Chua Jun Xiang 2A/06

The above photo shows the relationship between Nature and Man in modern society. Looking beyond the superficial view of the photo, one can actually see that Man is trying to make use of Nature to his advantage.
Firstly, benches are built around this tree so that the tree can be used to provide a shady area for people to rest. This is a way Man has made use of Nature, in this case, the tree, to help and benefit human’s life. This can also be considered a form of exploitation of Nature by Man.
When one looks at the scene of benches surrounding the tree, one will feel that it is as though the tree has become a ‘prisoner’ and the man-made benches are the ‘prison cell walls’. Although that is just a form of interpretation, there is still the irony as this photo is taken within Singapore Botanical Gardens which is supposedly an area which promotes the preservation and appreciation of Nature.

In this photo, a short flight of stairs breaks the monotony of the trees along the side of the road. It is seen to be very sudden and eye-catching. The short flight of stairs actually looks very foreign and it abruptly stops the continuation of Nature, which in this case are the trees and plants.
This sudden change in pattern in Nature, such as the short flight of stairs in the middle of the trees probably shows the disharmony between Man and Nature and that Man interrupts and interferes with Nature’s doings. This can be seen in real life such as the Industrial Revolution leading to a great increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, causing the breaking down of the ozone layer. Without Man carrying out the Industrial Revolution, the ozone layer will still be in perfect condition.
In conclusion, this photo shows that Man, through his exploitation of Nature actually interrupts the growth and existence of Nature. This photo thus shows the dominance of Man over Nature, however the branches of the trees and plants will soon cover the flight of stairs and this shows that Man’s dominance over Nature will only be temporary.



Different from the others, this photo actually showed how Man helped Nature, instead of exploiting and making use of Nature.
In this photo, dead leaves are seen to be in abundance directly under the tree around its trunk. This is actually done on purpose by Man so that when the dead leaves decompose; the roots of the tree under the heap of dead leaves will be able to absorb the nutrients released during the decomposing of the leaves aiding the tree in its growth.
The dead leaves are not in that position naturally but are swept by workers of Singapore Botanical Gardens into that position. This shows that Man does not only exploit Nature since the development of science, but Man also makes use of his knowledge of science to help Nature, such as in this case. Therefore, in today’s society, despite the many exploitation of Nature by Man, Man still knows that Nature holds an important role in the world.

Chua Jun Xiang
2A'06