Week 6 Analysis, John Muir

       For this weeks reading, I have decided to do a literary analysis on the reading "John Muir" (298-307). This story was from a very long time ago, and  it discussed California in a way we haven't seen much of before. The text was very descriptive, one of the most descriptive texts I remember reading in this class so far, and is very detailed about what the outdoors were like back then.

       In this text, there are a few literary devices that I can relate this story to and explain how they are a part of it. This story used a lot of imagery. I learned a lot about what California used to look like, especially in the Yosemite and Shasta area. That was pretty interesting to me because I visit those areas often, so reading something about what they used to look like was intriguing. I enjoyed reading about how the sierras used to be, and how it was split between the north and south. It seemed like most parts of California at this time were split into different regions, and they all had their own function and meaning. I think that concept has faded away in the world we live in today, it is more of just north and south. The volcanos make the text pretty amazing, especially since we never see volcanos anywhere near us today. These definitely had an impact on California and the cities surrounding, and has shaped the layout of the state today. All of the topography from back then has changed tremendously to this day, but it has all been a process of shaping the state we live in and that was interesting to understand. California truly has changed and who knows what it will be like in 50 years.

       A theme that I was able to connect to myself in this text is when it talked about Mount Shasta and the rivers surrounding it. I go up to Shasta pretty often, and it is one of my favorite places to visit. I couldn't imagine seeing Shasta any other way I have, and to think about what it was like back then is crazy. I also enjoyed reading about the Pitt River Indians, and what happened with them and Shasta. This connected with me because the Pitt River is still around at Shasta, and the lake actually has a part of it called the Pitt River arm, so that was pretty cool. This works as a metaphor with what the author is discussing because it symbolizes change. We learned about what these areas were like years ago, and connected it to how they are now. If things didn't happen the way they did back then, California would be different today so it all represents change.

       The context is written in a historical way, since almost the whole text is about the history of California's topography and how it has evolved. This was definitely and influence on how this text was written, and topography obviously meant something to the author. This text is important because it allows people to relate to certain things mentioned in the writing, and allows people to think about the amazing changes that have happened since those days.