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Harper, EZMoney

October 20, 2014

Night Riders

The circadian clock is the biological clock used by most living organisms to differentiate their behaviors based on season and time. The owl, the lark, even plants such as the “white water lily” and “evening primrose” have their own interpretations of the circadian clock (Fadiman, 2012, p. 4). One of Anne Fadiman’s main observations is that not all living species follow the same biological clock and connects it to her personal experiences of being nocturnal. In fact, the preference of ones clock is close to hereditary; something that has been practiced over the years. Like most who are chastised for lurking at all hours of the night, she tries to understand the larks perspective but cannot mask the purity of the vast night sky. Looking at her work, “Night Owl,” Fadiman’s use of various anecdotes and vivid imagery gives in depth analyses of the comparisons between day and night dwellers. She argues that people who are categorized as owls are good for more than stealing, killing or anything symbolized as negative; they help keep the balance of structure.

Fadiman begins her essay by briefly describing what her early morning consist of: steady “blinking in the sunlight, [moving] as though in honey, and [pouring] salt in the coffee.” (p.4) This is the first glimpse we get of her comparison. Her personal excerpt gives insight as to how her circadian clock differs from her husband’s, who is up at the crack of dawn but is consumed by drowsiness in the late hours of the night. In juxtaposing her own anecdote with her analyzation of “Night as Frontier” by Murray Melbin, who states that the night must be “colonized.” (p.7). According to Melbin, the lack of space we have in our crowded cities prevents us from peak production. He believes that “[time is] the only dimension we have left to occupy,” therefore we must take advantage of the after-work hours. (p.7). This is a critical part of her argument and a great source to...