essay on man vs nature

21 Man vs Nature Examples (Conflict Plots in Literature)

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Learn about our Editorial Process

Man vs nature is one of six types of conflict in literature and film. The man vs nature conflict involves a protagonist’s battle against the formidable and unpredictable nature of … well, nature.

This conflict is often used by authors who will use concepts around survival, humanity’s place in the cosmos, and the human spirit of exploration and pushing the boundaries. However, often, the conflict between man and nature is also posited as a metaphor for our inner struggles and conflicts.

One of my favorite examples of the man vs nature conflict motif is in Jon Krakauer’s “Into the Wild,” a true story about Christopher McCandless, a young adult who leaves his conventional life behind to venture into the Alaskan wilderness, where he challenges himself against the elements.

Man vs Nature Conflict: When to Use It

At its heart, man vs nature is a conflict between an individual’s will and capability versus the uncontrollable and often harsh conditions of the natural world.

This type of conflict can manifest in many different ways in an author’s writing. For example, it may be an exploration of the battle for survival in a remote or ‘alien’ environment; or, a struggle against a natural disaster or dystopian future where nature is taking back over the cities (like in the Will Smith movie I am Legend ).

The core obstacle or ‘challenge’ in these plotlines is usually physical survival against the forces of nature that are beyond human control.

These conflicts often contain a message of how humans have the remarkable ability to adapt, persevere, and find meaning in the vast world that dwarfs us all. They may also put forward messages about resilience, adaptability, respect for the natural world, and the insignificance of man when pitted against the awe of nature.

Man vs Nature Examples

• “The Old Man and the Sea” (Ernest Hemingway): This novel revolves around an old Cuban fisherman, Santiago, who struggles against a giant marlin in the Gulf Stream. Hemingway’s tale of man vs nature focuses on Santiago’s unwavering determination and respect for the marlin, even as he battles it.
• “Life of Pi” (Yann Martel): In this book, Pi Patel finds himself stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. The majority of the novel concerns Pi’s struggle to survive in the face of natural elements and coexist with the wild creature.
• “Into the Wild” (Jon Krakauer): This non-fiction book tells the story of Christopher McCandless, who abandons civilization to live in the Alaskan wilderness. The narrative explores his struggle to survive in the face of extreme natural conditions, highlighting the brutality and indifference of nature.
• “Gravity” (Directed by Alfonso Cuarón): This movie depicts the story of medical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone, played by Sandra Bullock, stranded in space after her shuttle is destroyed. Her fight to survive against the harsh conditions of outer space exemplifies a man vs nature conflict, albeit in an unconventional environment.
• “The Perfect Storm” (Sebastian Junger): This book recounts the real-life ordeal of the crew of the Andrea Gail, a fishing boat caught in a massive storm at sea. Junger’s detailed exploration of the crew’s struggle against the power of a ferocious storm personifies the relentless and unforgiving forces of nature.
• “Hatchet” (Gary Paulsen): This novel tells the story of Brian, a young boy who survives a plane crash only to find himself alone in the Canadian wilderness. With nothing but a hatchet his mother gave him, Brian must learn to survive against the elements, wildlife, and his own fears.
• “127 Hours” (Directed by Danny Boyle): This film is based on the true story of Aron Ralston, a mountain climber who becomes trapped by a boulder in an isolated canyon in Utah. He must battle dehydration, exposure, and ultimately make a horrifying decision in order to survive.
• “Moby Dick” (Herman Melville): The epic tale of Captain Ahab’s obsession with the white whale, Moby Dick, highlights the relentless and dangerous nature of the sea, as well as the destructive power of obsession when pitted against an uncaring nature.
• “Wild” (Cheryl Strayed): In this memoir, Strayed narrates her journey along the Pacific Crest Trail following a series of personal tragedies. Throughout her journey, she confronts physical challenges, wildlife, and extreme weather, embodying the man vs nature conflict.
• “The Martian” (Andy Weir): This novel tells the story of astronaut Mark Watney who gets left behind on Mars by his crew, thinking he died in a storm. Watney must overcome numerous hurdles, including growing food on a barren planet and surviving harsh Martian conditions, underlining the conflict of man vs the harsh, unyielding Martian environment.
• “The Road” (Cormac McCarthy): This novel follows a father and his young son as they journey across a post-apocalyptic landscape, battling against the harsh elements, scarcity of resources, and other survivors. The entire book is a struggle against nature transformed into something desolate and deadly by cataclysm.
• “Jaws” (Directed by Steven Spielberg): In this film, a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, leading a trio of men to fight back. The struggle against this fierce predator underlines the man vs nature conflict.
• “The Revenant” (Michael Punke): Based on a true story, this novel follows frontiersman Hugh Glass, who is mauled by a grizzly bear and abandoned by his companions. He must survive his injuries, the harsh wilderness, and winter weather in his quest for survival and revenge.
• “Into Thin Air” (Jon Krakauer): This non-fiction book by Krakauer himself details his experience in the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, in which several climbers died due to a storm and severe conditions on the world’s highest mountain. The account showcases the unforgiving harshness of nature at its most extreme.
• “All Is Lost” (Directed by J.C. Chandor): In this film, an unnamed man, played by Robert Redford, is sailing alone in the Indian Ocean when his yacht collides with a shipping container. With his navigation equipment and radio disabled, he must rely on maps, a sextant, and the currents to survive.
• “Call of the Wild” (Jack London): The novel is set in Yukon, Canada during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush and follows Buck, a domesticated dog who is stolen from his home in California and sold into service as a sled dog in Alaska. He must learn to adapt to survive the harsh environment, illustrating the classic struggle of man (or in this case, animal) vs nature.

Other Types of Conflict in Literature and Film

The man vs nature plot is one of the most common, but it’s also often blended with the other types of conflict, and blending them allows you to create interesting, engaging, and compelling storylines.

Below are all six types of conflict. I’ve separated them into two categories – internal conflict (defined as psychological conflicts within the protagonist) and external conflicts (defined as conflicts between the protagonist and something outside of them).

The external conflicts :

• Man vs society conflict is when a character is pitted against the larger forces of culture, tradition, or societal norms. This type of conflict can arise from struggles with government institutions, social constructs such as gender roles or class divisions, or battles for freedom and justice within a community.
• Man vs nature conflict occurs when a character is struggling against forces of the natural world. This might involve survival in extreme environments like mountains or deserts, fighting off wild animals, or coping with natural disasters such as hurricanes or floods. Man vs nature conflict explores themes of human vulnerability and our relationship to the natural world.
• Man vs technology conflict is when a character faces off against machines or technological systems that have become too powerful or threatening in some way. This type of conflict often explores themes of dependence on technology, the disruption of social norms by advanced machines, and the potential dangers that come with relying too heavily on artificial intelligence.
• Man vs man conflict involves one character pitted against another character. This type of conflict can take many forms including physical confrontations, verbal battles, competition for resources or power, or ideological differences. Man vs man conflict is a staple element in many types of stories and can add tension and excitement to a plot. It also explores themes such as betrayal, trust, loyalty, and justice.
• Man vs destiny conflict is a type of conflict in which a character is struggling against their fate or the hand they have been dealt in life. This type of conflict may involve grappling with a prophecy, feeling trapped by social norms or expectations, or trying to escape an inevitable outcome. The character may feel powerless to change their circumstances and may struggle with feelings of despair and hopelessness. Man vs destiny conflict raises questions about free will ( aka human agency ) and the role of fate in our lives. Sometimes it is also considered an internal conflict.

The internal conflicts :

• Man vs self conflict is when a character struggles with their own inner demons, flaws, or limitations. This type of conflict may arise from an internal struggle with morality, identity, or personal beliefs. The character may be grappling with a decision between right and wrong, battling with their own fears and doubts, or trying to reconcile conflicting parts of themselves. Man vs self conflict delves into questions of personal growth and transformation , exploring the inner workings of the human mind and spirit.

The man vs nature plot often uses the elements of nature as a way to develop the protagonist’s identity and emotions. I personally like plots that use the battle against nature as an allegory for the character’s inner turmoil, where the physical plot and the psychological plot mirror one another, and each one pulls the plot forward in unison.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Number Games for Kids (Free and Easy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Word Games for Kids (Free and Easy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Outdoor Games for Kids
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 50 Incentives to Give to Students

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Critique Report
• Writing Reports
• Learn Blog Grammar Guide Community Events FAQ
• Grammar Guide

Man vs. Nature: Handling Conflict in Writing with Examples

By Krystal N. Craiker

A story without conflict isn’t much of a story at all. There are seven main types of conflict in fiction , and most stories can fall into one or more of these categories.

One of these conflicts is known as man vs. nature.

Man vs. nature is a story that writers come back to over and over.

Humans have been in conflict with nature since the dawn of humankind. Sometimes nature wins, and sometimes humans do.

Because it’s grounded in a reality we all know, man vs. nature can provide endless possibilities for fictional story ideas.

In fact, some of your favorite books and movies might feature this conflict!

What Is Man vs. Nature?

What are some examples of man vs. nature, what are some good man vs. nature books, what are the best man vs. nature movies.

The man vs. nature conflict is when the protagonist, either alone or together with the other characters, is in direct opposition to the forces of nature.

There is some event or situation in the natural world that is causing a problem. If more than one character is affected, your characters must work together to overcome the problem.

While the story will still have antagonists , the major conflict is with nature itself. This might occur in the form of a natural disaster like a tornado or blizzard. Drought and famine are common in literature.

There could be a supernatural force behind the nature conflict, although the supernatural element is not the main player in the conflict. The man vs. nature conflict can also be about when a character faces resistance from a specific element of nature in achieving their goals.

Sometimes, you might see the natural world as the “good guy” in these stories, while other times you might root for the characters.

It’s important to note that man vs. nature does not refer to only male characters. In this sense, “man” refers to humankind.

Modern scholars and writers often refer to the conflict as person vs. nature or character vs. nature. We’ll be using these interchangeably in this article.

Is Man vs. Nature a Theme?

You might hear people refer to the theme of man vs. nature. However, it’s less a theme and more a conflict.

A good story has several major components: a theme, a message or moral, a conflict, character goals and motivations, and a plot structure.

The conflict drives the overall story and pushes the characters into action. Theme, on the other hand, is the overall meaning of a story. The theme is conveyed through different elements like characters, setting, and conflict.

In person vs. nature conflicts, there are many themes that might appear. Here are some common themes that fit well with person vs. nature stories:

• Perseverance/the indomitable human spirit
• Change vs. tradition
• Pride as a downfall
• Greed as a downfall
• Chaos vs. order
• Dangers of materialism, capitalism, or technology
• Inevitability of death and/or destruction
• The power of nature

This is by no means an exhaustive list of themes that might feature in a character vs. nature conflict.

The theme works with the conflict, and the man vs. nature conflict highlights the theme. Together, these provide a message to the reader.

What Are the Major Types of Conflict in Literature?

Man vs. nature is just one type of conflict. There are seven major types recognized by most writers and scholars. They are:

• Person vs. person
• Person vs. society
• Person vs. nature
• Person vs. supernatural
• Person vs. technology
• Person vs. self
• Person vs. destiny

Each of these can be the underlying conflict in a great story, no matter the medium or genre.

Why Is Man vs. Nature a Great External Conflict?

Conflicts in a story can be internal or external. The character vs. nature conflict is an example of external conflict. It’s a conflict that writers come back to time and time again. Why?

Man vs. nature is an excellent external conflict for a story for many reasons. First of all, there are endless ways that nature can provide a problem for your characters.

If your characters are facing natural disasters, there are plenty to choose from.

Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, blizzards, avalanches, volcanic eruptions, dust storms, and wildfires can be excellent catalysts for your characters to do something.

Droughts and famines, whether as natural disasters or effects of a natural or man-made disaster, are also great story fodder.

The effects of mankind trying to control nature is another conflict that comes up in real life and in stories—overfarming, deforestation, draining of resources, and pollution can provide ample story ideas.

When a character faces resistance or struggles in parts of nature, like surviving in new or hostile environments, the story can be a great way to explore other conflicts and themes that are more internal.

The natural force becomes a metaphor for inner conflict.

While some fantasy stories may use a supernatural force as the catalyst for the conflict, the overall conflict should lie in a natural force.

Otherwise, the main conflict of the story would be person vs. supernatural.

Why are there so many types of conflict in nature? Because humans are inextricably linked to nature.

We all deal with the effects of natural forces, whether it’s climate change, the weather, disasters, or just our environment. It’s something familiar that has been part of our entire history.

We can apply that same familiarity to any story involving nature. The characters don’t have to be human, and the world doesn’t have to be planet Earth.

I’ve never been trapped in a desert on an alien planet, but I’ve felt extreme heat sickness. I’ve never crossed a frozen tundra, but I have lost heat during an ice storm in a place that is woefully underprepared for freezing weather.

Man vs. nature needs strong sensory details to pull readers in. ProWritingAid’s Sensory Report can help you hit all the senses to make your nature conflict engaging and real.

You'll see how many of each type of sense word you've used so you can create a balanced, rounded description. Try it for free .

Because of that familiar sense of being in conflict with our environment, we can invest ourselves emotionally into conflicts involving the natural world.

This is what keeps writers writing man vs. nature conflicts and what keeps readers reading them.

There are myriad examples of the man vs. nature conflict, from classic literature to obscure indie films. We’ve divided the following well-known examples into books and movies.

It’s hard to pick just a few examples of great person vs. nature books, but here are some great ones.

Dune by Frank Hebert is one of the bestselling science fiction novels of all time.

Though the story is filled with political intrigue and social commentary, the core of the conflict is environmental.

The environment of each planet shapes the features of its civilization, and the scarcity of water is a major plot point. The overall message is that man and nature will always be at odds.

One will always destroy the other.

