Aquifer By Alain De Botton Analysis

An individual’s perception of real and remembered landscapes is dependent on their past experiences and memories which reveal inextricable concepts of how landscapes are a metaphysical realm upon which we project our expectations. “The Art of Travel” by Alain de Botton and “Aquifer” by Tim Winton explore how landscapes are reflective of an individual’s needs as they are characterized by the values we lack. The abstract representation of landscapes as a realm that exists within memory or imagination in “The Art of Travel” provides an opportunity for the composer to project his philosophical ideas and apply them to travel. Similarly, the landscapes explored by the protagonist in “Aquifer” gradually change to accommodate the new morals of adulthood gained through time. Both representations of the landscapes offer the audience to reconsider the effect of landscapes on individuals as they allow them to create new …show more content…
De Botton proposes that merely looking at the real landscape incites boredom and a lack of interest. By metaphorically comparing journeys as “the midwives of thought,” de Botton emphasizes how new thoughts and perspectives create imagined landscapes which gives contentment and allows individuals to become both physically and mentally engaged with the landscape. His personification of his mind and body as ‘temperamental accomplices’ who could not appreciate the values in the landscape suggests how the pleasure individuals derive from travel is perhaps more reliant on the mindset than the destination. De Botton utilises Edward Hopper’s paintings to explore how people travel landscapes prescribed with emotions and morals in order to “reflect upon our lives” and overcome the feelings these landscapes represent. Similarly to the guide, William Wordsworth, de Botton indicates the effect of landscapes to nurture the soul and heal individuals from the restrictions of