“Stickeen” by John Muir is an adventure essay written in 1909. The topic of this essay is the relationship between a man and a dog he meets during an expedition to Fort Wrangel and their journey through an intense storm on a glacier. “Stickeen” was simply written to be an adventure story. It is a simple adventure story but there is much more intertwined: the essay not only describes the relationship between a man and a dog, but the depth and power shown in the relationship. Nature plays a secondary role, and much of this essay is devoted to descriptions of nature. Long descriptions of nature with an emphasis on accuracy of detail are often associated with the naturalist movement, of which John Muir was a part. Muir's attention to descriptions of nature also most likely stemmed from an eye injury that left him blind for a month. After regaining his sight, he decided to observe and explore the natural world. He was one of the most prominent members of the naturalist movement and worked to preserve many famous national parks such as Yosemite and Mount Rainier. Muir is often called the father of our national park system. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. Muir writes very long, detailed paragraphs filled with specific descriptions down to the smallest details. “…I could see, about fifty feet below, the edge of the glacier mill, where logs one to two feet in diameter were ground into pulp against the rock ledges and ledges of the shore. About three miles above the front of the glacier. This attention to detail characterizes nature. Nature, in fact, becomes a character in the story where it develops and changes together with other characters. It also reveals Muir's great love and devotion towards nature. His attention to the details of nature is also a characterization of the naturalist writing style. Muir also considered himself a protector of nature; therefore, the better he described these beautiful places, the more he proved his point about the importance of preserving them. “…he spent the dull days as slow, motionless, and seemingly observant as a hibernating marmot. But I found that somehow he always knew what was going on. When the Indians were about to shoot ducks or seals, or when something interesting was seen along the shore, he rested his chin on the edge of the canoe and calmly looked out. When he heard us talking about landing, he stood up to see where we were going, and prepared to jump into the sea and swim ashore as soon as the canoe approached the shore. Then, with a vigorous shake to clear the brine from his hair, he went into the woods to hunt small game. But, although he was always the first to get out of the canoe, he was always the last to get in. When we were ready to start he could never be found and refused to come to our call. We soon discovered, however, that although we could not see him at the time, he could see us, and from the shelter of the brambles and blueberry bushes at the edge of the woods he watched the canoe with a wary eye. Sure enough, as soon as we were far enough away, he came trotting along the beach, dove into the surf, and swam after us, knowing full well that we would stop rowing and take him on board. here Muir describes the Stickeen dog who, at times, seems almost human with his complexity of personality traits. This could be one of Muir's authentic observations thanks to his keen eye and extensive travels. And it seems in line with his devotion to nature where he turns a loving eye on animals, almost like an extension of nature. Here.