Introduction
Almost everyone loves to enjoy a weekend getaway in a secluded place once in a while. Such a getaway was what formed the foundation of James Dickey’s novel “deliverance”. The novel features four middle-aged city men (Ed, Drew, Lewis and Bobby) who go rafting and encounter death of a colleague, a broken limb, sodomy and other tough challenges (Dickey). The theme of deliverance is brought out through the character of Ed who takes over leadership and leads his friends to safety.
According to Dickey, deliverance refers to the discovery of adventure, departure from the boredom of a routine lifestyle. It implies the transition from routine to adventurous physical activity, authenticity and purity that is offered by nature. In their quest, to go for the adventure, Ed, Drew, Lewis and Bobby sought to be “delivered” from the boring schedules of their work. They relied on the Lewis who was a landlord and an outdoorsman who was the driving force behind the men’s planned canoe trip.
The theme of deliverance as split into “finding enjoyment in life” and “finding freedom and taking charge of one’s life” can be said to be the main themes of the story. This is so because, the four men were accustomed to routine office jobs and their gong out on a canoe trip, which prompts the story, was to search for adventure and to enjoy themselves. The story is about wilderness and survival. It captures the essence of survival in that the men who escaped the ordeals of the jungle would be deemed to have been delivered from routine, boredom and cowardice. The events in the book confirm that deliverance was the main theme. At the end of the book, three men had been murdered and crudely buried, one had been sodomized and the survivors had the barks peeled from their modern sensibilities. It is safe to say that the survivors had been “delivered” from the sensitiveness, fears and worries that are characteristic of the modern men.
Ed experiences deliverance during the rafting trip. Although three people survived the ordeals in the jungle, Ed is the character that best captures deliverance. He does so by making critical decisions that help his friends to survive and escape prosecution once they are apprehended by the sheriff. Ed is also delivered from the fear of the hillbillies who attacked them. When he suspected that Drew had been shot he gathered courage and assumed position as the leader of the group. This shows that Ed had been “delivered” from the fears of the jungle.
Ed instructed Bobby on how to take care of Lewis who had been injured. He also prepared to attack the men who had shot Drew. When Ed goes up to kill the second attacker, he perceives Bobby as a coward because he "can't even shoot a bow" (132). Although he resided in the city, and worked as a graphics artist, Ed considered himself to be the most befitting to lead his friends out of the gorge. Prior to their journey down the river, Lewis was the most experienced guy on issues about the jungle the outdoors. The fact that Ed now mocked Lewis about his inability to shoot with a bow and arrow indicates heightened confidence and “deliverance” from timidity and naivety that previously characterized him.
Ed also brings out the “deliverance” because he luckily escaped from the horror of sodomy that stared at him when his friend, Bobby was sodomized. “I had never felt such brutality and careless of touch, or such disregard for another person’s body” (Dickey, 112). Dickey captures the horror of sodomy that Ed was “delivered: from by describing the reaction of Ed when Bobby was told to drop his pants, Ed’s “rectum and intestines contracted” (Dickey, 113). The fact that Ed escaped this incident, further points to his “deliverance” from the horrors that met his friends.
Ed also had more resilient character as compared to his friends. He refuted Drew’s suggestion that they report the murder of the first attacker to the police. As such, he showed intelligence and courage. He was also able to kill the second attacker and this shows that he had acquired true character to survive the jungle as compared to his friends who often made wrong and dangerous decisions.
Conclusion
The character of Ed best describes the theme and title of the book “Deliverance” by James Dickey. He was transformed from a rather naïve and office-routined man to a master of the jungle.
Works Cited
Dickey, James. Deliverance. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1970. Print.
