Reviewing A Walk In The Woods English Literature Essay

The Appalachian Trail is a series of interconnecting hiking trails stretching from Georgia to Maine. The trail attracts thousands of hikers each year ranging from day hikers wanting to escape the city and scouts out for badges to the through-hiker who is aiming to finish the trail in one season. But every person has their own reason for being on the trail. In A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail Bill Bryson recalls his hike on the Appalachian Trail and provides a brief history and importance of the trail.

Bryson begins his story the same way many adventure tales begin – with the discovery of an intriguing path that could lead to great adventures or great demise. Fortunately for Bryson the path he found near his home in New Hampshire was the Appalachian Trail and the beginning of a tiring, invigorating, refreshing, and life changing adventure. After contemplating the trail, reading about hiking and finding that spark for adventure, Bryson enlists the help of Katz, a friend from Iowa, as a hiking companion and plans his summer hiking trip.

Bryson’s first stop was to the outfitters. Now, if you have never been to an outfitter you have really missed a great experience. The shelves are filled with bits and bobs that you would never think would come in handy but often do. They are also home to some of the most enthusiastic employees you have ever seen. Hikers, hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts see working at an outfitter the same way a book lover sees working in the library or a bookstore – heaven on Earth. At the store, Bryson purchases middle and top line gear (though not always the most useful or necessary) that was recommended by one such hiking enthusiast. He would not really believe that in choosing the gear every ounce really does matter. He purchases reading material about hiking and dime store tales of animal attacks and hiking gone wrong. After saying goodbye to his family, Bryson and Katz set off for Georgia to begin hiking the Appalachian Trail.

The first few weeks on the trail provide the best reflection of the Appalachian Trail, Bryson’s sense of humor (or lack thereof at times), and also sets the tone for the rest of the book. People hike the trail for many reasons, some of which Bryson mentions but only in passing and as a way to add humor to the story. One common thread between everyone who steps on to the trail is the freedom that the trail provides; freedom to be whoever and whatever you are and want to be. Are the birds going to comment on your weight, are the squirrels going to comment on your manners, or are the bears going to complain about your singing voice? No, that is reserved for man and Bryson takes full advantage of that on the trail and in his story. Bryson quickly falls into the mode of describing his fellow hikers through their different qualities and personal quirks. With the exception of one hiker in Virginia, Bryson had nothing but negative descriptions of his fellow hikers. While it makes for a humorous story, it is unfortunate that Bryson has to see the world this way because he missed on a lot of what the trail has to offer you as an individual. As with any sport or hobby the participants enjoy discussing their past feats, equipment, new technology, and in the case of hiking, such discussions create camaraderie and help pass the long hours of the night and the endless switchbacks. All these reasons escaped Bryson who viewed such discussions as the bane of his hiking existence.

In A Walk in the Woods, Bryson does a very good job at providing a history of the Appalachian Trail and those involved in its creation as well as those currently involved in its upkeep, but this seems very hindsight. At one point early in their hike, Katz throws items from his pack and just leaves them there for other hikers, animals, or volunteers to deal with, and later on the trail Bryson does the very same thing. All the complaining Bryson does about the trail and its huts; he does nothing to improve its conditions.

Bryson and Katz did not complete the trail but I don’t think that was his real intention or point of hiking in the first place. As with any journey there are two parts: physical and emotional. Both Bryson and Katz changed physically (having rationed food and hiking 8 miles a day will do that to you) but Bryson experienced the greatest change emotionally and philosophically. When he left the trail it was like seeing things for the first time providing a brief sense of awe and inspiration, and each time he returned to the trail he found the apprehension, excitement, and sense of adventure and possibility that early explorers must have felt discovering the American west.

The book reads like Jonathan Livingston Seagull in the sense of trial, error, and self discovery. In terms of this course, A Walk in the Woods describes heritage tourism, especially at Harpers Ferry and Centralia, as well as providing an example of what not to do when you travel-using stereotypical portraits of backwoods individuals, yuppies, and other people in general. Overall, A Walk in the Woods is a quick and interesting read but, to me, it feeds stereotypes and presents diversity and local idiosyncrasy in an inferior and humorous light.

Part 2: Personal Travel Philosophy

My personal travel philosophy has been greatly influenced by the media (two shows in particular) but the core has always been the same – be yourself. Doctor Who (my greatest influence since 6 years old) tells his companions that he finds it easier just to be himself when walking around (usually another time or planet, but the meaning is the same), and of course the Prime Directive in Star Trek is to not interfere. Both these philosophies can combine into a great statement and philosophy that I have lived and traveled by for years – wherever you are is home so be yourself and be a contributor to that home. When I think of the Prime Directive, I think it is trying to protect the local community from being changed by another society. The local way is best for them and should be accepted as such. Problems occur when we cannot leave our local ways at home when we travel.

I love astronomy and space travel and collect digital images of space and Earth as seen from space. When you view Earth from space, there are no individual states, no country borders, no divisions between race or religion – there is only the Earth and its inhabitants. I see myself very much as a citizen of the Earth residing in the United States. We are all humans living on the same planet, no right way, no wrong way, just the local way. You don’t have to travel internationally to see that we live with regional influences rather than “one influence to rule them all.” The northeast is very different from the southwest and the northwest is very different from the southeast, but these regional influences do not see state borders. They each start off strong at their poles and gently meld somewhere in the middle.

