Bicycles, Kayaks, and Showshoes: Reading and Writing about Travel 2018

Many of the reasons for travel from Iyer's essay resonated with me, but one of my favorites was when  he compared a passport and a diploma. "If a diploma can famously be a passport...a passport can be a diploma". College is an adventure just as much as traveling teaches you more about the world you live in. I enjoyed this comparison because I can relate to it. I've already had to do several things out of my comfort zone in college and it's been like a mini adventure for me. I also liked the idea that we can be new people when we travel. We don't have to be the exact same person we are at home, we can be a better (or worse) version of ourselves because no one else knows any better. Travel lets you do what you want and be who you want and experience new things, which I find amazing. 

I resonate a lot with his first joy of leaving everything I thought I knew about a place behind. Before traveling overseas I had the idea that everyone would hate American's. I also thought I knew what it would be like traveling to places like the Eiffel Tower. I had heard so much about these places and seen them in pictures a lot but nothing compared to the real thing. It was nothing like I expected it to be which makes me want to travel to more places I think I know, so I can actually get to know them.

In the essay, "Why We Travel" by Pico Iyer there are several reasons presented about why we travel. There were several reasons that resonated with me personally. One was when it says, "And we travel...to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more,"(Iyer 1). This resonates with me because I think people are always in the pursuit of love. The fact that travel can make us find love, no matter in what, is truly special and powerful. Another reason that stuck with me is when it says, "And that is why many of us travel not in search of answers, but of better questions," (Iyer 3). We forget how little we know and how much we lack knowledge about the world. I found it very unique that traveling can make us find new things to question and new things to want answers to.

I sympathize with many points travel writer Pico Iyer made in his essay, "Why We Travel." Firstly, I believe that the idea that traveling enables one to feel and see a place "truly," not through a screen or a news headline is incredibly important as most people--whether they recognize it or not--have established feelings towards and assumptions of foreign lands based on their own country of origin, culture, what media they've been exposed to concerning a particular place, the people they interact with, etc. When one experiences a foreign country first hand--its people, culture, sights, issues, problems--these preconceived notions can be washed away. Secondly, as Iyer also notes, this preserves the true sense of the place itself, saving it from "abstraction and ideology." Due to the imperialism of the past, countless cultures have been irradiated from the lands they called home, with many more on the verge of extinction in the present for this same reas...

The reasons for traveling that most resonated with me in Iyers "Why We Travel" was that traveling shows us issues within the world that we may ordinarily ignore. This resonated with me the most because when I'd visited Belize, I fell in love with the place, culture, and people, but their economy was falling apart. Ever since it has been my goal to one day be able to travel the world and help people and the economies of places like Belize. This event also showed me how much I took for granted back home, and made me all the more grateful for the privileges I have to get an education, live in a warm, safe home, and to be surrounded by the people I love. I realize that not everyone in the world is able to have access to these things, and were not born into a life that was as safe or economically stable.

Sabrina Fowler Carol Severino 143:030:021 29 September 2018 Je Parle un Peu de Français “My boss, Pascal, is coming in this weekend, Sabrina. He’s from France, perhaps you can practice your French with him? I’ve invited him to come to a basketball game with us,” my mother had mentioned one morning as I dressed to get ready for school. At fifteen I was socially awkward and not terribly interested in speaking to anyone in English, much less French. But I did have a love for the language, my ancestors were French, and it was somewhat of an unspoken tradition for the women in my family to learn it. “Um, yeah I guess. That would be cool.” I’d said as I shrugged into the straps of my backpack. “You can ask him any questions about the language or culture, it would be a great opportunity for you.” She said. She was right, it would be a great opportunity. Not only to improve my accent and language but also to get to know a bit about France itself. It had always been a dream o...

