The First Great American Road Trip By Christopher Klein

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Optimism. The Optimism. Good luck. Unreliable cars. Christopher Klein, in his 2012 book, "The First Great American Road Trip," uses all of these to develop his story. His story is prepared and cultivated through his attitude towards Dr. Jackson and how this influences his portrayal in the text. Klein's attitude towards Dr. Jackson, as well as contributing to his portrayal of him painting Dr. Jackson as a revolutionary key, is also quite an optimistic one.. First, Klein begins to show this had never really been done before because, "[p]revious cross-country automobile trips had all ended in failure," and that, "...Jackson’s hastily arranged drive was likely to suffer a similar fate." Next, Klein also remarked on how, "Jackson had little driving …show more content…

Jackson also helps influence his portrayal. Klein initially begins the development of his text with his attitude towards Dr. Jackson, and uses some help from the structure of his text, to give an optimistic portrayal and look for Dr. Jackson. Initially, the author begins the story right where it initially began when Dr. Jackson started his journey because of, "...a $50 wager." Following this Klein chronologically remarks on the journey of Dr. Jackson, and commences the story with the fact that, "[l]uck did not seem to be on the motorists’ side. After a leak left their gas tank nearly empty, Crocker set off on a 26-mile bicycle ride to the nearest town," and as well other breakdowns and setbacks such as, "[a]s they pulled into Rawlins, Wyoming, a connecting rod to the crankshaft snapped," but through all of the adversity, "[t]he Vermont, its cherry-red finish caked with dried mud, crawled down Manhattan’s deserted Fifth Avenue at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 26." The approximately 4,500-mile journey had taken 63 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes." During the re-telling of the story Klein as well notes every little mishap that happens during the trip, using the structure of the story to go from possibly the Vermont almost being broken enough to be sent out of commission, to the men finally finishing the

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