Revision

One of the common misconceptions we have about the wild is our conviction of its mundane property. Our minds immediately resort to the stereotypes we have developed over the years concerning the lifestyle in the countryside. We presume living in the wild would be similarly monotonous and, ironically, lifeless. Instead, Abram proves through his experience in the wild how it was completely engaging, especially to his sense. He admits, “I began to see and to hear in a manner I never had before…I became a student of subtle differences” (15). By experiencing the wilderness first hand, Abram became more aware of his surroundings. He uses the words “subtle differences” to show how his deep connection with nature allowed him to fully experience the different aspects of the wilderness. Abram eliminates the possibility that there is something to yawn about in the wilderness as he finds himself intrigued by details he himself may have once expected to be inconsequential. Krakauer reinforces Abram’s notion that the wilderness is far from monotonous through Muir’s elaborate description of the Sierra gale. Muir indicates how “never before did [he] enjoy so noble an exhilaration of motion. The Slender tops fairly flapped and swished in the passionate torrent, bending and swirling backward and forward, round and round” (363). In his observation, Muir uses vivid adjectives to describe the movement of the water. His usage of words suggests that the wilderness in fact influenced the way he perceives nature and its complex characteristics. The splashing of the water is a seemingly minor detail that Muir has found himself captivated by. Thus Muir has become “a student of subtle differences” in the same way Abram did. Krakauer’s selection of words to describe the object of Muir’s intrigue gives a concrete image to the abstract idea Abram expresses. They are in harmony in how they find joy in details that our ordinary untouched eyes would not find the same sentiment in. Hence, Abram’s distinct feel for natural beauty, which is similarly demonstrated in Krakauer reference of Muir’s detailed observation, prove how the wilderness is in fact more fascinating than our contemporary societies and, ultimately, defies our initial supposition.