Pico Iyer's essay is filled will thought-provoking, mesmerizing reasons as to why we travel, but there are two that particularly stuck out to me. The first reason that stuck out to me was, "We travel, in essence, to become young fools again -- to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more" (Iyer  1), this reason stuck out to me because when I travel I feel more impulsive and foolish because I want to be able to be a different person and experience all this foreign place has to offer as Iyer describes. The second reason for why we travel is to, "Inevitably travel to moods and states of mind and hidden inward passages that we'd otherwise seldom have cause to visit" (Iyer 2), this phrase resonated with me because traveling really develops your own feelings and emotions as you experience different cultures and experiences. Travel not only helps you find and explore new places, it also helps you find and deeper explore yourself.

In "Why we travel," Pico Iyer drew numerous parallels to travel in order to display its charms. One of the most evident reasons for travel that caught my attention (perhaps since Iyer mentioned it numerous times), is that we travel for love, to gain "a heightened sense of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed" (6). Another aspect that was memorable to me was how we travel for the raw vividness of happenstance, simply "surrendering ourselves to chance" (3). It seems to bely common sense, like letting go of your breath underwater or leaping from a precipice, but it is the very act of letting go of control that gives rise to freedom in travel. This caught my attention since it is quite a unique perspective on travel that I would never have thought of. It is the thought of a second chance, a new life in a new world that Iyer portrays in his essay.

The theme of "Meeting Maung-Maung" is that the people can make the trip not the destination. The author met Maung-Maung and decided that he wanted Maung-Maung to be his tour guide of the city not just his driver. He also wrote the entire essay on the exchanges they had and nothing about the actual trip proving how important Maung-Maung was. Language that I though was effective was they way the author listed the principles in the essay like they were most likely written in the black book. I also found it effective that the author put the amount in kyats and US dollars it helped me understand how little they were really making.

One of the themes emphasized in this essay is living for the moment and having an open-mind when traveling. One might initially be intimidated or scared of taking a tour from a free-lance tour guide, but often what we take in risk is made up for by authenticity. If you are always scared and worried something will go wrong, a lot of life is going to pass you by.

I believe the theme of Iyers Essay is to really enjoy your trip and keep an open mind. I believe that if you go in with doubts or notions that your trip isnt the best or that it will turn out bad you will have a hard time seeing all the good things that happen on your trip. I feel you can be blinded in life by fearing the worst and that can make you miss out on things in life that could have been amazing.

One theme of Iyer's essay is if you keep an open-mind while traveling then you might receive unique experiences from your trip. This is shown by how Iyer, despite his suspicions about scummy tour guides, meets a man who is unlike anyone he has, and will, ever meet while traveling. I thought that the line "Maung-Maung smilingly persuaded me" was effective in describing a specific action a character preforms that says a lot about them. I also related to the line, "My irony, it seems, was wasted" because I tend to use sarcasm often and not all of it is comprehended. This sentence is effective in creating the authors voice in the piece.

Overall, I think the theme of Pico Iyer's "Meeting Maung-Maung" essay is that our expectations of people are often grossly incorrect. Before we apply our preconceived stereotypes to each person we meet, the latter should be given a chance to prove themselves as different than what we might expect. Iyer emphasizes this point many times throughout his essay, illustrating his initial fear to go to Muang-Maung's house due to the image he had created for himself of all trishaw drivers, and his later shift to understanding and appreciating Muang-Muang's ability and desire to connect with him as a human being. I loved how Iyer focuses on his interaction with Muang-Muang so much, that the location is second-thought and is gradually revealed through the story of tourist meeting trishaw driver. For example, he intermittently mentions his arrival "from Rangoon to Mandalay" (pg. 19) and informs the reader about local culture by discussing how in "burma, a teach...

