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Symbolism And Social Life In Cheryl Strayed's Boys In The Boat

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In the three novels, shelter plays a role in defining the main characters in the novel. The way characters act towards shelter, the condition of the shelter, and the actions that happen inside the shelter give it a symbolic meaning that relates to the main character’s personality and social life. In the novel, “Boys in the Boat”, shelter symbolizes the hard work ahead of Joe and the status of his family relationship. Joe, the main character, often lives in unfinished or very small structures which represent his current state. Just as it takes lots of effort to make a small run-down shelter into a comfortable home, Joe would have to put in lots of effort to get a better life. The small size of the structure Joe lives in represents the …show more content…
Whenever Cheryl Strayed sees shelter, she feels relieved and wants to stay there awhile. In the novel, shelter represents safety and comfort. As Cheryl embarked on her journey through the Pacific coast, she felt happy with the dirty motel room because it sheltered her from the elements and kept her cool in the hot California desert.. In the same way, she enjoyed her tent when on the trail. All the hikers had to stop somewhere at some point to get rest, food, and shelter no matter how much they thought they could live like the wild animals. The hikers needed shelter of some …show more content…
Before venturing outside of hotels, apartments and houses, the main character went through life without really thinking about the consequences of her actions. She participated in activities that made her unfaithful to her former husband, Paul. Even though she seemed to like Paul, her actions resulted in a divorce and never hearing from Paul again. Cheryl had not finished learning more about herself and finding what she truly enjoys in life after losing her mother, Paul, and staying sheltered prevented her from learning or realizing anything.
Finally, “Into the Wild” gives shelter a different connotation than the other two novels. Chris McCandless behaves nomadically in the story, moving from one place to another. Shelter he finds becomes just another small chapter in his life. He comes and leaves just as a reader starts and ends a chapter of a. The author of “Into the Wild” portrays shelter and the events that happen there as a part of one’s life that one moves on from and eventually forgets. Once Chris McCandless left one shelter, he almost never sent any word back except in a few rare

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