Walker Percy The Loss Of The Creature Summary

Synopsis of The Loss of the Creature
How does someone know when their experiencing something as a whole? Do they feel happy and content with it or should they feel excited and empowered? These may be a matter of opinion questions, but Walker Percy, the author of this story has a specific viewpoint on the topic that makes very clear sense. In order to read the story, an individual has to be open minded and truly think about what it means. It makes people think about the past and even what can happen in the future. The detailed descriptions in the Loss of the Creature made me think about the overall meaning of a symbolic complex along with Walker Percy’s input and my own experiences.
Furthermore, as people in a modernized society, many of

us view things differently. The way in which we look at things has also changed. People aren't looking at the meaning of things anymore, but rather the preconceived image of the place. This is what Walker Percy was trying to explain in the story. How does one truly experience something unless they know what it really means and have real experiences. As an example in the Loss of the Creature, a man took his family to see the Grand Canyon, Percy explains that people will "measure their satisfaction by the degree to which the canyon conforms to the performed complex" (Percy). This turns out to be a bad thing because the family isn't really experiencing the Grand Canyon at all. Rather they're just viewing it as to how they've heard it should be and look. Afterwards they step back and take a quick picture and move on. People need to take a step back and think of ways to find the beauty in things and make memories that last.
Although a new adventure may be exciting, individuals are looking at beautiful places in the wrong way. Walker Percey says that the harder someone looks at something, the less they can see. After thinking about this, it makes a lot of sense. It may be overthought and there is no time to see the beauty of the situation. Throughout the story, there is also the topic of recovery. This is a way to overcome the influences of preconceived views of something, as told by Walker Percy. He suggests to 'get off the beaten path' and experience a tour or adventure in a new and exciting way. There are a few ways to recover, but it is ultimately up to the individual and what they do to change their personal views. There is also the aspect of not needing anyone’s approval within the situation. There should be a mix of opportunities to truly understand the beauty of the time and place. There are basic ways to reach recovery and feel happiness. Percey says "A poor man may envy the rich man, but the sightseer does not envy the expert" (Percy). When individuals achieve their own experience by leaving standardized preconception, they achieve absolute recovery.
Altogether, people may believe their experiencing things as a whole, in reality their only limiting themselves to things that are already preconceived.

They need to reach the recovery stage so they understand the concept that Percy is trying to achieve. Above all else, leave any preconceptions at the door while trying to experience new activities. While reading the loss of the creature, it was a rather in depth reading. It had me thinking about the consequences of everything I do and whether or not I’m really experiencing life events. Have I been holding myself back from seeing the whole picture? Have I had an unbiased opinion and been able to create my own views of something or not? After reading the story, I thought about it more and realized there were some situations in the past where I haven’t been able to experience something through my own eyes. Therefore, sadly, a preconceived complex has affected my life. This almost makes me sad to think about because there is a question of what if. What could have happened if I experienced an event or place as a whole? Would things have gone better and differently? The only thing left to do, is to look at the future as an opportunity and remember to go off the beaten path every once in a while. Thinking back, there may only be a few times I’ve fully experienced a place in my own eyes. In these situations, it’s been times where there has been no set in schedule and there was free time to do whatever we wanted. If anything, these were the times that felt effortless and open minded. To me, this is partially what Percy had in mind. I’ve honestly only seen most places from a sightseer’s point of view. Which makes me think of why I haven’t tried more to see things

differently.
Overall, it’s ultimately up to an individual to find their own way and keep an open mind while adventuring into new encounters. It’s also helpful to think about Percy’s point of view on the topic and remember that the next time there is a vacation. Reading this story has made me think and will also help me in the future. It’s important to remember that even the small events in life mean as much as the big ones. The detailed descriptions in the Loss of the Creature made me think about the overall meaning of a symbolic complex along with Walker Percy’s input and my own experiences.