The Temptations of Two Reflection

Susan Fox Rogers establishes themes of danger and risk in comparing taking on adventures alone or with another person. Her repetition of words such as “solo,” “alone,” and “solitary” exposes how she is able to travel by herself where as her companion Emily, “does not go alone.” While Rogers often encounters “loneliness” she also finds “freedom” in not having to report to anyone else. The peace she finds in nature, specifically paddling down a river alone, is emphasized in her metaphor describing her solo trip writing, “each dip is like treading, with my arms, in the thickest milkshake . . . [and] a peace descends” (163). While Rogers contemplates whether it’s safer to travel on the river alone or with someone else, she also states that, “safety is not why I go,” but rather for the “tantalizing heat that spreads” following an excursion on the river (167). Thus Rogers has an intriguing dilemma, wanting to be alone and safe yet desiring companionship and adventure; these both are risks.