the longest journey i have ever made essay

Debbie Hecht: Thoughts & Theories

The Longest Journey I Have Ever Taken….is the 16 inches from my head to my heart.

THE LONGEST JOURNEY…….. I HAVE EVER TAKEN IS THE 16 inches FROM MY HEAD TO MY HEART.  

This essay is about my introspective journey to become a more fully functioning human being and to be able to feel a range of emotions and understand those reactions.   The conflict, heartfelt relationships and lessons along the way have been life-changing.  They have cracked open my heart and resulted in some comical irony.  My path has broadened and narrowed at the same time.  I have developed a razor edge and an achey- breaky heart.  My relationships have deepened and I have become happier as a result.  I discovered some large stumbling blocks along the way- erroneous assumptions and unstated expectations.   I have tried to eliminate my fear based assumptions.  I tried to be honest and upfront about my wants and needs with those close to me.  It’s all about learning to celebrate your authentic self, warts and all.   

I agree with Brene Brown who said: “Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”

My first baby step toward becoming more of a feeling being, instead of analyzing everything, came with the hormones of pregnancy in 1982. Being pregnant cracked open my heart.  I remember getting all teary eyed at Hallmark commercials at Christmas. I remember laughing at myself and figured it would pass after giving birth. It never did go away. Have you ever looked at your loved ones and just melted into the loving them so much? Your heart feels full. I have said to my son, so many times,  “You have no idea how much I love you.” He would answer with an eye roll, “Oh Mom you have to say that, you’re the Mom.”

I knew I was having a boy, I thought about all the things that people my age struggled with. Most of the struggles were around making decisions.  I was  determined to provide Matt experience in making decisions.    As a young child, I  would offer him two options that were acceptable to me and then he chose one.  That worked great because he learned to make decisions and since it was his choice, there was buy-in, and accountability.

The other thing I saw was that  men had the hardest time expressing their emotions and asking for what they needed.   For years, I thought men didn’t have emotions because my father had always been so stoic and reserved, until he exploded.  I had wondered if this was because his mother died when he was only 12.   I wanted to make sure that Matt could identify his emotions and talk about them.   As a young child I would play games by making faces and having him guess what I was feeling.  As he got older and could read, we would do charts with different emojis and he would say the corresponding  feeling…  a variation on the smiley face, but with frowns or wide eyes.    The result is he can read faces really well, can express how he feels and is very empathetic and compassionate.  But if it’s all about balance, he may be too empathetic. Plus he’s a fixer like me. Neither of us like to see people we love in pain, so we want to fix it.  Sometimes this can be seen as disrespectful. Balance is a hard thing to achieve. A razor thin edge between problem solving telling people what to do.  

I flew to LA 5 days after the birth of my granddaughter in 2011. The door opened and there was my big, goofy, gumby-bodied, sleep-deprived 27 year old kid with this teeny little baby on his arm and the biggest hug ever. “Mom, Mom, I get what you were saying. I get how much you love me!” He was in tears and I started to cry.  My heart cracked open further. IT was his heartfelt journey that pushed me farther along from my head to my heart.  I remember looking into to my granddaughter’s eyes and seeing back to generations that came before and seeing forward to the generations to come.  It was like looking at 2 mirrors facing each other where the images goes on and on to infinity.  The grand continuity of life. My heart cracked open more with love for the pure potential of this new person.

I wanted to change, I wanted the solid stuff of a good close relationship. I knew my problem solving head centered way was probably a defense mechanism to protect my heart.  I had the words and language to describe how I was feeling but that was vulnerable and scary.    I was very pragmatic about this.  Wry grin, right?  My first steps on The Longest Journey were when I decided that every time I would start analyzing my thoughts or try to “think my way out of a problem”,  I would  ask myself, “How do I feel about this” and  Let the answer bubble up. I learned to be comfortable with the discomfort of being vulnerable.  This was very, very uncomfortable for a long time, until I read about the Buddhist way of non- attachment and observing. Non-attachment is the ability to detach yourself from things that control or affect you in a way that does not serve   your wellbeing.  Then you can observe without judgment.  I could observe myself and try to understand my feelings until I could recognize them better.   An out of body experience!

