The Destructive Household -- Jessica Schwier

Wendell Berry discusses the idea of a household being extremely destructive. He says that more than the government and universities, the household has institutionalizaed the divisions of life. Everything inside today's modern home is destructive. All of the machines powered by harmful energies hurt our air and water. The modern home has no respect for nature or our world. It separates us farther from nature. Another bad thing about the home is that it is not where one works. People do not work at home most often. Berry says, "When people do not live where they work, they do not feel the effects of what they do." For example, if someone is responsible for cutting down trees for a living, they are destroying homes of innocent animals and other wildlife. However, their neighborhood is full of trees and plants and wildlife. They do not see the effects of what they are doing and their home gives them an escape from what they are causing for others. I can see how this can hurt one's morals. Even though they cause problems for people living in other areas, they only experience what they know and are comfortable with in their own home. Another thing with the modern home is it a comfortable place for those who live in it. In one's home, they feel successful and proud, almost carefree. All of the things in their home remind them of their success. These are their possessions. I agree with Berry on this topic. People are very comfortable in their own homes and not comfortabl enough in the outside world. I believe we should remain comfortable in our homes, but we still must think of others and how we could be hurting the environment unpurposefully. Our trash sometimes spills over and gets into the street. That is hurting the environment. Our households are destructive and if more people viewed it this way, they could make better efforts to help out the environment and not harm nature.