This essay dives into the similarities between man and earth. Humans like to distance themselves from nature and focus on making technological advances, but in reality we are very similar. Both earth and man have tiny organisms living within them, doing their jobs and going about what they're supposed to do. The author is trying to prove that while humans think they are above nature and one of the most powerful forces, they are really just small parts to a larger ecosystem, "[Earth] is too big, too complex, with too many working parts lacking visible connections... it is most like a single cell." (Thomas, 360) This essay is directed towards all people, because we all overestimate our own power and importance. It was written in the early seventies, a time when technological advancements were becoming more common. This essay acts as a wake up call. It urges people to remember that they are just tiny inhabitants with little to no control over the planet they're living on. They shouldn't fight it, but embrace it. Lewis Thomas was an American physician, poet, etymologist, essayist, administrator, educator, policy advisor, and researcher who attended Princeton University and Harvard Medical School. With his education on biology and the world around us, Thomas is clearly qualified to write this essay. Something interesting that he does is repeat the word "item." This repetition helps emphasize his main idea: that we are just minor parts to a larger whole. He is able to clearly and successfully get his point across to the audience with his scientific analogies and biological terms.
Nature is within us.
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