Constructing A World Of Life-will

Edward Paul Abbey (1927-1989) is a unique novelist and essayist in America, who isvery influential to American environmental protection career. His main works areDesert Solitaire (1968), The Monkey Wrench Gang (1975), etc. in which he expresseshis love for nature and profoundly discloses the fact that during the process ofdevelopment, nature has been severely damaged, and human beings seriouslyalienated, leaving behind soulless human shells.The Monkey Wrench Gang is Abbey’s most popular work. In this novel, Abbeytells about a monkey wrench gang, comprised by4persons, in order to protectwildernesses, intentionally destroys economic developing activities. Under theinspiration of this book, organizations, like Earth First!, emulate the monkey wrenchgang’s deeds, carrying out a series of activities to protect the environment, arousinggreat social influence. Therefore, many critics expound this book from the perspectiveof ecocriticism, reckoning that the strong ecological awareness revealed in this bookand the eco-sabotage, for the sake of protecting the wilderness are typical andinspiring.However, from the perspective of the criticism of modernity, this book revealsprofound criticism of modernity, as well as the alienation of human beings. Therefore,this paper purports to analyze this book from Nietzsche’s perspective of modernity.Abbey criticizes developmentalism, uncovering its true faces; criticizes alienation andthe alienating forces. Under such circumstances, Abbey resorts to monkey wrench toarouse people’s awareness to revolt such a mode of developing for the sake ofdevelopment. However, monkey wrench is not Abbey’s ultimate aim. What he wantsis not just a physical world, green and peaceful, but also a spiritual world, withpowerful will and rich spiritual life. Thus, Abbey aims to construct a world throughNietzschean Dionysian spirit and the Superman philosophy, constantly strengtheninghuman beings’ inner world. Abbey hopes that everyone is armed with life-will,constantly surpassing and transcending himself, so as to toughen his inner world and substantialize his spiritual world. Although deep into the developmentalism-strickenworld, people can affirm life and admire life, endowing life with rich connotation andprofound significance.