Amy Jackson- Ransom's Adventure

In class we often discuss the concept of nature and exploration. We talked about hiking and pilgrimage as a way to learn and experience something new. This is exactly what happened to Ransom at the beginning of Out of the Silent Planet. Ransom was participating in a walking tour when he came across the old woman looking for her son. Ransom talks about how he did not have anything with him. He was in search of an experience or lesson. In class we talked about the certain “rules” of hiking. Although usually unspoken, they are fairly strict. For example, if someone is coming up behind you, you move to the side to let them pass you. For Ransom, he was searching for a place to stay for the night. He came across The Rise, where he thought he might be able to stay for the night. This is part of the adventures of walking tours. Was it smart for Ransom to throw his pack over the wall of the Rise? Probably not, but his irresponsible curiosity had positive outcomes in the end. This characteristic is found in hikers as well. They have a trust for people they do not know. The outcome of that trust could very well be bad, but they take the risk

This reminds me of a time when I was in Jamaica with my family. A native man asked my Dad if we wanted to have a tour of the local fresh springs. Not knowing him at all, my Dad readily accepted his proposition. We followed him; us in a rental car and him on his moped. After a fairly long drive he led us off the main road onto a dirt path. By now the rest of us were wondering where he was taking us while my Dad was still excited about the adventure we were going on. When we finally arrived, there was a group of guys standing around and smoking who offered to watch our car for a small fee while we went on the tour. Even though there were no other cars there, we thought that we might as well trust them. The man took us through their local village. He showed us the different homes, wildlife, and natural springs that make up the town. It was the best part of the vacation because we learned about the actual place, not just the resort. We trusted them and they did not let us down.
It does not always work out this way. Ransom trusted Divine and he ended up kidnapping him. However, it is all part of the adventure.