Back To Nature: An Analysis Of Native American Views Of Nature Reflected In Mainstream American Literature

Some thoughtful environmentalists who are concerned about the environment in the Untied States have tried to deal with environmental problems,thus setting a good example for other countries to follow.And its environmental thoughts can shed some light on how to treat nature nowadays.In fact,the thoughts of American environmentalists can be traced back to ancient times when Native Americans made friends with nature by regarding all lives on the earth as equals,respecting land and maintaining harmony between man and nature.Their simple yet wise views of nature have always been inspiring American writers in different periods to present readers with natural beauty and call on people to protect Mother Nature.From the 18 th century on,the American people's awareness of the importance of the environment has been increasing.Thoughtful writers were especially concerned about severe environmental problems and attempted to make humans wake up to the seriousness of environmental destruction.Certainly,writers in different periods emphasized different aspects and their literary works showed different characteristics due to their different social backgrounds.Examining some typical literary works of three historical periods,this paper tries to find in them some elements of Native Americans' views of nature.Meanwhile,it tries to find the emphasis of works in each of these periods and the evolution of Americans' views of nature.Through making such an analysis,the paper holds that some important thoughts of American environmentalists originate from Native Americans' views of nature and such views can still be useful in tackling urgent environmental challenges that are plaguing the world today.