The Idea of Natural Escape

I couldn’t help but be struck, immediately, on page 13 when the idea of the invisible line is presented. Sol is depicted as “tracing the path of a very thin but distinct shadow stretched in a perfectly straight line across the dirt and sand”. This idea struck me as odd at first. I was confused why this connection between the two orange trees (now one) and the orange, itself, was of such importance. Beautiful imagery, of course, but I wanted to understand the significance of these trees bordering the Tropic of Cancer. Thus, I kept reading, and it finally made sense on page 23. Gabriel says to his girlfriend, “I get a kick out of planting a tree everytime I go…I get to make something I can actually touch and eat for a change”. This idea, to me holds so much truth. I haven’t quite grasped the concept of industrialization and urbanization. I have, as many others, always felt a pull towards nature and a strange satisfaction when I can get a flower to bloom and a zucchini to grow without being eaten by bugs. Thus, I really resonated with Gabrial. I understood that the line depicted must be some sense of ownership. Of course, we all find connections to the land and when it’s our land, there is a deeper sense of gratification.

Maybe this is simply because I come from a family of farmers, but I know that there is no deeper satisfaction than living with the land. However, after Gabriel states this, his girlfriend jokes that those who are able to produce and love what they make are “either an Asian or a machine”. Of course, this is funny because both of them are of Asian descent, but it is quite sad that this idea of creation must be stereotyped and seen as a fantasy, rather than just normal, everyday activity. Obviously, Gabriel is not happy in Los Angeles. Why else would he have bought the dreamy little cottage in Mazatlan? Of course, he was trying, like so many people are, to find himself by leaving his familiar circumstances. This is why most people vacation and feel the thrill of traveling. They are thrilled by the idea of adventure and, when traveling to places less populated, feel a deeper connection to the Earth. It is as if they finally are able to find themselves through the loss of their own urbanism. This, of course, is an adventure that we all should pursue.

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