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. giving medication decal and "Bureau of PublicRoads" on it, Edward Abbey knew that be on had arrived. He had foreseen it,watching other parks like his, f all in the human face of progress. He knew thathordes of people and their "machines" would seminal fluid (Abbey 50-51). Most people seeprogress as a good thing. Abbey proclaims. "I would rather take my chances in athermonuclear war than live in such a world (Abbey 60).""Prog-ress n. forward motion or advance to a higher(prenominal) goal an advance steadyimprovement (Websters)." Is progress really all of that? How can you improveon bring forth nature? Progress in truth detracts from the parks natural beauty.Cars, litter, and vandalism can all be attri scarcelyed to "progress." In this frameof thinking "progress" kind of contradicts its self.The most detrimental formulation of progress is the automo bile. "Parks be 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 viable 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 sign of the zodiac in a flood of cars. Many of them take tons of pictures, by chance so that they can actually enjoy the park without all of the hassles(Abbey 58). Without leave their cars they testament 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 set about 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 unnavigable byautomobiles. These trails will lead them to places where progress has yet tohit. They can calmness in the open, breath the fresh air, and hear nothing butmother nature herself. They will never wee-wee pushed out of the way vitiate the rushof other tourists, cramming to catch a glimpse of the sights (Abbey 59). Thisis what I come up to 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 continue to allow our parks tobe desecrated by progress our parks system will be just as bad as what you aretrying to leave.Abbey potently believed in his cause. He would also get furious at the destruction of mother nature he spoke out against this in his lectures andessays. throng Bishop wrote in his book The Monkey Wrench Gang (Little 35).Because of Abbeys madcap but deadly se rious novel, people of all ages can neveragain look the same way at massive freeway systems where abdicate 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(prenominal) that he wanted to be buried under a rock n roll, 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 Times Book Review. 1994, declination11.Websters Dictionary and Thesaurus. 1993. Landoll, Inc.