'Wild' through a feminist perspectiveI have finally finished reading the book 'Wild' by Cheryl Strayed. Looking at the book through a feminist perspective, I can say that Cheryl has been looked down upon as a woman, alone in the woods. Despite the fact that she was surrounded by a negative, anti-feministic environment, Cheryl was able to prove that women are as capable as men. Cheryl, being a female feels vulnerable to be around with men. Everytime Cheryl encounters a man on the trail, she hesitates before doing anything because she is scared of what his intentions might be. As Cheryl waited for a ride in Chester, her thoughts went like this: "And I would be fine, I thought, as the man who drove the Chrysler LeBaron made his way toward me on the gravel shoulder of the road, though I felt a sick flutter in my gut as I attempted to discern, in the flash of a second, what his intentions were" (Strayed 177). Cheryl, who's alone in the woods always tried to make sure that she got help from people that looked harmless to her. Her attitude toward men that she encountered on the trail comes from previous experiences and the way women were often treated. Men held supreme power over women. Men were considered strong and capable of anything and due to this reason, they took advantage of women. Cheryl realizes these facts and proves it wrong when she endured through the whole hike. Cheryl never felt vulnerable being around with another woman. Her hesitance and vulnerability is also evident when she gets into Frank's truck. "As I sat there with him, I felt the way I always do when alone in certain circumstances with certain men—that anything could happen. That he could go about his business, mannerly and kind, or he could grab me and change the course of things entirely in an instant. With Frank in his truck, I watched his hands, his every move, each cell in my body on high alert, though I appeared as relaxed as if I’d just woken from a nap" (Strayed 73-74). Cheryl discusses how she was always on high alert with certain men on certain circumstances, which I believe is the same way for any other woman. Women always feel insecure and uncomfortable when they are around certain men. But if it were the other way around, no man would would feel vulnerable around a woman because they feel they're stronger and hold power over them. 'Wild' proves that women can do anything, that they're capable of doing everything that a man can do. Some men that Cheryl met on the trail thought that she wasn't safe alone in the woods. They judge her capability of lifting a heavy backpack. They advise her to stay safe on the trail. This situation is evident when Cheryl got her first ride to the trail: “ 'Are you sure you can lift that' ? he asked. ' ’Cause I barely can.' 'Of course I can lift it,' I said. He stood there, as if waiting for me to prove it. 'Thanks for the ride,' I said, wanting him to leave, so he wouldn’t be witness to my humiliating pack-donning routine. He nodded and slid the van’s door shut. 'Be safe out there' " (Strayed 49). The men judged her by the fact that she is a woman and she is not capable of carrying heavy weights. But at the end of the book, not only did she successfully reach the end of the trail without giving up, she carried 'Monster' (the name of her backpack) around for 1100 miles and never got seriously hurt. The outcome of this story proves that even though women are portrayed as incapable of certain things, they are completely able to do anything they set their minds to and should not be looked down upon due to their gender. During Barbara's (Cheryl's mother) last days with Cheryl, she opened up and spoke the truth about how her life has always been. " 'I never got to be in the driver’s seat of my own life,' she’d wept to me once, in the days after she learned she was going to die. 'I always did what someone else wanted me to do. I’ve always been someone’s daughter or mother or wife. I’ve never just been me' " (Strayed 273). Cheryl's mother's words reflect how women in general have no freedom to live their own life. They are always just expected to do things for their fathers, husbands or children. Most of what they are alive for is to take care of others. In Cheryl's life, after her father abandoned them, her mother took on the role as the breadwinner, although that's a role mainly associated with men. She had to provide for the family, putting even more pressure on her. Cheryl's family was really poor and never enjoyed any luxuries. Cheryl's mother always strives to do the best for her children and never cared about her own needs. This is generally how all mothers/single mothers are expected to do. Her life symbolizes how freedom is not always an option for women, because they always under expectations. During the last few days of her hike, Cheryl comes across a man that she felt incredibly vulnerable around. He comments on her appearance and makes her feel really uncomfortable. " 'I’m talking about liking your pants,' the man said with a touch of irritation. 'They look good on you. They show off your hips and legs' (Strayed 287). In this scenario, the man looked upon Cheryl as a sex object. The man's attitude and the way he spoke to her shows that he had an inappropriate intention within him. Cheryl, who strived to show courage and boldness through the trail didn't falter, but stood up and protected herself. But in some of today's third world countries, women are still considered sex objects and they do not have their own freedom. Overall, reading tthis book has helped me understand that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. It is very important to believe in yourself and ignore the negative comments that might surround you. 'Wild' is a great book of perseverance and success and I definitely recommend you to read it!
Please click on each image to see its source. Work Cited: Strayed, Cheryl. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. New York: Knopf, 2012. Print.
1 Comment
Joanna Pak
12/12/2016 02:53:13 pm
Hey Keziah! I think you did an excellent job with interpreting this novel in a feminist perspective. Overall, we had very similar points in both our analysis. You mention in the blogpost that men come onto Cheryl with no regards to her personality. This objectification concept in the book demonstrate how many men feel as if they hold power over women. This dominancy that men feel have an impact on females and can affect them majorly. (We actually used the same quote for this!) I really like how you pointed out that Cheryl's mother's words reflect how women in general have no freedom to live their own life. This is very true in our society because there is this ideology that women must have men in their life to be successful. Cheryl's mom ultimately married the father of the baby because she doubted herself that she can go through this pregnancy alone. Anyways, did you enjoy the ending of the book?
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AuthorI am Keziah Vilson from A.B. Lucas Secondary School. I write about topics we cover in my grade 12 English class. Archives
December 2016
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