At first when given the assignment to read the passages from William Least Heat- Moon's book, Blue Highways, I did not really understand what the book was going to be about and how he was going to make the middle of nowhere interesting. Being fired and wifeless, he took off on a journey across America. The book focuses on heritage and displays several scenes where Least Heat- Moon connects with people of different heritages.
What do you think some of the important pieces of advice Least Heat- Moon can take away from his conversations? What did he learn from Miz Alice compared to Kendrick Fritz?
-Miz Alice is an appreciative woman with a well grounded personality. She loves the life she lives although it is on an isolated and secluded island. Everything is within walking distance and life on the island is peaceful for her. I feel bad for her because her husband and elder daughter passed away, leaving her by herself. I think she teaches Heat- Moon about appreciating your surroundings. Also, she believes a good education involves looking around and recognizing the beautiful things the world has to offer. She says, "education is thinking, and thinking is looking for yourself and seeing what's there, not what you got told was there" (390). Not only is Miz Alice very wise, the college student Heat- Moon converses with is connected with his heritage and understands his background. Heat- Moon is able to learn about Fritz's Hopi heritage and what it means to be an Indian. Although Fritz is a college student working to become a doctor he tells Heat- Moon that , "being an Indian means being responsible to my people. Helping with the best tools. Who invented penicillin doesn't matter" (182). Heat- Moon also learns about the Hopi's beliefs. He learns that the Hopis believe there are four worlds. Also, they have an emergence symbol. Heat- Moon gains insights about the Hopis. He learns that the lines of the symbol "represent the course a person follows on his "road of life" as he passes through birth, death, rebirth" (185). I think Heat- Moon's encounters with Fritz and Miz Alice are important in helping him find the right path. He has been through a lot of stress and I think these people are helping him gain insights about the true meaning of life.
1 comment:
This is well-written but too much like a summary. If you revisit this, add some more of your own thinking about what life on such a remote island would be like, how it might change any of your own priorities, or why it might drive you nuts. Or add some thoughts of your own about her philosophy of education. Is it unusual? She seems to think it is.
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