There were several ways I was tripping over my own feet.  I was pretty good at recognizing my erroneous assumptions and asking for what I wanted and needed, but something was still out of whack.  As a member of the OH SO PERFECT HECHT FAMILY,  I was knocking myself out to achieve perfectionism and worried about what people thought.  Was being perfect the measuring stick of MY success? 

I remember thinking for the first 18 years of my life that I was a slob. Well, next to Mom, Dad and brother I was.  They had everything neatly folded and put away,  my brother had his pens lined up like soldiers on his dresser.  There was not a speck of dust or grime anywhere.   And then there was me, always moving, outside at the beach with the dog, covered in sand, playing sports in and out of the pool, helping in the garden.  More tomboy pigpen type than neat little girl.  Being a slob was a source of great shame and feelings of not good enough…. A deficiency.

I was so relieved to get to college and get out of the house.   Much to my amazement, out of the 12 other girls in our dorm, 6 were messier than me and 6 were neater.  Wow- maybe I was normal!  Maybe neatness and getting things perfect were not what made you a “nice, good person.”   This epiphany had me question everything about my parents, their values and their way of life.   My parents were really pretty racist, but I knew some very wonderful black people in high school. My father was sexist take a secretarial course because you’ll get married and have 3 kids. They were wrong about that too. What’s perfect for me, might not be perfect for you.   Plus the self-righteous indignation that accompanies the judgement of perfectionism was just plain hurtful and obnoxious. An “I am better than you are”  statement.   How do people benefit from that?   We are all human, kindness should prevail. 

Playing tennis taught me a lot. Your worse self can show up with no warning on the tennis court when it’s crunch time in a competition.   It’s much better to smack the tennis ball than to smack people.   It’s a great frustration outlet, until you use it against yourself.  You can do some real damage.      My Dad waited until he was 35 to have his first child and I turned out to be a girl.  No matter, girls can play sports.   My dad would move me around the tennis court, back and forth and back and forth on the clay court until I skidded and skinned up my leg.   He felt bad about that.   But pushing the limits and achieving perfection became internalized.  As a young singles player, I made some bad shots, I got by a lot because I was a good athlete and could run everything down.   But boy did I beat myself up.  My self-talk was brutal.  “Who do you think you are stinking up the court like that?  You call yourself a tennis player.  Just go home.   Then one day, I stopped.   I started backtalk  to my self-talk.   Can you just imagine my poor brain? My own mental match!  You stink!  Oh stop, I’m doing the best I can.   You call yourself a tennis player, give me a break.  Shut up,  so today’s not one of my better days,  how can I change this match?  Then my positive- give- myself- a- break self-talk won and I started complimenting my shots and realizing that I was pretty good.  I was happier and enjoyed the game more and my body didn’t get so tight.  When I was playing in an important match with a doubles partner I came to sense when we were both getting nervous and tight and started cracking jokes. I became a better player ,was winning more and enjoying it much, much more. 

Perfectionism is another trap to unhappiness.    When is good enough, REALLY good enough?   It helps to give yourself and others a break.

Thank heavens I was in my early 30s when I figured this out and haven’t wasted decades on this. A big step for me towards authenticity. Am I truly being congruent with what I believe and how I act in my life?  Do I do things to get positive feedback from others or because I believe in what I am doing?  Being a trained seal, waiting for a fish for the seal of approval is Living a lie.  It’s self- destructive and negates your entire being,  Brene Brown’s wonderful book The Gifts of Imperfection, published in 2010,  summed it up perfectly:

“Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is critical to laying down the shield and picking up your life. Research shows that perfectionism hampers success. In fact, it’s often the path to depression, anxiety, addiction, and life paralysis.”

Another way to trip over your own feet, is  to be happy, happy and positive. This is perfectionism- I want people to think I am spiritually evolved.   This is just so impossibly false.  To be fully human you have to experience the full range of emotions.  Being human is messy.  Always being happy, happy positive can be a numbing exercise called spiritual bypassing.  Spiritual bypassing—the use of spiritual beliefs to avoid dealing with painful feelings, unresolved wounds, and developmental needs—is so pervasive that it goes largely unnoticed. 

I tried to become non-judgmental for about a year.  That was impossible and I was beating myself up for being a failure.  You know what I discovered?  We need judgement to make order of our world, to decide if someone is friend or foe, if it’s safe where you are.  More perfectionism. Robert Augustus Masters has written a wonderful book on this called Spiritual Bypassing.  

