20. "Save the Whales, Screw the Shrimp"

     The environment has been a never ceasing topic in literature, media, and even photography. Yet, why is it that we despise these subjects when encountered by them? The answer, according to the author Joy Williams, is rather simple: we reject it in order to avoid dealing with it. After all, the environment has become a result of human indecency. Consequently, we have damaged the environment to the point of no repair. Due to our selfishness, we have treated nature as a form of entertainment with the creation of zoos,parks and tourism, and have taken for granted the natural resources for our own benefits with the constant investments on irrigation ditches and deforestation. In conclusion, humanity is the only one to blame for the overwhelming environmental crisis we face today. Yet, many times we try to avoid this fact and blame it on politics or even science or technology. The solution to this, as suggested by Williams, is a radical shift of fundamental attitudes towards the earth. We must change the way we think and therefore act differently towards the attitudes we have been taking.
     The author of this article, Joy Williams, writes in a very unique style which works very effectively. Throughout the entire essay, Williams presents a somewhat hypothetical conversation between her and the reader. Several times she refers to the readers as "you" creating a rather colloquial conversation between the reader and the author. This is very effective as it captivates the readers generating interest throughout the entire essay. One interesting point of her essay was how she  openly criticized the reader, somewhat blaming the critical state of the environment on the audience. Yet, this works because there is some truth behind everything she criticizes. In a way, Williams makes the readers feel purposely guilty in order to criticize not only the reader but society in general. Williams' creative writing was very interesting and simply genius in my opinion. I enjoyed this article and commend Williams for her unique writing skills.