Timothy Treadwell

In Grizzly Man, Timothy Treadwell said he was going out to become one with the bears. I don't think that could ever be possible. As we discussed in class, there is what I consider to be a distinct line between animals and humans, particularly between large, dangerous animals like bears and humans because these larger animals present more of a competitive nature to humans. The line between humans and bears represents a difference and corresponds with the existence of a mutual respect. Past cultures recognize this difference. Native American's and even the paleolithic people respected and revered larger, threatening animals. Because these animals are at the same level, if not above the level of humans as far as strength and aggression goes, it is important to observe the disctinction between human and bear that the line holds.

Along with the recognition of the line and respect for the bears, Native Americans and other past cultures also revered them. As we saw in our readings about Paleolithic art and the Effigy Mound Builders, people used animals as symbols and felt a connection with them that continued to develop through time. There was a spiritual and religious relationship between the humans and animals which was shown through art. Paleolithic people and Native American's respected animals that were larger than them and that were competing for the same level of hierarchy as themselves. Timothy Treadwell on the other hand, did not.

Treadwell had something of a warped perception of the relationship between humans and bears. He wanted to educate the world and prove that bears had been misunderstood. He also fancied himself as a protector of the bears, a feat which proved to be impossible. How can one human protect bears? I don't believe any Native American, nor any paleolithic person would ever dream of connecting with bears and protecting them like Treadwell did. Over time, I think we humans, particularly Treadwell and others like him, have lost track of what it is like to live with nature. Living in harmony and being one with nature does not necessarily mean one has to interact with animals, like Treadwell did with the bears. Harmony and spiritual connection with animals has just as much to do with with how we don't interact with them as it does with how we do interact. It is much more of a harmonic and spiritualistic relationship if we live life by leaving the bears alone. In my opinion, Treadwell did not understand what it really meant to be living with the bears. He should have observed them more and interacted with them less. Yes, he believed and it may have been true, that he needed to show them who was in charge in order to stay alive. However, in bullying them around like he did, while he secured his safety for some time, he was not completing what he considered to be his mission to become one with the bears. At that time, he was more of a protector of the bears, which I have already identified to be a silly aim.

Ultimately, Treadwell tried to do too many things. He could not be one of the bears, a bear protector and a human educator all at the same time. At this time in our development as society, I think it was easy for Treadwell to be disillusioned about what being in nature is really about. We read and study about Native American tribes and the paleolithic people and how they held nature and animals close to their hearts and their spiritual rituals, but we don't realize that they also respected and revered the animals they lived with. They understood that the animals were dangerous and had a certain power over them. It was sort of a push-pull relationship that had to be delicately balanced. This is what Treadwell lacked. The knowledge and understanding of the relationship between animals and humans. A relationship that has lasted for years which he chose to ignore.