Margaret Atwood’s dystopian trilogy ( Oryx and Crake , The Year of the Flood , MaddAddam ) explores the conflict between humans and nature, specifically when humans try to master nature.

The series takes place in a society where corporate greed and scientific technology tried to master nature, resulting in a biological catastrophe.

Throughout the series, Atwood explores the importance of humans reconnecting with nature and accepting that they are a part of the natural world, not the masters of it.

Award-winning children’s book Julie of the Wolves , written by Jean Craighead George, explores the character vs. nature conflict through an Inuit girl on the Arctic tundra.

Through a series of tragic events, Julie finds herself living with a pack of wolves to survive the harsh environment.

The story explores the theme of modernity vs. tradition and cultural evolution. Though written for children, this book is a poignant read for all ages.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is a quintessential man vs. nature story.

Santiago, the protagonist, has a respect for nature. It has provided him with his livelihood, and he personifies different elements of the natural world.

But the man vs. nature conflict occurs when he must fight the sea and a giant fish to regain his lost status in society.

The theme that this conflict illustrates is struggle and perseverance.

Those are just a few examples of person vs. nature in literature. Can you think of any more?

Movies are stories, too, and person vs. nature conflicts are always popular in Hollywood. Here are a few excellent examples.

The 1996 film Twister is a fun example of person vs. nature, specifically natural disasters.

The story follows a group of storm-chasers. Jo is determined to capture readings from inside a tornado.

As the tornadoes get more and more powerful and deadly, the movie shows the dangers of recklessly chasing an impossible goal and the devastation it can leave behind.

Cast Away starring Tom Hanks is another great example.

The man vs. nature conflict occurs when the main character Chuck survives a plane crash and must survive on a deserted island.

The themes of man’s resourcefulness and will to survive are explored as he learns to survive on the island and later finds his way home.

It also explores the theme of nature as a tool to reconnect with what is important in life.

The Day After Tomorrow is an apocalyptic movie released in 2004.

It’s an action film that is also a warning about the dangers of climate change, though with a very Hollywood flare.

A paleoclimatologist warns that climate change could cause a new ice age, but he’s ignored. Then the ice age arrives almost immediately with severe, tragic storms.

The person vs. nature conflict shows people trying to survive this sudden climatological shift.

It illustrates the consequences of human-driven climate change and the dangers of ignoring scientific warning signs.

We’re sure you can think of many other man vs. nature movies, from The Perfect Storm to Sharknado .

There is no shortage of story ideas for character vs. nature conflicts. It’s a great way to use a familiar conflict to illustrate important, relevant themes.

What are your favorite man vs. nature stories?

Are you prepared to write your novel? Download this free book now:

The Novel-Writing Training Plan

So you are ready to write your novel. excellent. but are you prepared the last thing you want when you sit down to write your first draft is to lose momentum., this guide helps you work out your narrative arc, plan out your key plot points, flesh out your characters, and begin to build your world..

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Krystal N. Craiker

Krystal N. Craiker is the Writing Pirate, an indie romance author and blog manager at ProWritingAid. She sails the seven internet seas, breaking tropes and bending genres. She has a background in anthropology and education, which brings fresh perspectives to her romance novels. When she’s not daydreaming about her next book or article, you can find her cooking gourmet gluten-free cuisine, laughing at memes, and playing board games. Krystal lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, child, and basset hound.

Get started with ProWritingAid

Drop us a line or let's stay in touch via :

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Most Dangerous Game — Man vs Nature in “The Most Dangerous Game”

Man Vs Nature in "The Most Dangerous Game"

• Categories: The Most Dangerous Game

About this sample

Words: 648 |

Published: Aug 1, 2024

Words: 648 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

• Expert in: Literature

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 816 words

1 pages / 638 words

2 pages / 840 words

3 pages / 1428 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on The Most Dangerous Game

In the thrilling short story "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell, the main character, Sanger Rainsford, undergoes a dramatic transformation as he confronts the ultimate challenge of survival on a mysterious island. As [...]

In the heart-pounding tale of "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell, the setting plays a crucial role in shaping the events that unfold. Set on a remote island in the Caribbean, the story follows the protagonist, [...]

Richard Connell's short story, "The Most Dangerous Game," takes readers on a harrowing journey through a deadly game of survival. In this essay, we will provide a brief plot summary of the story and then delve into the [...]

Danger can be exhilarating, but it can also be deadly. This is the central theme of Richard Connell's short story "The Most Dangerous Game," which describes the deadly game of hunting on a deserted island. Through an analysis of [...]

The Role of Foreshadowing in "The Most Dangerous Game" Analyze the use of foreshadowing in Richard Connell's story and how it prepares the reader for the plot twist and the dangerous events that follow. [...]

In most of today’s societies, we treat life as the most precious thing to hold on to. We all participate in numerous ways to keep us entertained in ways that also distract us from our regular lives; and a large part of our lives [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

TRY OUR FREE APP

Write your book in Reedsy Studio. Try the beloved writing app for free today.

Craft your masterpiece in Reedsy Studio

Plan, write, edit, and format your book in our free app made for authors.

Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Posted on Apr 18, 2024

Man vs Nature: The Most Compelling Conflict in Writing

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Savannah Cordova

Savannah is a senior editor with Reedsy and a published writer whose work has appeared on Slate, Kirkus, and BookTrib. Her short fiction has appeared in the Owl Canyon Press anthology, "No Bars and a Dead Battery". 

If you’ve ever been caught in the rain without an umbrella, you’ve experienced one of life’s most timeless conflicts: the clash of man vs nature. Admittedly, this conflict is more compelling from a narrative perspective than when it’s happening to you! 

In that vein, this post will dive into what man vs nature means in a story, along with classic examples of this conflict from well-known books, television, and film.

What is man vs nature?

“Man vs nature” is a type of conflict in which a person (or people) must confront something in the natural world — whether that’s the weather, the environment, an animal, or all of the above.

This type of conflict can be short-lived, as in our “caught in the rain” example. However, if something is described as a “man vs nature” story, it typically takes up most of the narrative. Of course, the protagonist is not always aware that they’re “fighting” nature, and may even think nature is on their side… but the truth always comes to light in the end.

What does man vs nature signify?

One of the best things about reading (or writing!) man vs nature is how many thematic forms it can take . In literature or onscreen, this conflict might be used to illustrate:

• The futility of man fighting against nature’s power (as in the film Twister )
• Alternatively, how man is able to grow stronger by facing nature (as in Cheryl Strayed’s memoir Wild )
• The inherent wildness of nature, even when humans attempt to tame/control it (as in Jurassic Park )
• How nature can turn even the most civilized-seeming people into beasts (as in Lord of the Flies )
• That nature is full of mysteries, some of which are best left untouched (as in Annihilation )

A creator’s approach to tackling man vs nature will depend on a few factors: cultural context, previous influential works, and indeed, the creator’s own beliefs. But however they go about it — and whether or not you agree with their message — man vs nature is undeniably a powerful vehicle for storytelling.

Let’s look at some examples of how writers have characterized this type of conflict.

Examples from literature

Moby-dick by herman melville.

One of the classic literary examples of man vs nature is Moby-Dick — “a good, simple tale about a man who hates an animal,” in the words of Ron Swanson . But while this is an amusing summary, the central conflict of Moby-Dick is actually quite complex.

Narrated by the sailor Ishmael, Moby-Dick is the story of Captain Ahab and his fanatical obsession with the titular white whale. Having lost a leg to Moby Dick, Ahab vows to kill it in revenge. But the whale continues to evade Ahab and his crew, until at last, Moby Dick takes out the entire ship and drags Ahab away — a harpoon lodged in the whale’s side and its line looped around Ahab’s neck.

🐋 Why it’s compelling: Moby-Dick is a brilliantly ironic tale of “man becoming beast” in his own pursuit of an animal, and how man’s burning ambition can be much more damaging than the chaos of nature. Indeed, if Ahab had only learned humility from his first encounter with Moby Dick, he and the crew would have survived.

Dune by Frank Herbert

Another example of man vs nature — and another epic tale involving huge creatures lurking beneath the surface — is Dune . While the series contains a number of conflicts, one of the first to emerge is Paul Atreides’ struggle to master the desert planet of Arrakis.

Besides the ever-shifting sands and lack of water, Paul must also contend with giant sandworms which tunnel through the dunes and pose a threat to humans — but which are also greatly respected by the native Fremen, and can be used as weapons or even transportation.

🪱 Why it’s compelling: The first layer of this conflict is how, before Paul comes to Arrakis, he believes himself deeply knowledgeable about the planet; yet his studies soon prove shallow in the face of the desert’s harsh reality. It’s only from Chani and the other Fremen that he truly learns what it takes to tame it.

The second layer is how Paul’s eventual mastery of Arrakis still leads him down a path of destruction — something of a reverse Moby-Dick , in the sense that Paul comes to understand the desert too well. It convinces the Fremen that he is their long-prophesied messiah (“he shall know your ways as if born to them”), and incites a galactic Holy War which even Paul is powerless to stop — showing that even “triumph” over nature can still be dangerous.

Examples from film

Cast away (2000).

Some of the most iconic man vs nature stories take place at sea, and Cast Away is another one worth examining. In this gripping survival drama, Tom Hanks plays Chuck Nolan, a FedEx systems analyst who washes up on a desert island after a plane crash. (Pretty great hook, wouldn’t you say ?)

Armed with only a few packages which also survived the crash, Chuck must combat the island’s inhospitable conditions and the psychological toll of being utterly alone. He manages to find food and water, and lives off the island for years before finally constructing a raft to escape — but not without losing his beloved volleyball companion, Wilson, in the process.

🏐 Why it’s compelling: Unlike in many man vs nature stories, Chuck not only survives the perils of nature, but begins mentally recovering from it by the end of the film. This is because he doesn’t abandon his humanity, but rather embraces it — pretending that Wilson is a friend he can talk to, leaving a single unopened FedEx package  as a symbol of hope, and so on.

Unlike doomed protagonists like Captain Ahab, Chuck does not fight fire with fire against nature. Rather, he uses logic to survive, while also maintaining hope and an emotional connection to humanity that helps him stay (relatively) sane.

Into the Wild (2007)

Into the Wild is another 2000s survival film (this time a biopic) in which a man must fend for himself against nature, with very few resources or people to rely on. (You’ll find many such films in the “man vs nature” bracket — think 127 Hours , The Martian , etc.)

What sets Into the Wild apart is how Christopher McCandless, aka Alexander Supertramp , chooses to go deep into nature rather than being stranded or forced. He seeks greater meaning through a lifestyle of simplicity: living in an old bus and sustaining himself off the land. Whatever you might think of his methods, this makes his untimely death all the sadder.

🚌 Why it’s compelling: Into the Wild is one of those aforementioned stories where the protagonist believes that nature is their ally, until it turns (often unpredictably) against them. Some have interpreted McCandless’s death as a consequence of his hubris; others as a tragic accident. But whatever its root cause, the takeaway about the natural world is clear — nature does not care whether you live or die.

Examples from television

Yellowjackets.

Another particularly unforgiving natural setting — indeed, not so far from where McCandless camped in Alaska — is the Canadian wilderness of Yellowjackets . In this show, a girls’ soccer team crash-lands in Canada on their way to a tournament. Their concerns soon shift from winning the big trophy to surviving the winter.

Yellowjackets has become known for its bold depiction of cannibalism among the girls, as well as other shocking moments of violence and cruelty. And while a few members of the team do survive, it’s clear from the present-day timeline of the show that much of their humanity does not.

🐝 Why it’s compelling: Similar to nature’s role in Lord of the Flies — and with a remarkably similar setup — its role in Yellowjackets is not to change the girls, per se, but to reveal a ferality that was lurking within them all along. While in the wilderness, they blame their behavior on a supernatural force they refer to as “It” — but they know, on some level, that “It” is not real. As the character of Shauna says to the other adult survivors: “You know there’s no It , right? It was just us!”

Taking things back to reality for our final example, the long-running reality series Survivor combines the conflicts of “man vs nature” and “man vs man” in equal parts. Its premise is fairly simple: a group of strangers comes to an isolated area to live off the land. They also compete in challenges, seek allies, and vote for who can remain on the show until only one person is left.

Though gameplay has become more complicated over the years due to various twists and turns, the essence of the show remains the same: that one truly deserving player will fight their way to the end and earn the title of Sole Survivor.

🏝️ Why it’s compelling: Survivor has endured largely because it’s not just a man vs nature show, but also mixes in plenty of interpersonal conflict and drama. It’s a reality-based testament to the idea that mastering nature can only get you so far — you also need to “outwit, outplay, outlast” other people in such a competition, as the show’s motto proclaims.

Test your theme-detecting skills!

See if you can identify five themes from five questions. Takes 30 seconds!

Of course, if there’s one lesson to take from all of these different examples, it’s that there are countless ways to use “man vs nature” in stories! Whether in fiction or nonfiction, in a Great American Novel or a TV show, the man vs nature conflict will always be exciting, relevant, and thought-provoking.

So look out for it the next time you dive into a novel — or if you’re a writer stuck for ideas , consider putting man vs nature at the heart of things.

Continue reading

Recommended posts from the Reedsy Blog

450+ Powerful Adjectives to Describe a Person (With Examples)

Want a handy list to help you bring your characters to life? Discover words that describe physical attributes, dispositions, and emotions.

How to Plot a Novel Like a NYT Bestselling Author

Need to plot your novel? Follow these 7 steps from New York Times bestselling author Caroline Leavitt.

How to Write an Autobiography: The Story of Your Life

Want to write your autobiography but aren’t sure where to start? This step-by-step guide will take you from opening lines to publishing it for everyone to read.

What is the Climax of a Story? Examples & Tips

The climax is perhaps a story's most crucial moment, but many writers struggle to stick the landing. Let's see what makes for a great story climax.

