Wild | Cheryl Strayed | Cliff Note Books
“Wild” is a memoir by American author Cheryl Strayed, published in 2012. The book recounts Strayed’s solo hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,663 mile long trail that runs from the Mexican border through California, Oregon, and Washington, to the Canadian border. The book is a deeply personal exploration of grief, self-discovery, and the power of nature.
The book opens with Strayed’s account of her mother’s death from cancer when Strayed was just 22 years old. The loss of her mother sends Strayed into a spiral of self-destructive behavior, including drug use and promiscuity. In an effort to escape her pain and find a sense of purpose, Strayed decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, despite having no prior experience with long-distance hiking.
The book chronicles Strayed’s journey along the trail, as she struggles with physical challenges such as blisters and exhaustion, as well as emotional challenges such as loneliness and self-doubt. Along the way, she meets a variety of other hikers and has a series of memorable and often humorous experiences.
Through her journey, Strayed confronts her own past mistakes and traumas, and learns to find strength and resilience in the face of adversity. The book is a powerful exploration of the healing power of nature and the transformative potential of adventure.
Overall, “Wild” is a deeply personal and honest memoir that offers a powerful and inspiring message of hope and resilience. It is a testament to the human capacity for growth and transformation, and a celebration of the natural world and our place within it.
QUOTES
“It was my life—like all lives, mysterious and irrevocable and sacred. So very close, so very present, so very belonging to me. How wild it was, to let it be.”
“Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me.”
“What if I forgave myself? I thought. What if I forgave myself even though I’d done something I shouldn’t have? What if I was a liar and a cheat and there was no excuse for what I’d done other than because it was what I wanted and needed to do? What if I was sorry, but if I could go back in time I wouldn’t do anything differently than I had done? What if I’d actually wanted to fuck every one of those men? What if heroin taught me something? What if yes was the right answer instead of no? What if what made me do all those things everyone thought I shouldn’t have done was what also had got me here? What if I was never redeemed? What if I already was?”
“I was a pebble. I was a leaf. I was the jagged branch of a tree. I was nothing to them and they were everything to me.”
“It had nothing to do with gear or footwear or the backpacking fads or philosophies of any particular era or even with getting from point A to point B. It had to do with how it felt to be in the wild. With what it was like to walk for miles with no reason other than to witness the accumulation of trees and meadows, mountains and deserts, streams and rocks, rivers and grasses, sunrises and sunsets. The experience was powerful and fundamental. It seemed to me that it had always felt like this to be a human in the wild, and as long as the wild existed it would always feel this way.”
AUTHOR
Cheryl Strayed is an American author and essayist, born on September 17, 1968, in Spangler, Pennsylvania. She grew up in Minnesota and later moved to Oregon, where she attended the University of Oregon and earned a degree in English.
After college, Strayed worked a variety of jobs, including waitressing, house cleaning, and working as a freelance writer. In her mid-twenties, she experienced a series of personal tragedies, including the death of her mother from cancer, the breakup of her marriage, and struggles with addiction. These experiences informed much of her writing, including her debut memoir, “Wild.”
“Wild” was published in 2012 and became an instant bestseller, earning critical acclaim for its powerful and honest exploration of grief, self-discovery, and the power of nature. The book was adapted into a film in 2014, starring Reese Witherspoon as Strayed.
In addition to “Wild,” Strayed has also written a number of other books, including the memoir “Tiny Beautiful Things” and the novel “Torch.” She has also contributed essays and articles to a variety of publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Vogue.
Strayed is known for her honest and direct writing style, which is often informed by her own experiences and struggles. She has become a prominent voice in contemporary literature, particularly in the genre of memoir and personal essays.
In addition to her writing, Strayed is also an advocate for social justice and has been involved in a variety of activist causes, including LGBTQ rights and environmental conservation.
CRITICISMS
While “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed has been widely praised for its powerful and honest exploration of grief, self-discovery, and the transformative power of nature, there have also been some criticisms of the book. Here are a few examples:
Privilege: Some critics have argued that Strayed’s ability to undertake a long-distance hike on a whim is a reflection of her own privilege, and that her story may not be relatable to readers who lack the resources and opportunities to pursue such adventures.