In “Meeting Maung-Maung,” author Pico Iver demonstrates how one can be quick to judge and form assumptions about strangers and how showing trust and kindness enables people to better understand each other. Throughout most of his interactions with Maung-Maung, Iver is skeptical of the man’s motivations and intentions. Why was university-graduate like Maung-Maung working as a trishaw driver? Was he taking him to his house just to kill him? However, through Maung-Maung’s trust and kindness--showing Iver his most valuable possessions, letting him read his essays, sharing his life story, beliefs, and dreams--Iver is able to better understand him as an individual, not simply as a meager trishaw driver whom he initially was quick to question and pass judgment on. The line,“Reluctantly, I opened it, bracing myself for porno postcards or other illicit souvenirs. Inside, however, was nothing but a series of black-and-white snapshots.” is particularly effective in contrasting Iver’s impressions o...

     I think that the theme of Iyer's essay is one must make the most out of what they have. Maung-Maung had very few possessions, it appears his living situation wasn't ideal, and his family wasn't nearby. He had a degree in mathematics, yet he worked as a trishaw, and didn't fit in with that group of people. While he could be frustrated or even mad, he chose to make the must out of his circumstances by making foreign friends and learning English. His heart could have turned bitter, but instead, it made him pour love onto others even more.      One example of language that I really liked is when the author said Maung-Maung handed him the book "as gently as if it were his Bible." I liked this description because it showed how dearly Maung-Maung cared for his few possessions and demonstrated the trust he was putting in the author. Also, the dialog throughout the piece was very well thought out. I especially liked when Maung-Maung said "i...

The theme of "Meeting Maung-Maung" is kindness. Maung-Maung has a college degree but chooses to give people rides because he wants to show kindness to others. He is willing to lend people money for food even though he makes very little. The word jibed stood out to me because it emphasized how similar their answers were and how well the conversation was going. It also stood out to me when he said tourists were his bread and butter because it shows how important his work is to him.

The theme of the essay "Meeting Maung-Maung" by Pico Iyer is the importance of an open mind while traveling. Iyer has an open mind on his travel when he agrees to tour the city with Maung-Maung, when he visits Maung-Maung's house and sees the possessions that Maung-Maung gives him, and when reading the journal. Although he is skeptical through a lot of it, he continues to listen to Maung-Maung's life and learns from him the importance of friendship and doing what you love. One example of Iyer's effective stand-alone sentences is on page 21. Iyer states "Faith, in short, was its own vindication," following the paragraph where Maung-Maung explained his life principles. This provides a lasting summary as to why Maung-Maung lives by them. Additionally, I believe Iyer used questions to show his skepticism of the driver. This included page 19, "Where, I instantly wondered-was the catch, -- was he framing me, or cunningly putting me in his debt?"

I believe the theme of Iyer's essay to be that you can find kind, good people in the most unexpected places. The author knew of the bad reputation that most trishaw drivers had and was very cautious and nervous when he first met Maung-Maung. After talking to him for a while and being invited to his house and learning more about him, he realized that Maung-Maung was actually a good person that just genuinely wanted to learn more about him and help him see the city. Some examples of effective language from the essay include how Maung-Maung "smilingly persuaded" Iyer to pay more for his ride. Maung-Maung is also described as doing things "gently" and "calmly" and how he was "bashful" when he showed Iyer his books. I liked how he was described this way, it showed him as the kind person he is and how much of an impact he made in Iyer's trip. 

The theme that stood out to me when reading Pico Iyer's "Meeting Maung-Maung" piece was that blind trust is required when traveling if one wishes to truly experience a new culture. Iyer expresses his uncertainty of Muang-Muang: "Once I'm in his house, far from the centre of a city I don't know, he will drop a drug in my tea or pull  out a knife or even bring in a few accomplices" (Iyer 21). However, when the author pushes away his fears and agrees to accompany the local to his home, he is  "touched by his show of trust" and rewarded with a tour of the city (22). Iyer's guide also shares with him his views on religion and purpose, giving him an even deeper look into the culture. One of the most important language techniques Iyer uses is including direct quotes from Muang-Muang, the local's diction and character able to be seen through these: "If I hit horse in this life, in next life I come back as horse" (20). Iyer also does a...