Another trap is the achievement trap.  I almost fell into that at the age of 35.  I had been a real estate broker for 6 years, I was just getting my sea legs, feeling confident about my abilities and starting to make some good money.  I was never a great sales person, but I have a great ability to anticipate questions or objections.  I also liked to research things so I would have every question answered.   I was educated as a teacher and all that training came into play to make up great listing packages and sell the properties.   I found a great property for my client, Camino de La Sierra apartments in Tucson Arizona.  I think there were 72 apartments.  My commission was $48,000!   Wow was I impressed with myself.  So was everyone else.   I was a big cheese.  The cat’s meow.  I celebrated with a new watch and a wonderful party with friends.   The next day I woke up depressed, not because of a hangover as you might imagine.   I thought to myself, “Okay,  now what,  how are you going to top that.  “     The lightbulb went on in my dim head.  So every deal was supposed to top that one?   What if it didn’t, was I a failure then?   What a trap that was!  

But let’s expand on that.   How many times have you said to yourself:  Oh if my son gets into college, I’ll be happy. I want more for him.  If I just had more sex in my relationship I’d be happy.  I wish I had more money then I’d be happy.  Or envy is the other side of the same coin.  The envy of someone who has money:  Oh look at him, how can he be in a bad mood, he’s rich.   All of these conditional agreements with the “universe”  take away your power to be happy in each moment. What a trap!  Motivated by fear of not being good enough. AND what are you missing when you envy what others have?   You are missing the present.  The past  is gone,  the future has not arrived and all we have is the gift of the present.  Don’t miss it, be present.

Another part of eliminating perfectionism is letting go of the “shoulds”.  As my friend Marjorie Erway says, “You can just should all over yourself.” How much of my time has been spent doing things for people because I thought I should, not because I wanted to spend my precious time.  Was this making me resentful?  I started a self-talk test.  Every time I thought I should do something, I would stop and ask myself WHY… I f I could answer that question, then I moved forward, but otherwise I dropped it.  This led to less busy-ness and less resentment. 

Perfectionism is rooted in fear- of not being good enough, that you are not smart enough, daring enough.  That you will lose someone dear to you and not be able to handle the grief.  People numb out with fear.  They get busy instead of confronting their problems.  I would say “I can handle it.” Then one time my cousin asked me, “But WHY? Why would you want to?”  What if you got still and let your heart handle it, with compassion for yourself and others to sit with the problem until a solution arises?  Maybe you don’t have all the information or the answers right now. That is okay, uncomfortable, but ok.  The courageous, brave thing to do, is to confront these fears head on, not back down. The only way through the problem is to go through it and hopefully learn from the process. Its okay to say I don’t know!

I was a single working Mom and  my schedule was cobbled around my son’s schedule until he went off to college in 2001. 9/11 happened 3 weeks after Matt left, then Dad died, then Florence died, who was like a mother to me and our favorite dog died.  I was adrift and lonely.  My heart cracked open at the loss of the people I loved.  My head couldn’t make sense of it. The journey from my head to my heart pushed on, dragging me along too, in all my confused sadness. 

Things were getting stale for me in Tucson and I needed a change.  I was having a difficult time creating a solid relationship.  Something was missing though, all my self-analysis wasn’t getting me to happy or even to content. 

The Next Step in the longest Journey was a move.  Nothing like a change of place to shake things up. I decided to move to Hawaii, just pick up and try it. I moved from Tucson Arizona to Hawaii all by myself, without really knowing anyone,  it happened gradually in 2003..    I put all my stuff in storage and rented my house.  Why Hawaii?

IN 1963 my family had spent 2 months in Kailua on Oahu visiting my mother’s best friend’s family and my godmother.   I loved it.    I spent my allowance on books on Hawaii: the history, the plants, the trees, and the culture.  I soaked it up.  The house we rented had plumeria trees. I remember smelling the fragrance of the flowers and thinking that’s what heaven must smell like.

