The Temptations of Two Response (3)

1. I believe the theme of "The Temptations of Two" is the idea that traveling alone is extremely different than traveling with other people. Traveling alone often comes with physical and mental barriers, like thoughts of danger and risk, and often prohibit a traveler from truly enjoying their solo experience. There is beauty to be savored in silence and alone-time that does not necessarily appear when you travel with another person or in a group; as Susan Fox Rogers writes, she finds herself becoming annoyed at the sound of her own voice when she is traveling with her friend Emily, and accommodating two people instead of one during the journey makes everything about the trip slightly more difficult and bothersome. There are pros and cons to both kinds of travel; alone, a traveler can go just far enough for them, practice self-love, and tune into his or her own thoughts and preferences, while traveling with another offers a companion to explore with and experience adventures one may be too scared to go for by themselves.

2. There are many instances in which Rogers's language made an impact on me as a reader. For instance, to amplify here uncertainty with traveling solo, she writes: "I... turn back once to look at my car. Despite its wagon heft it looks vulnerable alone there and I think: Maybe it won't be there when I return." This helps to show the unsettling feeling that any traveler can experience when they go alone and that I can personally relate to. I also enjoyed the contrast in tone between when she first sets out on the river alone and when she is actually on the river. At first, she questions her "idiocy" and asks herself: "Why didn't I tell anyone where I was going, and when I would be home?" As she starts to relax and enjoy the moment, however, she begins to notice the beauty of her surroundings; "The engines could be irritating, but I've come to associate them... with my time on the river. I don't like these sounds and smells, but I expect them, and in that expectation affection emerges." She transitions from feeling extremely cautious and alert to feeling relaxed, serene, and thankful; she becomes grateful for the alone time and the peace and beauty that comes along with it that makes her appreciate the trip even more.