The theme of Iyer's essay is to do the right thing even when it is hard. Maung-Maung created a list of principles that he chooses to live by, always be helpful, always be kind, to name a few. Maung-Maung says, "Yes. It is not always easy...But I must try,"(Iyer 21). An example of effective language is where it says, "Then, as gently as if it were his Bible, Maung-Maung passed across the other volume..."(Iyer 22). This is a strong use of simile because it not only gives a clear visual of how Maung-Maung was handling the book but it also gives insight into his passionate character. Another example is when it says, "Deeply wounded by his desertion, his parents did not speak to him for a year,"(Iyer 23). This is effective because it’s able to immediately create a tone shift to something more dark and foreboding.

I believe the main theme of Iyer's essay is to focus more on relationships with people rather than relationships with money. Maung-Maung in the essay is very people-oriented and he believes the only way for him to be happy is by meeting tourists and helping them rather than getting a job for the sake of the income. One effective language use was when Maung-Maung's mother described her inability to read as being "blind" (Iyer 23), this stuck out to me because I sometimes take my reading skills for granted and less-fortunate people see not being able to read as the equivalent of being blind and disabled. Another effective language use was Maung-Maung's quote that "Experience, I believe, is the best teacher" (Iyer 20), this stuck out to me because many things can be learned by simply observing or being submerged in the learning rather than 'standard' classroom teaching.

One of the themes of Iyer's essay is to be grateful for everything you are given in life, and to appreciate the people around you, even if they are strangers. People can learn from each other and better themselves from it. Throughout the essay Maung-Maung mentions how grateful he is, to tourists, to his parents, and to Iyer, for giving him their time and their efforts to help him better his life. This is shown in the statement, "When I finished the essay, Maung-Maung smiled back his gratitude" (Iyer 24). What I liked best about Iyer's language was that he described the place through another person's experiences, it was more about the person then the place it seemed, but the person (Maung-Maung) seemed to best make the travel experience most worth it. "I went flipping through the book. At the very end of the volume, carefully copied out, was a final four page essay, entitled 'My Life'" (Iyer 23). I felt that this showed much more emotion in the ex...

The theme of "Meeting Maung-Maung" by Pico Iyer seems to be that of pursuing your dream. The author reveals that Maung-Maung comes from a destitute home and doesn't even own the trishaw that he pedals around. Even after being slightly disowned by his parents, he recently pursues his dream of furthering his education and doesn't wallow in self-pity. All the while, he holds fast to his moral principles and resolves to be a help to others. One might even conclude that it is because Maung Maung is so poor that he appreciates what little he has. "I know that it is expensive, but I want to express my gratitude to my parents. They are my lovers" ( 24). One thing that the author did well was keeping the readers' focus on Maung-Maung even from the perspective of the tourist. The simple solution perhaps would have been to write in a first person narrative from Maung-Maung's point of view, but it would have taken away from the valuable dialogue and interactions...

     I believe the theme Rogers was trying to convey was that the most fulfilling experiences in life are shared with others. Rogers did a good job illustrating the uncertainty and fear that came with traveling solo. She says, "When I go alone, the questions never end." I also think this because by the end of the essay, Rogers clearly comes to the realization that she prefers traveling and exploring with company. She says, "for so long the pleasure of one was not just enough, but perfect, and now, so quick, I had been swept away by the adventurous possibility of two."      One line that stood out to me immediately was "Truth:I never would have left... admiring the lights from the factory across the river." I liked this because I thought it was sweet how she recounted all the hardships/risks she had endured just to keep up with Emily. Also, the sentence structure was cool. It was an elaborate, heartfelt confession.      Additionally, I loved...

The theme of "The Temptations of Two" is to over come your fears. She was afraid to take the trip on the river alone, thinking of a million things that could go wrong but loved he trip and found a new route her and Emily could take. She was also afraid to kiss Emily saying "it seemed more dangerous than anything"(167) she'd ever done but she was swept away by it. One example of language that I found effective was her description of Emily and her tattoo and then how she had changed it two weeks later. Another effective use of language was her imagery in describing the "jumping carp, a heron that takes flight, or the saucer-sized snapping turtles that rise like moving globs of algae near our paddles."(159) she paints a very vivd picture of the river and the wildlife that inhabits it.

