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Show 211 would turn. This choice produced further complications for Muir, as we shall see, since Thoreau's strategy did not lead toward mediation, but toward confrontation. Thoreau did not coax his reader, but assaulted him. So too, Muir sometimes attacked his civilized reader. Before a choice of diction or rhetorical strategy, however, came a selection of material. Muir had to select from his journals the kind of experiences which would illustrate effectively several themes. First he wished to present his view of Nature as Savior, literally, not just figuratively. All storms recommended themselves as concrete manifestations of a live Nature still about her business of shaping the world. But immediately Muir found it necessary to mediate with his second theme. Because civilized men were house-ridden, alienated from Nature, they could not recognize that such phenomena illustrated the orderly flow of natural processes. They would have to be shown. Finally, men who were alienated from Nature could only see her more noble processes after conquering their fear. Even using himself as mediator, he could finally present only certain moderate experiences to demonstrate his themes. Writing moderate essays was a serious concession to civilized conventions, especially considering his condemnation of Ruskin's principle of Moderation in art. • . . telling us most solemnly that Nature is never immoderate! and that if he had the power and the paint he would have "Moderation" brushed in big capitals |