Connecting 4 Stories Together

Professor Bulford

Nature and the Literary Imagination 291

April 18th, 2014

A Pathway to Self Discovery

Through the creation and utilization of paths, humans have effectively constructed an environment of increased efficiency for basic transportation, a natural guide to countless destinations, and a means of interconnecting humans, towns, and large cities together since the dawn of time. Although the term path is defined as, “ A way, course, or track, in which anything moves or has moved” (Webster 1), this definition ought to not only describe paths of a physical entity, it should also include examples of emotional transformations and describe the journey that one must endeavor to achieve a resolute goal. Whether it be an afternoon jog in the local forest preserve, a path of recovery from drug addition, the migration of Canadian Geese from the Southern United States to northern Canada, or the earth rhythmically circling the sun, each entity, animal, and human has at one point in their existence traveled down a path of their own. As renowned nature authors, Robert Frost, Nathanial Hawthorne, Leslie Silko, and Wendell Berry observe, analyze, and describe the significance of paths within the life of their characters and readers. The authors incorporate paths in their stories to not simply state how each character moves from point “A” to point “B” in their life, but uses pathways as a means of testing, shaping, and ultimately defining who the character comes to be. Within The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, Fidelity by Wendell Berry, Ceremony by Leslie Silko, and Young Goodman Brow by Nathaniel Hawthorne, all four authors utilizes the element of pathways to not only address the locational change of a person, they also utilizes paths as the source of self discovery for characters, ultimately sharpening their persona and dramatically widening the view upon their surroundings in a significant and lasting way.

The poem, The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost describes...