All Good Things Are Wild and Free “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better,” Albert Einstein once said. Nature is about balance and harmony, which is something that is lacking in today’s society. To deal with the pains of life, it is thought that one should connect with nature, and the inseparable bond that is created will allow people to find themselves again. Spending time alone and connecting with one’s environment can teach valuable life lessons, and by escaping into the wilderness, one will be able to free themselves from the troubles that have weighed them down. In Cheryl Strayed’s memoir, Wild, Cheryl uses diction and rhetoric to communicate her message by using imagery, maxims, and mature diction. In the memoir, Wild, Cheryl Strayed goes …show more content…
For instance, “…I considered my options. There were only two and they were essentially the same. I could go back in the direction I had come from, or I could go forward in the direction I intended to go. The bull, I acknowledged grimly, could be in either direction, since I hadn’t seen where he’d run once I closed my eyes. I could only choose between the bull that would take me back and the bull that would take me forward. And so I walked on” (69). Cheryl had debated ending her journey once she encountered the Texas longhorn bull, but she realized that she must not be afraid. She knew that she needed to find courage in herself and not give up so easily. “Every time I heard a sound of unknown origin or felt something horrible cohering in my imagination, I pushed it away. I simply did not let myself become afraid. Fear begets fear. Power begets power. I willed myself to beget power. And it wasn’t long before I actually wasn’t afraid” (51). Cheryl realized that she needed to overcome her angst and face her fears. Strayed’s use of maxims clearly depicts the message she was trying to