The journey versus the destination FINAL

       Greg Anderson wrote, “Focus on the journey, not the destination. The joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” The journey versus the destination is a common topic in both literature, as well as everyday thought. Most people cannot decide which they believe to be more important, and believe it could also depend on the circumstances. It could be used as a tactic to help define a person, and realize their true personalities. It can also show the way one thinks, which idea the person is open to, and the reasoning behind their thought process. Robert M. Pirsig expresses this idea in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. The view on the satisfaction of the journey versus the destination arises in multiple characters throughout the novel. It is a defining characteristic of their personality, as it is able to alert the reader of the thoughts and opinions of the characters, and leads to other thoughts and actions.

            Pirsig shows that the definition of a person is highly based on their beliefs. There are different types of journeys that the novel explores. The first is the physical journey across the country. This is told by the narrator in first-person point of view, where while on the motorcycle, he is able to philosophize. The area of topics ranges from classical and romantic thinking to motorcycle maintenance. This helps the reader understand the other characters, as the commentary the narrator provides gives their opinions. There are many physical barriers that the narrator, his son, and the couple encounter. Also, the son acts up, leaving an emotional toll on his father. The destinations of the couple and the narrator differed, causing them to split ways. This made clear to the narrator that he was not just on the same physical journey, nor metaphorical journey as the couple. Many people believe that when traveling, it is not important to enjoy the journey. This could rise from the modern world, and how everything is quite fast-paced. The common person no longer enjoys the moment, but lives expecting and preparing for the future. No one takes the time to go on a road trip and take scenic routes. The routes they take are the ones that will get them to their destination the fastest way possible. The narrator explains this as man becoming separated from what he does. This is what the couple experience on the journey. But the narrator is different. He is not only on a physical journey across the country, but also a metaphorical journey.

            John and Sylvia, a couple who travel with the narrator and his son across the country, have the sole purpose of getting to their destination. This destination happens to be where technology is not attained, and they can reach a peace of mind. They could care less about traveling there, and stopping at different cities on their way. This is shown through the emotions expressed by the narrator while they are on their journey. Due to the novel written in first-person, the reader does not experience the thought process of the couple. There are only some conversations and the commentary the narrator provides to help define John and Sylvia. The couple is also presented as a unit, with the same thoughts and opinions. The reader is aware that the narrator takes the journey to have philosophical conversations and to find himself. The commentary that the narrator touches upon gives the reader the impression that John and Sylvia are the complete opposite of the narrator. For example, the narrator describes how John and Sylvia would rather have a mechanic fix their motorcycle, while the narrator would like to fix it himself. This gives the narrator a sense of unity with his bike and the way in which he could travel the country with it. John and Sylvia believe someone else could do it so that they do not have to involve themselves with technology. The actual motorcycle maintenance can represent the journey itself. John wanted nothing to do with maintaining his own motorcycle because it would lead to more time spent on the road, and less time at the destination. It would also mean he would have to focus on something he wanted to avoid altogether. The narrator describes this as a romantic versus classical difference, and further explains the differences and action between the couple and himself. They do not care about unity with their motorcycle, as long as they could enjoy their time when they arrive at their destination.

            Another distinguishing factor between the narrator and John and Sylvia, which helps to define their personalities, is the feelings that they have when they arrive at the destination. John and Sylvia were very content. They commented on the view and got along well with everyone they had met. They felt at peace with nature, something that could not be achieved where they lived. The narrator, on the other hand, felt a void, as if something were missing. He was continuing in his attempt to find himself and could not understand why he was not happy that he had arrived. Little did he know that it was not his destination, and after nine days the narrator and the couple split ways. The split shows the way in which the narrator still had something to look for; something to find on his journey. He was not content with what he had found yet, meaning he had not reached his destination. Their destinations were not the same and the narrator was not yet done looking for himself.

