Save the Creation: An Anguished Cry of a Man depicted in “Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness” by Edward Abbey

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-192-0_20How to use a DOI?

Keywords

American Environmental Literature; Industrial Tourism; Wilderness Preservation; Ecomysticism

Abstract

Edward Abbey’s “Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness” emerges as a cornerstone in American environmental literature, delving into Abbey’s reflections on the desert Southwest, industrialism, and society. This foundational work reflects Abbey’s deep love for the desert and his intricate portrayal of its impact on his soul. Born in 1927, Abbey’s reputation as a writer solidified with this book, despite the varied reception of his works. Abbey’s identity as an environmentalist is debated; he aimed primarily to be a fiction writer and novelist. Nonetheless, his writings scrutinize industrial tourism’s threat to national parks, emphasizing the preservation of wilderness by advocating limitations on human intervention. “Desert Solitaire” presents Abbey’s ecomystical experiences, embodying a radical materialism rooted in a profound union with nature. It highlights his reverence for the American West’s wilderness while critiquing the encroachment of industrialization on these landscapes. Abbey’s narrative intertwines mystical encounters with nature and sharp societal critiques, urging for a deeper communion with the environment. The book stands as a testament to his fervent passion for the American West and serves as a call to preserve its pristine landscapes amidst growing industrial pressures.

Copyright

© 2023 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Zeenat Taher
AU  - Pratiti Nayak
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/12/31
TI  - Save the Creation: An Anguished Cry of a Man depicted in “Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness” by Edward Abbey
BT  - Proceedings of the World Anthropology Congress, 2023 (WAC 2023)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 192
EP  - 197
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-192-0_20
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-192-0_20
ID  - Taher2023
ER  -