The tone of Tsing’s prologue and first chapter seemed particularly pessimistic yet accepting. While asking questions like, “how much chance do we have for passing a habitable environment to our multispecies descendants?” (3), Tsing implies the hopelessness of our situation as human beings yet seems to be fully accepting of the rather upsetting implied response. However, Tsing does utilize matsutake mushrooms as an interesting symbol of hope; this is especially evident when Tsing describes how these mushrooms have the wondrous ability to appear in the ashes of devastation such as that of Hiroshima or the widespread deforestation in Oregon in the 20th century. Not only do mushrooms grow in ruins, but they literally provide employment and opportunity. In this way, mushrooms serve as both a symbol and a literal example throughout the text.
However, as a generally positive person myself even in the face of our world’s particularly challenging issues, I felt that the text left little room for hope, despite the discussion of mushrooms. I also thought that perhaps Tsing should have stated (and this may be stated in another portion of the book) our role, both the author and the readers, in this progress and devastation. While I was not alive, nor the author, when the railroads were being laid in Oregon, we still today live in places that are the product of deforestation, buy household items or clothing to our environment’s detriment and overall participate in the ‘problem of progress.’ It seemed to me while reading these introductory chapters that there was a lack of responsibility taken and a lack of culpability thrust upon the reader. We are all guilty of taking part in this ruin, no matter how difficult it may be to admit.
Furthermore, I cannot seem to find an initial answer for Tsing’s overarching question: “How might capitalism look without assuming progress?” (5). I think this is a fascinating question, but I think it is first important to define what progress is and what it means in this context. Is progress not subjective in many ways? Although in the final paragraph in chapter one, Tsing made me think that progress may not be the true enemy, but instead, perhaps the enemy is aiming towards progress simply because that is what is what people do. (“It is in this dilemma that new tools for noticing seem so important,” 25). We should not blindly pursue progress, but we need to recognize the consequences of progress and whether chasing progress is, in fact, the right answer. I would be very interested to hear everyone else’s thoughts on this as well! How exactly can we define progress, and how do you interpret what Tsing means by her question of how “capitalism would look without assuming progress?”