The theme of "Temptation of Two" is that when traveling there can always be risks and dangers involved but sometimes when theres a lot at stake thats when the most amazing moments and memories come from. When he talks to Emily about how he would have never done those things without her but it became one of the most memorable nights for the both of then despite the risks involved. I really enjoy how the author used very descriptive language and did a really good job painting a picture in my heard of what it was like. one example was when he said "i pedal down the empty street, lit by a fading yellowish streetlamp" im able to picture the calming feeling of riding a bike in peace with no sense of stress or worry. I also liked when he was describing the ice cracking and he related it to ice cubes in a glass i understood what it may have sounded like.

The theme in "The Temptations of Two" is the importance of taking risks.  The author took many risks going out to new places by herself. She also pointed out many positive aspects of going alone and overall that it was a great experience. The words eighteen-foot plastic boat stood out to me because it puts a vivid image in my mind of the boat. Streamlined bodies also stood out to be because I was able to see the herons all flying together.

A theme of Susan Fox Rogers essay is that experiencing travel with another person can enrich that experience tenfold. My evidence of this is that at the end of her solo venture she mentions how "nothing happened", while she contrasts it with her duo venture that was full of spontaneity and enjoyment. I really enjoyed how she describes the sounds on the river as "mostly the slosh of a wake against my bow". Its a simple description but I can distinctively hear that sound. Another piece of language that stuck out to me was how she called her car on her solo venture "home base". That description was an effective way of describing what her car meant to her at that moment.

Ultimately, the theme of 'The Temptations of Two' by Susan Fox Rogers, is that adventure is defined by taking risks, and is limited by caution. That's not to say Rogers encourages complete disregard for safety, simply that she believes the best part of adventure is the feeling of adrenaline and rush of heat that occurs after one takes a risk. She exemplifies this not just through her inability to say no to  herself when she wants to scout a new route, or her similar inability to say no to Emily's ideas, but also by the chance she takes in leaving her solitary lifestyle behind to pursue a relationship. The parallel between the two captures how she has come to love the feeling of uncertainty and spontaneity. Elements of Roger's language that struck me was how she substituted everyday phrases with images one wouldn't expect, like "uncluttered space" and "playground on which to move" instead of sky and river, respectively. I was further struck by...

The theme of "The Temptation of Two" is: Safety is not why people go on adventures. Rogers enjoys going solo on adventures but that once she gets there, she's scared she put herself in danger. However, she keeps going on outings. She even exactly states, "But the question is flat; safety is not why I go,"(Rogers 167). An example of effective language includes, "...large, blocky floes of ice that knocked against each other like ice cubes in a glass..." This simile creates a clear visual in the reader's mind and also shows the playful way the narrator looks at the world. Another example is when she says, "Free of the bugs I breathe deeply, and the texture of the air is velvet,"(Rogers 166). Air is not usually given a texture so it is memorable and will make readers physically feel the thickness of the air in the story.

One of the themes of "The Temptations of Two" by Susan Fox Rogers was that one can find more adventure in the security of two people, rather then traveling alone. Traveling with someone else, one may find themselves more brave and bold then they would be on their own, and try new things they wouldn't have before. This can be proved in the narrators statement, "Truth: I never would have left at seven thirty alone, never have paddled backward, or raced in the dark...The monster had become beautiful" (Rogers 167). One of my favorite uses of her language was her uses of metaphors to describe her surroundings, as she uses them in quite a few instances such as "The monster had become beautiful," "the texture of the air is velvet," and "an excitement that tastes of fear." Another use of language I enjoyed in her writing was the details she used in her descriptions of the locations, such as in "cattail-choked" and "saucer siz...

