Rythkheu’s A Dream in Polar Fog brings back the theme of a mutually beneficial relationship between man and nature: nature will be kind to the man that is kind to it and, in contrast, will do no favors for the man who is unkind to it. This relationship between man and nature is shown in the contrast between the white man and the Chukchi and in the value of trade in the different societies.

The relationship between man and nature first appeared when the Belinda was getting overrun by the ice field. Rythkheu explains that “Belinda’s speed depended on the speed of the north-easterly wind that was driving the churning ice… The last hope that they had was that the ice would carry the vessel through the straits and into the open waters of the Bering Sea” (18). Though the men are capable sailors, they are totally at the will of nature. When the sailors try to manipulate nature by blowing out the ice, John is punished by the explosion. In describing the explosion, Rythkheu invokes the northern lights: “That first instant, John saw a blazing light, as though it were the Northern Lights rearing up in front of his eyes” (20). The use of the Northern Lights as the description for the explosion makes it seem like nature is teaching John a lesson for trying to over power it. Had not the snow and ice covered the fifth cartridge, the explosions still would likely not have helped the Belinda return to sea.

The Chukchi, who have a much more positive relationship with nature than the sailors, value trade over money. When the Captain first tries to enlist Orvo’s help, he “laid down a crumpled wad of paper notes, the kind that Orvo had not much faith in, despite knowing well that the whites liked them no less than the metal ones” (11). Money offers the Chukchi little value in the arctic, but because the white man is just a visitor, he does not grasp the value of useful items for trade until later in the bargain. Trade is also a symbol for the relationship with nature that the Chukchi have. After the Shaman Kelena heals John and kills the dog, she buries the dog’s bones in the snow and afterwards chants: “Let the white man’s anger blow past us like a springtime storm. We saved his life. Teach him this, and make him understand what we did” (59). Though Kelena would not accept payment for her services, she does hope that John will understand the ways of the Chukchi and, in turn, the way to both give to and receive from nature.

There is not enough space in a blog post to include all of the evidence I found about this connection, and it is definitely not a fully formed thought, but I found it impossible to ignore the resurfacing of the idea of a mutually beneficial relationship between humans and nature and how trade, both human to human and human to nature, is often a factor in man’s relationship with nature.