The Comedy of Survival: Studies in Literary Ecology by J. W. Meeker (review)

250 Books interpretations of Marx and Engels. For one who is interested in the treatment by Marx and Engels of literature and art this selection enables one to get an introductory grasp of their approach to the issue. I say ‘introductory’ because a work of this kind, based on extracts, cannot replace the full original texts; it can only incite one to turn to them. The Comedy of Survival: Studies in Literary Ecology. J. W.Meeker. Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1974. 217 pp. $8.95. Reviewed by Daniel E. Noble* Assuming that man has damaged the life-supporting capabilities of the Earth’s biosphere, Meeker poses the question : ‘From the unforgiving perspective of evolution and natural selection, does literature contribute more to our survival than it does to our extinction’? If I interpreted him correctly, the bias of his conclusion is that it contributes toward extinction. He suggests that the literary tragic view of life (a conflict between moral precepts and laws of nature) ‘was invented by the Greeks and later modified and embellished by the JudeolChristian thinking’. Since this tragic view has led to cultural and biological degradation, he assumes that a switch to the comic mode of literature will be necessary for biological survival. In genuine tragedy, Meeker states that suffering is a consequence of deliberate choice. ‘Tragic figures bring on their own suffering, for they have taken a course of action which must inevitably lead to their doom, even though they may not have been aware at an earlier stage of their choice’. Despite my conviction that Western culture developed without direction or control (as a result of thousands upon thousands of influencing forces), I agree with Meeker that literature was one of the thousands of the forces, although, in my opinion, a minor one. As scientific knowledge accumulated, technology provided a steady flow of new methods and products. Sometimes they have interacted unfavorably with the ecological balance. Certainly the influence of literature was greatly increased by the development of high-speed communication systems and transportation. Perhaps my chief objection to Meeker’s position is his implication that literature has had a very powerful influence on the development of societies and on ecological degradation . I believe that literature serves more as an interpreter rather than as a major activator of the patterns of human behavior and that the development of muscleextension and brain-extension systems has been of far more profound influence. Chemical fertilizers and farm mechanization in the U.S.A. have led to more and more people moving to cities. I doubt that the writings of Shakespeare and other writers have played a role in this trend. Technology has made it possible to supply more food, clothing, shelter and medical protection and now the increasing world population threatens to degrade the biosphere’s regenerative capacity. Meeker insists that the degradation of the Earth’s biological stability is not the work of some inhuman technological demons. He states that the degradation is ‘a logical consequence of human beliefs and values, human toys and tools, and the use of the world for strictly human satisfaction’. One can argue that human beliefs and values merely accompanied the rising use of human toys and tools, and that the forces shaping the environment were merely sustained by the belief that the Earth and everything on it was put there for human satisfaction. It has been the scientific correlation of the many degrading forces at work in the biosphere that finally emphasized the dangers of irresponsible human interference with feedback relationships in nature. One is forced to wonder which comes first, a way of life or the art of literature. Obviously, they interact, but a way of life seems to me to be of primary importance. *4227 Upper Ridge Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85253, U S A . I found the book to be scholarly and thought-provoking. Since the visual arts, like the verbal arts, do influence human beliefs, artists will find this book both interesting and provocative and I recommend it highly. The Meaning of Unintelligibility in Modern Art. Edward F. Rothschild. Oriole, New York, 1973. 103 pp., illus. $8.00. Reviewed by Sandra Packard** Small in size, but...