The essay "The Temptations of Two," by Susan Rogers aims to reveal the importance of companionship. At the beginning of the essay Susan is convinced that being alone allows for greater freedom and adventure during her outdoor trips. She believes that there are many issues in traveling in twos: presence of impatience, lack of silence, and too much effort in order to travel together. She then continues by saying the positives of solitude, "I live a solitary life and there's no one to tell. Some days this creates a melancholy some would call loneliness, yet most days I think of it as a freedom" (162). When traveling alone she loves her adrenaline, her independence, her peace, and how natural it feels. While she still loves going alone she eventually realizes the positives to traveling in twos with her friend Emily. On her second time taking the route she is able to try many new things she would not have tried had she been alone: creating an adventure bigger than th...

Abbey Boesiger Writing About Travel C. Severino  September 11, 2018  Home is Where the Heart Is              One of the most meaningful places to me is my grandparent’s old house. I haven’t been there in several years. Not since my grandmother died and my granddad moved into an apartment. I remember driving up and seeing them waiting for us through the glass door, big smiles on their faces. They would come out and give us warm, welcoming hugs, a comfort after a long day on the road. Traveling to their house was always worth it, no matter how far away we lived.              My best memories from their house were at Christmastime. The spicy spell of my grandmother’s favorite candle filled the air, along with the laughter of my family. We would all come together for Christmas, all my aunts and uncles and cousins. We would pile into the...

I believe the theme of Roger's essay is that travel is always unexpected and exciting in different ways, whether you're traveling alone or with another person. When she was on the river by herself, the freedom and peacefulness of it excited her. And while she paddled with her friend, it was exciting because they took more risks and did more unexpected things. I liked the way she described the creepier aspects of the river like the ice breaking that was "eerie and so utterly full of death that it shook [her] for days". I also liked how she explained the freedom of her solo trips and that "going solo is the adventure; that is enough". She takes risks in her own way and I like that, because I want to do the same. 

In “Temptation of Two,” Susan Fox Rogers showcases the natural, human desire for companionship and the wealth of experiences that can result from it. Though Rogers initially believed that “Going solo is the adventure,” she recognizes that without being with her friend Emily, she “never would have left at seven-thirty alone, never would have paddled backward or raced in the dark or ridden in the dark, or stood at Cheviot admiring the lights from the factory across the river.” More so, Rogers’ desire to express her affection to Emily after sharing those experiences far outweighs that of living a “solitary life.” The line, “Each dip into the water is deep and slow...like treading, with my arms, in the thickets milkshake,” representatively depicts the sense of sluggishness Rogers is experiencing, a sluggishness that helps to lead her to feeling calm and relaxed regarding setting out alone on the Cheviot River, in contrast to her initial fear and nervousness. In a different example, Rog...

In Susan Fox Rogers' piece "The Temptations of Two," she contrasts her experience of embarking on a kayak excursion alone versus with her friend Emily. Her conclusion that adventuring with a companion banishes worry and encourages spontanuity becomes a theme for her story. She writes that when she journeys alone, "the questions never end" (Rogers 162). On her own, she is "alert to every possible danger" and reminds herself of her fears "with every slip or mistake or forgotten piece of gear" (162). After kayaking after dark with Emily, Rogers is asked by her friend, "Would you have done this alone?" (166). Rogers comes to the realization that, were it not for her companion, she would have likely been too hesitant to go through with any of the decisions they had made together that night. Rogers carries this theme into her use of language. She describes Emily speeding away on her bike "like a burst of caffeine" (166). Caffein...

A moment Dawn always commands quiet. A stillness that should not, must not, be broken. There are some places that steal the breath from your lungs, demanding to be admired, to hold your gaze until the end of time. The two combined create an aura of holiness, of sacredness, to the point where you will with every iota of your being to freeze this time, this moment, for all eternity. When I crawled out of bed, the crickets were droning in the charcoal night. When I stumbled into the Uplander, a cool breeze tickled the leaves. When we rolled to a gentle stop on the gravel, the birds broke into tentative songs. And as we slid smoothly into the water, light softly kissed the horizon. This was the moment. I caressed the water with my paddle, taking care not to scrape the side of the hull. Because dawn always commands quiet. The air was untainted. No cars honking, no noxious fumes of exhaust, only the breath of nature. It felt alive . Talking seemed to be in poor taste, as if...

