YEAR OF WONDERS - TOPIC HELP!

[spherelin]

Hi guys,

I'm struggling with this topic:
'Year of Wonders suggests that nature and religion will always be opposing forces.' Discuss.
This is obviously evident in Anna, Anys and the village towards the end as religion breaks down.... but I can't really think of anything else that jumps out at me?

Someone help?

[Toto.]

I would explore the power of nature and how it broke down the power of religion in Eyam. The questioning of God.
Other things which jump out: the self-flagellation of John Gordon.
Elinor and Anna seeking herbal remedies in the Gowdies' house - This despite Elinor being the rector's wife.
Mompellion's Great Burning.

Something to ensure that this is a discussion would be talking about the ending of the novel. The ending suggests nothing about the opposing nature of nature and religion, but rather about how we have to begin again. "I knew then that this was how I was meant to go on: away from death and towards life, from birth to birth, from seed to blossom, living my life amongst wonders."

Hope I have helped

[rebeccab26]

Hi guys,

I'm struggling with this topic:
'Year of Wonders suggests that nature and religion will always be opposing forces.' Discuss.
This is obviously evidence in Anna, Anys and the village towards the end as religion breaks down.... but I can't really think of anything else that jumps out at me?

Someone help?

i would explore how it's not necessarily religion and nature, but it is the actions of the people that are opposing forces.
it was more their hysteria and they used religion as an excuse. they blamed religion for their issues.
talk about how the end of the book in Oran [a religious society] she is allowed to practice med/natural medicine/etc [part of nature]

[rife168]

Hi guys,

I'm struggling with this topic:
'Year of Wonders suggests that nature and religion will always be opposing forces.' Discuss.
This is obviously evident in Anna, Anys and the village towards the end as religion breaks down.... but I can't really think of anything else that jumps out at me?

Someone help?

Well I guess the first thing to consider is what is meant by 'nature'. It could simply just refer to plants/animals, but for an English essay that would be a bit bland. I would say nature represents something like... that which is outside of the human conscience, spirituality and perception.


I think rebeccab raises a particularly pertinent point, perhaps the two ideas can coexist harmoniously, but it is when they are blindly used as an outlet/excuse to present preexisting characteristics of those involved that we get some conflicting ideas, situations, and so on...


An example of nature and religion as opposing forces is evident in the way in which religious ideals outright fail to eradicate the plague in Eyam, and it takes a great fire, one of the most potent and powerful symbols of nature, to finally put an end to their suffering. It's like fighting nature with nature, because religion failed to get the job done.
The only problem here is the whole 'opposing forces' thing... It could be interpreted as meaning 'incompatible, orthogonal and disparate' which implies that they aren't really all that relevant to each other, or maybe 'clashing, contradictory, conflicting' which implies that there is a definite interaction between the two ideas.
Just something to think about... It's all up to how you want to define the terms.

[spherelin]

Hi guys,

I'm struggling with this topic:
'Year of Wonders suggests that nature and religion will always be opposing forces.' Discuss.
This is obviously evident in Anna, Anys and the village towards the end as religion breaks down.... but I can't really think of anything else that jumps out at me?

Someone help?

Well I guess the first thing to consider is what is meant by 'nature'. It could simply just refer to plants/animals, but for an English essay that would be a bit bland. I would say nature represents something like... that which is outside of the human conscience, spirituality and perception.


I think rebeccab raises a particularly pertinent point, perhaps the two ideas can coexist harmoniously, but it is when they are blindly used as an outlet/excuse to present preexisting characteristics of those involved that we get some conflicting ideas, situations, and so on...


An example of nature and religion as opposing forces is evident in the way in which religious ideals outright fail to eradicate the plague in Eyam, and it takes a great fire, one of the most potent and powerful symbols of nature, to finally put an end to their suffering. It's like fighting nature with nature, because religion failed to get the job done.
The only problem here is the whole 'opposing forces' thing... It could be interpreted as meaning 'incompatible, orthogonal and disparate' which implies that they aren't really all that relevant to each other, or maybe 'clashing, contradictory, conflicting' which implies that there is a definite interaction between the two ideas.
Just something to think about... It's all up to how you want to define the terms.

Lovely advice! Thanks everyone!