This book is a wonderful that relates the history of the Oregon Trail. Coupled with that history is the experience and personal history of the Rinker Buck who decide to traverse the entire trail in a covered wagon with his brother, Nick. Rinker Buck brings an historical bend to the trail portion. Not only does he give it is history, but Rinker Buck often puts the trail in its unique perspective as a molder of USA and reflection of much of our psyche. Spreading west and expanding ? Of course. Conestogas never used ? Interesting. But the cradle of mass production ? Not so common a thoughts about the trail. There were more captivating insights such as that that make this more than a dry journey across the USA Desert. This is a fun book. The …show more content…
Did not care for the foul language though and thought the story would not have been hurt by taking it down a notch. This was an entertaining way to learn of the history of the large America migration west on the Oregon Trail during the 1800’s, including, the cause of the drive to move west, the hazardous life on the trail, the reliance on friends and relatives, the outfitting of the wagon and selection of a good team of mules. After each mini adventure, it seemed like there couldn 't be another one and yet the author made this true story a real page turner, adventure following adventure mixed with human interest stories. This wagon ride across the western America is reminiscent of the book by John Beam, Walk Across America. Very interesting read even if you believe you know something about the Oregon Trail. Buck 's descriptions of both his trip and the events during the Great Migration really bring crossing the trail to life. After finishing the book, you seriously feel like spending a few days with Buck and his brother traveling along in a covered wagon. I would have liked a few more maps to help indicate where they were during some of the scarier moments of the
Writing Assignment #4 Book Review: Susan Magoffin, Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico Susan Magoffin’s diary is a primary document that accounts her experiences traveling along the on the Santa Fe Trail (the Trail). Magoffin, being the first female to travel this trading route, was able to give a true insight to readers of how the conditions of that trail were. Her diary is regarded as the first substantial account of life on the Trail, however is criticized that Magoffin’s white privilege is what made her experience as it was. The critics argue, that the experience of traveling along the Santa Fe Trail as a non-Euro-American, would differ drastically then that of Susan Magoffin. I agree that being an upper-class, white woman, Magoffin
1.What challenges did early settlers on the westward trails face? Settlers on the westward trail faces many hardships. They spanned over half the continent for a five to eight month journey which was 2,000 miles long going west. They all took wagons on many Oregon trails with very little rest stops. They left their jobs to venture off to a new life and in some cases, even their families.
In the book “Into the Wild”, John Krakauer gives an account of a man, Christopher McCandless, who decides to take a long trek across the west into Alaska, where he eventually perishes. The book “Wild”, written by Cheryl Strayed, follows her journey as a twenty-six year old woman across the Pacific Crest Trail. Throughout both stories, the characters go through intense battles with the world around them and themselves, but the stories are not completely identical. The reasons for these two people’s journeys are varied as is their outlook on life and how their journeys ended overall. Within these stories there are also hidden parallels that link the stories and create a very similar dynamic between the two.
“The Oregon Trail,” written by Francis Parkman is a description of the experiences traveling into the unknown depths of the American west in 1846. The story is told from the first person point of view of Parkman, a scholar from Boston who embarks on the great expedition of traveling into the west in hopes of studying the lives of the Native Americans. His journey is also one of the first detailed descriptions of the beauty and the bounty of a largely uninhabited North American territory. But one of the most critical elements of the story was Parkman’s encounters and recruitment of members to his band of travelers who ultimately play a major role in the success of the western journey.
After years of waiting and preparing we started on the journey to the west. We made our way to Independence, Missouri to go on the Oregon Trail which was laid by traders and trapers. While there I became familiar with George Wilson who was also a working family man. A lot of families left together making the trail busy and causing jams..
Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild investigates the life and adventures of Chris McCandless. The author provides information about Chris’ life to illuminate his journey. Krakauer also uses rhetorical appeals to defend Chris’ rationale for his journey. Through Krakauer’s use of pathos, ethos, and logos, he persuades the audience that Chris is not foolish; however, Krakauer’s intimacy with Chris and his adventures inhibits his objectivity.
There he was, all alone walking through the forest on a cold December morning. Cutting paths for future settlers, and hunting game for his family. “Crack.” He stops as he hears a twig snap under someone or somethings’ foot. Before he can even turn his head they’re on him.
