Natalie Youssef

Seminar Pre-write: The Monkey Wrench Gang

What does haydukes personality say about Edward abbeys outlook on
environmentalism?

Hayduke agrees that humans should have access to the wilderness, but not in the
sense as if you can drive your car through it. He despises roads such as the White
Rim road because it destroyed nature and provided a way so that people can get
amongst the wild and nature by simply driving a car into it. Hayduke strongly
believes that until people can figure out how to not effect nature, to simply get out.
He loves nature and thinks that people should be able to be within nature; however,
he believes that people should just stay out of nature until they can figure out how
to not ruin it. Although he drinks a lot and swears a ton, is he also cares and is
passionate against modern society. Since he has had a rough history as a veteran in
the Vietnam War, he mentally returns there throughout the book from all of his
violent methods and thoughts.

Similar to the character Hayduke, Abbey hates establishment of any industrial
harming of the environment. Abbeys characters including Hayduke are a reflection
of his own life. In the book the characters talk about how much they hate Glen
Canyon Dam. This exposes Abbeys believes towards this particular dam. Abbey
clearly displays his bias through the characters.

"The fury and frustration of those years bubbled up like swamp gas, like an evil
methane, to the surface of his consciousness. And here was a helicopter pilot, most
despised of all, a real live helicopter pilot, probably from Vietnam, at his mercy. The
right age: he looked like a vet. Why not kill the evil bastard? Hayduke like many men
had a not-so-secret longing to cut at least one notch on his gun butt. He too wanted a
tragic past. At another man's expense." Chap. 22, p. 264

What is haydukes relationship with the environment and with people?

Hayduke his personality shows through the way he treats women and how verbally
abusive he can be. Although Hayduke enjoys dating girls, he is disrespectful to them
by calling them names and wanting nothing more than a casual relationship. He
does not like people in general. He is a Vietnam veteran who has been affected by
the war. Hayduke cares a lot about the environment; however, he is constantly
littering beer cans on paved roads because he despises them so much. Although you
can imagine Hayduke as a person who would boycott and sit in a tree so that
construction workers ccant build anything, he will also contribute to the economic
tragedies we deal with today such as litter, trash, and recycling.


"I don't like it either...I'd a hell of a lot rather forget the whole thing and go fly fishing
down on West Horse Creek. Let's forget Black Mesa. Let the coal company tear it up.
Who cares if five years from now you can't see fifteen miles across the Grand
Canyon because the air is so fucked up by these motherfucking new power plants?
I'd rather be picking columbines up in the mountains above Telluride anyhow. Why
the hell should we worry about it?" Chap. 12, p. 168

Why are they so destructive? What are they trying to destroy? What does
that say about their outlook? What are their goals?

They want to make sure that there is no possible way that people can or will
reconstruct the things they hate. They are trying to destroy dams because they once
were beautiful and alive. Abbey saw the Colorado river and described it as vivid and
alive.

"The wilderness once offered men a plausible way of life...now it functions as a
psychiatric refuge. Soon there will be no wilderness....Soon there will be no place to
go. Then the madness becomes universal...and the universe goes mad." Chap. 5, p. 63

"Okay God, I'm back. It's me again, Smith, and I see you still ain't done nothing about
this here dam. Now you know as well as me that if them goddamn Government men
get this dam filled up with water it's gonna flood more canyons, suffocate more
trees, drown more deer and generally ruin the neighborhood. Why that there
water's gonna back right up under Rainbow Bridge itself if you let them
sonsabitches fill this dam. You gonna let them do that?" Chap. 11, p. 158

What types of beliefs did the four main characters have in the book? What led
them to believe that the industrialization of the southwest should stop?

Think about the time that Edward abbey wrote monkey wrench gang: What
is new about this type of environmental discourse and what has changed
since environmental discourse in America in the past/ since the creation of
national parks?


3 outside or personal connections to the book:

After reading this book I have come to the realization that the white rim trip
that I did last year for osprey week is a particular trail that Edward abbey
hates. Personally I liked the idea of a road because it is more inviting and I
am not really the best biker, but looking back I remember the multiple jeeps
and cars that drove through the white rim while I was there. I think that if
you are going to go camp and live in such a beautiful place for a few days you
should transport by biking or hiking. In general it is more rewarding, but it is
better for the environment as well. It is silly that we provide access to cars in
this wonderful area full of wild animals and nature.
After living with an environmental freak as a brother I was somewhat
exposed to environmentalism before I read this book. Throughout my earlier
high school years my brother would inform my family on our daily habits and
how bad they were for our environment. It is important to be aware of what
you are doing. For me this was always a complicated topic because even if I
were to change my habits and the way I live it would not help unless large
amounts of people were contributing as well. People have a right to live as
they please so it is extremely hard to persuade everyone to change their
ways of living unless it is something forced. (My brother wanted a tattoo that
said Hayduke lives). Also I think it is important to be away of how much you
contribute to this worldwide problem. Nathan also influenced me with the
idea that our world is extreamly populated. This made me wonder why we
spend so much time and effort saving people who are bed rest or are going to
die anyways. We are constantly putting money into hospitals where people
are forced to live there even if they would like to just pass away.
This book made me begin thinking more about the future and what I want to
do with my life in order to make a difference. I feel as if multiple people are
educated about environmentalism and have attempted to make a difference
and a change but have not really succeeded world wide or even throughout a
country. I wonder what is the next step to helping our world. We obviously
need to change our ways of living soon; however I am still stuck on how this
could happen. The main problem is that in order to actually make a
difference you need an education. Our society has made it extremely hard to
become successful without using technology and things that affect the
environment. If you were to become an extreme environmentalist you would
not be able to buy nice clothing for a interview in order to present yourself
well to get into college for a good education.