Hermit Crab

“For each of us- furred, feathered, or skinned alive- the whole earth balances on the single precarious point of our own world survival” (page 272, paragraph four) Barbara Kingsolver

This quote explains her split opinions of how she feels about life, from all things good like humanity and the difficulty of just being happy and living. Sometimes its not always sunshine and rainbows to get through another day or to live it at its fullest. Kingsolver included this in her writing to compare the life of the hermit crab to the unpredictable days it faces. It could become prey to certain animals or it could just go on another day looking for food. This is a way of describing the events of nature and just the way life goes.

“If we resent being bound by these ropes, the best hope is to seize them out like snakes, by the throat, look them in the eye and own up to their venom.” (page 270, paragraph one) Barbara Kingsolver

The quote explains that we should be able to take life by the throat and tell it that we’ve had enough. We should be able to stand up to its adversities that it throws at us. Surviving is in our blood and it was a miracle that the hermit crab has made it this far. With hardships diminished, we are able to create and invest just like how the hermit crab created its home to live in. We are able to feed and reproduce just as how it would happen in nature. It animal instinct has taken it this far by standing up to its self, why not take it further.