Previous
Motifs
Definition of Paradox
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar Wilde's famous declaration that "Life is... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel... read full definition
Chapter 9
Explanation and Analysis—Everybody Downstream:
In Chapter 9, Kimmerer worries that she is not doing enough for the rest of the world when she focuses so much time and attention on the little pond she wants to clean up so that her daughters can swim in it. A paradox is central to her eventual conclusion that she is doing her part:
The circle of care grows larger and caregiving for my little pond spills over to caregiving for other waters. The outlet from my pond runs downhill to my good neighbor’s pond. What I do here matters. Everybody lives downstream. My pond drains to the brook, to the creek, to a great and needful lake. The water net connects us all.
The idea that "everybody lives downstream" at first seems contradictory. A stream flows in a single direction. Some people must live upstream of others. Kimmerer demonstrates that, in fact, the idea is not contradictory at all. A stream may run in one direction, but water spreads out over the whole earth in a "net." The water that flows out to the "great and needful lake" and even the ocean evaporates back into the sky and returns as rain. When Robin tends to her pond, she is tending to the "water net" that sustains her neighbors and beings all around the world.
This paradox contributes to the book's mission of empowering readers to combat climate despair. Kimmerer argues that we all owe the earth for sustaining us, but she also acknowledges that it can feel as though our individual actions cannot make much impact in the fight to save the earth from climate change. However, by demonstrating that "everybody lives downstream," Kimmerer lowers the threshold for making a difference. Just as we need to be mindful of how our small actions can have a large downstream impact, we can also rest assured that small efforts to combat climate change can be felt around the world.
Related Themes:
