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Deliverance: A Journey into the Heart of the American Wilderness

Fabian Mitchell

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Published in Deliverance (Modern Library 100 Best Novels)

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James Dickey's Deliverance is a gripping and horrifying tale of four friends who embark on a canoe trip into the remote Georgia wilderness. When they encounter a group of violent backwoodsmen, their idyllic vacation turns into a nightmare. Deliverance is a classic of American literature that has been praised for its suspenseful plot, vivid descriptions, and exploration of the dark side of human nature.

The Story

Four friends—Ed Gentry, Bobby Trippe, Lewis Medlock, and Drew Ballinger—decide to take a canoe trip down the Cahulawassee River in Georgia. They are all experienced outdoorsmen, but they are unprepared for the dangers that await them in the wilderness. Soon after they begin their journey, they encounter a group of backwoodsmen who are hunting deer illegally. The backwoodsmen are hostile and threatening, and they make it clear that they do not want the friends to continue their trip.

Deliverance (Modern Library 100 Best Novels)

by James Dickey

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2738 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	253 pages

The friends ignore the backwoodsmen's warnings and continue down the river. However, they soon realize that they have made a mistake. The river is treacherous, and the backwoodsmen are stalking them. The friends are forced to fight for their lives, and they are eventually forced to make a harrowing escape.

The Characters

The four friends in Deliverance are all well-developed and believable characters. Ed Gentry is the leader of the group, and he is a strong and capable outdoorsman. Bobby Trippe is a good-natured and loyal friend, but he is also somewhat reckless. Lewis Medlock is a quiet and thoughtful man, and he is the only one of the friends who has any experience with the wilderness. Drew Ballinger is a wealthy and arrogant businessman, and he is the least experienced outdoorsman of the group.

The backwoodsmen in Deliverance are also well-developed and believable characters. They are not simply one-dimensional villains, but rather complex and flawed individuals. They are products of their environment, and they are struggling to survive in a harsh and unforgiving world.

The Themes

Deliverance explores a number of important themes, including the dangers of the wilderness, the fragility of human civilization, and the dark side of human nature. The wilderness in Deliverance is a dangerous and unforgiving place, and it is a constant threat to the friends' survival. The friends must learn to adapt to the wilderness and to overcome its challenges if they want to survive.

The fragility of human civilization is also a major theme in Deliverance. The friends' canoe trip takes them deep into the wilderness, away from the comforts of civilization. As they travel deeper into the wilderness, they begin to lose their sense of security and safety. They realize that they are vulnerable to the dangers of the wilderness, and that they could easily die if they are not careful.

The dark side of human nature is also explored in Deliverance. The backwoodsmen in the novel are violent and brutal, and they represent the dark side of human nature. The friends must confront the backwoodsmen and their own dark impulses if they want to survive.

The

Deliverance is a classic of American literature that has stood the test of time. It is a gripping and horrifying tale of survival, and it is a powerful exploration of the dangers of the wilderness, the fragility of human civilization, and the dark side of human nature.

The Author

James Dickey was an American poet, novelist, and screenwriter. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1923. Dickey served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, and he later attended Vanderbilt University and the University of South Carolina. Dickey published his first book of poems, Into the Stone, in 1960. His first novel, Deliverance, was published in 1970. Dickey died in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1997.

Deliverance (Modern Library 100 Best Novels)

by James Dickey

4.5 out of 5