Jack is a student of history so it is appropriate that when his
life falls apart, he heads to the Golden West. Historically, settlers have
always pushed west as a way of contemplating life or a pursuit of finding solutions
and achieving a grander lifestyle. Western life is idealized and glorified and
it is reasonable to assume that Jack believes life is easier on the Pacific
coast than his troubling life in the South. After learning about the Boss and
Anne’s affair, Jack feels severely betrayed by Willie and impulsively heads to
California. “That was why I had got into my car and headed West, because when
you don’t like it where you are you always go West. We have always gone West.”
(431). One of the major themes in this book is Jack’s intimate relationship
with history. When Jack states that, “We have always gone West,” he alludes to
the Manifest Destiny and patterns in American history in general. As Jack makes
his personal and impromptu sojourn to the West, he is able to analyze his own
repressed history, “That was why I drowned West and relived my life like a home
movie…Lying there, I had what I thought then was a fine perspective on my own history…” (431). Jack nitpicks through his childhood experiences
and scrutinizes his history with Anne Stanton as he relapses into a flashback
of his treasured times with Anne. Throughout his short time in California, Jack
is newly invigorated with his idea that he is innocent. “At that time, when I
first discovered that view of things, I felt that I had discovered the secret
source of all strength and all endurance. That dream solves all problems…
First, you cannot lose what you have never had. Second, that you are never
guilty of a crime which you did not commit. So there is innocence and a new
start in the West after all. If you believe the dream you dream when you go
there.” (434). Jack’s successful journey allowed him to begin to accept his
past and confidently move on to his future.
Great CCQC Erin. It is true that throughout history, West seems to be the place to go when you are seeking some peace. I have noticed that this idea is extremely prevalent in America. The West Coast is called "The Golden Coast" for many different reasons. It is aesthetically a beautiful land filled with just about everything from mountains, to deserts, to redwood forests and the amazing beaches of the Pacific Ocean. However I believe it isn't just the landscape that gives the West such an incredible reputation. There's something about the west, that calms a person, allows them to think about things in their lives. It is obvious that once you enter the west, you escape everything else, which is exactly what Jack is doing. The west gives jack solitude, for the time that he needs it, and he needed it bad after hearing about Anne. I feel lucky to live in such a place, a place that other people think so highly of. I find that I might have been taking it for granted. I realize now that it will be hard for the people like me, to find an escape, as we live in the escape, that is called the west.
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