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 decalcomania and "Bureau of PublicRoads" on it, Edward Abbey knew that climb on had arrived. He had foreseen it, notice other place like his, fall in the face of advancement. 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 athermonuclear war than live in such a knowledge domain (Abbey 60).""Prog-ress n. forward motion or advance to a higher inclination an advance steadyimprovement (Websters)." Is progress really all of that? How give the gate you improveon arrest record? Progress actually detracts from the parks natural beauty.Cars, litter, and vandalism can all be attributed to "progress." In this mannikinof thinking "progress" kind of contradicts its self.The most detrimental aspect of progress is the automobile . "Parks are forpeople is the public-relations slogan, which decoded means that the parks arefor people-in -automobiles." People come cyclosis in, driving their gondolas.They are in a hurry because they are laborious 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 crime syndicate 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 get out never actually experience thebeauty and wonderment of the parks. They will plainly 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 forth from the modernworld completely, and travel throughout the parks on foot, bicycle, or horse.With these vehicles they can travel on quiet tr ails that are impassable byautomobiles. These 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 directionof 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(p) from the hustle and bustle of their lives. The nationalparks system is a bully way to get away. If we continue to allow our parks tobe violate by progress our parks system will be only 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 deleterious serious novel, people of all ages can neveragain meet the same way at massive freeway systems where desert and farming areaused 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 asleeping bag, in the middle of the desert (Sandlin 11). Carved into the rockreads (Little 35) industrial plant 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 vocabulary and Thesaurus. 1993. Landoll, Inc.