Self-centeredness: Some readers have criticized Strayed’s memoir for being too self-centered and focused on her own personal journey, at the expense of other perspectives and experiences.
Lack of diversity: Some critics have pointed out that the book is primarily focused on the experiences of a white, middle-class woman, and that it does not engage with issues of race, class, or other forms of identity and privilege.
Inaccuracies: Some readers and critics have pointed out inaccuracies and discrepancies in Strayed’s account of her hike, particularly around the specifics of the trail and the logistics of her journey.
Literary merit: While “Wild” has been widely popular and commercially successful, some literary critics have argued that the book lacks the depth and complexity of other memoirs and personal essays, and that its style and structure can be simplistic or formulaic.
It’s worth noting that these criticisms are not universal, and many readers and critics have praised “Wild” for its powerful and honest exploration of grief, self-discovery, and the transformative power of nature. Like all works of literature, “Wild” is open to interpretation and critique, and different readers may respond to it in different ways.
DISCUSSION
The transformative power of nature: The book is a powerful testament to the healing and transformative power of nature. How does Strayed’s journey along the Pacific Crest Trail help her to confront her own personal demons and find a sense of peace and purpose? What does the book suggest about the relationship between humans and the natural world?
Grief and loss: Strayed’s journey is motivated in part by her struggles with grief and loss, particularly the death of her mother. How does Strayed explore the themes of grief and loss throughout the book? How does she come to terms with her own feelings of guilt, anger, and sorrow?
Self-discovery and identity: Strayed’s journey also serves as a means of self-discovery and self-definition. How does Strayed’s experience along the Pacific Crest Trail shape her sense of self? How does she grapple with questions of identity, purpose, and belonging?
Narrative structure: The book is structured as a series of interconnected essays, rather than a traditional linear narrative. How does this structure impact our understanding of Strayed’s story? What are the benefits and limitations of this approach to memoir writing?
Feminism and gender: Strayed’s memoir is a powerful exploration of the experiences of a woman navigating the world on her own terms. How does the book engage with questions of gender and feminism? How does Strayed’s gender shape her experience on the trail?
SUMMARIES
In this section, Cheryl Strayed introduces herself and her backstory, detailing the tragic events that led her to embark on her solo journey along the Pacific Crest Trail. She describes the death of her mother from cancer when Strayed was just 22, and how her grief sent her spiraling into a period of self-destructive behavior, including drug use and infidelity.
After hitting rock bottom, Strayed decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, a 1,100-mile journey that will take her from the Mojave Desert to the Bridge of the Gods on the Oregon-Washington border. Strayed has no prior experience with long-distance hiking, and she sets out on the trail with an oversized backpack, nicknamed “Monster.”
Along the trail, Strayed confronts a series of physical and emotional challenges, including blistered feet, a lost boot, and encounters with rattlesnakes and other dangerous wildlife. Despite these challenges, she also experiences moments of beauty and wonder, marveling at the vastness of the wilderness and the stunning landscapes that surround her.
Throughout these first few sections of the book, Strayed’s voice is honest and raw, offering a powerful glimpse into the depths of grief and despair. At the same time, her descriptions of the natural world are lyrical and evocative, capturing the awe-inspiring beauty of the Pacific Crest Trail.
In this section, Strayed continues her journey along the Pacific Crest Trail, traveling from the Mojave Desert into the Sierra Nevada mountain range. She faces a number of physical challenges, including a dangerous river crossing and a grueling ascent up a steep mountain pass.
Along the way, Strayed encounters a variety of other hikers, some of whom offer her support and encouragement, while others are dismissive or even hostile. She also reflects on her own past mistakes and traumas, including her failed marriage and struggles with addiction and infidelity.
Despite these challenges, Strayed continues to push forward, finding strength and resilience in the face of adversity. She also reflects on the deeper lessons she has learned along the trail, including the importance of self-reliance and the power of perseverance.
In the later sections of this part of the book, Strayed enters the High Sierra region, where she faces some of her greatest physical and emotional challenges yet. She grapples with the fear of being alone in the wilderness, the pain of physical exhaustion, and the weight of her own personal demons. Yet even as she faces these challenges, she continues to find moments of beauty and connection in the natural world, and she begins to discover a sense of peace and purpose in her journey.