What is Tone in Literature? Definition & Examples

We show you, with supporting examples, how tone in literature influences readers' emotions and perceptions of a text.

Writing Cozy Mysteries: 7 Essential Tips & Tropes

We show you how to write a compelling cozy mystery with advice from published authors and supporting examples from literature.

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

Bring your stories to life

Our free writing app lets you set writing goals and track your progress, so you can finally write that book!

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

Essay on Relationship Between Human And Nature

Students are often asked to write an essay on Relationship Between Human And Nature in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Relationship Between Human And Nature

The bond with nature.

People and nature are interconnected. We rely on the environment for survival, using its resources for food, shelter, and air. Nature, in return, benefits from our care and protection.

Respecting Nature

Respecting nature is essential. By protecting the environment, we ensure our own survival. We must recycle, reduce waste, and conserve energy to maintain this balance.

The Consequences of Neglect

Ignoring nature’s needs leads to problems like climate change and species extinction. These issues affect us directly, threatening our health and lifestyle.

Our relationship with nature is a delicate balance. By respecting and caring for the environment, we ensure a healthier, brighter future for all.

250 Words Essay on Relationship Between Human And Nature

The intrinsic connection, dependence and impact.

Nature provides essential resources such as air, water, food, and raw materials. These resources are not only crucial for our survival, but they also form the basis of our economic systems. However, our reliance on nature has led to significant environmental impacts. Deforestation, pollution, and climate change are direct consequences of human activities, threatening biodiversity and the stability of ecosystems.

The Reciprocal Relationship

The human-nature relationship is reciprocal. While we shape nature through our actions, nature, in turn, influences human behavior, culture, and mental health. Exposure to natural environments has been linked to reduced stress levels, improved mood, and enhanced cognitive function.

A Need for Rebalance

The current environmental crisis calls for a rebalance in the human-nature relationship. It necessitates a shift from exploitation to sustainable coexistence, where we respect and preserve nature’s intrinsic value. This shift requires a deeper understanding of our interconnectedness with nature and a collective effort to reduce our environmental impact.

In conclusion, the human-nature relationship is a complex and dynamic interaction that has significant implications for both parties. As we move forward, it is essential to foster a relationship of mutual respect and sustainability with nature to ensure the survival and wellbeing of all life on Earth.

500 Words Essay on Relationship Between Human And Nature

The intricate dance: human and nature.

The relationship between humans and nature is a complex interplay of dependence, respect, exploitation, and evolution. This relationship is not just crucial for our survival, but it also shapes our culture, beliefs, and our very identity.

Dependence: The Lifeline

Respect: the forgotten virtue.

Historically, humans have revered nature. Many ancient cultures worshipped nature deities and respected the land, the sea, and the sky. This respect was born out of an understanding of our dependence on nature, and the need to maintain a harmonious relationship with it. However, with the advent of industrialization and modernization, this respect has often been forgotten. We have begun to see nature as a resource to be exploited, rather than a partner to be respected.

Exploitation: The Double-Edged Sword

Our exploitation of nature has led to unprecedented advancements in technology, medicine, and living standards. However, it has also led to environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, climate change, and a host of other problems. Our exploitation of nature has become a double-edged sword, providing us with short-term gains but threatening our long-term survival.

Evolution: The Path Forward

Conclusion: redefining the relationship.

The relationship between humans and nature is at a crossroads. We can continue down the path of exploitation and face the consequences, or we can choose a new path of respect, sustainability, and coexistence. The choice is ours to make. As we stand at this juncture, let us remember that our relationship with nature is not just about survival, but also about who we are as a species. It is about our values, our beliefs, and our legacy. It is about our future.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Character/Man vs. Nature: Exploring the Wildest Story Conflict

The number of through-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail increased by more than 300% in the years following the release of Wild . 

The state of Alaska had to relocate the Into the Wild bus to a museum because it drew too many inexperienced hikers on a foolhardy pilgrimage to visit the place where Chris McCandless lived out his final days.

And can you watch Moana sing “How Far I’ll Go” as she keeps gravitating back to the open ocean without wanting to immediately venture out into the wide world to chase down your own purpose? Because I can’t.

Person vs. nature stories burrow into our souls and even spur us into action for a reason. They touch on the deepest questions about what it means to be alive, to be a part of something huge and unfathomable, to be our most authentic selves.

And in this article, we’re going to talk about all of it. You’ll learn what “man vs. nature” actually means, the themes it explores, and how to write this type of story yourself. You’ll also get a ton of examples to clarify the many ways this conflict can appear across genres.

So let’s venture boldly into the unknown.

What is the Man vs. Nature Conflict?

Every story needs a conflict . Novels typically have several conflicts: the main conflict that revolves around the protagonist and then a bunch of little skirmishes that occur within subplots and even single scenes.

There are internal conflicts —which are the battles characters wage within themselves—and external conflicts, which occur between the character and a force outside themselves.

There are several types of external conflict , one of which is most commonly known as man vs. nature. Clashes of this sort are between a character and natural elements. Your character might come up against a natural disaster, wild animal, virus, or any other nightmare nature can produce.

Now, just to be clear, this type of conflict doesn’t only apply to male characters. “Man vs. nature” is just an old-timey, exclusionary term that some folks still use. You’ll see me use it a few times in this article because if you Google it, I want to make sure the search engine robots know they can send you here.

You might prefer the term “person vs. nature.” My top choice is “character vs. nature,” because as long as we’re being inclusive, we might as well show the hobbits and elves that they belong, too. 

Now that we’ve finished that bit of housekeeping, let’s talk about why this conflict is so popular and compelling.

Common Themes in Character vs. Nature Stories

If you’re not already familiar, a theme is the underlying message of a story. You know, stuff like “love conquers all” and “money is power.”

Conflict plays a massive role in driving home your story’s central theme. After all, it’s through the protagonist’s actions and the obstacles they face that the author asks and answers questions about a universal topic.

“Does love conquer all? I don’t know. Let’s pair up these two lovers from feuding families and find out!”

Character vs. nature conflicts are so compelling because they invite us to explore what it means to be human, vulnerable, and alive. In these types of stories, you often see themes that revolve around concepts such as:

Survival and resilience - What does it really mean to adapt? Are humans stronger than we assume? More vulnerable? What about nature? To what extent do these two forces depend on one another for their survival?

Limitations and boundaries - What are the consequences of interfering with nature? What might we learn about ourselves when faced with a terrifying natural force? What are the limits of human capability? What are the limits of nature?

Awe - What’s our purpose in this vast universe? How much do our brief lives and daily worries matter in the grand scheme of things? What does it even mean to “matter”? 

Harmony - To what extent are we part of the natural world? What sets us apart from it? Can human beings truly live in harmony with nature? What are the consequences of viewing ourselves as separate from it?

Exploration - What are the benefits and costs of exploration? How does a deeper understanding of nature influence the way we see ourselves? Is it true that anything is possible? 

Use in Genres

The phrase “character vs. nature” might get you thinking immediately about adventure novels . But the truth is, this conflict arises time and again in every genre . 

It might be the story’s major conflict—like when a stranded protagonist must survive on an island after a plane crash. Or it could be a smaller challenge that contributes to a larger conflict. For example, the feuding love interests in an enemies-to-lovers plot might have to work together to stay alive when they’re stranded in a blizzard.

In a mystery , nature might hinder the investigation, highlighting the detective’s powerlessness in a world full of predators. In middle grade novels, a character vs. nature conflict might give fictional children an opportunity to explore, face fears, and grow.

It even works in fantasy . Your warlock protagonist might be magical as all get-out, but as Doug will tell you , even magic has its limitations. How will your main character face natural forces that they can’t just wizard away?

Not to mention, magic itself can be the antagonist in a character vs. nature conflict because it’s part of your story’s natural world. The same is true for spiritual and supernatural elements. 

Big or small, the man vs. nature conflict stirs up big ideas and even bigger feelings. Our will to survive. Our vulnerability in an unpredictable world. The realization that life is short and fragile, we’re all just animals, and the things we give the most weight to might not matter at all.

Character vs. nature touches on all of it. That’s what makes it such a great conflict for any type of novel.

Famous Examples of Character vs. Nature

As with any career, writers learn best by observing. That is to say, reading and watching. To that end, here are some super popular examples of man vs. nature conflicts:

The Last of Us

The central conflict of The Last of Us is definitely a character vs. nature situation. Fungus has evolved to the point where it can turn human beings into its zombie puppets, even using said puppets to attack other humans, creating new hosts.

It’s terrifying and now I can’t look at coral cacti without seeing clickers.

I particularly admire the chillingly understated way the person vs. nature conflict is laid out in the very first scene . Less than forty years before the outbreak, a scientist warns of the possibility of fungal zombies, declaring the inevitable outcome: “We lose.”

In this novel, the young protagonist, Pi, is raised by a zoo owner father who has many philosophies about the relationships and hierarchies between human beings and wild animals. 

When Pi survives a shipwreck only to be stranded on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, he’s forced to truly explore what it takes to survive both the elements and the ferocity of other living beings.

Don’t forget: outer space can be an adversary in character vs. nature conflicts, too!

In this movie, Dr. Ryan Stone finds herself stranded in space, trying to stay alive in an environment that isn’t designed for her survival. The extreme challenges of the situation raise questions about what life is actually worth to her, given the relentless grief she feels over the death of her daughter.

With this backstory, her person vs. nature narrative isn’t just about surviving natural forces but about surviving life itself.

Into the Wild

This is one of the most popular examples of a modern man vs. nature conflict. Into the Wild (book and movie ) tells the true story of Christopher McCandless, a young man born into financial privilege and a turbulent home life who ultimately abandoned all material possessions to become an adventurer. 

The harsh conditions he faced in the Alaskan wilderness certainly highlight the classic man vs. nature themes of isolation, perseverance, and limitations. But McCandless’s overall journey into the wild unlocked profound realizations about the value of human connection.

Writing Relationships Between Humans and the Natural World

Thinking you might like to write a character vs. nature conflict into your next novel? The secret is to really nail the relationship between your main character and the natural force standing between them and their goal. 

See, just like with a character vs. character conflict, a character vs. nature story requires a carefully strategized protagonist/antagonist relationship. 

How are each of these opposing forces changed by their conflict? In what ways are they more powerful than one another? What about more vulnerable? 

Let’s look at each half of the character vs. nature conflict and explore how their specific qualities make them formidable antagonists for one another.

The Character

Perspective - How does your character view nature at the beginning of your story? How do they view themselves? 

Given those two perspectives, how do they expect their li’l nature conflict to play out? How are they surprised by what actually happens?

Goals - In some man vs. nature conflicts, the character wants something from the natural world. Maybe they want to colonize Mars or catch a fish. In other stories, they want something else—to reach a destination, perhaps—but they have to go through nature to get it.

And in some narratives, the character’s goal is a reaction to a natural disaster or some other attack from nature.

Whatever the objective may be, a good character vs. nature conflict includes a high-stakes goal that cannot be achieved without going toe-to-toe with a terrifying natural force.

Strengths - What strengths does your character bring to this battle? Are they resourceful? Resilient? Physically powerful? Tech-savvy?

Strengths help you craft those moments in a man vs. nature conflict when it seems like the person has the upper hand. Or at least an equal hand. 

Weaknesses - In these types of conflicts, explore beyond obvious human weaknesses. Yes, your characters have scratchable flesh and are slower than a cheetah and have to maintain a certain body temperature to stay alive.

But are they also foolhardy? Panic-prone? Do they disrespect or underestimate the natural world? If there’s anything we’ve learned from Jurassic Park , it’s that hubris does not serve us in our relationships with nature or science.

Ask yourself what deeper weaknesses might lead your character into conflict with nature and how that battle might force them to grow beyond their shortcomings.

And of course, you also want to take time to think about how your character’s battle with nature might reflect or heighten their internal conflict. 

Perspective - Depending on the type of story you’re writing, you might personify nature enough to actually give it a perspective. If not, consider this checkpoint more about how the story views nature.

Is it cruel and indifferent towards humanity? Is it resilient, showing us up time and again with its relentless survival? Is it sacred and wise? Are we part of nature and only made weaker by our determination to see ourselves as separate from it?

A good person vs. nature conflict often offers a perspective that directly contradicts the character’s viewpoint.

Goal - Once again, it might sound weird to think of nature as having a goal. But humor me for a minute. Look at what your character wants and ask how nature can respond with its own needs.

Your character wants to eat the deer they shot? Well, so does that cougar over there. Your character would like there to be fewer fungi-fueled zombies? Well, tough cookies, because nature wants more.

In fact, part of what makes the character vs. nature conflict so compelling is that it pits human beings with all their complicated notions of purpose and identity against the most basic, single-minded goal possible: just live . That’s nature’s whole goal. Stay alive.

Strengths - Nature’s good at most things. Knocking things around. Shaking stuff up. Biting, stinging, kicking, flooding, crumbling, you name it. In most of these scenarios, nature will be stronger than your character—strong enough to do some real damage.

But you know what else nature is good at? Sticking with it. And that’s huge in man vs. nature conflicts. That frigid winter will go on for months. That nightmare storm won’t stop just because the ship’s crew has had enough. 

Weaknesses - You might look for weaknesses in specific aspects of nature. The cougar can’t turn a doorknob, for example. 

You might also look at the big picture: nature as a whole is vulnerable to human acts. Land development, mining, harvesting, pollution—so many human choices can permanently alter ecosystems.

One major question we’re seeing more and more in character vs. nature storylines is “Whose power will win out in the end?” Is humanity destroying the earth? Or will nature adapt as we destroy ourselves?

Fun questions, right? 

10 Character vs. Nature Writing Prompts

Ready to dig into this juicy external conflict yourself?

