Anthropocentric Nature Writing in the “Introduction” to Walden Bill McKibben’s “Introductin” to Walden, telling of a backpacking trip into the New York Adirondacks, is a great example of nature writing. Nature writing has a tendency to be anthropocentric, fueling consumerism in its readers. By contrast, the hallmarks of environmental writing are an attempt to create an awareness for issues concerning the environment in a biocentric point of view and to convey the detrimental effects of humanity’s impact on the world. The first four paragraphs of Bill McKibben’s “Introduction” to Walden exemplify nature writing in many aspects, chiefly thorough an anthropocentric focus throughout the passage which negates any attempts at environmental writing.
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McKibben uses “I” and “my” in nearly all of the sentences of the first paragraph, directly showing an anthropocentric viewpoint of the backpacking trip (vii). This supports labeling this section of the “Introduction” as nature writing because it is focused on how McKibben interacted with the Adirondacks, considering his life and concerns as the central focus. However, the pronouns McKibben uses in the second paragraph seem to show a different side to the account of his trip. He uses “I” only once and discusses the impact the wilderness had on him, “beginning to penetrate” the obstructions in his mind between him and nature (vii). The third paragraph reinforces this, giving more attention to the animals and their reactions to McKibben walking through their habitat. However, McKibben does not acknowledge his impact on the wilderness and animals. Leaving out that perspective shows the anthropocentrism in McKibben’s writing. The fourth paragraph could be read as biocentric, a characteristic of environmental writing. McKibben relates an awareness of his surroundings, which develops the idea that one must be conscious of their effect on the environment. However, in this case, McKibben is doing more to focus on his own consciousness. He presents the idea that somehow he is more aware than others and is equipped to know what
McKibben uses “I” and “my” in nearly all of the sentences of the first paragraph, directly showing an anthropocentric viewpoint of the backpacking trip (vii). This supports labeling this section of the “Introduction” as nature writing because it is focused on how McKibben interacted with the Adirondacks, considering his life and concerns as the central focus. However, the pronouns McKibben uses in the second paragraph seem to show a different side to the account of his trip. He uses “I” only once and discusses the impact the wilderness had on him, “beginning to penetrate” the obstructions in his mind between him and nature (vii). The third paragraph reinforces this, giving more attention to the animals and their reactions to McKibben walking through their habitat. However, McKibben does not acknowledge his impact on the wilderness and animals. Leaving out that perspective shows the anthropocentrism in McKibben’s writing. The fourth paragraph could be read as biocentric, a characteristic of environmental writing. McKibben relates an awareness of his surroundings, which develops the idea that one must be conscious of their effect on the environment. However, in this case, McKibben is doing more to focus on his own consciousness. He presents the idea that somehow he is more aware than others and is equipped to know what