Edward Hoagland is an animal lover at heart saying that he has owned “dogs, cats, turtles, snakes, alligators, pigeons, possums, goats” while he was in his home state of Connecticut (Stuttering Foundation). He writes of animals and their conservations often. In fact, it’s his signature as an author. He has many works, 60 years’ worth, of conservation of animals fueled by this relentless desire to write for animals who cannot write for themselves (Stuttering Foundation). Turtles may seem like they don’t need much because they tend to eat and lounge all day, but this is not the case. Edward Hoagland’s infamous essay “The Courage of Turtles” is full of blunt facts that encourage a new twist to how we connect with an animal that the general public
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Turtles environments are drying up and getting taken over. The Mud Pond dries up and “slowly entombed [the turtles]” (Hoagland 151). Turtles are aquatic animals and need this water to survive. Hoagland’s observation of the turtles’ entombment provides sympathy for our amphibious friends. He proceeds to give another example due to the bulldozing of the land (Hoagland 151). Instead of refurbishing the land and helping the animals, the land is bulldozed down and flattened. This example from Hoagland is absolutely full of sympathy and devastation. Hoagland also shows that humans can contribute to this terrible environment factor for turtles. Turtles in human care do not get the correct treatment. For example, A fish store owner left turtles in sunlight “dry as a heap of bones” (Hoagland 154). The fish store owner left them there, without food or water. The fish owner may or may not have known the extent of what he did, but this anecdote provides a want for the reader to help the turtle. In his essay, he mentions how he himself cared for a turtle until he threw him in a river to his death (Hoagland 155). The author know how he messed up when he saw the fear on the little Diamondback’s face (Hoagland 155). Humans make mistakes; it’s in our DNA. Hoagland provides a twist of tables in telling how he messes up, but there really was nothing anybody could do for the turtle in the end. Hoagland successfully demonstrates that turtles’ environments are depleting quickly and our human family cannot or will not help
Turtles environments are drying up and getting taken over. The Mud Pond dries up and “slowly entombed [the turtles]” (Hoagland 151). Turtles are aquatic animals and need this water to survive. Hoagland’s observation of the turtles’ entombment provides sympathy for our amphibious friends. He proceeds to give another example due to the bulldozing of the land (Hoagland 151). Instead of refurbishing the land and helping the animals, the land is bulldozed down and flattened. This example from Hoagland is absolutely full of sympathy and devastation. Hoagland also shows that humans can contribute to this terrible environment factor for turtles. Turtles in human care do not get the correct treatment. For example, A fish store owner left turtles in sunlight “dry as a heap of bones” (Hoagland 154). The fish store owner left them there, without food or water. The fish owner may or may not have known the extent of what he did, but this anecdote provides a want for the reader to help the turtle. In his essay, he mentions how he himself cared for a turtle until he threw him in a river to his death (Hoagland 155). The author know how he messed up when he saw the fear on the little Diamondback’s face (Hoagland 155). Humans make mistakes; it’s in our DNA. Hoagland provides a twist of tables in telling how he messes up, but there really was nothing anybody could do for the turtle in the end. Hoagland successfully demonstrates that turtles’ environments are depleting quickly and our human family cannot or will not help