Here are ten writing prompts you can use to get the wheels turning as you brainstorm your own character vs. nature story:

• An Appalachian Trail through-hiker defends a lost child from a bear attack.
• A rookie firefighter battles personal demons while trapped in a raging wildfire.
• Two camp kids are swept up in a fast current on a canoe trip and lose contact with their group.
• A cave biologist’s oxygen supply dwindles while they study a new species in a deep cave.
• A wildlife photographer faces a stalking predator while on assignment.
• An archaeologist excavating ancient ruins is trapped when a landslide blocks their escape route.
• A couple on the brink of divorce must work together to find their way back to their resort after an accident on an ATV jungle tour sends them careening deeper into the wilderness.
• After inheriting a secluded cabin in the mountains, a grieving widow seeks solace in nature only to discover that the retreat is haunted by vengeful spirits seeking revenge for past wrongs,
• An arborist studying canopy ecology encounters hidden danger while climbing an ancient tree.
• A dryad queen has been stolen from her home and must find her way back, journeying over unfamiliar and inhospitable landscapes.

Face the Elements With Dabble

I have just one more suggestion as you set out to write your own character vs. nature conflict.

Let Dabble help.

You can find tons of great (free!) articles on conflict, setting, and character in DabbleU . You can download this free ebook , which guides you through the entire novel writing process, so you can make sure your story’s central conflict is airtight from beginning to end.

And you can try Dabble—the ultimate tool for planning, plotting, drafting, and revising—absolutely free for 14 days, no credit card required. All you have to do is click this link and get started on your next grand adventure.

Abi Wurdeman is the author of Cross-Section of a Human Heart: A Memoir of Early Adulthood, as well as the novella, Holiday Gifts for Insufferable People. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. When she’s not writing, Abi is most likely hiking, reading, or texting her mother pictures of her houseplants to ask why they look like that.

SHARE THIS:

TAKE A BREAK FROM WRITING...

Read. learn. create..

What's the defining line between sci-fi and fantasy? There's actually a lot more to it than magic versus technology.

Does science fiction alone feel too limiting for your vast imagination? Do you feel like your fantasy world could use a dash of futuristic technology?

Prose describes how you write your book, and it can be challenging to get right. So, in this article, we cover what makes good prose.

Forgotten password

Please enter the email address that you use to login to TeenInk.com, and we'll email you instructions to reset your password.

• Poetry All Poetry Free Verse Song Lyrics Sonnet Haiku Limerick Ballad
• Fiction All Fiction Action-Adventure Fan Fiction Historical Fiction Realistic Fiction Romance Sci-fi/Fantasy Scripts & Plays Thriller/Mystery All Novels Action-Adventure Fan Fiction Historical Fiction Realistic Fiction Romance Sci-fi/Fantasy Thriller/Mystery Other
• Nonfiction All Nonfiction Bullying Books Academic Author Interviews Celebrity interviews College Articles College Essays Educator of the Year Heroes Interviews Memoir Personal Experience Sports Travel & Culture All Opinions Bullying Current Events / Politics Discrimination Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking Entertainment / Celebrities Environment Love / Relationships Movies / Music / TV Pop Culture / Trends School / College Social Issues / Civics Spirituality / Religion Sports / Hobbies All Hot Topics Bullying Community Service Environment Health Letters to the Editor Pride & Prejudice What Matters
• Reviews All Reviews Hot New Books Book Reviews Music Reviews Movie Reviews TV Show Reviews Video Game Reviews Summer Program Reviews College Reviews
• Art/Photo Art Photo Videos
• Summer Guide Program Links Program Reviews
• College Guide College Links College Reviews College Essays College Articles

Summer Guide

• College Guide
• Song Lyrics

All Fiction

• Action-Adventure
• Fan Fiction
• Historical Fiction
• Realistic Fiction
• Sci-fi/Fantasy
• Scripts & Plays
• Thriller/Mystery

All Nonfiction

• Author Interviews
• Celebrity interviews
• College Articles
• College Essays
• Educator of the Year
• Personal Experience
• Travel & Culture

All Opinions

• Current Events / Politics
• Discrimination
• Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking
• Entertainment / Celebrities
• Environment
• Love / Relationships
• Movies / Music / TV
• Pop Culture / Trends
• School / College
• Social Issues / Civics
• Spirituality / Religion
• Sports / Hobbies

All Hot Topics

• Community Service
• Letters to the Editor
• Pride & Prejudice
• What Matters

All Reviews

• Hot New Books
• Book Reviews
• Music Reviews
• Movie Reviews
• TV Show Reviews
• Video Game Reviews

Summer Program Reviews

• College Reviews
• Writers Workshop
• Regular Forums
• Program Links
• Program Reviews
• College Links

Man vs. Nature

Favorite Quote: you only have one life to live so live it well..!!

There’s a question stating “nature can live without man but can man live without nature”? Recalling everything that I’ve learned in biology, science, botany, and environmental science I ‘m going to tell you what nature means, my evolution theory of the quote, and if I agree or disagree with it and why or why not. Let’s begin with nature verse man. First, what is nature and how do I define it. Nature has many definitions but can best be defined as abiotic and biotic factors that are natural meaning they come from the earth and are not manmade nor man formed. A few components of nature is; rain, sleet, snow, hail, water, grass, tree’s, animals, plants, herbs & spices, temperature, climate, flower and etc. So is it man who need nature or nature that need man? My evolution theory is “Man needs nature to survive and nature doesn’t need man to survive”. Some facts that man needs nature is man needs oxygen in order to live well if there was no nature there would be no trees or plants and that’s what man gets it’s oxygen from so without nature man would die. Man also uses nature tree’s to build homes and there animals to make clothes and food. So there it is man needs nature. But does nature need man my theory conclusion came out that nature could survive without man. For example: without man it would still rain, grass would still grow, animals would eat the grass, then poop and then it would rain and fertilize the grass making it grow more so the process would work without man. Therefore stating nature doesn’t need man Do I agree or disagree with the quote or question. Yes I strongly agree that in order for man to live they need nature. I believe that because in my research when examining my theory nothing change each piece of evidence gave more and more reason as to why man need nature. I also strongly agree that nature doesn’t need man also due to my examining of my theory which also nothing change but gave more and more evidence to why nature doesn’t need man. So yes I do agree with the quote/question. Last, man needs nature and nature needs no one so why take nature for granted because without nature man would fail to exist. Nature should be one of man’s main concern because if something every happen to nature that would be the downfall of man. Appreciate nature because it helps you, you don’t help it. That concludes my thoughts on man verses nature.

Similar Articles

Join the discussion.

This article has 0 comments.

• Subscribe to Teen Ink magazine
• Submit to Teen Ink
• Find A College
• Find a Summer Program

Share this on

Send to a friend.

Thank you for sharing this page with a friend!

Tell my friends

Choose what to email.

Which of your works would you like to tell your friends about? (These links will automatically appear in your email.)

Send your email

Delete my account, we hate to see you go please note as per our terms and conditions, you agreed that all materials submitted become the property of teen ink. going forward, your work will remain on teenink.com submitted “by anonymous.”, delete this, change anonymous status, send us site feedback.

If you have a suggestion about this website or are experiencing a problem with it, or if you need to report abuse on the site, please let us know. We try to make TeenInk.com the best site it can be, and we take your feedback very seriously. Please note that while we value your input, we cannot respond to every message. Also, if you have a comment about a particular piece of work on this website, please go to the page where that work is displayed and post a comment on it. Thank you!

Pardon Our Dust

Teen Ink is currently undergoing repairs to our image server. In addition to being unable to display images, we cannot currently accept image submissions. All other parts of the website are functioning normally. Please check back to submit your art and photography and to enjoy work from teen artists around the world!

Nature Essay for Students and Children

500+ words nature essay.

Nature is an important and integral part of mankind. It is one of the greatest blessings for human life; however, nowadays humans fail to recognize it as one. Nature has been an inspiration for numerous poets, writers, artists and more of yesteryears. This remarkable creation inspired them to write poems and stories in the glory of it. They truly valued nature which reflects in their works even today. Essentially, nature is everything we are surrounded by like the water we drink, the air we breathe, the sun we soak in, the birds we hear chirping, the moon we gaze at and more. Above all, it is rich and vibrant and consists of both living and non-living things. Therefore, people of the modern age should also learn something from people of yesteryear and start valuing nature before it gets too late.

Significance of Nature

Nature has been in existence long before humans and ever since it has taken care of mankind and nourished it forever. In other words, it offers us a protective layer which guards us against all kinds of damages and harms. Survival of mankind without nature is impossible and humans need to understand that.

If nature has the ability to protect us, it is also powerful enough to destroy the entire mankind. Every form of nature, for instance, the plants , animals , rivers, mountains, moon, and more holds equal significance for us. Absence of one element is enough to cause a catastrophe in the functioning of human life.

We fulfill our healthy lifestyle by eating and drinking healthy, which nature gives us. Similarly, it provides us with water and food that enables us to do so. Rainfall and sunshine, the two most important elements to survive are derived from nature itself.

Further, the air we breathe and the wood we use for various purposes are a gift of nature only. But, with technological advancements, people are not paying attention to nature. The need to conserve and balance the natural assets is rising day by day which requires immediate attention.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conservation of Nature

In order to conserve nature, we must take drastic steps right away to prevent any further damage. The most important step is to prevent deforestation at all levels. Cutting down of trees has serious consequences in different spheres. It can cause soil erosion easily and also bring a decline in rainfall on a major level.

Polluting ocean water must be strictly prohibited by all industries straightaway as it causes a lot of water shortage. The excessive use of automobiles, AC’s and ovens emit a lot of Chlorofluorocarbons’ which depletes the ozone layer. This, in turn, causes global warming which causes thermal expansion and melting of glaciers.

Therefore, we should avoid personal use of the vehicle when we can, switch to public transport and carpooling. We must invest in solar energy giving a chance for the natural resources to replenish.

In conclusion, nature has a powerful transformative power which is responsible for the functioning of life on earth. It is essential for mankind to flourish so it is our duty to conserve it for our future generations. We must stop the selfish activities and try our best to preserve the natural resources so life can forever be nourished on earth.

{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [ { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “Why is nature important?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Nature is an essential part of our lives. It is important as it helps in the functioning of human life and gives us natural resources to lead a healthy life.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “How can we conserve nature?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “We can take different steps to conserve nature like stopping the cutting down of trees. We must not use automobiles excessively and take public transport instead. Further, we must not pollute our ocean and river water.” } } ] }

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

'Of Mice and Men' Themes

The nature of dreams, strength vs. weakness, man vs. nature.

Quentin Cohan is a graduate of Williams College with degrees in both English and History. He covered literature for ThoughtCo.

• Williams College

Of Mice and Men , by John Steinbeck, tells the story of two migrant farm workers in California. By exploring themes such as the nature of dreams, the relationship between strength and weakness, and the conflict between man and nature, the novella paints a compelling and often dark portrait of Great Depression-era American life.

George and Lennie share a dream: to own their own land, allowing them to live "off the fatta the lan'." This dream comes up repeatedly throughout the novella in conversations between George and Lennie as well as with other farm workers. However, the significance of this dream differs depending on which character is discussing it.

To innocent Lennie, the dream is a concrete plan. He truly believes that he and George will someday have their own farm with plenty of alfalfa and rabbits. Whenever Lennie feels scared or worried, he asks George to tell him about the farm and the rabbits. Hearing George describe the imaginary farm comforts and reassures Lennie.

The farm plan is supposed to be a secret, but Lennie accidentally lets it slip during a conversation with Crooks. Crooks rejects the dream immediately. He tells Lennie that people are always making big statements about getting land or going to heaven, but that "[n]obody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It’s just in their head.” For Crooks, there is no point in dreaming—dreams don't offer solace because he is certain that they won't come true.

George has yet another relationship to the dream. For most of the novella, it is unclear whether he truly believes that the farm dream will become a reality, or whether he simply talks about it to keep Lennie happy and to pass the time. At the story's end, however, it becomes clear that for George, the dream was never a potential reality. Up until the instant he shoots Lennie, George is telling him about the farm they'll have one day. In this moment, George knows that Lennie will never see the farm, but still uses the dream to keep Lennie calm; Lennie, on the other hand, truly believes that he will one day be tending rabbits on the farm that George describes. This moment perfectly symbolizes the conflict between George's skepticism of the dream and Lennie's innocent hopes about the dream, as well as the violent power of the former over the latter.

Violence is never far away in  Of Mice and Men 's hardscrabble world, and one of the most important themes is the uneasy relationship between strength and weakness. The theme plays out in the behavior of most of the characters. Curley, a physically diminutive man, uses his position of authority on the farm to assert his dominance over the others. Curley's wife silences Crooks through racial slurs and violent threats, despite being physically weaker than him. And Carlson, one of the ranch hands, shoots the elderly dog owned by Candy, who happens to be an aging handyman himself.

The theme of strength vs. weakness is most apparent in the character of Lennie, a man who is himself both strong and weak. Physically, Lennie is by far the most powerful man on the farm. However, his demeanor is gentle and often fearful—he doesn't want to fight the other men—and he has a mental disability that leaves him dependent on George.

This tension between strength and weakness is highlighted when Lennie, who adores delicate objects and small creatures, interacts with animals. When the novella begins, George and Lennie are sitting by the side of the road, and Lennie is petting a dead mouse (he loves to feel soft materials). Later, Lennie gets a puppy from one of the farm workers. He adores the small creature, but he accidentally kills it by stroking it too strongly. This situation is repeated—with graver consequences—when Lennie breaks Curley's wife's neck while stroking her hair.

