JourneysJourneys

JourneyJourney

Definition

The act of traveling from one place to another; a trip.

A process or course likened to traveling; a passage.

What are What are some types some types of journeys?of journeys?

DestinationDestination “Poetic, open and raw, Kerouac's On the Road lays out a cross-country adventure as experienced by Sal Paradise, an autobiographical character. A writer holed up in a room at his aunt's house, Paradise gets inspired by Dean Moriarty (a character based on Kerouac's friend Neal Cassady) to hit the road and see America. From the moment he gets on the seven train out of New York City, he takes the reader through the highs and lows of hitchhiking, bonding with fellow explorers and opting for beer before food.”

From Publishers’ Weekly

PhysicalPhysical “In the fifty years since Sir

Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norgay first saw the view from the top of Mt. Everest, thousands have tried to reach that lofty vantage point. Erik Weihenmeyer made it. Pushing through brutal cold, savage winds and crushing fatigue at 29,000 feet (8,840 meters), he reached the top of the world; but he never caught even a glimpse of the famous view. He is the only blind person to ever stand on Everest's peak.”

Tom ForemanNational Geographic Explorer

Intellectual/Intellectual/Academic Academic “Is the universe finite or infinite? Will it expand forever or

eventually collapse in a "big crunch"? Is time travel possible? What goes on inside a black hole? How does gravity really work? These questions at the forefront of twenty-first-century physics are all rooted in the profound and sweeping vision of Albert Einstein's early twentieth-century theory of relativity.”

Washington Post Book World

MusicalMusical“The Beatles’ music, rooted in

American rock and roll but liberally flavored with rhythm and blues and rockabilly, featured harmonic vocals, melodic guitar, and a driving backbeat that influenced scores of young musicians and revolutionized popular music. As musicians, as composers, and as entertainers, the Beatles bridged generation gaps and language barriers, reshaping rock music with their wit and sophistication. As trendsetters, they popularized long hair, mod dress, hallucinogenic drugs, Indian music, and Eastern mysticism.”

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9273136>

Entrepreneurial Entrepreneurial

“When I made Facebook two years ago my goal was to help people understand what was going on in their world a little better. I wanted to create an environment where people could share whatever information they wanted, but also have control over whom they shared that information with. I think a lot of the success we've seen is because of these basic principles.”

The Facebook Blogby Mark Zuckerberg

SpiritualSpiritual“My first encounter with Buddhist

dharma would be in my early twenties. I think like most young men I was not particularly happy. I don't know if I was suicidal, but I was pretty unhappy, and I had questions like, ‘Why anything?’ Realizing I was probably pushing the edges of my own sanity, I was exploring late-night bookshops reading everything I could, in many different directions. Evans-Wentz's books on Tibetan Buddhism had an enormous impact on me. I just devoured them.”

Richard Gere: My Journey as a BuddhistBy Melvin McLeod

Recovery Recovery “These days, Robert Downey Jr. is a man

whose cup runneth over — in the throes of wedded bliss, he's sober and appearing in the March release, Zodiac. So he can be excused for fussing over wedding albums, which are the physical tokens of a journey that began with his most recent arrest, in 2001, in an alley in Culver City for suspected drug use. "Once you're getting apprehended by law enforcement, you're out of balance with the universe," says Downey, who indulges in several long New Agey riffs on personal responsibility and the "benevolent energy" of the universe that he believes has helped him pull back from the brink. "I see life as a series of challenges and battles that you either win or lose."

By Kevin WestStyle.com

In addition, most literature In addition, most literature focuses on characters focuses on characters

who are also undertaking who are also undertaking some sort of journey. some sort of journey.

Understanding their Understanding their journeys can help us journeys can help us

understandunderstandour own.our own.

In In Adventures of Adventures of Huckleberry Huckleberry FinnFinn, Huck’s , Huck’s

journey is one of journey is one of a boy becoming a boy becoming

a mana man

In In Of Mice and Of Mice and MenMen, George , George and Lennie’s and Lennie’s

journey, journey, despite its despite its

tragic end, is tragic end, is one of one of

friendshipfriendship

In In NightNight, Elie Weisel’s journey , Elie Weisel’s journey is one of survival in a is one of survival in a concentration camp concentration camp

In Macbeth, In Macbeth, Macbeth’s Macbeth’s

journey is a journey is a descent into descent into madness as madness as

he seeks he seeks power at all power at all

costs costs

Note that not all journeys Note that not all journeys end well.end well.

Some end badly.Some end badly.

Others simply continue.Others simply continue.

In this class, we will study the In this class, we will study the journeys of the characters in journeys of the characters in five works based on real-life five works based on real-life

events events

AliveAlive

The The Perfect Perfect Storm Storm

The The Aviator Aviator

Hotel Hotel Rwanda Rwanda

Supersize Supersize Me Me

We will watch the films and We will watch the films and read excerpts from the read excerpts from the

writings on which these films writings on which these films are based.are based.

It is this reading that will help It is this reading that will help us truly understand the us truly understand the

motivation and significance motivation and significance of each of their journeys.of each of their journeys.

We will read sample essays We will read sample essays that reflect journeys the that reflect journeys the

authors have experienced authors have experienced and discuss the different and discuss the different types of writing that were types of writing that were

used to reveal those used to reveal those journeys. journeys.

In addition, we will In addition, we will spend Fridays on spend Fridays on

activities and activities and lessons related to lessons related to an ideal site for an ideal site for journeys of all journeys of all

sorts, and one that sorts, and one that is practically in our is practically in our

own back yard, own back yard, The Appalachian The Appalachian

Trail. Trail.

And most importantly, And most importantly, we will write several essays, we will write several essays,

using different types of writing:using different types of writing:

Your essays will not only reveal the Your essays will not only reveal the journeys you, too, have already journeys you, too, have already experienced or are currently on, experienced or are currently on,

but also help you figure out but also help you figure out where you are going.where you are going.

NarrativeNarrativeExpositorExpositoryyClassificationClassification DescriptiveDescriptive

PersuasivePersuasive

Start thinking Start thinking about it now. about it now.

Where have Where have you been? you been?

Where are Where are you now? you now?

Where are Where are you going?you going?

What is your What is your journey? journey?