Chapter 13:
On page 207, Cheryl gives major insight into her purpose. She writes: "It was the thing that has compelled them to fight for the trail against all odds, and it was the thing that drove me and every other long-distance hiker onward on the most miserable days. It had nothing to do with gear or footwear or or the backpacking fads or philosophies of any particular era or even with getting from point A to point B. It had only to do with how it felt to be wild" (Strayed, 207). Cheryl's use of anaphora in this quote (using "it was the thing" and "it had nothing to do with/it had only to do with" repeatedly) emphasizes her purpose. The purpose of this quote and perhaps even the whole book is to show how Cheryl has discovered the purpose of the PCT and her quest upon the trail. Cheryl realizes that the PCT was made to let people experience the true wilderness, not just at a reservation or state park, but really in the depths of the wild.
Chapter 14:
One quote I found particularly impactful was when she is thinking about her father: "...I didn't know my own father's life. He was there, but invisible, a shadow beast in the woods; a fire so far away it's nothing but smoke" (Strayed, 233). This quote was particularly impactful because it is hard for anyone to imagine not knowing their father, even when he is still there in their life. I can feel the pain that it brings Cheryl to reflect upon her relationship with her father when she writes this quote.
Another quote that resonated with me was: "I was passing through the beautiful territory I'd come to take for granted, my body finally up to the task of hiking the big miles, but because of my foot troubles, I sank into the grimmest despair" (Cheryl, 223). Cheryl is finally able to do what she initially set out to do, but she is having so many foot problems that it is hard for her to find joy in any of it. This quote also discusses how she has now taken the landscape around her for granted, because she has been surrounded by it for so long. Hopefully as the book progresses, she learns not to take her surroundings for granted and learns to truly appreciate what is around her.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Chapter 11 "Wild" Blog Entries
Part Four:
At the beginning of part four, Cheryl Strayed alludes to the poem "Samurai Song" by Robert Pinksy. The poem is narrated by a man who does not have any possessions, family, or anyone around him. He instead uses admirable characteristics (such as care, perseverance, determination, etc) to replace people and things. He makes the most of what he has instead of reminiscing on what he does not have. Strayed alludes to this poem at the beginning of the section because she is in a similar situation: she has no contact with family or friends, and not a lot of superficial possessions besides the ones she needs to survive, yet still she manages to get by on her admirable characteristics (care, perseverance, determination, etc) and uses what little she has to achieve her goal of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.
Chapter Eleven:
At the end of chapter eleven, Cheryl finds a pay phone on the trail and calls Paul. They "talked for close to an hour, [their] conversation loving and exuberant, supportive and kind" (Strayed, 189). After the phone call ends, Cheryl analyzes her situation; she misses her old life, yet she doesn't want to go back to it because of all the horrible things she had done. She realizes that this hike has been extremely beneficial. She writes: "...remembering how I'd felt more alone than anyone in the whole wide world that morning after Jimmy Carter drove away. Maybe I WAS more alone than anyone in the whole wide world. Maybe that was okay" (Strayed, 189). Her phone call with Paul helped Cheryl to realize that what she is doing is a good thing. Although she missed her old life, she knows that she cannot go back, and she is okay with that. Cheryl includes this part in the book because of how beneficial the phone call was to her; it allowed her to move forward with her life, while still keeping touch with someone she truly cared about. This section of the book and her story in real life was a milestone for her, so it was important for her to include it in the book.
At the beginning of part four, Cheryl Strayed alludes to the poem "Samurai Song" by Robert Pinksy. The poem is narrated by a man who does not have any possessions, family, or anyone around him. He instead uses admirable characteristics (such as care, perseverance, determination, etc) to replace people and things. He makes the most of what he has instead of reminiscing on what he does not have. Strayed alludes to this poem at the beginning of the section because she is in a similar situation: she has no contact with family or friends, and not a lot of superficial possessions besides the ones she needs to survive, yet still she manages to get by on her admirable characteristics (care, perseverance, determination, etc) and uses what little she has to achieve her goal of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.
Chapter Eleven:
At the end of chapter eleven, Cheryl finds a pay phone on the trail and calls Paul. They "talked for close to an hour, [their] conversation loving and exuberant, supportive and kind" (Strayed, 189). After the phone call ends, Cheryl analyzes her situation; she misses her old life, yet she doesn't want to go back to it because of all the horrible things she had done. She realizes that this hike has been extremely beneficial. She writes: "...remembering how I'd felt more alone than anyone in the whole wide world that morning after Jimmy Carter drove away. Maybe I WAS more alone than anyone in the whole wide world. Maybe that was okay" (Strayed, 189). Her phone call with Paul helped Cheryl to realize that what she is doing is a good thing. Although she missed her old life, she knows that she cannot go back, and she is okay with that. Cheryl includes this part in the book because of how beneficial the phone call was to her; it allowed her to move forward with her life, while still keeping touch with someone she truly cared about. This section of the book and her story in real life was a milestone for her, so it was important for her to include it in the book.
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