Because he fails to understand his own strength, Lennie kills physically weaker beings: the puppy and Curley's wife. These mistakes ultimately lead to Lennie's own death, as George shoots him in an effort to protect him from Curley's wrathful mob. In the dog-eat-dog (or, perhaps more accurately, man-crush-dog) world of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men , strength in the form of mental and emotional toughness is essential, and the weak cannot survive.

The novella begins with a passage describing an idyllic riverbank, where "the golden foothill slopes curve up" to the mountains and the warm water "slip[s] twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight." When humans enter the scene, however, the passage's tone shifts: there is a path "beaten hard by boys" and "an ash pile made by many fires." This early passage demonstrates the uncertain (and potentially harmful) relationship between the natural and human worlds that arises throughout the novella.

The characters in Of Mice and Men work on a ranch—one of the most fundamental examples of humans exerting control over the natural world. Lennie and George's desire to own land again reinforces this theme; their image of success and fulfillment involves dominance over nature.

However, the relationship between man and nature is not as clear-cut as these examples might suggest. Sometimes, humans destroy nature unwittingly, like when Lennie kills the puppy. On other occasions, humans destroy nature for morally ambiguous (maybe even natural ) reasons, like when Carlson shoots Candy's old dog in order to put it out of his misery. Lennie himself reflects some aspects of the natural world, as he seems largely unaware of many social constructs of the human world.

Ultimately, the moment that most blurs the line between the human and natural worlds is Lennie's death at George's hand. The scene asks us to consider whether it is natural for George to kill Lennie for his own protection (to "put him out of his misery"), or whether the killing is an act of societal intervention. The novella's conclusion suggests that the distinction between human society and nature—and between mice and men—is, perhaps, not so great after all.

• 'Of Mice and Men' Overview
• 'Of Mice and Men' Quotes Explained
• 'Of Mice and Men' Summary
• "Of Mice and Men"
• 'Of Mice and Men' Characters: Descriptions and Significance
• 'Of Mice and Men' Vocabulary
• Review of John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men'
• 'Of Mice and Men' Quiz
• 5 Mind-Blowing Ways to Read “Of Mice and Men”
• 'Their Eyes Were Watching God' Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices
• 'The Alchemist' Themes
• '1984' Study Guide
• 'The Tempest' Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices
• 'Death of a Salesman' Themes and Symbols
• Examination of The Little Matchstick Girl

An Essay on Man and Nature Connection

• Post author: Davidokul
• Post published: May 20, 2020
• Post category: Essay / Natural Resources management

Over the previous decades, research has been focused on understanding the relationship between man and nature. While pundits may argue about this relationship, there is substantive evidence demonstrating an intricate relationship between humans and nature. We depend on nature for basic needs, economic growth, and health. 

Man lives in the sphere of nature. 

As humans, nature always surrounds us.  We interact with it now and then. The biosphere is the most crucial part of nature regarding the man-nature relationship. It includes the thin layer surrounding the earth, the soil cover, and any living creature.  Without nature, human beings can’t live normal lives. In other words, man needs nature more than nature needs him. Nature can exist without man, but humans can’t exist without nature.

Man has a massive influence on nature

Humans aren’t just mere dwellers in the sphere of nature. They also transform nature.  Since man’s existence, he has adapted nature and further made all sorts of incursions into nature. Man has spent enormous energy and time changing nature.  The observation explains that man has consistently transformed nature’s wealth into the present-day means of the historical and cultural life of modern society.  For instance, man has exploited nature to generate electricity and then utilizes the electrical power to serve his interest and his community.  Man hasn’t just transferred a variety of animal and plant species to various climatic conditions, but he has further altered the climate of his habitat.

Man and nature connection is strong.

While man’s connection to nature has been severely weakened by man’s dependence on nature for domestic and industrial resources over the years, man still has a strong connection to nature.  After all, man’s psychological and physical need for nature remains intact. As far as nature will continue being man’s source of physical and psychological well-being, humans will remain deeply connected to nature. That explains the deep and strong relationship between nature and man.

Nature and man interact dialectically.

The interaction between nature and man is such that, the more the society progresses, the more man relies less on nature. Think about it; we rely on natural resources for the sustenance of cities and the development of technologies. The components of your phone are mainly derived from the minerals-a natural resource! Again, as man continues to discover more about nature, the more he strives to transform it. Man’s influence on nature increases progressively. Nevertheless, man continues to come into more contact with nature as time progresses.

There are specific stages of man-nature relationship.

The relationship between nature and man has various stages. The first stage is whereby man depends entirely on nature.  Since time immemorial, man has thrived regardless of the enormity of natural formations. He has always been awake to nature’s destructive and menacing forces. The second stage of the man-nature relationship is whereby nature changes its face in the course of its interaction with man. The third stage is whereby man is concerned with preserving nature for the sake of his needs.

The man-nature connection has led to unforeseen paradoxes

One of the unforeseen paradoxes that have been brought about by the man-nature relationship is the infamous paradox of saturation. Since the existence of man on the planet millions of years ago, the effects of humans’ power over nature were insignificant.  With time, man’s over-exploitation led to the destruction of nearly all aspects of nature. A key example of the prolonged over-exploitation of nature by humans is pollution.  Over the years, pollution has led to the destruction of key aspects of nature such as water and the atmosphere. Currently , plastic pollution is an environmental menace that is challenging for our generation. 

The man-nature relationship has been characterized by overuse and imbalance.

Almost every part of man’s history has been marked with nature exploitation, specifically environmental degradation.  Initially, humans were incredibly in-tune with their surroundings. The ancient people had an insignificant effect on nature, due to their meager population size. But as the human population continued to soar, coupled with technological advancements, man started using more efficient methods of sustaining himself. As populations grew, and societies evolved, the demand for resources shot drastically. This trend led to man distancing himself from nature. He was no longer in-tune with nature. This led to an imbalance and over-use of nature.

The industrialization has alienated man from nature

Whereas no one would deny that man has depended entirely on nature for virtually all his needs, industrialization has taken a toll on nature.  With the rise of industrialization, man is gradually being alienated from nature.  But due to man’s understanding that he is completely dependent on nature, there have been concerted attempts in the world over to redeem man’s connection to nature. It is no wonder that concepts such as Environmental Impact Assessments are becoming more relevant.

Nature always fights back, and wins

Generally, humans have an insatiable appetite for exploiting nature. We tend to overuse the natural resources by our excessive consumption. There are many ways in which nature has fought. Two of the ways are highlighted below:

• Climate change: Our overuse of fossil fuels is leading to climate change that is having devastating impacts on our lives. The effects of climate change range from sea level rise to adverse weather conditions
• Disease outbreaks: As humans destroy and come in close contact with natural habitats, we are further exposed to the numerous pathogens. It is suspected that the corona virus is a zoonotic disease . The more we encroach into natural habitats, the more we will expose ourselves to diseases

Man is a vital part of nature

Man defines nature as much as he is fully dependent on it. Historically, man has a considerable influence on nature. Through his actions, whether unconscious or conscious, man determines which course nature will take.  In other words, man determines the pace that nature will take to evolve. As such, nature and man are inseparable. Man depends on nature for all resources he requires in life. He, therefore, should remain in-tune with nature since he is an integral part of it.

The man-nature connection is sometimes ‘unclear’

The connection between man and nature is, at times, ambiguous, as much as it is intricate. For instance, nature can be an enemy to man as much as it remains a provider. Think about environmental disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, and floods. On the other hand, man is the main beneficiary as far as the relationship is concerned. Since time immemorial, man has always strived to dominate nature. Nevertheless, this domination is currently being revised by societies in the world over. For instance, we are learning that dominating nature is difficult, as exemplified by the complexities of climate change.

The man-nature relationship has had its ups and downs since time immemorial. Although the connection is intricate, multiple instances prove that the present-day man isn’t in-tune with nature. As such, humans must consider their relationship with nature, considering that they need nature more than nature needs them. There should be a universal awareness of how humans can best use nature without exploiting it so that the man-nature connection can continue to thrive.

Feeding, Breeding and Killing Habits of Lions (African Lion)

FacebookTweetLinkedIn They may not be the most giant animal in the African savannas; however, the habits of lions make them the ‘King of the jungle’.

The potential impacts of Coronavirus on Conservation in Africa

In the long-run, coronavirus impacts on conservation is negative. As tourism income decreases, the threat to conservation in Africa is expected to increase

The Environmental Benefits of the Coronavirus (COVID 19)

FacebookTweetLinkedIn By David OkulApril 29, 2020 The COVID 19 global pandemic has affected all aspects of human life.  The virus has claimed hundreds of thousands

David Okul is an environmental management professional with over 10 years experience on donor projects, conservation, forestry, ecotourism, and community-based natural resources management. When not working on  active environmental management projects, I spend my time writing for Silvica on a variety of topics.  

You Might Also Like

The Conservation of Soil

Vegetation Monitoring Methods

• Environment
• Information Science
• Social Issues
• Argumentative
• Cause and Effect
• Classification
• Compare and Contrast
• Descriptive
• Exemplification
• Informative
• Controversial
• Exploratory
• What Is an Essay
• Length of an Essay
• Generate Ideas
• Types of Essays
• Structuring an Essay
• Outline For Essay
• Essay Introduction
• Thesis Statement
• Body of an Essay
• Writing a Conclusion
• Essay Writing Tips
• Drafting an Essay
• Revision Process
• Fix a Broken Essay
• Format of an Essay
• Essay Examples
• Essay Checklist
• Essay Writing Service
• Pay for Research Paper
• Write My Research Paper
• Write My Essay
• Custom Essay Writing Service
• Admission Essay Writing Service
• Pay for Essay
• Academic Ghostwriting
• Write My Book Report
• Case Study Writing Service
• Dissertation Writing Service
• Coursework Writing Service
• Lab Report Writing Service
• Do My Assignment
• Buy College Papers
• Capstone Project Writing Service
• Buy Research Paper
• Custom Essays for Sale

Can’t find a perfect paper?

• Free Essay Samples

Nature vs. Man

Updated 18 October 2023

Subject Nature ,  Books

Downloads 28

Category Environment ,  Literature

The Portrayal of Nature and Human Beings in Nature

The portrayal of nature and the place of human beings in nature are similar in both stories. Nature is portrayed to be always in control of human beings irrespective of their efforts. On the other hand, human beings are busy trying to change this status.

Nature as a Source of Survival and Peril

In both stories, man needs nature for survival and also, nature is the cause of man's demise and perish. It causes a lot of harm to man, and at times nature provides the solution to the troubles it causes.

For example in the story "To Build a Fire," nature is in control from the start to the end, a man tries to navigate through temperatures of minus 50 degrees. Survival for the man at such temperature is close to impossible. Such low temperatures are the doings of nature, and there is nothing human beings can do to prevent them. But man has been trying to fight nature over the years. They are trying to prove nature wrong. Therefore a man tries to navigate through such cold temperatures, but nature prevails. So the only way the man can survive is by lighting a fire to provide warmth. Fire is also a natural phenomenon. Therefore, one natural phenomenon provides a solution to a problem caused by another natural phenomenon. A similar scenario is portrayed in the story "There Will Come Soft Rains," but it is a little different.

In this story, human beings are portrayed to be in control as the story begins. They are well armed to deal with almost everything that arises from nature. However, at the end of the story, when a fire breaks out in the house, water is used to try and put out the fire. Water is natural and fire is natural. One natural phenomenon is the problem, and another is the solution. Therefore irrespective of how hard human beings try, they always have to depend on nature. Nature is described in the two stories as to have good and bad sides that help and affect human beings in different ways.

Human Beings in Competition with Nature

Human beings are portrayed to be in some competition to try and outdo nature. Man strives to come up with inventions to try and control nature.

For example in the story "There Will Come Soft Rains," man has moved forward regarding technology and has come up with means to control nature or to deal with nature. When it rains, man has raincoats and gumboots to deal with such weather. Also, man has devised various means to fight fire when it breaks out. The house described in the story "There Will Come Soft Rains" has all the necessary firefighting equipment to put off a fire in case it breaks out. In the story "To Build a Fire," the man tries to defy nature and wants to prove that irrespective of how cold it is, he has means to survive and beat nature.

In all these cases of a man trying to compete with nature, nature emerges victorious because it is more superior to human beings. The man walking on snow at a temperature 50 degrees below zero tries to use fire for warmth. Fire is part of nature which he easily loses control over. Also, in the story "There Will Come Soft Rains," irrespective of how a man becomes innovative and technological, he cannot beat nature. The human race has been wiped out by natural calamities. When the fire breaks out in the house, it burns it down irrespective of the high technology installed to fight the fire, nature always prevails.

Nature's Control over Human Beings

Nature has the upper hand in both stories. Nature terrorizes human beings and provides a solution. The survival of man is solely dependent on natural phenomena. If nature is against man, the chances of survival are minimal. If nature favors man, then the human beings prosper.

In the story "To Build a Fire," nature is against man all through. When an accident happened to the man in the story, he turned to nature for a solution and tried to light a fire for warmth. However, other natural forces make it difficult for the fire to grow. The cold weather numbs his fingers making it impossible to light a match. Also, when he struggles and lights a fire, snow falls on the fire and kills it. Nature determines whether the man lives or dies and since it was against him, he died as a result of the harsh weather.

In the story "There Will Come Soft Rains," man tries his best to show that he can survive without nature. He does so well, but in the long run, nature emerges the superior of the two.

Works cited

Bradbury, Ray. There will come soft rains. Perfection Learning Corporation, 1989.

Deadline is approaching?

Wait no more. Let us write you an essay from scratch

Related Essays

Related topics.

Find Out the Cost of Your Paper

Type your email

By clicking “Submit”, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy policy. Sometimes you will receive account related emails.

