Industrial Hegemony and Eco-Critical Resistance in Edward Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang

Abstract

The rapid industrialization, technological expansion, and anthropocentric exploitation have increasingly caused environmental degradation and damage that have become a significant concern in contemporary eco-critical and literary studies. Against this backdrop, Edward Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang depicts wilderness destruction and radical environmental resistance in the American Southwest. The study examines how the narratives in the novels present eco-critical consciousness and ecological resistance in response to destructive human intervention in nature. It specifically explores the representation of wilderness consciousness, the eco-friendly forms of resistance through the characters, and the ethical relationship between humans and the natural world in Abbey’s environmental vision. In doing so, the paper integrates the theoretical perspectives of “Deep Ecology” by Arne Naess and “Eco centrism” by Bill Devall and George Sessions. As the notion of deep ecology emphasizes the intrinsic value of all living beings beyond human-centered utility, while ecocentrism highlights ecological interdependence and environmental balance, the analysis reveals that the characters cultivate ecological selfhood through emotional, ethical, and spiritual attachment to wilderness landscapes. The resistance the characters showcase primarily aims at environmentally destructive machines and industrial structures rather than human life, signifying ecological self-defense and eco-friendly activism. The paper concludes that Abbey articulates and voices the preservation of the wilderness, environmental ethics, and sustainable coexistence to address the contemporary ecological crises, cultivating ecological awareness against environmental exploitation.