Summary Of The Times They Are A Changin By Wendell Berry

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The Times They Are A Changin’ I began reading Wendell Berry’s novel Hannah Coulter with the impression that it was a tale of true love lost forever. While wandering through the numerous pages my perspective seemed to reshape itself several times. I came to the realization that there is more than one possible way to interpret this story; however, I was mainly intrigued with the emphasis of adaptation to change over time. Berry describes an intricate account of life, and the phases of which we progress through it. Entering into the story we meet the main character Hannah Steadman. As she narrates her former years she starts by describing her life growing up in the fictitious rural town of Shagbark, Kentucky. This is the setting of Hannah’s upbringing where she acquires the knowledge and skill of being a hardworking and diligent young woman. She is taught the significance of chores and manual labor by her…show more content…
I view change as the building blocks for the future. We need change in order to grow and learn about all there is to know in life. Berry sees change as the loss of the traditional ways of life and the shift to big cities and technology. In That Distant Land, another novel written by Berry, he observes the same behaviors that were displayed by Hannah’s children: And now look at how many are gone…the mold they were made in done throwed away, and the young ones dead in the wars or killed in damned automobiles, or gone off to college and made too smart ever to come back, or gone off to bright lights and ain’t going to work in the sun ever again if they can help it. (2) One could see how Berry’s thoughts of change would have a negative aspect regarding one’s community. I however, believe that change is always beneficial, whether the change be good or bad. Change is a crucial part of life. It helps us grow and learn. Without it we would be

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