My love affair with Hawaii continued in my 20s and when we went yearly to Kauai.  One summer,  several of us rented a house on Kauai close to Spouting Horn west of Poipu.  This was adjacent to the Allerton Estate, which has now become the nationally renowned Allerton Botanical Garden.  I would sneak in there every afternoon around 4 and try to avoid the gardeners.  I took the path along the cliffs overlooking the ocean.   It was an extraordinary, magical place full of private outdoor rooms all created with trees, bushes and flowering, fragrant plants. I was enchanted and amazed. 

Things fell into place for me very quickly on the Big Island in Kona.  A friend of my cousin has a coffee farm with a little apartment I could rent.  I met another new friend at a yoga class, who turned out to be a friend of a tennis friend in Tucson.   I had been a real estate broker for years in Tucson, but wanted to try something different. The neighbor who lived next-door offered me a job facilitating the committees at the Kona Kohala Chamber of Commerce. I met community leaders. I could go in the ocean all the time and had great fun playing tennis.

I was far from Tucson where I had lived for 35 years and had deep, long friendships.  I hadn’t had to work hard to make friends in a long, long time.  It was a Muscle I had not used.   I realized I needed to start reaching out to people.  I needed to be very open and welcoming.  Vulnerable to strangers.  This was so very hard,  Finding common ground, things you like to do together, asking people to meet you, not taking it personally if they said no.  More fear came up around this. I was used to being  respected for my accomplishments in Tucson in land conservation and in leadership in the environmental community.  I had to re-earn this respect in Hawaii. 

After much analysis, I realized it was again about not being good enough.  This leads to the need to be heard, recognized and to get attention.  Intellectually I realized that I was not perfect, but why did that matter?  Was I unlovable?  Maybe I was out of whack.  My heart cracked open a bit further and as I continued the journey from my head to my heart. 

I devoured self-help books.  One of my favorite gurus was Gary Zukav who said, “Until you can turn to face your own fears, you will be a prisoner of them… Intimacy is trusting that the universe will provide what you need, when you need it and in the manner most appropriate for you.”

I even came up with data! Over the years, I have been fascinated by the Meyer’s Briggs Assessments.      I was pretty consistently an ENTJ which means Extroverted, Sensing, Thinking and Judging. I wondered why I frequently felt like a duck out of water, and realized less than 1% of women in the world were ENTJs.  Over the years I had a fascination with this assessment and oddly circled back to retake it about every 5 years.  Fast forward 5 years and the Meyers Briggs is starting to become more and more weighted  toward  becoming an INFJ   which would be an Introverted, Sensing Feeling and Judging.    The Extroverted / introverted part was evenly split.  I am an ambivert- new word.   Thinking/ Feeling part was almost split evenly too, but more thinking.  I was making progress on the long 16” journey from my head to my heart.  How ironic that I would choose to analyze my progress with a measuring tool… head centered.   Also ironic, when stepping back to observe what was happening with me, I discovered that I started using different language when talking to close friends and family.  Words like heartfelt, heartbroken,  accompanied phrases like “it hurts my heart”  and “from the bottom of my heart”   I started collecting hearts.  Even the language cracked open my heart along my journey. 

Whoever is in charge, has a sense of humor to show us the lessons we need to learn.   I became more vulnerable and more empathetic, which tends to break your heart sometimes.  Lucky for me, I ended up in California where I could get help with my achey- breaky heart. My heart really was broken!  I needed 3 ablations to solve the electrical problems and 4 stents to solve blockages. I needed a pacemaker to keep the rhythm of my heart.   Amazingly, the blockages of the arteries hadn’t shown up on stress tests or echocardiograms.  Was this me hiding my emotions?   I have always believed that everything happens for reason and it certainly seemed that my fleet of Guardian angels were out in full force giving me heartfelt care.

Through all these contractions and expansions I have grown.  It’s a bit like your beating heart muscle.  Nerves hit the heart with an electrical impulse and it contracts, when there is no impulse the heart relaxes and fills.   I found it was time to bring things back into balance.  To balance my head with my heart.  To know when the heart should lead and the head should follow.  To live a Conscious Life. To be present. The realization was that the balancing never gets fully achieved, it goes on and on the great see-saw of life.  Maybe your time on earth is finished when you finally get it right.

As Maya Angelou Said, “I learned that whenever I decide  something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.  … I learned that every day you should reach out and touch  someone.  People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

I challenge you to take this long journey, the 16 inches from your head to your heart and see what you learn along the way.  It’s the work of a lifetime. 

