Greed and Destruction

Throughout her novel, Damnation Spring, Davidson thematically explores the connection between greed and destruction. At the outset of the narrative, Daniel explains to Colleen that he is back in their hometown to study “water quality [and] silt load” (39). He is concerned that the practice of clear cutting and the liberal use of pesticides are damaging the water quality in Damnation Spring. The author utilizes his research to establish that corporate industrial practices, employed to turn a profit at a faster pace, are destructive to the flora and fauna in the ecosystem. Over harvesting the groves leads to mudslides and excessive silt in the river while herbicides leach into the fish and water creating dangerous levels of toxins.

Later on in the novel, Merle, the head of the Sanderson logging company, admits that he hired Eugene to poach burls off of the redwood trees. While...