ENGL 224 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Albert Camus
Document Summary
Yet in the everyday, trees and vegetal life are nearly invisible in their less spectacular forms. You"ve likely crossed paths with them today and failed to register their presence consciously. No longer singular living entities but a green and quiet backdrop, they provide the context in which we live. To mark the beginning of life, trees are crafted into cribs and cradles and birth certificates. In a simple lullaby, the beginning and end of a human life can be imagined through the tree: When the wind blows, the cradle will rock, When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, Down will come baby, cradle and all. In the formative years of a life, trees make books, classroom desks, and children"s blocks. Architects sculpt them into houses and towns, the polis where people are governed. Trees mark the end of human life when the car forgets to stay on its custom-constructed turf, as was the case for albert camus.