These words are from Ram Dass:

“ To live consciously you must have the courage to go inside yourself to find out who you really are, to understand that behind all of the masks of individual differences you are a being of beauty, of love, of awareness. ☽When Christ said, “The kingdom of heaven is within,” he wasn’t just putting you on. When Buddha said, “Each person is the Buddha,” he was saying the same thing. ☽Until you can allow your own beauty, your own dignity, your own being, you cannot free another. ☽So if I were giving people one instruction, I would say work on yourself. Have compassion for yourself. Allow yourself to be beautiful and all the rest will follow. ☽Ram Dass

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”  – Marianne Williamson

Questions to ponder and discuss

• Are you more in your head or your heart?
• So you make decisions based on facts or trust your “gut” reaction? 
• Does instinct play a part in decisions? 
• Are you a perfectionist?
• What are your erroneous assumptions?
• Do you have unstated expectations that make you resentful?
• Do you “should all over yourself?”
• Take the challenge: Take the longest journey from your head to your heart.

REMEMBER… we are all part of the ocean. To watch this in a video go to: start at 36 minutes if you just want to hear the talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07qEBowSuXA&t=2233s

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Compulsory English

Learn English Grammar Online

A Journey I Have Made

Posted By Compulsory English Leave a Comment

Introduction: Among many quick sources of travel provided by modem science, the bus has become an important means of transport. In towns and cities, we avail ourselves of riding buses to move conveniently from one place to another. Though we travel to short distances by bus, a long-distance journey is a very interesting experience.

The journey Recently: I have had an opportunity to make a long journey by bus. It was from Dhaka to Chittagong. I was going home to visit my parents during the summer vacation. Very early in the morning, I rode long route bus, which only goes to Chittagong. The bus conductor in his peculiar voice was inviting the passengers to board the bus, and it was named “Shohag Paribahan.” I took a ticket beforehand. The bus started exactly at 7:30 am.

An interesting part of the journey: Plying at a reasonable speed the bus soon left the city and entered the countryside. There were green fields and lush crops on both sides of the high way through which we were trave1ling. The bus ran on leaving behind every· thing, the houses, the hµts, the stretch of villages and cornfields, the woods and hats (market places) on either side. All these sights filled me with pleasant feelings. I was thrilled, with the sights and scenes of nature as well as the humble people of the villages, seen on the sides.

River crossing: The most interesting part of the journey, I was crossing the river Meghna. near Dautkandi. After two hours, our bus reached ferry ghat. The driver politely requested us to get down from the bus for our own safety. At the ghat, there was a strange mixture of noise and activity. The honking of horns, the roars of engines of different vehicles, the general uproar of the passengers were all a part of my bus journey. Getting down from the bus, I felt a great relief from the suffocating atmosphere, of the crowded vehicle. There was a slight discomfort in the ferry at the monotonous cries of vendors, hawkers, and the beggars. Still crossing the river by ferry in the gentle breeze was very pleasant indeed. During the course of journey, I had occasional tension at times when the reckless drivers of other vehicles like trucks and other buses tried to overtake our bus. Once we had a hair, breath ·escape from a collision with a truck.

Destination: The bus stopped only at Comilla, where some passengers got down and some others got in it. I had my seat near the window. The bus started to move again. It made me drowsy. I was awakened with a start when the bus suddenly braked to stop. I found that I had reached my destination, Chittagong Bus Terminal. It took us nearly four and half hours to reach. I got down from the bus, with my cramped muscles and stiff limbs, along with my single luggage. I was overjoyed to see my father there, who had come to receive me.

Conclusion: Thus my journey by bus was very enlighting and pleasant. I really enjoyed the experience

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Lit. Summaries

• Biographies

The Epic Adventure of ‘The Longest Journey’: A Summary by E.M. Forster

• E.M. Forster

In his essay “The Epic Adventure of ‘The Longest Journey’: A Summary,” E.M. Forster provides a brief overview of the novel “The Longest Journey” by E.M. Forster. Forster highlights the themes and characters of the novel, as well as its significance in the canon of English literature. He argues that “The Longest Journey” is a novel of great depth and complexity, exploring the human condition and the search for meaning in life.

