The Journals of Lewis and Clark

What is the author's style in The Journals of Lewis and Clark by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark?

Asked by
Last updated by Jill W
1 Answers
Log in to answer

The Journals were written as diaries, day by day. Both co-captains alternate the writing of the entries in the diary in an effort to report and comment of their discoveries. For nearly 600 days, the forty men traveled over nine thousand miles by pirogue, canoes, on horses and on foot, carrying tons of material, food and equipment. The Journals document several incredible accomplishments unlikely to ever be reproduced by any team of men.

The Journals are written as a narrative description, with the authors alternating in relating the events of the day and the scenery they were able to observe. The author typically uses the first person whenever he himself becomes the center of the events described, but otherwise the point of view remains generally neutral.

Source(s)

The Journals of Lewis and Clark