As the twentieth century draws to a close, Americans are still battling the vestiges of nineteenth century doctrine, the aftermath of the politics of Manifest Destiny and the lingering effects of the pioneer mentality which forged the way west. In her illuminating essay, Empire of Innocence Limerick suggests that the figure of the innocent victim is the dominant motif characterizing the American experience of western expansion (Columbo 570). Rather than viewing themselves as destructive forces who ravaged the land, the pioneers and contemporary Americans prefer to see themselves as tricked by hostile nature which does not co-operate with expansionist dreams. Limerick asserts that when Nature behaved according to its own rules and…