Solitude

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she was never truly alone throughout the hike but, it is not about her being completely alone, it goes into a deeper meaning than that. There were many people she encountered along the way, but none of which would have ever helped her if she hadn’t been alone in the first place. She exclaims, “All the time that I’d been fielding questions about whether I was afraid to be a woman alone- the assumption that a woman alone would be preyed upon- I’d been the recipient of one kindness after another” (Strayed 296). For people to see a lone woman out like Strayed was in the wilderness, is completely unusual and people were moved by her determination and bravery. I think Strayed took the help she deserved and needed on and off the trail but when it came down to her actual hike in the wilderness she wanted to do it alone, there were times that she even denied the help of the hikers. In a deeper context she was achieving what she set out to do, which was to be alone and rekindle with her true self by being away from society and into the wild.

In Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden, his chapter Solitude describes his home out in woods by Walden Lake where he lives alone and describes his experience while becoming one with nature. He discusses how he achieves total solitude even though he encounters other people every day and his neighbors are only miles apart from him. Hypothetically speaking he is not alone but he still brings forth this whole idea of solitude to his readers. He explains, “Solitude is not measured by the miles of space that intervene between a man and his fellows” (Thoreau). In comparison to Strayed I think it’s the inner and mental solitude that Thoreau is achieving here, it is not about being shunned from all human life but rather all the things that corrupted our true selves. For example, Strayed went through so much grief and darkness following her mother’s death and the weight of it all drove her to hike the PCT alone. Likewise, Alter adds to these ideas by saying, “Aloneness then, isn’t just a choice to focus on one’s self it’s also a rejection of all the other social functions women are expected to perform” (Alter). On that note, Thoreau and Strayed might be in contact with certain strangers or friends, but they are still isolated from the rest of society which is the achievement of aloneness they are claiming to have.

In summation, the roles and expectations of women have escalated for the better and loneliness is taking on a positive aspect. Alter, Strayed, and Thoreau all come forth with similar views on solitude for the greater good of ourselves. Strayed went on the lone hike in hopes to heal herself from all the self-destruction she created after her mother’s death and that’s exactly what she achieved by being alone. Just like Strayed, Thoreau’s experience in the wilderness brought him major self-realization in that one can achieve total solitude even though you’re not completely alone. Alter elaborates on these ideas by supporting their choices and a pushing toward the true independence for women. All in all they portray this new idea that it’s okay to want to be alone, it is a time for self-reflection and happiness and that is what Strayed and Thoreau were all about on their experiences in nature. If solitude helped these people achieve something great try seeing what being alone can do for you.