Class Readings: Coda


  Coda: Wilderness Letter by Wallace Stegner demonstrates the author advocating for wilderness preservation for its intrinsic value as a “wilderness idea”. Stegner is a conservationist who believes in the healing and spiritual power of nature, urging for the protection of these sacred spaces. He is writing to David Pesonen, an environmental activist and someone who worked on the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission. 

    Stegner argues that the recreation report should consider the value that nature brings, not just traditional recreation activities. He states,

“If we permit the last virgin forests to be turned into comic books and plastic cigarette cases; if we drive the few remaining members of the wild species into zoos or extinction;...so that never again will Americans be free in their own country from the noise, the exhausts, the stinks of human and automotive waste”.

    I thought this point was thought-provoking, as up to this point, I found myself thinking about nature only in terms of personal enjoyment. But the reality is that even if humans don't go out into nature to enjoy it, it still exists without us. The ecosystem, plants, and animals still live their lives even if we are not there to witness it. Nature plays a greater role in our lives than just a peaceful sanctuary, but is also a place where human influence is limited. If we keep expanding into these untouched areas, that purity will be lost, and there is no way humans can replicate that.

    Another interesting quote from Stegner discusses the change in literature from hopeful to distraught once American society began building cities,

“It seems to me significant that the distinct downturn in our literature from hope to bitterness took place almost at the precise time when the frontier officially came to an end, in 1890, and when the American way of life had begun to turn strongly urban and industrial”.

    This statement made me wonder what type of literature he was talking about. Does this include all genres, or just nature writing? I also find his statement to be somewhat one-sided since he considered the end of the frontier to be the end of optimism. It's important to recognize that for the natives of this land, this was hardly a time of optimism. As Americans expanded and encroached on more of the natives' land, the more bloodshed there was. So while it may have been a great time for American literature, it certainly was not a good time for Native Americans.

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