• EssayBasics.com
• Pay For Essay
• Write My Essay
• Homework Writing Help
• Essay Editing Service
• Thesis Writing Help
• Write My College Essay
• Do My Essay
• Term Paper Writing Service
• Coursework Writing Service
• Write My Research Paper
• Assignment Writing Help
• Essay Writing Help
• Call Now! (USA) Login Order now
• EssayBasics.com Call Now! (USA) Order now
• Writing Guides

Relationship Between Human And Nature (Essay Sample)

Also Read: Best Cheap Essay Writing Service , Cheap Essays Online , Online Essay Service

If you like this essay, don’t be shine to  Pay People for Essays at EssayBasics .

Humans and nature have a life-long relationship. This particular relation is as old as mankind itself. There was a time when nature and humans peacefully co-excited together in complete harmony but not anymore. Nature provided us with food, shelter, and everything else that we required but things changed drastically. For the past three centuries, humans have started to destroy nature. Diesel engines, smoke chimneys, factory waste, deforestation, nuclear waste, and whatnot are destroying the human relationship with nature. Nature is not just silent to all this, it has responded with global warming, wildfires, floods like a tsunami, and a rise in sea levels. In this essay, we will discuss events that led to this bad relationship between humans and nature.

Related: Best Medical School Essay Editing Service

Table of Contents

Relationship Between Human And Environment Essay- 700 Word Long Essay

Humans and the environment have a centuries-long relationship with each other. For countless centuries mankind has peacefully coexisted and benefited from everything provided by nature. Mother nature on the other hand has been very kind to shower us with all its blessings. It has provided mankind with food, shelter, and all necessities of life without ever asking anything in return. For all these centuries human beings also cared for nature until the invention of diesel engines and large-scale factories that polluted the environment. In this essay, I will discuss how the relationship between humans and the environment is progressing after all this time.

Population explosion is the biggest factor that negatively affects the relationship between humans and the environment. Because of the rapid human population growth, the requirement for resources also increased by many folds. This huge population size created an imbalance and scarcity of resources. To fulfill growing demands for resources large-scale factories and production units were set up. These factories, chimneys, the petroleum industry, the textile industry, and whatnot released all the poisonous waste into the environment. These factories are exploiting nature and playing with human well-being by polluting the natural world.

Technological advancements,  modernization, and economic growth have led humans away from mother nature. Modern society has seen an increase in demand for natural systems and natural materials changing the human perception of nature. Humans no longer respect, love, and value nature as they just exploit it for their own benefits. The bond of love and affection between humans and the environment is no longer there. These increased distances have negatively affected our mental health and psychological well-being. Deforestation has caused a major climate change which has led to global warming but humans continue to cut all trees without planting new ones.

Related: Best College Essay Editing Service

Humans are strong and smart enough to dominate the world, but they still can’t survive without natural resources. Nature was a silent watcher for all these centuries but now it has struck back. Humankind suffers because of the destruction of nature and is forced to withstand harsh temperatures due to deforestation. Global warming, sea-level rise, heatwaves, flooding, and wildfires are some signs from nature that we need to stop harming our environment.

The natural life that includes animals and other species has improved their nature relationship. In all these centuries every living thing other than human beings has strived towards achieving sustainability. They have learned how to survive with limited resources by providing benefits to the natural environment. These species created a strong relationship with nature and played their part to improve human health. Whenever they use any natural resource they add value to the environment. Humans should learn from all other species to avoid environmental disasters.

In conclusion, just like many animal species are now distant because of overhunting, natural resources are also depleting every day. Everyone should be taught to love and respect nature to improve the relationship between humans and the environment. If things continue like this we won’t be able to survive on planet earth.

Short Essay On Relation Between Human And Nature – 300 Word Short Custom Essay

Humans and nature share a life-long relationship. They have been in a relationship since the first man laid food on earth. The human-nature relationship is ever-evolving and changing but for the last two centuries, it has just gotten worse. The main reason for this negative change is that humans no longer love and respect nature. The digital age has made humans lazy, now they only exploit nature for their benefit. In this short essay, I will discuss why this relationship is worsening with each passing day.

Population explosion is the main culprit behind environmental pollution. The increased demand for resources has led to the establishment of factories, mills, industries, and even nuclear reactors. All this poisonous waste is released in the sea, air, and water that destroys everything nature has blessed us with. Humans also destroy natural resources like trees and don’t care about achieving a sustainable future. Deforestation has caused climate change and a lack of fresh air. This climate change is responsible for global warming and flooding.

After all these centuries of peacefully coexisting the nature has finally struck back. Humans now face the threat of natural disasters like heat waves, rising sea levels, wildfires, and ozone depletion challenges. Humans are also running out of fossil fuels and social capital that played a vital role in the progress of humanity.

During human evolution and human development, we all shared a bond of love and affection with nature. Our social development and social relationships have destroyed the natural relationship of love with the environment. Humans nowadays are constantly developing alternative ways of coping with nature. We are forced to contend with the changing patterns of weather, and other natural processes all because we don’t respect nature anymore.

In conclusion, to preserve our relationship with nature, we must launch a social movement and raise awareness to promote green space. We should raise awareness among kids so that they can learn to respect nature as this is the only way to redeem ourselves in the eyes of mother nature.

Do you like these sample essays about the Relationship Between Humans and Nature? Reach out to Essay Basics to get a professionally written plagiarism-free and unique custom essay on any topic in less than 3 hours.

Related: Graduate School Essay Editing Services

FAQ About Relationship Between Human and Natural World Essay

Why is human connection to nature important.

The human connection to nature is very important because this way we can start to love and respect nature like we did 2-3 centuries before. This bond with nature is the only way to restore our connection with nature.

What Is The Difference Between Human And Natural Environments?

Humans and the natural environment are two different entities. Humans can’t survive without nature but nature can still survive without humans.

24/7 writing help on your phone

To install StudyMoose App tap and then “Add to Home Screen”

The Dominance of Nature: A Comparative Analysis of Poetry

Save to my list

Remove from my list

The Human-Nature Dichotomy in "The Bull Moose"

The Struggle Against Nature in "Progressive Insanities of a Pioneer"

Harmony and coexistence in "not just a platform for my dance".

The Dominance of Nature: A Comparative Analysis of Poetry. (2016, Oct 13). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/man-vs-nature-essay

"The Dominance of Nature: A Comparative Analysis of Poetry." StudyMoose , 13 Oct 2016, https://studymoose.com/man-vs-nature-essay

StudyMoose. (2016). The Dominance of Nature: A Comparative Analysis of Poetry . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/man-vs-nature-essay [Accessed: 16 Aug. 2024]

"The Dominance of Nature: A Comparative Analysis of Poetry." StudyMoose, Oct 13, 2016. Accessed August 16, 2024. https://studymoose.com/man-vs-nature-essay

"The Dominance of Nature: A Comparative Analysis of Poetry," StudyMoose , 13-Oct-2016. [Online]. Available: https://studymoose.com/man-vs-nature-essay. [Accessed: 16-Aug-2024]

StudyMoose. (2016). The Dominance of Nature: A Comparative Analysis of Poetry . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/man-vs-nature-essay [Accessed: 16-Aug-2024]

• Jollibee Menu Dominance Over McDonald's in Dumaguete: An Analysis Pages: 16 (4658 words)
• Poetry Analysis: Emily Dickinson Comparative Poems Pages: 2 (439 words)
• Portrayal of Women in Poetry: A Comparative Analysis Pages: 6 (1542 words)
• Exploring Adolescence Through Poetry: A Comparative Analysis Pages: 5 (1231 words)
• Exploring Memories in Poetry: A Comparative Analysis of Roethke and Dove Pages: 3 (605 words)
• Conservative Dominance in Politics During 1951-1964 Pages: 7 (2080 words)
• Evolution of InterContinental: Brewing to Global Hospitality Dominance Pages: 2 (380 words)
• Apple's iPhone Market Dominance: Strategy, Positioning, Competition Pages: 9 (2421 words)
• Colgate's Market Dominance and Innovative Marketing Strategies Pages: 7 (2004 words)
• Nike's Market Dominance: Strategies and Global Impact Pages: 5 (1391 words)

👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!

Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.

• Create account
• View source

Man vs. Nature

• 1 Description
• 2 How it Works
• 5 References

Description

Man vs. Nature may be a well note literary conflict device, but we are proposing that it is also a pattern of belief that humanity is separate from nature and at odds with it. This belief influences how we interact with nature and how we see ourselves within (or without) the natural world.

How it Works

Is humanity part of the environment or are we separate from it? The belief that the natural environment is something to be used and conquered is core to this pattern. The way that people view nature is largely simplistic and based on moral and/or religious values. Many religions that teach that nature is separate from humanity and is there for the use of people lead people toward the viewpoint of being at odds with nature. These beliefs control how they interact with nature, to a large extent. [1]

This sort of Humanity Vs. Nature situation has led to the degradation of the delicate balance of natural systems that cannot be easily replenished. With a growing population the need for natural resources are rising, but in 1st world countries the amount of resources a single person can consume significantly outweighs the amount of resources a person living in the third world would.

As long as humanity-at-large sees itself as separate from the natural environment this degradation will likely continue.

Environmental Degradation Consumerism Denialism Conservation Reliance

• ↑ Clayton, Susan, and Gene Myers. Conservation psychology: Understanding and promoting human care for nature. John Wiley & Sons, 2011. pg. 11 -12
• This page was last modified on 19 February 2014, at 13:39.

The Evergreen State College

• Maps & Directions
• Search Evergreen
• Directories
• Privacy Policy
• Emergency Info

• Ask LitCharts AI
• Discussion Question Generator
• Essay Prompt Generator
• Quiz Question Generator

• Literature Guides
• Poetry Guides
• Shakespeare Translations
• Literary Terms

The Interlopers

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

The wish of each man to dominate the other plays out in each man’s ambition to dominate the land. Georg goes hunting in the disputed border-forest to claim ownership over it. Ulrich stalks through the forest with his rifle because he hopes to kill Georg. Each man is angry about the other’s claim to the border-forest because he believes that the trees and animals within it belong to him. Ulrich and Georg both feel that the other man thwarts the authority he has over nature. However, instead of either of the men murdering the other when they round a large tree and come face-to-face, the force of the storm fells the tree, and it traps them both. Nature forces the men to lie beside each other, robbed of the simple ability to walk away from or toward each other.

After nature causes this near-death experience, the two men reconcile. Georg imagines that the new peace between them will mean that they dominate nature together. He thinks they will go hunting. Yet once they make amends, the men realize that even when they shout for help together, their voices are not loud enough to reach anyone through the trees and wind. No “interlopers,” and not even Ulrich and Georg’s own hunting parties, notice the break in the feud. (Perhaps each man exaggerated the proximity and presence of his own group of men, in an effort to intimidate or impress the other man.) Instead of either group of men arriving, wolves appear over the hillside. Neither Ulrich nor Georg is killed or rescued by the other man. Both men will receive the same death, from a natural world that does not recognize which one of the men owns it.

Man vs. Nature ThemeTracker

Man vs. Nature Quotes in The Interlopers

The roebuck, which usually kept in the sheltered hollows during a storm-wind, were running like driven things to-night, and there was movement and unrest among the creatures that were wont to sleep through the dark hours. Assuredly there was a disturbing element in the forest...

And before the moment of hesitation had given way to action a deed of Nature's own violence overwhelmed them both.

Both men spoke with the bitterness of possible defeat before them, for each knew that it might be long before his men would seek him out or find him; it was a bare matter of chance which party would arrive first on the scene.

"Who are they?" asked Georg quickly, straining his eyes to see what the other would gladly not have seen.

• Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.

• Search Menu
• Sign in through your institution
• Computer Science
• Earth Sciences
• Information Science
• Life Sciences
• Materials Science
• Science Policy
• Advance Access
• Special Topics
• Author Guidelines
• Submission Site
• Open Access Options
• Self-Archiving Policy
• Reasons to submit
• About National Science Review
• Editorial Board
• Advertising and Corporate Services
• Journals Career Network
• Dispatch Dates
• Journals on Oxford Academic
• Books on Oxford Academic

Article Contents

‘living in harmony with nature’ vs. ‘unity of nature and man’, 2050 vision: unity of nature and man (unm), keys for the pathway towards unm vision, acknowledgements.

• < Previous

Unity of Nature and Man: a new vision and conceptual framework for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

• Article contents
• Figures & tables
• Supplementary Data

Tianxiao Ma, Yisi Hu, Meng Wang, Lijun Yu, Fuwen Wei, Unity of Nature and Man: a new vision and conceptual framework for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, National Science Review , Volume 8, Issue 7, July 2021, nwaa265, https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaa265

• Permissions Icon Permissions

People live in nature. However, substantial evidence confirms that, under the pressure of anthropogenic alteration, nature is being fragmented, imperiled and becoming less able to provide essential services [ 1 ]. Biodiversity loss is the most significant signal of this depletion, and could profoundly impact the future of human beings and the rest of life on Earth [ 2 ].

Against this background, Parties of Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed a 2011–2020 Strategic Plan and 20 Aichi Targets to halt continuing biodiversity loss. However, according to the latest global assessment report released by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in 2019, biodiversity is still declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history [ 3 ]. It is clear that the majority of the Aichi Targets will not be met by the 2020 deadline [ 4 ]. Even with a careful strategic plan developed and implemented under the authoritative CBD context, biodiversity and ecosystem services critical for humanity are declining and degrading fast. This has prompted reflections on the current strategic plan and the UN framework in general [ 3 , 4 ].

