A Walk in the Woods | Themes & Symbolism

A Walk in the Woods Significant Topics

Journey

This book is very much about leaving home, experiencing something difficult, and returning home, in this case, so Bryson can write about the experience. Bryson and Katz leave home in March as two out-of-shape men with no real experience in the wilderness. However, the trail wears them down, making them capable of exertion and survival through the use of their wits.

For Bryson, the journey is partly about reconnecting with the home landscape, which he has not seen in twenty years. The hiking terrain of England is much different, so when he sets off in Georgia he is suddenly in an environment that will push him to the extreme physical limit - and he finds that he can take it. The trip also seems to give Katz a much-needed sense of accomplishment and competence, particularly after succumbing to his alcoholism over the summer. They both come home with knowledge and...
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