I believe the theme of Rogers' essay is to not be afraid to express yourself and do what you love. My evidence for this is when Rogers is hesitant about kayaking solo because she believes it to be too dangerous but once she is on the water she is happy with her decision because she experiences comfort in the ride. Another piece of evidence is that she clearly has feelings for Emily and at the end of the essay she finally puts her fears aside and kisses her. One example of her language that struck me as effective was when she seemed to be communicated dialogue from her subconscious by saying, "Don't push it. Going solo is the adventure; that is enough" (Rogers 164). I find this effective because it shows how she wants to expand her limits but she knows inside that it's not a good idea. Another language example is when she is describing paddling through river grass, "Each dip is like treading...in the thickest milkshake" (Rogers 163), I find this example e...

Becca Schoenauer   Carol Severino   Travel Writing Seminar   9/11/18   Place Assignment: Hayward, WI   One of my favorite places in the entire world is Hayward, WI. The town of roughly 2,300 people exists within Sawyer County (which is roughly 16,000 people and 1,350 square miles of land) and contains over 300 lakes. Specifically, I grew up on Lac Courte Oreilles. This entire area was just lakes and forests: for the most part completely uninhabited up on the lake to the point of having to drive on dirt roads for miles to get to the cabin. The minute I step out of the car and walk towards the cabin, all I can see is green. I can hardly see the two other cabins in this area . I can see the trees that create a canopy above both the driveway and the cabin. And I can see the sneak peak of the lake behind the cabin, extremely blue and calm surrounded entirely with trees and shrubs on the other shore line and not a single house on...

Regardless of the painful cliche, I believe the theme of Susan Fox Roger's "The Temptations of Two" to be that of the power of friendship. The narrator finds comfort in the simplicity of solitude. "Some days this creates a melancholy some would call loneliness, yet most days I think of it as freedom" (162). However, she can't deny the positive effect of her friendship with Emily. "But with Emily I become gregarious, and talk--too much" (160). Perhaps unbeknownst to the narrator, her friendship lends her boldness--which at one point, she questions as foolishness. "... and I begin to think this is all folly. Why am I following a heartbroken woman into the dark; what makes me imagine that just because there are two of us this is reasonable?" (165). Emily challenges the narrator and the narrator realizes that their mutual bond had lent both of them strength. "The temptation of two was dismantling my edifice of one. For so long the pleasu...

      I believe the theme of Winchester's essay is that some of the most beautiful experiences come from the least expected places. I think a lot of times people think you have to spend a lot of money to go to some exclusive tourist destination, which is great, but in reality some of the most enriching and satisfying trips are to less glamorous places. At first Winchester characterizes the island as "hot, lonely, and exceptionally boring," showing how uninterested or even possibly irritated he is to be there (Winchester 267). As the story progresses, he finds beauty on Ascension, stating, "[it] was perhaps the greatest wealth of experience that any one individual could ever know in one moment," (Winchester 270).      As far as language that struck me, there were a lot of descriptions that I thought were truly beautiful throughout the story. For example, "Only those lights, and the stars, broke the velvet blackness of the night," (Winchester 270). Thi...

Throughout the essay Winchester seems to want to convey the importance of spontaneity and the theme that amazing and beautiful things can come from a bad situation. This can be seen due to the fact that he unexpectedly ended up on this island where a couple let him stay at their home and took him on an adventure to see turtles. The word "luckiest" struck me when Angela used it to describe seeing the turtle. I loved how she found joy in such a simple experience in life. The words used to describe the eclipse also stood out to me. This is because they painted such a vivid picture of what it was like to experience the eclipse.