I carry this philosophy with me wherever I go. The scenery changes and the regional culture changes but I remain the same – polite, interested, helpful, curious, and above all else, I am still me. Perhaps this view comes from spending most of my youth moving from coast to coast and state to state. Then later in life I discovered that no matter where you go the people are the same, mannerisms are different and perhaps a different language, but the people are the same. One thing I will never get used to though is the amount of self imposed separation along cultural lines. I feel it is best to learn from one another and above all else practice respect. Two incidents have stayed with me through years of travel. One took place in Lynchburg, Virginia and the other took place in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. In Virginia I was taking public transportation from where I was staying to the local mall and was told by the driver that “Whites don’t ride the bus” and a fellow passenger stated that “You White people try to stick your nose in everywhere don’t you”. Well, both those statements were very abnormal for me to encounter, especially on public transportation, but while telling my friend about it later she stated the same thing only using the reverse terminology. Strangely disturbing when you think about it in today’s age and times, but that was hardly the lone experience.

While visiting my grandmother in Elizabethtown, I was walking through town following the railroad tracks to an older part of town that reminded me of Mayberry. It had the old run down garage with a full service pump in front, two elderly gentlemen playing checkers outside the barbershop, and once more I was eyed in contempt and mistrust. I was stopped by a woman outside the grocery store and was told that I didn’t belong there. Her tone was nice enough but you could sense the undertone in her words. When I asked the store employee what that was all about I was told it was because I was White. He went on to explain that only African Americans lived on that side of the tracks and it had always been that way. Shocking. My grandmother practically had a heart attack when I told her where I had been walking. I just couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about, after all we are all human right; it doesn’t matter what you look like, what language you speak, or what you choose or not choose to believe in. That is when I vowed to always be myself, go where I want (within reason), and most of all conduct myself as a citizen of the world.

When I travel I try to be myself, stray away from the tourist spots, and just mingle – discover the local influence and learn from it. There is no better way to get a feeling for a place than to walk its streets. I like to go online and browse local clothing shops (provides insight on local styles), grocery stores (provides insight on local tastes), pubs or event centers (provides great insight on local “off duty” life) and best of all you can usually find at least one person who lives there to provide a more personal perspective. Most people are happy enough to talk about their town and make suggestions on what to do and where to go when you are in town.

A specific goal of mine is to take my son to the United Kingdom (either England or Scotland) and introduce him to his roots and international travel. I have been there many times but this would be his first trip. I want to help him discover his personal philosophy (not just in travel but in life in general) as well as how to avoid the pitfalls of being a tourist. I know you can always spot a tourist – the camera, the clothes, mannerisms, and the constant looking up at the buildings are all dead giveaways, so I asked my online friends at The Box (a site with a large British following) how they can always spot an American tourist and there responses came as no real surprise. The top reasons, in no particular order, are:

Their size – Americans are larger than then everyone else from clothing to the portion sizes of their meals.

Their voices – Americans love to talk loud and make sure that others around them heard them even if they are not in their party.

Their clothes – Americans love to wear tennis shoes, loud colors, and advertise their brand names in areas designed to get you to look there.

Their arrogance – Americans think our way is the best and only way to do things.

Their ignorance – Americans are unfamiliar with world history and geography.

So to avoid these pitfalls, all one has to do is a brief search for the local history and influences and combine that with common sense. We do live in a consumeristic society; everything is super-sized and more than we really require. We waste water everyday in the form of ice cubes just to make our drinks colder, we pride ourselves on how much we can eat (Man V. Food on the travel channel is proof of that), and worst of all, when we travel, we expect everyone else to the be same way. By not giving into the stereotypes in the first place, a person could travel anywhere and be comfortable.

Part 3: Specific lessons and quotes

The lesson that applies most to both the book and my philosophy is “The Respectful Traveler: Cultural and Heritage Tourism.” Perhaps if Bryson had read this lecture he would have entered the trail with a different frame of mind. The Appalachian Trail has a culture of its own, with its own local influences, idiosyncrasies, and rules of conduct. To fully appreciate the culture one must accept and participate in the culture, not just approach as a spectator. The trail’s cultural core is the act of hiking itself, the joining of man and nature in a delicate dance. Bryson implied throughout the book that it was more like a slap in the face; the difference between night and day. One thing that Bryson and Katz failed to do when they entered this new culture was to take a trail name. Many hikers, and most on the Appalachian Trail, give themselves a trail name that reflects some aspect of their personality or “real life”. By doing this the participant leaves their “home culture” behind and fully partakes in the new culture, its rituals, and meaning.

The lesson on “Cultural Tourism” provided support for my view of travel and my future goals. To venture off the beaten path can lead to great discoveries and see the local culture for what it is. Combine that with the hikers motto of “Leave no trace” and you have the makings of a philosophy that can take you anywhere you want to go. I have often viewed myself as a collector of history, the story of who we really are, where we have been and where we are going. There is no room for biases and ethnocentricity but rather one should be filled with awe and wonder at how so many people have been on this planet and coexisted for thousands of years. It is sad to see that so many people are not color blind or quirk blind, but rather to let those aspects define a culture. It is my hope that one day a person can really say that we are all one race – the human race and accept regional influences for the contributions they make to our great planet. Donald Williams states in “Reflections from Space”, “…things that we share in our world are far more valuable than that which divides us.” This statement is very powerful and, at least to me, demands that we shift from simple tourist to cultural tourist because only through culture do we see what we share.