Wild, Near The Beginning Of Cheryl Strayed s Adventure On...

In the book Wild, near the beginning of Cheryl Strayed’s adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), two of her trail mates quickly became bedridden with a waterborne parasite and had to be taken to the hospital (Strayed 114). This scene reminds us the dangers of drinking water when among nature. Even experienced hikers can spend weeks finding the perfect water filter, only to end their adventure early, crippled by a waterborne disease. Without the safety of civilization, simple things like safe drinking water, staying warm, eating enough food, and staying on the trail can prove difficult. Why exposure oneself to these dangers? As seen on the adventures of both Cheryl and Chris, they travel away from society in order to deal with their own, personal inner-conflicts. Cheryl travels the Pacific Crest Trail and is faced with many life-threatening situations, hoping to find peace after her mother’s death. In Into the Wild, Chris McCandless travels to the Alaskan bush where he attempts to live off the land, hoping to understand both himself and society better through the experience. These characters gain confidence, knowledge, and inner peace through their time alone with nature. If we note the sections of these books where the characters are alone in nature, we can read both books as parallel statements on the peace restoring power of traveling alone through. In the book Wild, Cheryl Strayed removes herself from society in order to travel the PCT alone. She faced