Response to Wendell Berry's "Manifesto" and "The Making of a Marginal Farm"

What is his intent with each piece?

With Wendell Berry's piece "Manifesto," He more or less conveys a message to the audience to appreciate the simple things in life and remember their own origin point. He knows that the audience will get side-tracked and make a few mistakes, but insists that they keep moving forward. I liken this back to the basics approach to that of Thoreau and even Chris McCandless. McCandless in general wanted a simplistic back to the basics lifestyle and didn't want anyone to impede on that.

With Berry's second piece, "The Makings of a Marginal Farm," it describes Berry's life as a more rooted one. He started off as a wondering ambitious explorer if you will, and became rooted to a place he had once visited as a child. I use the word "rooted" as sort of a pun because, as an adult with a family, one generally gets tied down and therefore becomes grounded. Berry also described this instance in his life where he felt destined to stay at that spot and that it replaced his lofty goals of adventure. His love of the hard work and follies that he endured while building this farm envelopes the reader. I feel like Berry's love of his farm became engraved into his writing. His ultimate message I think went along the lines of hard work will prosper. But I also feel that both of Berry's work coincide with each other and give the same message of going back to the basics and living a simplistic lifestyle full of wonder, missteps, and dedication.