The theme of Holly Keith's essay White Rabbit is without a positive mind and imagination, exploration is impossible. Keith does admit that preparation, such as packing and mapping out routes, etc., is certainly crucial for a journey. However, without an attitude of openness and willingness, a trip won't be nearly as successful. She even says "to climb a mountain," or rather, any sort of travel journey, "is to commit an imaginative act." Be brave, be smart, be excited.
An example of Keith's language I enjoyed was when she, in reference to snowshoes, said, "They can be hard to walk in; they can be impossible to walk without." I enjoy the contrast and the irony of complaining about the difficulty to walk in snowshoes, but then admitting that without them, it may just be impossible to hike up a mountain at all. Another example of Keith's language is when she is talking about the deep snow on the mountain and says, "I have learned to respect that they can swallow me whole." This sentence demonstrates the tone and voice throughout Keith's piece. She is sarcastic and humorous, but at the same time conveys her deep respect for the danger that comes along with the beauty of nature.
I completely agree that imagination and an open mind is key to really experiencing a journey. One can have all the essential gear and a million bags of trail mix packed, but none of that means anything if there's no willingness to explore or imagine. I also really enjoyed how she would speak in contrast, like when she says that women wearing flip-flops "look at [her] with cold curiosity" and she "looks at them with warm feet." It helps mirror the inner conflict she feels when she is traveling; for instance, there will always be reasons to hike with a group, but she wants to hike alone.
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ReplyDeleteI really like your comment on the article. I agree that the theme of the article is that climbing a mountain is full of imagination. About the snowshoes, Keith sometime loved them, but when she got sunk by snow, she didn't think the snowshoes were good enough.
ReplyDeleteI like how you pointed out that Keith emphasizes preparation for a journey as important, but to truly experience the adventure you must be in the right mind set. The line, "Clearly your gear and your body, if you're lucky and you work at it, can take your mind places it couldn't otherwise go. But it doesn't happen unless your mind takes your body there first." Positivity and imagination are what make the whole experience worth it. And I think that is why she loves to hike alone because she can be more mentally focused.
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