David Dixon, Post Three

At this point in the book, Bryson has learned to enjoy simplicity. His life consists of subsistence. There is a notable change in the book, although gradual; Bryson no longer complains of the work or the conditions, only the occasional quip at another’s expense.
This becomes apparent when he is removed from his utopian wilderness. Overwhelmed by the multitude of commercialism, Bryson finds himself longing to continue his journey.
At the beginning of the book, Bryson was hiking the trail for himself, but with obvious apprehensions. By chapter 14, Bryson is hiking the trail for enjoyment, returning from a month-long leave with his family. Despite his experience of what he calls a “low point,” and an out of place feeling, Bryson persists, continuing without companionship.
Bryson finds an irreplaceable need for hiking the trail, attempting again and again to find something to suffice. He finally gets back on the trail, only to find a different experience waiting. He misses the camaraderie he found in Katz, but quickly finds a new partner in Bill Abdu. He is not the same, but Bryson is not hiking for the companionship. Bryson finds in nature the comfort and peace of simplicity. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “In the woods, we return to reason and faith.”