ipl-logo

David Earle Birney Summary

665 Words3 Pages

In the Poem “David” by Earle Birney, two young men undergo adventure while scaling the rocky mountains. One character is more outgoing than the other and is willing to do anything to get to the top. However while the men were almost at the top of the mountain they undergo a life altering challenge. The men have to make an decision what would happen to one another. Altogether the centralized theme in Birney’s “David” is sometimes doing the right thing can lead to negative consequences. Some of these consequences may be the loss of a life,making decisions under pressure or even dealing with guilt. While the men are scaling the mountain and David fell, David not want to face the outcomes of the fall because it meant he couldn't live a normal life and have to let go of his past. He did not want to have to life a new way of life and deal with being in a “wheelchair”(VIII,33) .His request to his friend Bobby was to push him “over...over” (VIII,9)) the edge. Bobby made the right decision for David because he was “wing-broken” (V,11)) and would not be able to live a normal life. However Bobby felt guilty that this happened to David and tried everything to help. He tried to reassure David that the “bleeding will stop” and would be able to get him help. Bobby must deal with the guilt that he did not test my his foothold’ and had to …show more content…

While David’s lying on the ledge and Bobby was doing everything to save him, David pressured him into pushing him over. He explained to Bobby “i’d do it for you, Bobby” (VIII, 52) to reassure him and to guilt him into doing it. David also wanted to feel “some pain” (VIII,14) and the only way he would ‘feel’ again is pushing him over. After Bobby pushed him over he remembers “the last day of his youth” because he is no longer a innocent child living care free. The pressure from David led to Bobby losing his innocence and must becoming an adult, dealing with secrets and

Show More
Related

Chris Mccandless Comparison

447 Words | 2 Pages

Krakauer’s anecdote illustrates how he was drawn to the story of Mccandless and how Chris’s actions, thoughts, and mental processes came naturally. He informs us of the inevitable accidents that can occur while hiking the wilderness, as well as his own mindset during his similarly troubled, youthful years. Krakauer went through similar mental growth as Chris, but had the fortune of surviving where Chris did not. Unlike McCandless, he didn’t have a single minded focus of living an idealistic life inspired by a great such as Jack London or Thoreau, but Krakauer did yearn for something larger than himself. Both he and Chris shared the desire of personal morality.

Read More

Who Is Krakauer's Argument In Chapter 8

568 Words | 3 Pages

He starts off by introducing the story of Gene Rossellini, a brilliant man who chose to abandon society to look for answers to his curiosities but he ended up committing suicide when he did not get the results that he wanted. Like Rossellini, Chris also chose to abandon his wealth and chose to cut himself from society due to his beliefs and connection with nature. In contrast, unlike Rossellini, Chris did not give up and did not commit suicide when he made a fatal mistake which caused him his life. Next, the author introduces the story of John Mallon Waterman, a risk taker and a very talented mountain climber, who eventually became mentally unstable due to the depressing situations he experienced which possibly prompted him to climb Mt. Denali and end his life.

Read More

Into The Wild By Jon Krakauer: Chapter Analysis

1029 Words | 5 Pages

This means that the mountains are about to give him the desire he is searching for by setting out into the Alaskan wilderness and temporarily separating him from society, an opportunity he took during the course of his life. All three of these men McCandless, Thoreau, and Krakauer shared this value in life, making this a suitable epigraph to include in this work of nonfiction, especially in this chapter for it ties many perspectives of the recurrent free-spirited

Read More

Figurative Language In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

772 Words | 4 Pages

This is made clearer when Jimmy Cross blames himself for Ted Lavender's death, as O’Brien explains, “He felt shame. He hated himself. He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence Lavender was now dead, and this was something he would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war” (16). Jimmy’s decision to place the tragedy upon himself shows how quick soldiers try to resolve traumatic experiences, subconsciously setting themselves up to rot with the emotional burdens they create. Moreover, O’Briens simile instantiates the emotional vulnerability of soldiers which distinctly outweighs the horrors of war by creating endless stress and

Read More

What Is The Physical Setting Of The Novel LOTF And Bluejohn Canyon

769 Words | 4 Pages

In 2003, “I certainly made mistakes” - Aron Ralston, on his miscalculation of the risks and his decision of not informing anyone about his canyoneering trip at Bluejohn Canyon, Utah. From his actions, it transformed a general walk in the park scenario into a fatal journey of 127 hours or five and a half days. This essay will examine how a life-threatening and desperate physical setting of Bluejohn Canyon similar to LOTF can manifest itself within the mind and context of each individual associated, leading them to perform certain actions that will reflect on their background values and identities divergently. Surprisingly, being obscured in a hazardous and despairing physical setting can adjust one’s identity and POV to become harsh and