            Chris, the son of the narrator who further accompanies him on his trip, also experiences the conflict between the journey and the destination. Along with John and Sylvia, Chris finds comfort in the destination. This is first expressed through the boredom on the journey. This boredom leads to anger towards his father, as well as Chris acting out. He would refuse to eat and also felt sick at times, as well as just leave the group when they would stop for the night. He is an adventurous child, and no one would help him fulfill this need. More importantly though, his need for the answers about his father shows how he is more content on finding the destination. This journey and destination is metaphorical, but also aids the reader to understand the novel as a whole. He wants to understand his father, the narrator, and see why they were no longer as close as they were at one point in their lives. He was scared and would like to know why his father was acting so strangely. He wanted answers, as many children do, and did not care about how the answers could be achieved.

            This need for answers, as well as being content with the destination and not the journey, defines the character of Chris. He has a constant fear of his father. This fear is not because of his fathers actions, but because he does not want to lose his father or the rest of his family. Nothing makes sense to him, and he thinks that his father knows the answers to his questions. Little does he know that the narrator is having trouble defining himself. He continuously asks about his mother, and why she was not accompanying him on this trip. The reader never receives an answer, but sees the narrator has dreams of his wife. This shows that both the narrator and his son share the same feelings of losing their loved ones, which happen to be the same people. The actions and feelings that Chris has throughout the novel define him as a person, and also help the readers understand both their characters.

            The narrator is quite different than the other characters in the novel. He is the only character that believes the journey is better than the destination. This still provides a conflict for him, because he does not want to reach the destination fully. He is somewhat scared of what he will find and what will happen on the journey, although he still thinks it is the best aspect of the journey. This occurs both metaphorically, as well as physically, on his motorcycle journey across the country with his son and the couple.

            The narrator of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is very different than the other characters in the book. Throughout the novel, his perspectives on different philosophies are explored, as well as his opinions on the other characters. He is also different in the matter of choosing if the destination or the journey is more enjoyable. Unlike the other characters, the narrator would rather the journey than the destination.

            The journey that the narrator embarks on is to find himself. He is confused on a figure named Phaedrus, whom he shares multiple experiences with.  As he travels, he begins these philosophical discussions that are partly Phaedrus’, but he expands on them. This is his Chautauqua. The author, Pirsig, compares the thoughts the narrator has with an overflowing stream shown by “There are eras of human history in which the channels of thought have been too deeply cut and no change was possible, and nothing new ever happened, and 'best' was a matter of dogma, but that is not the situation now. Now the stream of our common consciousness seems to be obliterating its own banks, losing its central direction and purpose… Some channel deepening seems called for."(Pirsig, 16) The narrator or Phaedrus is trying to discover and look into the question, “How to live?” This is his quest and his destination, but getting to this destination is quite significant. This is because he is finding himself on the way to the answers. The novel concludes with finding the narrator’s destination, although the journey is what achieved his goal.

            The thoughts of the narrator help in defining his character to the reader, just as the couple and Chris were defined through this method. Once the narrator discovers that he and Phaedrus are one in the same, he has a better understanding of himself. At first he does not know how to react, and wants to send his son back home to figure out what will occur. He then realizes that he does not want to lose his family, including his wife and Chris. Due to this realization, he is able to bond with Chris and they each confront their fears and questions about each other. This mostly occurred with Chris, and the answers he has been seeking throughout the entire journey. This is what made him suddenly act out. Chris reaches his journey, which he is grateful for. These answers were what made him content and why he is more satisfied with the destination than with the journey. The narrator is different because on the other hand, he is glad that he went through the journey to reach his conclusion and save himself, as well as his family.           He defined himself, which helped the reader understand who he truly is.

            The journey versus the destination is a common topic both in daily conversation, as well as in literature. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance touched upon the topic with the characters, and also uses the topic as a tactic to define the character’s personalities. This thought helped in the process of following through with actions and reflected their ideals. The narrator is the only character that thought the journey to be better than the destination. Chris, the narrator’s son, as well as the couple that travelled with them for a part of the journey, believe that the destination is better than the journey. These ideas expanded on the greater conflicts the characters had, such as a need for answers or an escape from reality. All the characters were defined, as well as content with their journey or destination and all conflicts were resolved.  Depending on prior knowledge or experiences, one may decide which they believe to be better: the journey or the destination.