The 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) of CBD will be held in China in 2021, during which the new strategic plan for the next decade of biodiversity conservation will be drafted. Various suggestions have been proposed by scientists and different stakeholders for contributing to this much-anticipated strategic plan. They are focused on meeting the 2050 Vision of ‘Living in Harmony with Nature’. Mace et al. [ 5 ]argued that targets should be developed in a well-defined, ambitious and measurable way to support the next CBD vision, and that three indicators are required to measure the progress in biodiversity recovery. Paired with the UN’s Paris Climate Agreement, ‘A global deal for nature’ ambitiously targets 30% of Earth to be formally protected and an additional 20% designated as climate stabilization areas by 2030, to preserve biodiversity and keep global warming below 1.5°C [ 6 ]. Locke et al. [ 7 ] proposed an enabling framework of three global conditions for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use that could support both approaches and achieve the 2050 Vision. These technical suggestions provide important ideas for development of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (post-2020 GBF). However, they do not question the vision or the basic conceptual framework of the current Strategic Plan of the CBD.

We argue that the current 2050 Vision will not be sufficient to drive transformative change. Further, we argue that human development cannot be divorced from biodiversity conservation and utilization. The basic understanding of the appropriate balance in the relationship between nature and humans is actually the crucial point. It is the starting point that lays the very foundation of any ambitious and effective strategic plan for biodiversity conservation.

With the human-centric perspective dominating for the past two centuries, nature and human are seen as two separate entities [ 8 ]. Nature is treated as being ‘outside’ of humans, and thus humans treat nature as an object to fear, conquer, pillage and rule. In this context, nature and man are regarded as opposing entities with contradictory demands. It is true that the two have different needs: nature's demands are to maintain its components, ecological processes and evolutionary potential, while man's demands are to sustain a growing population and improve quality of life relying on resources and services provided by nature. But the assumption underlying this separation of humanity and nature is that nature is a limitless storehouse for humans to enrich themselves as much as their creativity allows. Dominant anthropocentrism and dramatic technological development free humans to exploit nature, which has already exceeded a safe and just operating space for humanity [ 9 , 10 ]. Nature's demands have been neglected in this process, which in turn undermined man's basic needs, including demands under the Sustainable Development Goals for clean air and water, via interactions across the coupled human-natural system [ 11 ]. In light of the great damage this thinking has caused to biodiversity and ecosystems, we can no longer assume that nature is an infinite resource to exploit. Nature and its ability to provide services keep being damaged, which we now know threatens the future development of humanity [ 3 ]. Consequently, a rethink of the relationship between nature and man, and also their demands, is essential for ensuring the appropriate course of biological diversity conservation and also humanity development for the coming decades.

The modern nature-human dichotomous perspective emphasizes the material substance of nature and its instrumental value relative to the contribution to humans [ 8 ]. However, within the context of some other knowledge systems, nature has its intrinsic value because of the existence of its components and also the broader aspect of concepts it covers, such as the cultural elements of ancestors, shared history and deities [ 12 ]. This intrinsic value is not necessarily related to the materials and services nature provides for man but, in turn, man is included as component just as other animals [ 13 ]. One extreme example is the traditional Chinese Taoism, in which nature is represented by Tien (Heaven and Earth), which is composed of human and non-human nature and even the ultimate rule of this universe. All these perspectives have a common ground – nature and man are as one.

Sharing this perspective, Taoism describes the relationship between nature and man as ‘Heaven and earth were born at the same time I was, and the ten-thousand things are one with me’ (天地与我并生, 而万物与我为一) [ 14 ], which can be concisely summarized as a vision of ‘Unity of Nature and Man’ (‘天人合一’) (UNM). The Chinese sages’ UNM vision embraces inherent respect for nature and advocates that humanity development should conform to the rule of nature with a holistic view. Against the background of the current perspective of separation of nature and man and the resulting ecological crisis, this inspires us to recognize ourselves as, and behave as, a member of nature following the principle of UNM.

The current 2050 Vision uses the words ‘Living in Harmony with Nature’, the meaning of which in its original language is society in symbiosis with nature, both with mutual benefit and necessarily detrimental aspects for one of the parties [ 12 ]. However, Living in Harmony with Nature (LHN) as used by the CBD has four attributes which narrow its meaning. The Vision says: ‘By 2050, (b) biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, (c) maintaining ecosystem services, (d) sustaining a healthy planet and (e) delivering benefits essential for all people’.

This version of the meaning of LHN loses its original Taoist flavor. This can be seen in the words that imply nature's value to humans is necessary: nature is to be ‘valued, conserved, restored and wisely used’ as an object, not treated as an equal. There is no recognition that it has its own needs and its own evolutionary direction that must be respected in a relationship of mutuality as opposed to one of exploitation. While realizing this vision would certainly be an improvement over current conditions, it still does not create the indispensable right relationship of UNM on which future sustainability depends. In contrast, a vision based on the Taoist idea of ‘Unity of Nature and Man’ could achieve this.

As UNM implies, nature's intrinsic value is the existence of its components and broad non-material concepts covered. It advocates that man, as one component of nature, must arrange his activities following the rule that nature contains, and without damaging the sustainability of other components when meeting his own needs. For example, in classical Chinese philosophy, UNM proposed ‘树木以时伐焉 (Trees are logged by time), 禽兽以时杀焉 (Birds and beasts are hunted by time)’, telling people to use natural resources conforming to the life cycle of creatures to guarantee the sustainability of both provider and beneficiary. However, along with humanity's overexploitation of nature to accommodate increasing demands for material goods, the modern human-nature relationship has clearly deviated from the ideal state of UNM and led to the current environmental crisis. To halt the continuing decline of nature and revert to UNM, humanity development must be aligned with nature's limits and demands by respecting its existence, conforming to its rule and conserving its sustainability. UNM considers the demands of both nature and man at the same time by adopting a sustainable approach. In this way, nature and man are no longer two opposed individuals, nor are their demands, but are in complete harmony, blend and finally become one.

On 5 September 2019, the theme of CBD COP15 was finalized and announced as ‘Ecological Civilization - Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth’ [ 15 ]. This theme originates from the Chinese vision of ecological civilization. Ecological civilization is an eco-innovation rooted in traditional wisdom of UNM to harmonize the apparent contradiction between economic development and environmental protection [ 16 ]. COP15 is considered to be a ‘unique and historical opportunity’ to reconcile the relationship between humanity and nature [ 15 ]. UNM, as the real connotation of COP15 theme, could enable this renewed understanding, promote the establishment of ‘a global society in which economic, social, cultural and environmental concerns are addressed in a truly holistic way’ [ 15 ] and foster a sustainable future shared by all life on Earth.

To summarize the above implications of UNM, we propose a more holistic 2050 Vision of ‘Unity of Nature and Man whereby all of Nature is respected, its rule is conformed to, and its components are adequately protected and Humanity meets its own unique needs through sustainable production and sustainable consumption on land and ocean, therefore the sustainability of both nature and man are guaranteed and united.’ This UNM Vision can direct and motivate more comprehensive and effective actions for conserving biodiversity and meeting human's demands at the same time to ensure the effective outcome of the CBD’s three main objectives.

Using the Chinese Taoist philosophy, we propose a new conceptual framework to illustrate the vision of ‘Unity of Nature and Man’ and relate it to implementation. A tetrahedron framework shows the three main skeletons, represented by ‘Nature's needs’, ‘Man's needs’ and ‘Balance of Nature and Man’, and their relationships for achieving UNM (Fig. 1 ).

Tetrahedron structure of the new conceptual framework. The three upper skeletons represent the main strategic goals of the framework, focusing on ‘Nature's needs’, ‘Man's needs’ and ‘Balance of Nature and Man’, respectively The base plain represents the enabling conditions (e.g. mainstreaming, capacity building and resource mobilization) for assuring effective implementation of the strategic plan.

The base plain in the bottom represents the enabling conditions (e.g. mainstreaming, capacity building and resource mobilization) acting as the footstone of the whole framework. Each of the three skeletons has a clear goal, which combined with the others, will lead towards UNM. The three are (1) meet nature's needs for protection, (2) meet humans’ needs for wellbeing, and (3) achieve sustainable development that leads to a new kind of prosperity which respects nature's needs, and unites and balances the needs of nature and human. These goals also correspond to the three main objectives of CBD including biodiversity conservation, equitable sharing of benefit (wellbeing) and sustainable use of biodiversity. When all three strategic goals are supported by another goal of adequate enabling conditions, we can achieve UNM.

The key point of this is that true integration of nature and man (UNM) means integrating human development goals and biodiversity goals as equal and mutually reinforcing. Both have their own needs which must be met, and where they meet they must be co-equal and inextricably intertwined.

While the Unity of Nature and Man provides an alternative conceptual framework to rethink and deal with our relationship to nature, further developments are needed to enable its effective implementation. Here we propose four dimensions that should be examined to enable the changes that can balance the needs of nature and man moving forwards to achieve the strategic goals of CBD and 2050 UNM Vision.

Transformation of value systems underpins the departure from business-as-usual

Based on the above discussion, the long-term misinterpretation of our relationship with nature and the resulting interferences are responsible for today's environmental crisis. Previous failures evidenced that business-as-usual cannot slow the rate of biodiversity loss, let alone put it on a path to recovery. Departure from business-as-usual will not happen naturally, especially with the opposition from those with vested interests [ 3 , 4 ], but can be underpinned and fostered by alternative value systems of whole societies. Recognition and respect of nature's intrinsic value as well as positioning man as part of nature will motivate people to move to address the problem and seek the ideal state of Unity of Nature and Man. The shift of value systems will enhance individuals’ and societies’ internal connection with nature [ 17 ], and drive policy, technology and humanity development on the track towards sustainability. The achievement of global biodiversity targets relies on collective global efforts. Although UNM originates from classical Chinese philosophy, its core is shared by different cultures and perspectives worldwide, e.g. the ancient ‘Mother Earth’, ‘Gaia’ in South America, ‘Brahman’ in India and modern environmental ethics. In this light, UNM is promising to align efforts of different parties and communities to a unified vision. This nature also allows for UNM and its principles to be translated easily into language that facilitates parties and communities developing specific solutions for balancing local developments with nature and sharing useful implementation experiences.

Holistic view and systems thinking promotes required knowledge and nexus approaches

Interactions between nature and humanity, including between ecosystems and human wellbeing, are complex. To address the current environmental crisis, including biodiversity loss, requires a deepening understand of this complexity, which can be informed by UNM philosophy. Knowledge of coupled human-nature or socio-ecological systems, including that of indigenous and local communities [ 12 ], should be accumulated and should evolve through enhanced interdisciplinary research and adoption of a more holistic view of UNM that regards nature and human as an organic whole. As biodiversity is a multifaceted issue intertwined with human development, nexus (integrated) and system-oriented approaches are needed to simultaneously achieve goals of biodiversity conservation, related human wellbeing improvement, and to seek a balance in the UNM framework. Systems thinking focusing on dynamic relationships of these three dimensions, including their elements, is necessary to identify effective solutions to address complex challenges of biodiversity loss and sustainable development. Some good practices are emerging. For instance, the Nature-based Solutions aims to provide human wellbeing and biodiversity benefits simultaneously with support of nature [ 18 ], and the policy innovation of Ecological Conservation Redline, under a broader institutional framework of Ecological Civilization in China, is designed to guarantee both the national ecological security and essential ecosystem services [ 19–21 ]. These concepts and practices offer references and inspiration for other countries to develop integrated solutions to sustain biodiversity benefits and human wellbeing.

Transformative changes to tackle indirect drivers of biodiversity loss and concrete commitments of Parties

Based on the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services issued by IPBES, three goals of CBD and sustainable future cannot be met along current trajectories, and are only possible through transformative changes across economic, social, political and technological factors [ 3 , 4 ]. According to Donella Meadows, there are ‘leverage points’ where small shifts can lead to fundamental changes in the system towards sustainability [ 22 ]. Although specific leverage points vary across contexts, a shift of value systems, as well as visions of a good life, are agreed to be deep leverage points for enabling transformative changes from current trends to more sustainable ones [ 4 , 17 , 23 ]. In this light, the transformation of how we value nature and the way we deal with the relationship to nature proposed by the UNM makes it fundamental momentum and also enhancement of other leverage points for societal changes. Additionally, three goals in the UNM conceptual framework, namely meet nature's needs, meet human’s needs, and their balance through sustainable development, reflect the complex interconnection between biodiversity issues and humanity development. Endeavors to reach these goals will promote knowledge accumulation of social-ecological systems, including externalities and telecouplings, while the UNM philosophy's holistic view can inform and foster integrated solutions for the nexus of relevant goals featured by complex interactions and multi-sector involvement, all of which can underpin desirable transformative changes in different aspects. On the other hand, the realization of UNM Vision and its potential contributions to CBD’s three strategic goals and the Sustainable Development Goals rely on concrete commitments from Parties. The shared aspiration to build a sustainable future for both humanity and nature will form the first step of global communities towards the UNM Vision. Mainstreaming humans’ dependence on nature and the necessity to respect the intrinsic value of nature and needs will help to generate a sense of responsibility to act for nature and biodiversity across sectors in different scales. Parties should take the form of commitments to achieve transformative changes in current unsustainable production and consumption patterns to reduce indirect drivers for biodiversity loss, and in governance approaches to handle nexus challenges on simultaneously meeting the needs of nature and man in the long term. Last but not least, a transformative resource mobilization strategy is essential for sufficient and effective financial support for the ambitious UNM Vision, especially against the background of post-pandemic recovery of the world's economy.

A Chinese temple showing the step path towards the UNM Vision. Standing on the base plain of ‘enabling conditions’, three strong pillars symbolize the three main strategic goals of this new framework. These support upgrading of the stage goals of 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050. By achieving these goals, we can finally reach the vision of UNM, ‘Unity of Nature and Man’.

