Hey everyone! My name is Chloe Bingenheimer and I'm from Germantown, Wisconsin which is pretty close to Milwaukee. A fun fact about me is that I'm backpacking through Europe for sixteen days next May/June!
The theme of Brianne Goodspeed's essay Bicycle Love is self-discovery through independence. Goodspeed, a young woman fresh out of college, does not know who she is or what she wants to do with the next phase of her life. She ends a serious relationship, quits her job, and leaves her apartment. She is lost and in need of self-discovery, which she accomplishes, through independently riding through France for three weeks. She begins her pilgrimage nervous, afraid, and confused, similar to how she had been feeling in her life. However, she ends the trip "forever changed", "empowered", and confident. The abilities to problem-solve and be self-reliant Goodspeed utilized during this trip led to her ultimate self-discovery.
An effective example of the language from Goodspeed's essay is this simile: "The terror had burned off, like calories, during the three-week ride". This is effective by portraying that similar to the increase of calories she burned as the days accumulated, the further along she got in her ride, the more confidence she had and the less she was afraid. This simile helps further relate the theme of the essay. Another example of effective language is when Goodspeed writes, "the Bad Girl began to seem like what I am not-sophisticated and sleek, efficient and high-maintenance". She resumes to riding her old, shabby bike, and not a pretentious, expensive bike. Goodspeed realizes who she is as a person through her pilgrimage and this is highlighted through her realization that she does not need a flashy, expensive life (or a five-star bike) to thrive.