Cheryl speaks a lot about "the ten thousand things"; in respect to her life, what does she mean by "the ten thousand things"?
In chapter 5 Cheryl encounters a bull, although it flees, she does not know where to. The following chapter is also named for that bull, what does this disappearing beast represent in terms of Cheryl's life or currant situation?
How are the men in this novel pictured? What insight do they give us to psyche of Cheryl Strayed?
I feel as the men in the book are described as desirable and usually good looking and have a sense of empowerment to them. I feel Cheryl see's these men as a possible candidate to make her feel special. She is craving the touch of another person to make her feel complete because she feels lost with herself and is looking for herself through these men, as the novel progress's, I feel as Cheryl feels as these men are a sense of her family and she see's a more internal value to them.
ReplyDeleteStrayed grew up in an incredibly abusive, patriarchal environment. She witnessed her father hold power over her mother and subjects her to domestic violence. With this image in her mind, Cheryl seems to be slightly more wary of the men she meets than a regular woman. When she hitchhikes a ride with Frank, she is extremely worried and fearful that something will happen. She associates his hands with “the men she knew growing up”, and this connection seems to elevate her unease and certainty that something will happen. Her childhood, being associated with abuse, triggers a reflex in her even in the present.
ReplyDeleteAs well, I noticed that she does not expect a lot from the men she involves herself with. Perhaps this relates to the fact that none of the men in her family (her father, Eddie and her brother) honoured any type of commitment.
The men in the novel are also used as an escape for Cheryl. She mentions that after her mother passed away, she slept with many men and had multiple affairs. Apart from Paul (who she married before the incident), she has no emotional connection with any of the men she is involved with. She mentions that previously, she presented “the least true version of herself” to men. She sees them as flings; objects which will satisfy her and hopefully fill a void. She mentions her willingness to sleep with her therapist, her mother’s doctor, and anyone else who may help her fill her emotional void. She states that she is simply trying to get the bad out of her system. I think that her attitude towards men highlights her emotional state- she craves the closeness and intimacy she lost when her brother, sister and Eddie wandered off.
At the end of the book, Cheryl’s psyche changes. When she is lying down beside Rick, who is young, charming and attractive, she admits that she has no desire to make a move. She says that the phrase “a woman with a hole in her heart” doesn’t define her anymore. This touches on the effect of the PCT on her mental state.
3.) The men in Cheryl Strayed’s Wild are often depicted as young, robust, kind, knowledgeable, and attractive. Strayed states on numerous occasions that, if she could, she would engage in certain physical intimacies with them. This just goes to show the state of mind that she is in, being that she is somewhat lost in her life. Because she feels that she has strayed from her path, she feels the need to be comforted and wants to seek refuge in the arms of another person. However, as she continues on her journey she begins to see these men as more of a sort of family outside of her family, and begins to take less shallow refuge in their company.
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