Portrayal of the Mississippi as a Part of Dream in Mississippi Solo Essay
The book Mississippi Solo: A River Quest written by Eddy L. Harris, a young African American writer represents the author’s recollections concerning his journey down the Mississippi River by canoe. It was his first book that was successfully published in the USA. This literary work was written in an absolutely new genre for Eddy Harris – non-fiction. This was the first book of non-fiction that he had written. It may be called a journal which tells about the absorbing traveling experience of the young writer who always had a dream to canoe on the Mississippi River. The main idea of Eddy L. Harris was not only to show the beauty of the Mississippi River and the adjacent lands but also to prove the reader that any person has enough strength to achieve the main goal of his life. It is no wonder that the main goal of Eddy L. Harris was his dream to canoe along the Mississippi river.
My goal in this essay is to prove the fact that if a person has a dream and a great desire to make this dream come true it is possible even if it is dangerous. The Mississippi river canoeing is a part of the dream.
Eddy Harris was 30 when he decided to leave his home in St. Louis and to go on a journey to one of the most beautiful lakes in the world- Lake Itasca. He tells the readers about the main goal of his journey: “I decided to canoe down the Mississippi River and to find out what I was made of”. (Harris 5)
He called his book Mississippi Solo: A River Quest because he wanted to prove himself that he had enough strength to overcome all the difficulties on his way alone, without anybody’s help. He wanted to prove himself that he was a brave man. The Mississippi River route is a route of testing for any real man who is not afraid of loneliness and hardships.
It is known that when Eddy Harris was a child he was in awful fear of the river. He even had the nightmares when his family was going to excursion along the Mississippi River. He was sure that the river had a great power and he “respected that power”. (Harry 4)
Eddy Harris is well known as a so called travel writer who explores not only different places but also he explores the people who live there although he himself does not agree with the notion. He is in search of his own identity as well as the “identity of the blacks in general”. Moreover, he is in search of the truth concerning the culture of the blacks trying to find out how this or that place influences the culture. As the author of the book is the main character he demonstrates his best qualities. Eddy Harris travels great distances by canoe and on foot, endures grinding difficulties, and even risks his life. He had to use his gun several times in order to defend himself and to survive. He started his journey from the headwaters of the Mississippi river and went to its mouth. (Ryan)
According to the author’s words the Mississippi river grows from a small stream to a wide water flow which has “a great power”. There are many beautiful descriptions of nature,birds, flowers, sun, sky, fox, squirrel and many other interesting things in the book. For example, in one of the chapters the author writes that he hears “the early morning screams of red tail hawks, the chirps of golden eagles searching for the early thermals”. (Harris 34)
Eddy Harris has no fear. He knows that God is with him. He even hears God’s voice and it gives him more energy to continue his journey: “I was talking to God and He was talking to me and I heard him and I felt him in my heart”. (Harry 35)
The portrayal of the Mississippi river given by the author takes a special place in the book Mississippi Solo: A River Quest. It is “mighty, muddy, dangerous, rebellious and yet strong, fathering kind of river”. The river always played an important role in the life of the writer. He wanted to be a part of the river. He always wanted to be a hero. The writer compares his life with river which passes different places: fields, farms, cities. The Mississippi river is not only the largest river in the North America but it is a river with a special character. Eddy Harris describes the river in different ways. It is clear that the river changes its color during the day. Moreover, the river can change its mood. It can be kind and tender in the morning and it can be angry and aggressive in the evening. As Eddy Harris traveled by canoe he himself felt these changes. (Harris 26)
The other very important thing concerning the river in the book is that the author is sure that the river has its soul. It is alive. It can breath and laugh and cry. Eddy Harris characterizes the Mississippi river as a human being. This is a very important fact because not all the people can feel the same. He writes that the river “has got some human characteristics” because he wants his readers to believe him. The author met a lot of people on the River. Although all of them were strangers to the travel author, he could form real bonds with them. This fact proves that Eddy Harris is a sociable man who was kind to all the people around him. He is ready to listen to their stories and to understand their troubles. They respect him for his courage and strength of will. They know that not all the people could decide to start such a dangerous traveling. Eddy Harris is open to all the people he meets on his way. Of course, there were some moments described in the book, when the author felt a real sense of loneliness. It is certain to happen with everybody in this situation. Any person needs communication and cannot stay alone for a long time. Eddy Harris is not an exception. He finds communication around him. He is speaking with wild animals and birds, with river and flowers. The author decided to start this journey because he wanted “to see something new, to do something new and to be something new”. And he could see himself in absolutely another role, the role of a traveler. (Ryan)
Although he is Afro-American and his skin is black he knows that not all the people like it. Eddy Harris makes the readers to understand the racism is a bad thing. People have no right to treat other people badly because the last have another color of skin. For example, a captain of the towboat welcomed Harris as a friend. Of course, there were some people on his way who were against the blacks, who treated him ill. However, the author could find the right way out. The river helped him to do it. The role of the river in the book is enormous.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is necessary to say that Eddy Harris could prove himself that he is a brave man. He could travel alone by canoe without any hesitations. The Mississippi river was the only close friend of the travel writer. The river helped him to come to its mouth. The river like a powerful woman with the character of a man made him calm and brave in order to overcome all the difficulties on his way. Eddy Harris showed his best personality traits during the journey. There were a number of hazardous situations: barge wakes and wild dogs, two bigots who wanted to kill the writer one night in Arkansas. He visited those places where there were “no black folks”. It was dangerous but Eddy Harris was ready to meet such people. He was not alone. The Mississippi river was his reliable friend during the journey.
