The summary of the novel Saints at the River - Essay Example

The summary of the novel "Saints at the River" The critical analysis, on the basis of then intention of the author and the perception of the readers, concludes that Luke is one of the prominent saints of environment in the novel. It is mainly through the words and actions of Luke that the author presents his great ideas concerning environment and it catches the attention of the readers. The novel powerfully presents the authors justification of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act through the environmentalist Luke who had been in the Peace Corps for eighteen months and been to Biafra "during the worst of the famines" (Rash p.100). All through his life, Luke Miller, the fearless and incorruptible champion of the river, had been there to help people in the worst times and worked industriously for the protection of the Tamassee River under the Wild and Scenic River Act (Rash p.106). The author is successful in conveying his environmental ideas through the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos which can be identified in the character of Luke.

Remarkably, the justification of the issue is determined by the position of the targeted readers which makes the character either saints or the opposite. In presenting the story that confronts the mutually opposing issues of environment and morality, the author effectively makes use of the views and concepts of Luke in order to touch the deeper senses of the audience. The author presents his environmental concerns to an audience which he feels will ultimately understand the meaning and facts of the ideas.

Nobody more than Luke could act as the mouthpiece of the author in this effort. He possesses all the reliability by means of his long experience of defending the environment, especially the Tamassee River. Luke makes this point clear to Mr. Brennon when asked if the same would be his stand had the tragedy happened to his family. Luke's reply is remarkable: "I don't have a daughter, but if I did and she was dead and I knew there was nothing I could do to make her alive again, I can't think of a place I'd rather her body be than in the Tamassee.

I'd want her where she'd be part of something pure and good and unchanging, the closest thing to Eden we've got left. You tell me where there's a more serene and beautiful place on this planet. You tell me a more holy place, Mr. Brennon, because I don't know one." Therefore, Luke is an emblem of the success that the author enjoys through his very activities and defense of environment. And the novel, through the environmentalist Luke, targets the environmentalists of the age group ranging from twenties to the forties.

It is important to note that the arguments of Luke are effective and appealing to the readers. It is mainly because he speaks both through words and deeds. He shows sympathy because he has experienced being stuck in the hydraulic before and believes that it is not such an awful place to keep Ruth Kowalsky and he feels it to be holy. His contribution to the preservation of the river cannot be overlooked by anyone. Luke shows empathy because he has been stuck in the hydraulic before and has actually experienced it.

Maggie states, "The hydraulic caught the kayak, sucked it in. A few moments later the kayak bobbed up like a cork, but Luke was still underwater. It seemed he was under an hour, but no more than three or four minutes passed before he emerged, neck and knees tucked to his chest as if shot out of a cannon." Therefore, the ways and actions of Luke are very much