Book
By, Mark Hamilton Lytle, Oxford University Press 2007
Book
Review, By Lucinda Hodges
"Each
person has the right to be secure in his own home against
the
intrusion of poison's applied by other persons."
Rachel Carson, May 1963
Rachel Carson, May 1963
What
is most striking to me about Rachel Carson, having just read Lylte's
concise profile of her life, is how frail her health was during the
time she was writing Silent Spring, how nearly the infamous
book was not written at all, and how closely Carson's illnesses
mirrored what would today would be described as an environmental
illness.
Any
person coping with the daily struggles of balancing work, family, and
health problems will be inspired by Mark Lylte's portrayal of Rachel
Carson. His biography brings her to life and reveals how she dealt
with ordinary obligations while accomplishing extraordinary tasks
that have withstood the test of time. His book is a quick read, well
referenced, and divides Carson's life into seasons: spring, summer,
fall, and winter. I think she would have approved.
Clearly,
Rachel Carson was an uncommon woman. Born on May 27th, 1907, she
defied the conventions of her time and choose a career in science.
She never married. Her early books about ecology and the sea earned
her national recognition. But, it was her final book dubbed the,
“Poison Book,” by her best friend and confident, Dorothy
Freeman, that earned her the legacy as the, “Mother of the
Environmental Movement.”
Author,
Mark Hamilton Lylte, writes, “The more I learned about Carson
--- The environmentalist, career woman, scientist, animal-rights
activist, faithful daughter and beloved aunt, female role model,
devoted friend, gifted writer, and political dissenter --- the more
interesting she became. Her struggle to write Silent Spring while
fighting against cancer was inspirational. The battle she waged
against the male dominated science establishment was truly heroic.”
And
Carson was a true heroine. She devoted the last years of her life to
personally caring for her invalid mother, adopting her five year old
nephew who was orphaned when Carson's sister died suddenly of the
flu, and somehow finding the time in between these challenges to
research and write Silent Spring.
Throughout her life, she always was able to meet her personal and
career responsibilities in a manner that was consistent with her
convictions and sense of ethics. No small feat.
On
June 28, 1958, Carson writes about her health in a letter to her dear
friend Dorothy, “we
can't lay it all to that my dear, for I was miserable much of the
time in Maine last year, even when doing practically nothing.”
Carson's letter to
Dorothy indicates that she was ill and suffering long before any
official diagnosis of cancer. Later on, “The
flare-up of a recurring duodenal ulcer forced her into bed for
several weeks.... though on many days she could barely leave her bed
and wondered “whether the Author even exists anymore.”” Lytle
writes, “Despite
her intention to work quickly, she could never overcome the
limitations imposed by her family and her own mounting health
problems.”On December 2nd, 1958, Marion Carson, Rachel's mother,
died with Rachel by her bedside holding her hand.
In
March,1960, Carson was diagnosed with breast cysts and underwent a
mastectomy. At the time, her doctor chose to hide the true nature of
her health from her and told her she did not have breast cancer,
merely benign tumors. Only later in November did she learn the truth
when, “she discovered a hard swelling on her left side...
her doctor recommended radiation treatments. Immediately after, she
came down with the flu that left her bedridden for two weeks. What
ensued was a train of woes worthy of Job. A minor bladder infection
gave way to blood poisoning. Antibiotics brought on painful phlebitis
that left her knee and ankle painfully swollen. Unable to stand, much
less walk, she was confined to a wheelchair. For over a month writing
was impossible.”
In
typical Carson fashion she rallies and brings the focus of her mind
to bear upon her book, Silent
Spring. Lylte writes,
“With her project on track, Carson suffered what she
considered, “the most frustrating and maddening,” of all of her
ailments. In late November she contracted a case of severe iritis, an
inflammation of the irises in her eyes. For two weeks she was nearly
blind.”
Silent
Spring, was
at last published in the summer of 1962. Her book created a firestorm
of controversy. Despite her failing health Carson met the firestorm
with candor, grace, and the firmness of her facts. She testified
before Congress on, June 4th, 1963, “I
hope the government will fully support research on new methods of
pest control in which chemical use will be minimized or entirely
eliminated. One of the outstanding values of biological controls for
insect pests is that they are specifically adapted to a particular
species or group of species. We must search, not for a super weapon
that will solve all problems, but for a diversity of options, each
precisely adjusted to its task.”
Mark
Lylte concludes his book on Carson with these insightful words,
"Rachel Carson
grew up in an America whose leaders preached that the nation had
achieved greatness by conquering and controlling nature. How then
could they accept a woman who challenged them to be respectful of
nature, to recognize the limits of their own understanding, and to
seek out the mystery and wonder of the unknown? They were, after all,
practical men. Rachel Carson urged them to be men of vision.”
Rachel
Carson died at home on April 14th, 1964, at the age of 56.
To learn about
more about the legacy of Rachel Carson's work check out these
websites:
