A Land Remembered Reflection

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A change in time...

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I have chosen to discuss Sol MacIvey from A Land Remembered. He is the son of Zech MacIvey and the grandson of Tobias MacIvey.  Sol is the third generation of the MacIvey’s. He is brought up just as his father was and learned how to survive out in the wilderness. Sol tries to continue what his grandfather and father had envisioned. Living, breathing, sharing and loving the land, but his sadness of his entire family being gone overcame him. He decides to leave his home and start a new life in civilization. During this time Sol becomes much wealthier than what his family left behind, but all for the wrong reason. He begins draining the land his father purchased in Okeechobee which was never to be touched but preserved to continue farming. My description of Sol would be a regretful, angry man, although, before his time, he finally realizes the real purpose of the land.

As a young child, Sol relates to his environment well. It is all he has ever known. He knows how to survive and live off of the land. But as he gets older and deals with the death of his entire family, he wants to escape the place where his family lived and move on to the world that his family never would have chosen.

I believe that Sol does not discover his sense of place until it is too late. He thinks that the land his father purchased was to continue on and farm. He gets caught up in the life of civilization and forgets what his family lived for. This caused irreversible harm to many animals and others who lived off the land, like the Indians. Once he speaks with his half brother Toby Cypress and deals with his own hardship of losing his home due to a hurricane, he finally realizes that it is not about how much money you have or what you can do with it. It is about the land, which the people need to survive. This was not how he was raised and this was not what the MacIvey’s believed in. I would guess that from the beginning of the story, Sol would be recognized for owning many properties, land, and one who was filthy rich. Although, from the ending of the novel, I do not think that this meant anything to him. He was able to recognize what was important which was where he came from.

I would say that I can somewhat relate to Sol. He is very naïve and does not learn what is important until damage has been done. He is very strong growing up, but loses his sense of place once he gets older and leaves his home to live in civilization. I have learned that, you may think you know a lot about something particular but there is always more to learn. Especially, since I have begun this colloquium course. You can never know too much.

I do not think I have fully come to the understanding of what the meaning of having a “sense of place” is. I did not know much about the environment prior to beginning this course. But, I have now come to know the great risks involved in what is currently happening in our world today. I hope by the end of this course, I can come to a conclusion of where “I” belong in a sense of place and what I can do to try and preserve our world. This relates to Sol because he is unaware of his sense of place until it is too late. I believe that everyone has a different outlook on a sense of place, which depends on their upbringing and beliefs.

This is a difficult question to answer in regards to myself and my legacy. My understanding of “legacy” is something that someone has left behind that is going to continue on or that someone will remember once a person has gone. I can only say that it is never too late or too early to leave a legacy. I believe that what legacy I leave behind will be instilled from what my parents and grandparents have left for me. My thought on the comparison to my legacy and Sol, there is none. I think that a legacy does not just mean that the whole world needs to know, but what is instilled in those closest to us. Those are the legacies that truly make an impact on lives.