Journeys and Journeying

The external journey undertaken by central characters Jack and Wynn functions as an extended, thematically central metaphor for the psycho-emotional journey undertaken by the member of the partnership who travels the furthest internally. That character is Jack who, on a number of levels, functions as the novel’s protagonist. He is both the leader and primary decision maker in the external journey that defines the story’s plot, and undergoes a significant transformation internally over the course of the narrative.

The nature of Jack’s inner journey is revealed as Jack and Wynn, along with their injured passenger, make their increasingly dangerous way down the river. Here it is important to note that Jack’s inner journey is not as dangerous as his outer one. His life is not at risk, and he does not face the variety of hazards – starvation, violence from other...