Abbey, And His Fear Of Progress Essay examples -- essays research pape

Abbey, and His Fear of ProgressEdward AbbeyThe day that the gray jeep with the U.S. Government decal and "Bureau of PublicRoads" on it, Edward Abbey knew that progress had arrived. He had fore conform ton it,watching other parks like his, fall in the face of progress. He knew thathordes of people and their "machines" would come (Abbey 50-51). Most people seeprogress as a good thing. Abbey proclaims. "I would rather draw a bead on my chances in athermonuclear war than live in such a world (Abbey 60).""Prog-ress n. forward motion or advance to a higher goal an advance steadyimprovement (Websters)." Is progress really all of that? How whoremonger you improveon mother nature? Progress actually detracts from the parks natural beauty.Cars, litter, and vandalism can all be attributed to "progress." In this frameof sentiment "progress" kind of contradicts its self.The most detrimental aspect of progress is the automobile. "Parks be for people is the public-relations slogan, which decoded means that the parks argonfor people-in -automobiles." People come streaming in, driving their cars.They are in a hurry because they are trying to see as many parks as possible intheir short vacation time. They curb to deal with things such as car troubles,traffic, hotel rooms, other visitors pushing them onward, their bored children,and the long trip home in a flood of cars. Many of them take tons of pictures,possibly so that they can actually enjoy the park without all of the hassles(Abbey 58). Without leaving their cars they go away never actually experience thebeauty and marvel of the parks. They will only find the stress and chaosthat they sought to leave at home (Abbey 59).There is a minority though, that prefers to be able to rile away from the modernworld completely, and travel throughout the parks on foot, bicycle, or horse.With these vehicles they can travel on quiet trails that are impassable byautomobiles. Thes e trails will lead them to places where progress has yet tohit. They can sleep in the open, breath the fresh air, and hear nothing butmother nature herself. They will never get pushed out of the way buy the rushof other tourists, cramming to catch a glimpse of the sights (Abbey 59). Thisis what I call anti-progress.Anti-progress is what progress seeks desperately to destroy. The ... ...y 68)," I tend to agree,people need to get away from the hustle and bustle of their lives. The nationalparks system is a great way to get away. If we insure to allow our parks tobe desecrated by progress our parks system will be just as bad as what you aretrying to leave.Abbey strongly believed in his cause. He would also get furious at thedestruction of mother nature he spoke out against this in his lectures andessays. James Bishop wrote in his book The Monkey Wrench Gang (Little 35).Because of Abbeys madcap but deadly serious novel, people of all ages can neveragain look the same way at massi ve freeway systems where desert and farmlandused to be at once-lush forests now clear-cut into lunar landscapes-or at hugedams on once-free rivers.Abbey loved the land so much that he wanted to be buried under a rock, in a quiescence bag, in the middle of the desert (Sandlin 11). Carved into the rockreads (Little 35)Works CitedLittle, Charles E. "Books for the Wilderness." Wilderness. Summer 1994 34-35.Sandlin, Tim. "Nightmare Abbey." The New York Times Book Review. 1994, December11.Websters Dictionary and Thesaurus. 1993. Landoll, Inc.