Ruins are usually associated with the destruction of physical objects, buildings, or cities. This devastation can come about in two ways: nature or man. Because ruins can be caused both naturally and artificially, I wonder about its impacts on the world. How and why are ruins depicted?
A significant example of a natural ruin is the ancient Roman city of Pompeii after Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE. Over two thousand people died, and the city was abandoned for over a thousand years. However, as explorers discovered, Pompeii was mostly intact underneath the thick layer of ashes. Everyday life was preserved under the debris: skeletons were posed where they had fallen, household objects littered the streets, and jars of fruit were still undamaged. Although the ashes made the city look like a site of danger and doom, Pompeii was actually as normal as any other ancient Roman city. Because Pompeii was unfortunately affected by the explosion, the site was depicted as eerie but precious. The normalcy of life under the dust demonstrates how mortal human beings are and how easy it is for …show more content…
Thirty-one people died directly from the radiation exposure, and more than six thousand cases of cancer were linked to the accident. The ruins of the Chernobyl site and the surrounding area were abandoned for long periods of time. Like the ruins of Pompeii, little snapshots of everyday life were preserved in Chernobyl. Toys were left in the middle of playgrounds and wedding photos were left in apartments. Although the damage was not as deadly as it was in Pompeii, the Chernobyl site still evokes devastation from many people. The ruins of the plant represent the effort that humans contributed to progress. Rousseau stated that progress was bad and that it ruined humanity, and that is true in this case. Because man tried to advance through the use of nuclear power, disaster
A significant example of a natural ruin is the ancient Roman city of Pompeii after Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE. Over two thousand people died, and the city was abandoned for over a thousand years. However, as explorers discovered, Pompeii was mostly intact underneath the thick layer of ashes. Everyday life was preserved under the debris: skeletons were posed where they had fallen, household objects littered the streets, and jars of fruit were still undamaged. Although the ashes made the city look like a site of danger and doom, Pompeii was actually as normal as any other ancient Roman city. Because Pompeii was unfortunately affected by the explosion, the site was depicted as eerie but precious. The normalcy of life under the dust demonstrates how mortal human beings are and how easy it is for …show more content…
Thirty-one people died directly from the radiation exposure, and more than six thousand cases of cancer were linked to the accident. The ruins of the Chernobyl site and the surrounding area were abandoned for long periods of time. Like the ruins of Pompeii, little snapshots of everyday life were preserved in Chernobyl. Toys were left in the middle of playgrounds and wedding photos were left in apartments. Although the damage was not as deadly as it was in Pompeii, the Chernobyl site still evokes devastation from many people. The ruins of the plant represent the effort that humans contributed to progress. Rousseau stated that progress was bad and that it ruined humanity, and that is true in this case. Because man tried to advance through the use of nuclear power, disaster