Question

8 But those lying to the eastward of the Sierra throughout the ranges of the Great Basin waste in the dry wilderness like the bones of cattle that have died of thirst. Many of them do not represent any good accomplishment and have no right to be. They are monuments of fraud and ignorance -- sins against science. The drifts and tunnels in the rocks may perhaps be regarded as the prayers of the prospector, offered for the wealth he so earnestly craves. Like prayers of any kind not in harmony with nature, they are unanswered. But, after all, effort, however misapplied, is better than stagnation. Better to toil blindly, beating every stone in turn for grains of gold, whether they contain any or not, than to lie down in apathetic decay.What are the ruins east of the Sierra representative of? (paragraph 8)

Answer 1

The ruins east of the Sierra are representative of "fraud and ignorance." They symbolize misguided efforts and the futility of pursuits that do not align with the principles of nature and science. The author suggests that these ruins are monuments to failed endeavors and a lack of understanding, highlighting the futility of the prospector's quest for wealth in a harsh and unforgiving environment. Furthermore, while these efforts are portrayed as misapplied, the author also acknowledges that any effort, even if misguided, is preferable to stagnation or inaction.