http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/unbound/victoria-falls/
This article starts off with both an interesting title and an engaging first paragraph. Matson is able to place himself at the Zambezi River by making a game out of all the Z places. This introduces the sense of humor and tone he is going to be using throughout the piece. I think he also captures the feeling of watching this man jump off the waterfalls in a manner that most people can relate too. "Jumping to the conclusion" that he is just trying to get a better view, when he jumps; and then he leaves the reader hanging, just like that man was hanging between (what the author thought was) life and death.
I thought it was interesting how Matson used two time periods in his piece. One to introduce the Devil's Pool and the other for him to experience the Devil's Pool himself. And even through the piece takes place in the span of five years, Matson keeps himself focused on his topic the lunacy and otherworldliness of this pool.
The only thing this piece left me wishing for was more of a local's perspective. He has the one man say that some people die while swimming in the pool and that he wouldn't do it, but do other locals swim here or is it just a tourist attraction?
Matson ended the piece with himself becoming the crazy guy that is jumping, bringing the piece full circle. And the juxtaposition of heaven and the Devil's Pool in the last paragraph was a great way to end the piece.
Overall, I was interested in the story that Matson was trying to tell and I think he succeed in creating a very full, short travel piece.
I think this piece is great. It is nice and short and focuses very nicely on this one aspect of the Victoria Falls. He weaves history and his own perspective in nicely, especially with the way that he writes about his first time there and then the time in the future. It really captured the moment very vividly.
ReplyDeleteJackie, you say: ""Jumping to the conclusion" that he is just trying to get a better view, when he jumps; and then he leaves the reader hanging, just like that man was hanging between (what the author thought was) life and death."--which is a pretty good representation of the piece.
ReplyDeleteThe use of two time periods works well for the author here, I agree. The fact of seeing it and being drawn back for a more personal perspective is interesting in itself.
This paragraph in particular stood out to me: "I’m looking for crocodiles, which are known to patrol the Zambezi in large numbers farther upstream. I don’t see any, which confirms what I’ve been told, that the animals are too concerned about going over the falls to get that close to the edge. On one hand, their absence is comforting. But it’s also concerning, a reminder that even their little reptilian brains are warning them to stay away." I like how the author presents the danger to his jump without being preachy or redundant. :)
I have nothing bad to say about this piece, to be honest. I agree with everything that Jackie has to say for the most part, but I don't think the author needs to concern himself with anything beyond his experience, because this piece is about him, and it works. It's so short and concise that any added information, I feel, would seem out of place.
ReplyDeleteI really agree with Andrew. This is a really good example of taking a short scene and making all you can from it, limited to your own perspective. It took the reader on the jump with the speaker, and you felt just as nervous and awed as he did with the combination of his descriptions of the falls and of his own feelings.
ReplyDeleteWhat is this place and when can I go there?
ReplyDeleteThis is such a short and sweet (sweet as in awesome (for lack of better adjectives)) piece. The two time periods work well and the last paragraph had my fingers perched on my keyboard. Hell, most all the paragraphs had this feel to them. I could feel the warm tones, the water, and the colors. It almost seemed unreal. But in a "wow that's amazing" way and not in a "Ripley's Believe it or Not" way.