Legacy of "Lady with a Spear."

[covediver]

The passing this week of Eugenie Clark has me thinking about her book, Lady with a Spear, and the contribution it made to diving. In the book "America's Ocean Wilderness-A Cultural History of Twentieth Century Exploration" author Gary Kroll devotes a chapter to a critical analysis of the contributions of Eugenie Clark. “Lady with a Spear,” he notes, “created a new kind of ocean for the American public. It was a kinder, gentler ocean; full of beauty, wonder, and domestic wholesomeness, it was an ocean Americans could experience for themselves…Clark explored the ocean not as a conquering marauder but as compassionate and matronly nurturer…” He concludes by noting "she fought for legitimacy in a power structure of science that discouraged female participation, and as she explored the perpetually "dangerous" seas that had previously been only the work of only of men of great daring, Clark drew from a culture of domesticity to ameliorate these transgressions. The final effect was to create a domestic, yet sometimes fragile, oceanic environment. This was a powerful message--a dramatic transformation in the concept of the oceanic frontier; a reconfiguration of space that dramatically changed the way Americans thought about and interacted with the ocean."

 

[AfterDark]

That is one of the ingredients of being a giant in one's lifetime, changing peoples perceptions. She was a true pioneer in every sense of the word.