A Walk Across America Summary
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A WALK ACROSS AMERICA SUMMARIES Chapter 1: Talkin’ by a Wood Stove In this chapter we get introduced to Peter Jenkins and get know what he is doing. It takes place sometime during Peter’s journey. Tommy, Doc, and several other men in a country store in a giant blizzard first confront Peter. Tommy and the doc ask him what the devil he is doing hiking across America and Peter tells them that he is doing it to get to know the country. Tommy offers Peter to come to his house for some food, but Peter rejects. Peter calls for his dog Cooper. A thin farmer gives Peter five dollars in case he needed it. Peter and Cooper then leave the store and go into the giant blizzard. Peter then tells us how Cooper saved him one time before the walk. Peter and Cooper were hiking along an eleven-mile alternate training route when Cooper killed a snake that would probably have bitten Peter. We then get introduced to some of Peter’s background. This so-called “Walk Across America” was something that was brewing in Peter’s mind for a long time. Peter tells us that he grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut. This is a town of about 60,000 with manicured homes and country clubs. It’s high level of income and social status made Peter think that he had to attend Yale or Harvard. In Greenwich, you were considered a greaser if you drove a Corvette or had a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Most people drove Country Squire Wagons or BMW’s. Peter’s problem, according to him, was that he thought that all towns in America were like Greenwich. Peter tells us that he suffers from hollowness deep inside him that does not go away. It comes back after beer, booze, or drugs wear off from a party. It didn’t go away after he skied in a chalet in Stowe, Vermont. A revival of Woodstock, which took place during the summer of his senior year in high school didn’t bring any relief either. College and being by himself made the hollowness intensify. Peter himself began to wonder what he
A WALK ACROSS AMERICA SUMMARIES Chapter 1: Talkin’ by a Wood Stove In this chapter we get introduced to Peter Jenkins and get know what he is doing. It takes place sometime during Peter’s journey. Tommy, Doc, and several other men in a country store in a giant blizzard first confront Peter. Tommy and the doc ask him what the devil he is doing hiking across America and Peter tells them that he is doing it to get to know the country. Tommy offers Peter to come to his house for some food, but Peter rejects. Peter calls for his dog Cooper. A thin farmer gives Peter five dollars in case he needed it. Peter and Cooper then leave the store and go into the giant blizzard. Peter then tells us how Cooper saved him one time before the walk. Peter and Cooper were hiking along an eleven-mile alternate training route when Cooper killed a snake that would probably have bitten Peter. We then get introduced to some of Peter’s background. This so-called “Walk Across America” was something that was brewing in Peter’s mind for a long time. Peter tells us that he grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut. This is a town of about 60,000 with manicured homes and country clubs. It’s high level of income and social status made Peter think that he had to attend Yale or Harvard. In Greenwich, you were considered a greaser if you drove a Corvette or had a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Most people drove Country Squire Wagons or BMW’s. Peter’s problem, according to him, was that he thought that all towns in America were like Greenwich. Peter tells us that he suffers from hollowness deep inside him that does not go away. It comes back after beer, booze, or drugs wear off from a party. It didn’t go away after he skied in a chalet in Stowe, Vermont. A revival of Woodstock, which took place during the summer of his senior year in high school didn’t bring any relief either. College and being by himself made the hollowness intensify. Peter himself began to wonder what he