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''Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place'' is a memoir by environmentalist Terry Tempest Williams. This book explores the relationship between the natural and unnatural along with condemning the American government for testing nuclear weapons in the West. Williams uses components of nature such as the flooding of the Great Salt Lake and the resulting dwindling populations of birds at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to illustrate the importance of nature preservation, acceptance of change, and the impact of human intervention on the natural world. ==Themes== Williams's many themes in Refuge revolve around humans, nature, and other natural and unnatural phenomena, such as cancer and death. Some themes are evident in her narrative, while other themes require some critical thinking to discover. Themes that can be found in her book include: *Unnatural vs natural: A theme of unnatural vs natural is shown through Williams's belief that the breast cancer in her family was caused by the unnatural phenomenon of atomic testing and radiation testing where she lived. However, cancer can occur naturally in others because of how it is a part of the body. *Men’s disconnect and lack of intimacy in nature: Williams shows this by telling of the many occurrences when she encounters men at the Bird Refuge, such as construction workers not caring about what animals they are endangering. She also talks about how men have lost touch with women and nature because men focus their intimacy on their own selves. *Humans have the need to “fix” the environment to suit their needs. This theme is shown through government of Utah's attempts to control the water level of the Great Salt Lake through the use of pumping, while the birds that live in the refuge nearby simply fly to another more suitable habitat to live. *Cancer is a disease that affects everyone: Williams reveals this theme by writing about how she, her father, and the rest of the family struggled with Williams's mother through her cancer. Williams's father was especially affected by her mother's cancer. *Women and their innate connection to nature: The Williams's women feel a deep adoration and understanding of the natural world, and are easily angered by humanity's negligence towards "Mother Earth". *The decision to treat a medical illness or not: Should Williams's mother receive the chemotherapy and prolong her life or accept the inevitability of death? Humans struggle with the advances in modern medicine and lose sight of the cycle of life. *Human desire for solitude within nature is apparent in Williams's book because of her relationship with the bird refuge. She seeks a place to escape and exist only for herself. The bird refuge provides that quiet place to reflect and reconnect with the natural world. *Delusion within humanity: Is present when Terry's father neglects to accept his wife's cancer. He continues to push treatments upon her in order to preserve her life. However, Terry's mother wants to live unassisted and faces wholeheartedly the reality of her situation. *The strength and depth of relationships between women is a major aspect of the narrative, as the majority of people with whom Williams connects on a complex level are women, particularly her mother and grandmother. It is either in the company of women or in solitude that Williams comes to important conclusions and realizes the strength of humanity. *The power of nature over the lives of humans is demonstrated throughout the narrative with the rising of the water levels of the Great Salt Lake. Just by the flooding alone, the residents of the area had their lives interrupted to the point that they considered intervention the only option. Williams, however, points out that nature is too powerful to be contained by technology, and is instead humbled by it. Humans should learn to live with nature, as they cannot win against it. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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