Heading into the wilderness to hike may seem like a fun adventure, but what would it be like to stay out there for 35 weeks straight, knowing that some of the most ferocious animals are nearby? In “A Walk in The Woods” by Bill Bryson, Bill examines the dangers and challenges of hiking the Appalachian Trail, which stretches 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine. Along the way, Bryson encounters various obstacles and difficulties that force him to push his limits. Some of the things Bryson encounters range from animals to diseases to dangerous weather conditions. The theme of danger that must be faced to be overcome is presented throughout the book when Bryson and Katz must confront the risks of the Appalachian Trail.
Lee expertly weaves the chronological tale of Almarine Cantrell’s life, death, and subsequent family lineage through a variety of distinctly crafted personalities, all adding to the narrative through their unique perspectives. While Almarine’s romantic hardships and resulting offspring are at the heart of the novel, Oral History also explores Appalachian life through a myriad of lenses, preconceived notions, actualities, and the exploration of traditions and daily life. Smith offers a rich and complex study of an often forgotten about southern geographical region and population. The narrative rarely drags, drawing the reader into an exciting tale of Appalachia that includes folklore, storytelling, a strong sense of the past, and a continuation into the present that attempts to reconcile what was with what the mountain region has become (Eckard
The Alaskan Bush is one of the hardest places to survive without any assistance, supplies, skills, and little food. Jon Krakauer explains in his biography, Into The Wild, how Christopher McCandless ventured into the Alaskan Bush and ultimately perished due to lack of preparation and hubris. McCandless was an intelligent young man who made a few mistakes but overall Krakauer believed that McCandless was not an ignorant adrenalin junkie who had no respect for the land. Krakauer chose to write this biography because he too had the strong desire to discover and explore as he also ventured into the Alaskan Bush when he was a young man, but he survived unlike McCandless. Krakauer’s argument was convincing because he gives credible evidence that McCandless was not foolish like many critics say he was.
The land around the Oregon Trail was also important and profitable because it could and was used for farmers to plant and harvest corn, wheat, and other vegetables. With more produce, there was more trade and transfer of goods. People earned their wages on cheap land and were able to make a living out of a few simple grains from all around the world. Some people even saw the emigration as way to make money. Businessmen saw an opportunity and created “a bustling industry of frontier trading posts sprang up to supply food and equipment for the five-month haul”(History OL).
In the 2013 online article, “The Chris McCandless Obsession Problem”, author Diana Saverin describes the Alaskan wilderness travel phenomenon along with attempting to uncover the ‘McCandless Pilgrims’ “root of motivation. Sparked by the release of both Jon Krakauer’s and Sean Penn’s “Into the Wild”, numerous individuals pack their backpacks and eagerly step into their (sometimes newly-bought) hiking shoes and tramp into the Alaskan Wild to pay homage to their hero Chris McCandless. Filled with personal anecdotes and interviews, Severin’s Outside article takes a new approach Into the Wild commentary by directing attention to the lives McCandless’s story affected indirectly rather than critiquing on McCandless himself. In response to what appears to be a huge amount of troubled McCandless-inspired tramping stories, Saverin provides an unbiased rationale as a attempt to explain why so many are “willing to risk injury, and even death, to..visit the last home of Alaska’s most famous adventure casualty”. Saverin begins her article with anecdote- telling the unfortunate experience of young lovers and adept adventure seekers, Ackerman and Gros.
“The Way to Rainy Mountain” is organized very well, it includes three narrative voices. Throughout this novel the first narrative voice is about the Kiowa legends. Then Momaday has a paragraph of contexts that relates to the legend. The author gives the reader a bit of his life by relating a family experience he had. Because some of the Kiowa legends and history go with Momadays own family history, then this three voice narration allows the author to have great detail about the Kiowa’s way of life in every way.
In the novel of the Call of the Wild, Buck tried to adapt to his new and difficult life. He was forced to help the men find gold; he experienced a big transformation in him. At the end, he transformed into a new and different dog. Buck went through physical, mental and environmental changes. In my essay, I talked about how Buck was like at the beginning, what he changed into, and how he was forced to adapt his new environment, and underwent these changes.
The Heartsong of Charging Elk, by James Welch details the life and trials of a Native American Indian who naively left his home on the adventure of a lifetime, only to have his life’s path inexorably altered on French soil. I can’t help but feel as though I were somehow watching a modern version of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. Welch brings us into Charging Elk’s journey as he wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings to find he is doesn’t know anyone.