Reading Assignment – Theme // Homework

Waiting on A Whale at the End of the World

Theme: Adventure

I love the way the author describes the whaling captain, Reppi. “His jaw starts just below his ears and narrows sharply, giving him a wolfishly handsome look despite the fact he has lost all his teeth.” The descriptive words he uses really make Reppi and easy character to see in your mind.

I also really liked how the author spoke of how windy and treacherous the climate was there, and that whale hunting was a very dangerous thing to do. “..He (Reppi) had to learn that if the crew got stranded on the ice pack…” The author still put himself into the position willing, to get such a great story and experience. I think this story he did, shows how travel writers should be, in the action willing to jump in and experience it, because they love it, not doing it just for a story and actual cash.

The Big Leap

Theme: Change

I really like how this travel story is so much more than just travel. It is also about change. About a normal person becoming a mother to a six year old and a new family beginning. I love how she describes her daughter Lily with this quote, “I felt her pleasure in this instance- she had preferences, travel offers us the chance to constitute ourselves with taste: what we love and what we don’t.” This was when Lily talked about how she did not like snorkeling.

I also loved how the author described their first night at their destination. “The crescent moon was sharp, flowing pale, and the sky was like a naked version of our sky back home- as if its skin has been peeled away to show more stars.” I love how it is so descriptive but not hard to follow, she does not overuse adjectives, when in fact there are a lot in there.