Bali

Bali is where the entirety of Part VI: Divinity takes place. In Bali, the lines between high art and low art are blurred and do not exist in the same way they do in the West. The lines between sacred and profane art forms are equally nonexistent. The Balinese approach to creativity is symbolic of Gilbert's beliefs and attitudes toward artistic expression. She encourages readers to approach art like they do in Bali: with both reverence and lightness. Bali is symbolic of the paradoxes a creative person must accept in order to create happily and freely.

The Amazon

The Amazon is where both Elizabeth Gilbert and Ann Patchett's novels take place. When the idea and inspiration for the book moves from Elizabeth to Ann, the Amazon becomes symbolic of the nature of ideas. As Gilbert writes, the idea for a book about the Amazon wants to be...