摘要：This paper relies on ecocriticism to assess the relevance of Rockland’s enterprise, which is linked to the famed American fascination for outdoor activities and also constitutes a parody of the “discovery” of America. It analyzes the initiatory aspects of the endeavor, which takes the author on an American odyssey that leads him to face his childhood self, the Americanness of his family and to probe the soundness of his humanistic beliefs. Drawing on the constant references to Walden that pepper the text, the last part eventually questions Rockland’s ability to offer a stable ethic in the context of an environmental degradation he seems to be taking for granted.
关键词：nature; environment; America; New York; New Jersey;Thoreau; nonfiction
