Edward Abbey's Eco-consciousness And Positive Vision: A Study Of Desert Solitaire And The Monkey Wrench Gang

Edward Abbey (1927-1988) is an American nature writer best known for his special love for wilderness. Abbey is called "the Thoreau of the American West". Like Thoreau, he defends wilderness in his whole life. The scholars abroad have made some studies on Abbey's special life experiences or an interpretation of his thoughts, however, systematic study of textual details is still lacking. In China, the researches on Edward Abbey lag behind the international critical circle and mainly focus on systematic introduction. In the tradition of ecocriticism, this thesis examines Abbey's eco-consciousness and positive vision mainly in two masterpieces, Desert Solitaire and The Monkey Wrench Gang. It aims at interpreting Edward Abbey's unique vision of nature and environmental protection:nature is not the servant of human beings and it has its intrinsic value so nature is worth being protected; however, environmental protection can't only rely on the governmental policies and a solid means is imperative; therefore, in the face of environmental crises, mourning is helpless but positive attitude is necessary for saving nature.The whole thesis will be conducted in three chapters. The first chapter focuses on Abbey's ecological holism in Desert Solitaire. Anthropocentricism has dominated human society for thousands of years. In line with anthropocentricism, nature is regarded as the servant of human beings; its intrinsic value is ignored. According to Abbey, however, nature does not exist for the sake of humans; nature is valuable in and of itself and the non-human world should be elevated to the same ethical status as humans. To be prosperous in the long run, mankind should maintain a harmonious relation with nature.The second chapter discusses the idea of ecosabotage in the novel The Monkey Wrench Gang. Development has been the eternal theme in the process of evolution but after American Industrial Revolution, unrestrained development has led to the most serious environmental crises in history. The U.S government tried to protect environment with the enforcement of law, but Abbey recognizes that it is a mostly symbolic act that will not truly preserve the earth. Following the American tradition of resistance, Abbey presents a solid means--ecosabotage, to combat developmentalism and save wilderness from industrialism on behalf of the nature.The third chapter focuses on Abbey's positive vision. Because of the enormous destruction of natural habitat and the exploitation of resources, lamenting has become the major theme in contemporary nature writing, but Abbey thinks mourning can not help nature. In the face of sorrow, people should take a positive attitude. A manic response is the only appropriate one in a world that has gone mad. In the place of a sad, lamenting tone, Abbey assumes a relaxed, humorous style in his ecoliterature. And the exaggeration and satire, two major devices to achieve comedic and positive effect among others in his writings, impress readers deeply and inspire them to be optimistic and positive in this life-or-death struggle. Abbey's writings are relaxing and hopeful in the mourning times.Comparing with the convention of anthropocentrism, developmentalism and governmental policies on environmental protection, Abbey's view of ecological holism and ecosabotage is unique and useful, which can solve the crises for the interest of nature instead of human. Abbey tries to tell us that, however serious the environmental crises are humans should take a positive attitude since mourning can not help. Abbey shows us a unique nature writer, and his writings are full of hope.