I should have known, he whispered. I am the rain. And yet he looked dully down the mountains of his body where the hills fell to an abyss. He felt the driving rain, and heard it whipping down, pattering on the ground. He saw his hills grow dark with moisture. Then a lancing pain shot through the heart of the world. I am the land, he said, and I am the rain. The grass will grow out of me in a little while.And the storm thickened, and covered the world with darkness, and with the rush of waters.
In this excerpt from John Steinbeck's "To a God Unknown," a character reflects on his connection to nature, recognizing a profound bond with the elements. As he experiences the rain and its effects on the landscape, he muses about his identity in relation to the land and the natural world. The rain symbolizes not only nourishment for the earth but also the cyclical nature of life and growth, highlighting the character's intertwined existence with his surroundings.
As the storm intensifies, the character grapples with a deep emotional pain, which resonates through the natural world around him. He comes to terms with his duality as both land and rain, suggesting a unity with the earth that transcends personal suffering. This moment encapsulates the theme of connection to nature and underscores the inevitability of renewal and growth, even amidst darkness and turmoil.
