutes the comfort zone that drives the blind adjustment in the state of the climate. The economic control of the economic activities on the legislation and the state of government stands in the way of attaining even reasoning as far as the climate change pandemic is referred (Urry 54). Solnit cites the poor can only contribute to the violence through the use of traditional methods but not the high-profile violence exercised by a few individuals who kill more lives without laying a hand on them. The poor are vulnerable to the activities of a few individuals motivated by money. The rise in food prices, increasing the cost of medical care, deterioration of health, as well as housing and education, are affected by high living conditions. All these factors can be controlled economically by government policies. The acidification of rain is dangerous cause some of the most lethal health issues. This impacts on the health and healthcare concerns highlighted by Rebecca Solnit. Human health is crucial, and any form of exposing humans to health risks is entirely a form of violence.

Businesses subject the world to more risks with the profit minded operations resulting in the alteration of the climatic conditions - the use of solid, business-oriented language in justification of their efforts to maintain the propagation of unethical environmental practices that subject the entire world to the threat of extinction. The oil companies continually advocate for better ways to improve their productivity and increase the extraction of natural fuels from the earth surface. However, there exist studies that disregard the excessive extraction of underground hydrocarbons and postulates that the earth is in the good state under mild extractions. However, extensive extraction of the hydrocarbons is related to the diminishing survival chances of the world's species, places, and people. Less drilling of the hydrocarbon's accounts to less destruction of the earth and enhancing the stability of the climatic conditions. However, as pointed out by Solnit, Oil, coal, and gas companies are determined to obtain optimum profits for therefore motivated to improve their profits. This indicates an obvious wrangle on the extent to devastate the world. The wrangles experienced however can be avoided by consideration of the health and survival impact on human, and other species as well as adjustment of the natural features (Gleditsch 12). Most climatic changes lead to changes in the environment, for instance, the vegetation, flow of water, and soil productivity.

Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities

This work traces the history of activism and social change over some decades back which points from the fall of Berlin Wall, Zapatista Uprising in Mexico, demonstrations in Seattle over anti-globalization and the global matches to the Iraq War (Solnit). This points out the dissatisfaction of the people with the system and the revolts indicate unbearable conditions that are resolved through demonstrations. Solnit warned against the use of reaction force against the revolts but recommends for peaceful resolution of the revolutions without the engagement of opposite and punctual reaction as it is common in resolving the feuds by the administrations (Munson). Solnit speaks on the failure of antiwar matches linking them to political engagement and invasion of Iraq. Solnit proposes change through peaceful strategies. The wars and revolutions lead to mass migrations just as highlighted in the dangers posed by a change in climate. Mass migrations will lead to conflicts. Therefore, by adjustment of the climatic pattern opens up possibilities for crop failure, floods, and droughts sets the conflicts in motion (Solnit). According to Solnit, the system of distribution is another form of violence which denies access of products to the consumers as well as encouraging the hiking of the prices in the market. Unequitable distribution can be linked to the previous revolutions against the system which can be predicted with the impending failure in the delivery system. Wheat crop failure in 1788 led to the skyrocketing of the prices of bread. The rise in the price of commodities increases tension and resultant revolutions. In the case of the French Revolution, the skyrocketing of the prices of bread led to the revolution. However, revolutions are resolved by the use of authoritarianism and the use of threats on the low social class members of the society. According to Solnit, the process of calming the revolutions with the use of threats on serves as a lid to a boiling pot. This signifies the need to address the question at hand. The need to address the particular problem leading to the revolutions is imperative. The best way to handle the revolutions does not call for the turning down the heat from the revolution but pinpointing the particular cause of the revolution. In this light, changes in the soil composition, rainfall pattern, acidity level and the productivity of agricultural land (Solnit). Solnit highlights migrations and other natural calamities brewed under the influence of human activities as well as the formation of acidic rain that is detrimental to agricultural production. The spread of famine in society is linked to the low productivity of the farms.