Humans: Outrageous, Malevolent, and Decadent Entities to Nature

Phattarapol Thongcharoensub

 "Underneath the Quaintness of belief

To be modernized with one Theory

Doth it leak its knowledge of the Ocean

Constructing all Samaritans & Resilience"


Humans: Devils with The Softest Skins?


Source: https://veryimportantlot.com/ru/news/blog/klassicizm-strogie-idealy-vysokogo-stilya

     Even if the history of humanity has been written to only commemoratively acclaim humans as heroes or heroines to subjugate and terminate an elephantine number of malignant denizens, it has never been re-written to regard their relationship with nature in a saintly way. In fact, humans are portrayed adversely to be destructive and take nature for granted.

        The characterizations of McGregor family, especially Mr. McGregor betoken such anthropocentric behaviors towards Peter and his father, which can reflect the theme “humans’ violence towards nature”:

“NOW, my dears,” said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, “you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don’t go into Mr. McGregor’s garden. Your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.”  (Potter, 2006, p. 7).

        Pertaining to this excerpt from the story, it recollects the so-called “accident”, where Peter’s father is caught to make a pie for McGregor family. This particular scene can covey the theme “humans’ violence towards nature”, in which humans with anthropocentric minds think that they are superior to any nature units, and they can make use of them such as making them food, capturing them, and parting them a part of humans’ practices.

Source: Picture, edited from “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” e-book


        In order to support this idea, the technique of understatement or litotes is expressed in this scene. For example, the word “accident” can be an ample example. What Mrs. Rabbit means when she says “accident” is not really that. However, it appears that the author would like to tone down and downplay the actual action that humans do toward Peter’s father. This can emphasize the theme “humans’ violence towards nature”, since the litotes device is presupposed to message how humans really maltreat nature to consider them just food not friends.

      Aside from understatement technique to help develop such theme, another primary literary technique like characterizations can reflect the theme likewise:

[…] Mr. McGregor was on his hands and knees planting out young cabbages, but he jumped up and ran after Peter, waving a rake and calling out, “Stop thief!” (Potter, 2006, p. 13).

        Mr. McGregor is characterized to be destructively violent, harsh, and malicious, especially towards Peter’s point of view. For instance, he chases Peter immediately after sighting him in his garden by using a rake. This rake can be used as a symbol of humans’ treacherous tool that can ravage Peter.

Source: Picture, edited from “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” e-book



Source: Picture, edited from “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” e-book



Further Reading:

Potter, B. (2006). The tale of Peter Rabbit (Based on the original and authorized edition). Frederick Warne & Co.


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