The theme of the essay "Ascension of the Moonlight" is that there is beauty in both solidarity and serenity. Winchester talks about the unique event of being able to see the sea turtles and the events in the sky while mentioning the calm and alienated setting of both the island of Ascension and the white-sand beach. He describes the top of Green Mountain that he climbed to by saying that he could "see a hundred kilometers in all directions, and the ocean - looking like an unblemished sheet of hammered pewter - stretched empty to every horizon. It was so lonely". The use of this description of the sites that he could see create an image in the readers mind of the summit and its alienation. The breathtaking sights he finds while alone prove that beauty comes along with solidarity. Then when the sea turtles first came out of the water and started laying eggs, all three who were on the trip went silent. This was even followed by a total lunar eclipse ...

Hannah Boehm Ascension in the Moonlight Theme  The theme of Ascension in the Moonligh t is that the best things in life are unexpected. When planning this trip home from Antartica he did not expect to stop at ascension but did because he couldn't stand the boat he was on. Then he met Paul Wilson and his wife, who were very kind and offered him a place to stay. they surprised him with a meal and told him before he left they had a surprise for him. When he awoke from his nap they took him to the beach with strawberries and cream and showed him the turtles laying eggs, an eclipse and a comet. He didn't plan for any of these things to happen but loved all of them. I thought his imagery was effective in describing the "sugary sand"(268) that looked "just like snow"(268). Another time I found his language effective was his description of Angela on page 265, he paints a very clear picture of her in the readers mind.

In his essay ‘Ascension in the Moonlight’, Simon Winchester uses intense imagery and inward thought to depict how the expectations and bustle of society can affect one’s feelings about nature and what it has to offer. Originally, Winchester is eager to return to the city after a long period at sea and in the far, deserted corners of the world. However, when he realizes how beautiful nature untouched by society is at Ascension Island, the routine and detached feel of city life seems lesser. The author utilizes imagery to stimulate the reader’s senses, by specifying certain colors and textures such as “green foliage” and/or “dipping and rising of [the whaler]”. Furthermore, he summarizes the majority of the dialogue so it becomes part of his own narrative and less like a fabrication. For instance, he refers to anyone he meets originally as only a voice, using the pronoun ‘it’ and then going into further detail about characters, such as the “two expatriates doing their level best to find...

The theme of Simon Winchester's essay was that even in the most remote and seemingly uninteresting places, you can find beauty, adventure, and wonder. This is proved by when he believes the Reverend and his wife to hate the island in the beginning to when they say in the end after they show him the beach "Aren't we just the luckiest people?" To which the narrator seems to clearly agree. You can also see this in the language when he describes Ascension Island in the beginning by comparison to the end. In the beginning, he describes the place as grey and dull, but by the end, he described it as "warm," "velvet soft," and even feeling "blessed beyond belief" by the island. This language shows an interesting contrast that helps develop the theme. Another use of language was the usage of similes in describing the place. Such as in the example "took on an appearance just like snow." There are also many sensory details throughout the s...

I’m not one for walking. I never have been, much to the dismay of my mother. For Judy, walking is spiritual. We walk in the neighborhood, on vacation, through the woods, during the winter, the list goes on and on. Sometimes it’s peaceful; sometimes I can endure it in silence. Not this time. It was our last year living overseas. My father was still active duty in the Air Force and we were stationed at a NATO base in Germany. To thank him for his service and the opportunity it gave us to travel, we left him at home to work and embarked on a girls’ trip to Italy. Just me, my sisters, and our mom; my best friend, her sister, and their mom.   “A ladies’ getaway,” my elementary BFF Kylie and I said. “What could possibly go wrong?” And for the first few days, nothing did. We ate pizza in Pisa, terrified as we stood on the Leaning Tower and even more so by the thin, un-American crust of the pie. We ran down hills in the countryside singing “The Sound of Music”, no one bo...