Read More

David Earle Birney Analysis

215 Words | 1 Pages

As a result of pushing David, Bobby was successfully able to put David’s wishes above his own. Although Bobby’s decision may seem unreasonable and irrational, after examining the situation, I realized that there was no option to choose. Bobby brought up the idea to David that

Read More

Compare And Contrast To Build A Fire And The Cremation Of Sam Mcgee

1369 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout history man has had countless deadly interactions with nature, but man will never be able to defeat nature. In the literature by Jack London, the article, by University of Washington and Robert Service we can learn about some of the few times that man has lost against nature. In all of these stories the Man vs. Nature conflict is apparent to anyone reading these stories. In “To Build a Fire,” Klondike Gold Rush, and “The Cremation of Sam McGee” these writings have many similarities in its treatment of conflict as well as the differences. In all of these readings the weather is harsh and very cold.

Read More

The Things They Carried Rhetorical Analysis

1158 Words | 5 Pages

We see proof of this obligational torment in the aftermath of Ted Lavender’s untimely death. Due to his “carelessness and stupidity” (O’Brien, 1990, pg. 88 para. 9), Cross believed that he was responsible for Lavender’s demise. He becomes struck with guilt and shame because he blames himself for the accident.

Read More

Perspectives On Chris Mccandless's Journey

572 Words | 3 Pages

With a rugged exterior matching the untamed landscape, Westerberg embodies the spirit of adventure and authenticity that McCandless seeks. He muses, “The basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun” (Krakauer 56). Westerberg’s words encapsulate the essence of McCandless’s quest – a relentless pursuit of freedom and self-discovery, untethered by societal constraints. Through Westerberg’s lens, McCandless emerges as a hero, bravely carving his path through the wilderness, unbound by conventions.

Read More

Examples Of Transcendentalism In Into The Wild

980 Words | 4 Pages

“So many people live in unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation” (57). Chris McCandless was determined to not be one of those men, he strived for a life in solitude, away from the demands of society. For that reason he went on an epic transcendental experience that took him from Mexico to Alaska. Along the way, he met and made an impact on peoples’ lives, people like Wayne Westenberg and Ronald Franz. Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild discusses Chris’s journey, and makes the reader question Chris’s reasons for going out into the wild.

Read More

Identity In Ernest Buckler's The Locket

1724 Words | 7 Pages

He knows there’s more for him outside the farm and despite what his family believes he’s compelled by every whistle of a train to go beyond what he knows to find belonging. But, the family’s opposing views of what “home” truly is only pushes David further into a state of confusion over his identity. Thus, the relationship between David and his family

Read More

A Walk In The Woods Rhetorical Devices

945 Words | 4 Pages

The author uses rhetorical devices such as imagery and onomatopoeia to show this. One of the most prominent dangers Bryson faces on the Appalachian Trail is the threat of physical harm. Bryson uses imagery to show people’s thoughts and stories on the Appalachian Trail. Bryson imagined how his experience might go; Bill believed he would be “bowled backward by a

Read More

Farenheit 451, By Ray Bradbury

706 Words | 3 Pages

The characters are guided to face their fate as “The clear autumn river flung them headlong where they must go.” In the novel, natural elements heavily

Read More

Theme Of David By Earle Birney

742 Words | 3 Pages

Authors use themes to convey messages through their writing. They are the central, recurring ideas that often touch upon fundamental experiences, such as love, loss, power and identity. Throughout the poem “David”, Earle Birney uses numerous themes to communicate messages to the reader. Three themes in particular stand out: the stunning but cruel character of nature; the thrill of adventure; and, the meaning of friendship. Birney’s vivid description of nature’s beauty and cruelty are ever-present throughout the poem.

Read More

Future Physician Leaders Reflection Paper

465 Words | 2 Pages

This last summer, I spent my time participating in the city of Temecula’s Future Physician Leaders Program (FPL). Future Physician Leaders is a program operating in partnership with the University of California Riverside School of Medicine and Temecula Valley Hospital. FPL is a program dedicated to educating the college and high school students of Riverside County who aspire to enter the medical field. A component of this program includes a Community Health Project (CHP); the students divide into teams and attack a meaningful issue that which we can help resolve or positively impact change in our community. My team agreed that access to healthcare was a major issue.

Read More

More about David Earle Birney Summary

Related Topics

Open Document