A phased approach and milestones on area-based target to reach the UNM Vision

‘Unity of Nature and Man’ aiming to tackle the long-term imbalance of meeting the needs of nature and man is an ambitious vision. It can be reached only by achieving stage goals one by one following periodic strategic plans with collective global efforts. Milestone(s) or overarching goal(s) can motivate willingness of stakeholders to develop ambitious but realistic plans on biodiversity conservation and enhanced mainstreaming. Notwithstanding much debate on the bold protected area target [ 24–27 ], the Post-2020 GBF should still be expected to aim higher on the area-based protection/retention target and regard it as a critical milestone for global biodiversity conservation in the coming decades. Land-use change acted as the sharpest contradictions between nature and man over the past 50 years [ 4 ]. The decline of nature will not stop unless biodiversity per se has sufficient space to sustain whilst ensuring man's needs are met guided by the Agenda of Sustainable Development. Bold, as well as deliberate, area-based target will drive transition of contradictions to managed trade-offs between needs of nature and man, by adopting other effective conservation measures (OECMs), spatial planning, and adaptive management and governance interventions. Meanwhile, the use and management of biodiversity from ecosystems to genes to meet humans’ needs must be bounded within the limit of planetary boundaries and fixed on the road of sustainability. Moving forward, we suggest a series of milestones/overarching targets to delineate the step path of reaching the UNM Vision as ‘by 2030, safeguard 1/4 of the Earth with integral, functioning, and connected ecosystems to support   sustainability both of nature and its contributions to humanity while addressing other direct drivers on biodiversity loss, and step along the path to increase the proportion of the safeguarded Earth to 1/3 by 2040, and 1/2 by 2050 to finally achieve the 2050 Vision – the Unity of Nature and Man’ (Fig. 2 ).

We greatly thank Dr. Harvey Locke and four reviewers for critical comments to improve our manuscript.

This work was funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB31000000 and QYZDY-SSWSMC019) and the Creative Research Group Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (31821001).

Conflict of interest statement. None declared.

Cardinale B. Science 2012 ; 336 : 552 – 3 . 10.1126/science.1222102

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment . Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Synthesis . Washington, DC : Island Press , 2005 .

Google Scholar

Google Preview

IPBES . Summary for Policymakers of the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services . Bonn : IPBES secretariat , 2019 .

Díaz S , Settele J , Brondízio ES et al.  Science 2019 ; 366 : eaax3100 . 10.1126/science.aax3100

Mace GM , Barrett M , Burgess ND et al.  Nat Sustain 2018 ; 1 : 448 . 10.1038/s41893-018-0130-0

Dinerstein E , Vynne C , Sala E et al.  Sci Adv 2019 ; 5 : eaaw2869 . 10.1126/sciadv.aaw2869

Locke H , Ellis EC , Venter O et al.  Natl Sci Rev 2019 ; 6 : 1080 – 2 . 10.1093/nsr/nwz136

Martin JL , Maris V , Simberloff DS . Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2016 ; 113 : 201525003 . 10.1073/pnas.1525003113

Rockström J , Steffen W , Noone K et al.  Nature 2009 ; 461 : 472 . 10.1038/461472a

Steffen W , Richardson K , Rockström J et al.  Science 2015 ; 347 : 1259855 . 10.1126/science.1259855

Liu J , Dietz T , Carpenter SR et al.  Science 2007 ; 317 : 1513 – 6 . 10.1126/science.1144004

Díaz S , Demissew S , Carabias J et al.  Curr Opin Environ Sustain 2015 ; 14 : 1 – 16 . 10.1016/j.cosust.2014.11.002

Caillon S , Cullman G , Verschuuren B et al.  Ecol Soc 2017 ; 22 : 27 . 10.5751/ES-09746-220427

Zhuangzi , Watson B. The Complete Works of Zhuangzi . New York : Columbia University Press , 2013 .

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity . Theme Announced for Landmark 2020 UN Biodiversity Conference: ‘Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth’. Montréal, Canada : Secretariat to the Convention on Biological Diversity , 2019 .

Wei F , Cui S , Liu N et al.  Natl Sci Rev 2021 ; 8 : nwaa279 . 10.1093/nsr/nwaa279

Ives CD , Abson DJ , von Wehrden H et al.  Sustain Sci 2018 ; 13 : 1389 – 97 . 10.1007/s11625-018-0542-9

Cohen-Shacham E , Walters G , Janzen C et al.  Nature-based Solutions to Address Global Societal Challenges . Gland : IUCN , 2016 .

Bai Y , Jiang B , Wang M et al.  Land Use Policy 2016 ; 55 : 348 – 51 . 10.1016/j.landusepol.2015.09.002

Bai Y , Wong CP , Jiang B et al.  Nat Commun 2018 ; 9 : 1 – 13 . 10.1038/s41467-018-05306-1

Schmidt-Traub G , Locke H , Gao J et al.  Natl Sci Rev 2021 ; 8 : nwaa139 . 10.1093/nsr/nwaa139

Meadows DH . Solutions 1999 ; 91 : 78 – 84 .

Abson DJ , Fischer J , Leventon J et al.  Ambio 2017 ; 46 : 30 – 9 . 10.1007/s13280-016-0800-y

Locke H . Parks 2013 ; 58 : 7 .

Wilson EO. Half Earth: Our Planet's Fight for Life . New York : Liveright/W.W. Norton , 2016 .

Mehrabi Z , Ellis EC , Ramankutty N . Nat Sustain 2018 ; 1 : 409 – 12 . 10.1038/s41893-018-0119-8

Schleicher J , Zaehringer JG , Fastré C et al.  Nat Sustain 2019 ; 2 : 1094 – 6 .

Email alerts

Citing articles via.

• Recommend to Your Librarian

Affiliations

• Online ISSN 2053-714X
• Print ISSN 2095-5138
• Copyright © 2024 China Science Publishing & Media Ltd. (Science Press)
• About Oxford Academic
• Publish journals with us
• University press partners
• What we publish
• New features  
• Open access
• Institutional account management
• Rights and permissions
• Get help with access
• Accessibility
• Advertising
• Media enquiries
• Oxford University Press
• Oxford Languages
• University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• Cookie settings
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy
• Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

Improving writing skills since 2002

(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

Man vs nature.

• Word Count: 661
• Approx Pages: 3
• View my Saved Essays
• Downloads: 121
• Grade level: High School
• Problems? Flag this paper!

            Man Vs Nature is looked at in many ways, and is often not completely understood before it's commented on. Many authors give their low opinion of man as they comment on man's destructive nature, and explain how man is trying to conquer nature and control it. But the nature of the world, and man himself, is far too powerful and unpredictable to be controlled. And man is far from being close to be able to destroy it, and therefore having control of it. .              Nature also tames man quite a bit. Natural things like the mountains, the weather, and the rivers. Those are the things that man builds around. Yet.we can't move mountains, and we can't live on rivers. .              The weather also affects the nature of man quite a lot. However the weather is, man changes his activity accordingly. When it rains, we have accidents on the road.When it floods, so do our houses. Nature in often times is the destructor and not man. Sometimes man conquers nature, or thinks he has, but then he also knows nature is much more powerful than him, and it's that balance of trying to control nature as much as possible. Man tries to control nature as much as he can. He makes houses to protect himself from the wind; he makes dams and sewers to stop flooding from the rain, and takes other various precautions to protect himself from the harsh elements of nature. .              It's always nature that rules in the end. Nature is simply stronger than man and technology. Man will always try to dominate nature with technology and computers, but man will never be able to dictate the direction the world is to take. The great magnitude of nature overpowers man significantly. .              Man may be able to predict earthquakes to an extent, but he is not able to stop Mother Nature's destruction. Men have no control over nature.he can alter the course, but cannot dictate the end. .              In Judith Wright's poem, 'The Surfer', it relates to how man likes to challenge nature and himself. The text shows the appreciation of the harsh elements of the sea, and the relationship and interaction between man and nature.

• Page 1 of 2

Essays Related to Man vs Nature

1. man vs. nature.

Man Vs. ... Throughout history, man has learned to adapt to his surroundings and withstand nature's obstacles. ... The short story "Leinengen vs. the ants" is based on the concept of the struggle between humans and nature. ... According to Carl Stephenson, the author of the short story "Leinengen vs. the ants," "the human brain needs only to become fully aware of its powers to conquer even Nature." ... Throughout time, man will keep on conquering nature because of his ability use of knowledge and advances in technology. ...

• Word Count: 291
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

2. Man Vs. Naure Vs.Man

Man Vs. Nature Vs. ... In the eleventh chapter of "Mein Kampt" it explains that man passes through nature believing they know all there is to know. ... In the chapter it tells man's role is to conquer nature. ... Nature runs our lives. ...

• Word Count: 322

3. Nature Vs. Nuture

The Great Nature vs. ... Attempting to ascertain whether people are genetically programmed to be good-natured or prone to violence, sober or alcoholic, homosexual or heterosexual has perplexed man since the beginning of history. Nature vs. nurture purists believe that we are either molded entirely by our surroundings or our genetic make-up, however, it is not necessarily so black and white. ... Based on the research I have done on the nature vs. nurture issue, I am still convinced that both factors must come in to play to shape our uniqueness. ... I think both sides of the nature vs. nurture i...

• Word Count: 1595
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

4. Science vs Nature

Science vs. ... Nature, on the other hand, is the actual physical world including all natural phenomena and living things. ... The numerous forms of science investigate the nature and behavior of matter and energy on a vast range of size and scale. ... Nature is our environment. ... The "control of nature" is a phrase conceived in arrogance, born of the Neanderthal age of biology and the convenience of man....

• Word Count: 538
• Approx Pages: 2

5. Nature vs nurture

Nature vs Nurture Do people inherit traits from their parents and families or are these traits formed throughout life? Which one is more strong nature or nurture? ... There cannot exist nurture if there is not nature. ... "Recent evidence indicates that culture actually shapes the hard-wiring or the human primate, a creature largely born bereft of instinct and known for its extreme plasticity"(Nature Vs. ... It is nature via nurture. ...

• Word Count: 1094
• Approx Pages: 4

6. Cloning Vs Nature

Cloning: Nature vs. Man There is moral concern and laws against the murder of people. ... Just as taking the life of a man is wrong, so is the unnatural creation of man. ... It is better for nature to play its role on its own and allow natures experience rule over technology. ... Cows milk can now be seen as "man made milk." ...

• Word Count: 684

7. Government vs. Environmentalists vs. Darwin

Government vs. Environmentalists vs. ... (Bugge 2) When talking about man destroying nature the person with the most to say is Charles Darwin. In his book Natural Selection Darwin has a problem when man makes the selection instead of letting nature take its slower but "truer" course then man's inferior way of selecting what should and what should not survive. ... In the long run he would want the environmentalists to be victorious because it would make a smaller impact on nature by not cutting down the Amazon....

• Word Count: 543

8. The Nature and Nurture Debate

The debate of Nature vs Nurture and it's effects on society is not a new, hot philosophical topic. ... This culture is based a set of beliefs based on nature: First, men naturally have more testosterone. ... For example, in America, a black man would experience a different environment than a white man due to a difference in the way he are treated by others. Schneider also cites the novel Black Like Me, in which a white man changes his skin color to appear black, as an example of that. ... The age-old philosophical debate of nature vs nurture, will not, like any other philosophical debate,...

• Word Count: 1520

9. Man vs. Woman

I sometimes wonder if in our infinite pride concerning our location on the food chain, we lost nature's true intention. ... Man with his cars and his economics and his religion. ... Once we start talking about man vs. woman, inevitably the homosexuality question comes up. ... Can a man and a man produce offspring? ... A coyote will chew off its leg to get out of a trap, a bear will kill a man to protect its young, and a woman will become a warrior and a man a mother. ...

• Word Count: 581

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Guest Essay

What Will It Take for Hollywood to Grow Up?

By Freddie deBoer

Mr. deBoer is a writer and cultural critic.

By the end of this weekend, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the latest film from Disney’s recently beleaguered Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, will likely have surpassed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. This success would seem to be a win for audiences that want both big franchise movies and adult content. Unlike most of Disney’s superhero movies, which are carefully engineered to appeal to the widest possible commercial audience (adults, children and international censors), the R-rated “Deadpool & Wolverine” is stuffed full of foul language, sex jokes and gore.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is certainly not for kids. But I’d struggle to say that it’s for grown-ups either.

Disney’s newest superhero film features plenty of violence, bloody and relentless and eventually mind-numbing. The titular characters have healing powers that render them effectively invulnerable, and the combat is just an excuse for more jokes, so most of the violence achieves nothing emotionally. Similarly, filthy wisecracks abound, but there’s no actual sex in the movie — nothing that could create real emotional stakes. Meanwhile, the character of Deadpool, as played by Ryan Reynolds, is defined by his trademark meta patter, through which he constantly reassures the audience that what they’re watching shouldn’t be taken seriously. At its core, this new made-for-adults film is still just another big-budget franchise movie based on empty nostalgia and catering to childishness, if not children.

I know I’m not alone in finding the film’s fundamental nature distressing (one headline branded the movie “ the year’s most depressing success story ”) or in lamenting Hollywood’s broader abandonment of popular entertainment made for adults. For decades now, Americans have been living in a period of all-conquering artistic populism; our culture industry has fully absorbed the notion that there is no sin greater than snobbery when it comes to appreciation of music or movies or television. We’ve essentially gotten rid of the divide between children’s and adult entertainment, insisting that it’s perfectly fine — maybe even preferable — to have the same tastes as an adult that you had as a child. (Or, perhaps, the same tastes that your child currently has, given the size of the adult “Bluey” audience .)

If there’s been one dominant message in 21st-century American artistic culture, it’s that you have permission — permission to consume nothing but superhero movies, Barbie, pop music by a recent Disney Channel star; permission to never eat your cultural vegetables; permission to never expand your cultural palate or stretch your attention span.

This permission may seem freeing. But when paired with ruthless, profit-maximizing market forces, it’s contributed to the death of grown-up entertainment.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .