PARTIAL INDEX TO THEMES IN EDWARD ABBEY’S WRITINGS Edward Abbey explores many themes in his writings. Here are two lists of themes, one organized by thematic groups, the other alphabetically with page references. Philosophy of nature animism being, ground change death ecocentrism ecology essence eternal heart individualism interrelatedness more, something more mystery nature-human relationship nothingness, void, empty philosophy realism, this world only, immanence, materialism reality, illusion silence space strange, surreal, fantastic time, timelessness wilderness Religion Buddhism, Daoism, thusness God, Jesus resurrection, redemption, rebirth spiritual Ecopsychology, epistemology consciousness dream language & its limits meaning mysticism name paradox peace, inner tranquility truth 1 Ecosocial critique civilization critique of society dualism (us versus them) enemies politics technology, machines utopia & dystopia Activism beaten, failure ecotage hope resistance retreat, refuge social engagement violence, guns Ecosocial ideal anarchy before today communalism, mutual aid freedom, liberty home ideal paradise primitive utopia & dystopia Social attitudes (in general a source of criticism of Abbey) ethnic groups & racism gender misanthropy Native American 2 ANARCHY, ANARCHISM; --Appalachian Wilderness: 49, 84, 104, --Desert Solitaire: 149, 150, 158, 185, 287, --Down the River: 15, 36, 92, 120, 121, 142, 165, 219, --Fool’s Progress: 12, 67, 70, 71, 76, 79, 103, 167, 300, 402, 486, --Good News: 35, 70, 96, 182, 187, --Hayduke Lives: 274, 278, 305, 152-4, 165, --Monkey Wrench Gang: 2, 26, 27, 34, 157, 158, --One Life at a Time: 24, 25-28 ANIMALS, ANIMAL-HUMAN: --Beyond the Wall: 34, 175, 200 --Cactus Country: 47, --Desert Solitaire: 19, 20, 24, 30, 38, 102, 137, 143, 236, --Down the River: 71, --Fool’s Progress: 82, 327, 343, 402, 441, --Monkey Wrench Gang: 74, 75, ANIMISM: --Beyond the Wall: 4, 63, 79, 90, --Cactus Country: 112 --Desert Images: 66, 67, 182, --Desert Solitaire: 87, 279 --Down the River: 147, BEATEN (IN FIGHT VS ENEMY), FUTILITY OF ACTIVISM, FAILURE (see also “hope”): --Desert Solitaire: 145, 151, 277, --Fool’s Progress: 167, 315, 348, --Good News: 71, 222, --Hayduke Lives: 113, 121, BEAUTY: --Beyond the Wall: 54, 59, 77, 80, 87, 88, 89, 90, 93, 150, 151, 152, 153, 164, --Cactus Country: 22, --Desert Solitaire: 41, 106, 115, 144, 206, 217, 219, 230, 258, --Down the River: 19, 58, 113, 231, 233, 242, --Fool’s Progress: 174, --Good News: 188, --Hidden Canyon: 67b --Monkey Wrench Gang: 110, BEFORE, VS TODAY: (see also “primitive”) --Appalachian Wilderness: 41-42, --Beyond the Wall: …, 67, 139, --Monkey Wrench Gang: 19, 3 BEING, GROUND OF BEING: --Beyond the Wall: 35, 43, 46, --Desert Solitaire: …, 200, … --Down the River: 28, 57, …, 119, …, 221, 231, BEYOND --Appalachian Wilderness: 14, 18, 27, 33, 45, 78, --Beyond the Wall: xvi, 55, 139 --Desert Solitaire: 2 --Down the River: 18, 58, 221, 228 --Good News: …, 48, …, 97, …, 185, … BUDDHISM, DAOISM, THE EAST, THUSNESS: --Beyond the Wall: 42, --Desert Solitaire: 30, 42, 155, --Down the River: 20, 39, --Fool’s Progress: 70, 74, 169, 200, 234, 235, 242, --Monkey Wrench Gang: 42, 135-137, 331, CHANGE, PROCESS, CHANGELESS: --Desert Solitaire: 219, 301, --Down the River: 130, 231 --Good News: 233 --Monkey Wrench Gang: 58, 62, CIVILIZATION: --Beyond the Wall: 49, 180, 191, --Cactus Country: 70, --Desert Solitaire: 54, 148, 192, 274, 275-7 --Down the River: 120 --Good News: 96, COMMUNALISM, MUTUAL AID --Beyond the Wall: 194 --Down the River: 52, 238 --Good News: 4, --Hidden Canyon: 32a CONSCIOUSNESS --Appalachian Wilderness: 33, --Desert Images: 13, --Desert Solitaire: 6, 14, 41, 42, 200, 256, 270, --Good News: 135 CRITIQUE OF SOCIETY: --Appalachian Wilderness: 18, 20, 21, 22, 27, 49, 52, 56, 65-74, 80-87, 97, 104, 106, 4 --Beyond the Wall: xv, xvi, 6, 13, 18, 22, 33, 39, 41, 44, 49, 56, 61, 76, 106, 132, 134, 135, 138, 147, 180, 189, 190, 191, 193, 194, --Cactus Country: 21, 43, 48, 65, 70, 94, 113, 125, --Desert Images: 17, --Desert Solitaire: 26, 48, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 119, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 145, 150, 177, 178, 189, 191, 192, 193, 210, 214, 215, 216, 217, 261, 262, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 297, --Down the River: 2, 4, 6, 7, 34, 36, 38, 39, 62, 79, 83-97, 98-110, 111-121, 127, 135, 153, 177, 186, 223, 231, 233, 236, 237, --Fool’s Progress: 17, 18, 35, 36, 40, 47, 67, 69, 70, 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 105, 154, 211, 243, 263, 267, 302, 342, 355, 438, 457, --Good News: 70, --Hayduke Lives: 4, 5, 16, 18, 20, 25-26, 29, 82, 114, 121, 122, 126-128, 135, 136, 138, 177, 177, 187, 202, 204, 221, 230, 239, --Hidden Canyon: 30b, 31a --Monkey Wrench Gang: 15, 25, 31, 33, 44, 47, 49, 50, 60, 61, 74, 75, 79, 90, 104, 112, 135, 155, 159, 160, 166, 198, 214, 217, 234, 330, 332, 380, --One Life at a Time: 20-24, DEATH: --Beyond the Wall: 28, 30, 33, 38, 80, 88, --Cactus Country: 23, 77, --Desert Images: 182, --Desert Solitaire: 38, 94, 101, 102, 112, 135, 144, 168, 169, 240, 242, 268, 286, 301, --Down the River: 9, 34, 79, --Fool’s Progress: 22, 23, 24, 38, 326, 327, 340, 341, 496-8, --Good News: 14, 27, 185, DREAM: --Beyond the Wall: 45, 92, 136, --Desert Images: 14, 17, --Desert Solitaire: 154, 176, 178, 184, 186, 187, 201, 219, 220, 225, 231, --Good News: 1, --Hidden Canyon: 30a DUALISM (us vs them), ENEMY --Beyond the Wall: xv, 98, 106, 108, 137, 138, 147, 191, --Down the River: 9, 22, 34, 38, --Fool’s Progress: 167, --Good News: 30, 31, --Monkey Wrench Gang: 90, ECOCENTRISM, INTRINSIC WORTH, ECOCONSCIENCE: --Appalachian Wilderness: 13, --Desert Solitaire: 42, 274, 275, 279, 300, --Down the River: 36, 91, 145, --Fool’s Progress: 52, 53, 308, 5 --Hayduke Lives: 87, 129, 203, ECOLOGY: --Beyond the Wall: 59, --Cactus Country: 67, 73, 115, 116, 117, --Desert Images: 65, --Desert Solitaire: 112, ECOTAGE: --Desert Solitaire: 67, 188, 247, --Down the River: 217, --Hayduke Lives: 70, 78, 79, 128, 129, 130, 131, 148, 152, 153, 154, 168, 169, 184, 202, --Hidden Canyon: 30b --Monkey Wrench Gang: 9-10, 33, 42-43, 63, 64, 65, 66, 70, 80, 82-88, 94, 98, 99, 104, 106, 138, 141, 144, 145, 147, 155-158, 176-178, 188, 219-223, 229, 287, ENEMIES: --Beyond the Wall: xi, 33, --Down the River: 101, --Fool’s Progress: 165, 167, --Hayduke Lives: 159, 308, 165, --Monkey Wrench Gang: 97, 120, 125, 144, 234, 252, ESSENCE: --Beyond the Wall: 95, 103, 119, 202 --Desert Solitaire: xi, 30, 206, --Down the River: 28, 50, --Fool’s Progress: 191, 195, ETERNITY, ETERNAL: --Desert Solitaire: 153, 169, 217, 218, 240, 301, --Down the River: 48, 198, 231, --Fool’s Progress: 65, 69, 296, 340, 359, 429, 454, 496, --Good News: 48, 60, 85, ETHNIC GROUPS & RACISM, ANTI-DIVERSITY: --Beyond the Wall: 138, --Down the River: 17, --Fool’s Progress: 29, 72, 73, 79, 81, 105, 134, 157, 168, 170, 171, 186, 211, 223, 228, 401, 458, 459, 508, --Hayduke Lives: 108, FREEDOM, LIBERTY: --Appalachian Wilderness: 42, --Beyond the Wall: xiv, xv, 53, 59, 129, --Desert Images: 17, 6 --Desert Solitaire: 27, 29, 31, 149, 177, 185, --Down the River: 16, 34, 36, 37, 48, 120, 121, 140, 170, 223, 237, --Fool’s Progress: 12, 36, 38, 47, 67, 81, 188, 191, 195, 321, 329, 349, 364, 416, --Good News: 45, 70, 71, 111, 122, 178, 186, 193, 194, --Monkey Wrench Gang: 26, 101, 106, 239, GENDER: --Beyond the Wall: 43, 80, 83, 107, 155, --Cactus Country: 20, --Desert Solitaire: 58, 64, 176, 177, 182, 183, 272, --Down the River: 73, 231, --Fool’s Progress: 16, 38, 39, 40, 69, 213, 248, 254, 453, --Good News: 101, 186, 187, --Hayduke Lives: 11, 17, 36, 45, 74, 88, 102, 135, 137, 140, 179, 223, 224, 241, 287, 296, --Hidden Canyon: 32a --Monkey Wrench Gang: 63, 67, 68, 82, 92, 142, 147, 158, 162, 169, 170, 198, 207, 288, GOD, JESUS: --Appalachian Wilderness: 52, --Beyond the Wall: xvii, 14, 39, 40, 46, 55, 103, 154 --Desert Solitaire: 4, 6, 14, 23, 41, 106, 180, 181, 184, 194, 198, 199, 200, 208, 209, 217, 295, 299, 303, --Down the River: 57, 127, 232, 233, --Down the River: 146, 258, --Fool’s Progress: 9, 22, 23, 24, 30, 33, 34, 69, 71, 81, 99, 121, 134, 169, 171, 222, 296, 315, 316, 319, 320, 325, 428, 435, 485, 486, 502, --Good News: 25, 47, 48, --Hayduke Lives: 245, 273, --Hidden Canyon: 33b HEART: --Beyond the Wall: 95, 103 --Desert Images: 12, 14, --Desert Solitaire: 31, 151, 179, 206, 219, 243, 273, 293, --Down the River: 44, 161, 188, --Fool’s Progress: 222, 326, 340, --Good News: 56, --Hidden Canyon: 115 HOME --Appalachian Wilderness: 13, 14, --Beyond the Wall: 3, 21, 150 --Desert Images: 13, --Desert Solitaire: 1, 163, 168, 190, 192, --Down the River: 48, 79, 237 --Fool’s Progress: 69, 72, 137, 143, 344, 364, 435, 454, 7 --Good News: 55, 185, HOPE: --Appalachian Wilderness: 104, --Desert Images: 17, --Desert Solitaire: 264, --Good News: 10, 47, 71, IDEAL: --Beyond the Wall: 194, --Desert Solitaire: 66, 264, 266, 267, --Down the River: 79, 111-121, --Good News: 70, --Hayduke Lives: 238, --Monkey Wrench Gang: 77, 100, INDIVIDUALISM, INDIVIDUATED, INDEPENDENT, SEPARATE, DISPARATE --Beyond the Wall: 82, 86-87, --Desert Images: 67 --Desert Solitaire: 6, 29, 43, …, 113, 158, 256, 289, --Good News: 1-2, 186, 187, 226, INTERRELATIONSHIP, ONENESS: --Desert Solitaire: xi, 12, 14, 15, 24, 30, 31, 38, 45, 113, 114, 155, 182, 209, 225, 243, 256, --Down the River: 230, --Good News: 48, 187, --Monkey Wrench Gang: 7, 224, 252, LANGUAGE & ITS LIMITS; EPISTEMOLOGY; THOUGHT, IDEAS: --Beyond the Wall: 94, 203, --Cactus Country: 21, --Desert Solitaire: x, 45, 185, 209, 217, 219, 260, --Down the River: 130, 221 --Good News: 43, MEANING: --Beyond the Wall: 43, 93, 94, --Cactus