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 activity decal and "Bureau of PublicRoads" on it, Edward Abbey knew that progress had arrived. He had foreseen 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 take my chances in a nuclear war than live in such a world (Abbey 60).""Prog-ress n. forward motion or advance to a higher goal an advance unshakableimprovement (Websters)." Is progress really all of that? How bottom of the inning you improveon spawn nature? Progress actually detracts from the parks natural beauty.Cars, litter, and vandalism can all be attributed to "progress." In this frameof thinking "progress" kind of contradicts its self.The most detrimental aspect of progress is the automobile. "Parks atomic n umber 18 forpeople is the public-relations slogan, which decoded means that the parks arefor 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 have to deal with things such as car troubles,traffic, hotel rooms, other visitors pushing them onward, their bored children,and the long trip topographic point 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 ordain never actually experience thebeauty and wonderment 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 get away from the modernworld completely, and conk out throughout the parks on foot, bicycle, or horse.With these vehicles they can travel on quiet trails that are imp assable byautomobiles. These trails will lead them to places where progress has yet tohit. They can sleep in the open, breath the fresh air, and take heed nothing butmother nature herself. They will never get pushed out of the way buy the rushof other tourists, cramming to catch a glance 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 brass is a great way to get away. If we continue 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 practiced novel, people of all ages can n everagain look the same way at massive 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 conceal under a rock, in asleeping 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 generation Book Review. 1994, December11.Websters Dictionary and Thesaurus. 1993. Landoll, Inc.