Since Northrop Frye first proposed his "garrison mentality" thesis in 1943, many literary critics have debated its validity as a representation of early Canadian attitudes towards Nature. In the 1970s a number of books were produced, which dealt with this thematic element at great length. Most of these supported Frye's theory and demonstrated the tendency of Canadian writers to depict Nature in negative ways. A more recent article by Mary Lu MacDonald has tried to counter this prevailing notion, and attempts to argue that there was, before 1850, an "essentially positive view of the Canadian landscape." (MacDonald 48) While I applaud MacDonald's attempt, her response to the likes of Atwood, Moss, and Frye is lacking in a number of significant ways. Her criticism is often inaccurate and I feel it does not go far enough in demonstrating the weaknesses of...