The Same River Twice, Pg. 54-109

Throughout this novel, we see the contrast between Chris as a young child and an adult. This section of the novel begins with Chris and Rita thinking that their child may have some sort of birth defect, so and they go to the doctor to inquire about this. After amniotic testing, the doctor concludes that the baby is healthy. To counteract his apprehensions about being a father, he and Rita babysat a one-year-old for "practice," and Chris reflects upon that time. He also speaks of a maple tree that he used to retreat to so that he could write. The novel then transitions to Chris as a young boy, and he speaks of his turbulent past with his father, and the decision that he made to move out of Kentucky. The author makes use of a literary device, a simile, when Chris says that he "makes his way down south for the winter, like a migrating bird." I think it is important to notice that he compares himself to a bird, which exhibits freedom in flight, which I think that Chris yearned for. Chris, then, speaks of the different places that he lived in such as Texas, Nebraska, and Colorado, working handy-man jobs. He never stayed in any one place too long and moved frequently, much like a bird. Next, Chris speaks of his rough adventures in the desert. Along the way, he meets  Al, an overly religious man, and "Winner," who was strange and talked nonsense to Chris. He then arrives in California, spending time on the beaches and in Los Angeles. After an encounter with a patron calling his artwork "trash," he decides to give up on his dream of being an artist and to pursue a career as a play write. Chris takes a break from writing, and some time later the story picks up in Alabama with Chris working in the circus. He has some interesting encounters while in the circus, such as a lady with tattoos of parrots all over her body, men talking about the gorilla's genitalia, and Chris having to dress up as a walrus for a certain act. As usual, Chris tires of this easily and moves to the north. Just as a bird does, Chris moves from place to place frequently as he tires of the same old routine. I think this shows a lot about Chris' personality, as he is not one to be "grounded," but rather his imagination takes flight just as a bird would. Chris reminds me of Tom Petty's song "Free Fallin'," in which the lyrics are "I wanna free fall out into nothin', gonna leave this world for a while." Chris is unlike most people of the world who get caught up in the everyday hustle and bustle, but by being his own person and doing his own "thing," by being a roamer and being so free-willed.