Background of ‘The Longest Journey’

“The Longest Journey” is a novel written by E.M. Forster and published in 1907. The story follows the life of a young man named Rickie Elliot, who is struggling to find his place in the world. Rickie is a sensitive and artistic soul, but he is also plagued by a sense of restlessness and dissatisfaction. He is torn between his desire to pursue his artistic passions and his obligation to conform to the expectations of his family and society. As Rickie embarks on a journey of self-discovery, he encounters a cast of characters who challenge his beliefs and force him to confront his deepest fears and desires. Through his experiences, Rickie learns the importance of following one’s own path and staying true to oneself, even in the face of adversity. “The Longest Journey” is a timeless tale of self-discovery and the search for meaning in a complex and ever-changing world.

Overview of the Plot

The Longest Journey is a novel by E.M. Forster that follows the life of Rickie Elliot, a young man who is struggling to find his place in the world. The novel is divided into two parts, with the first part focusing on Rickie’s life at Cambridge University and the second part following his journey to Italy. Throughout the novel, Rickie grapples with issues of identity, love, and morality, as he tries to navigate the complexities of the world around him. The novel is a powerful exploration of the human condition, and it remains a classic of English literature to this day.

Main Characters

The main characters in “The Longest Journey” are two women, April and her friend, Winifred. April is a young woman who is struggling to find her place in the world. She is intelligent and creative, but she feels stifled by the expectations of her family and society. Winifred, on the other hand, is a confident and outgoing woman who seems to have everything figured out. She is successful in her career and has a loving husband, but she is also hiding a secret that threatens to destroy her perfect life. As the two women embark on a journey of self-discovery, they must confront their fears and insecurities and learn to embrace their true selves.

Themes Explored in the Novel

One of the main themes explored in E.M. Forster’s novel, “The Longest Journey,” is the search for identity and self-discovery. The protagonist, Rickie Elliot, struggles to find his place in the world and understand his own desires and motivations. This theme is also reflected in the other characters, such as Agnes Pembroke, who is torn between her duty to her family and her own desires for independence and love. Another theme explored in the novel is the tension between tradition and modernity. The characters grapple with the changing social and cultural norms of their time, and the conflict between tradition and progress is a recurring motif throughout the story. Additionally, the novel explores the complexities of human relationships and the challenges of communication and understanding between individuals. Through the characters’ interactions and experiences, Forster delves into the intricacies of human connection and the difficulties of truly knowing and connecting with others.

Symbolism and Imagery

Symbolism and Imagery play a significant role in E.M. Forster’s ‘The Longest Journey.’ The novel is filled with various symbols and images that add depth and meaning to the story. For instance, the journey itself is a symbol of self-discovery and personal growth. The protagonist, Rickie Elliot, embarks on a physical and emotional journey that leads him to confront his inner demons and find his true self.

Another prominent symbol in the novel is the river. The river represents the flow of life and the inevitability of change. It is a recurring image throughout the story, and its presence is felt in various ways. For example, when Rickie and his friend Stephen go on a boating trip, they encounter a strong current that nearly drowns them. This experience serves as a metaphor for the challenges and obstacles that Rickie faces on his journey.

The imagery in the novel is also noteworthy. Forster’s vivid descriptions of nature and landscapes create a sense of atmosphere and mood. The lush greenery of the countryside, the misty mornings, and the dark forests all contribute to the novel’s dreamlike quality. The imagery also serves to highlight the contrast between the urban and rural settings, emphasizing the theme of the clash between tradition and modernity.

Overall, the symbolism and imagery in ‘The Longest Journey’ add depth and complexity to the story. They help to convey the novel’s themes and create a rich and immersive reading experience.

Style and Narrative Techniques

E.M. Forster’s “The Longest Journey” is a masterful example of narrative technique and style. The novel is written in a third-person omniscient point of view, allowing the reader to see into the thoughts and feelings of multiple characters. This technique creates a rich and complex narrative that explores the inner lives of the characters and their relationships with each other.

Forster’s writing style is also notable for its vivid descriptions and attention to detail. He paints a vivid picture of the English countryside and the characters’ surroundings, immersing the reader in the world of the novel. Additionally, Forster’s use of symbolism and metaphor adds depth and meaning to the story.

Overall, “The Longest Journey” is a beautifully crafted novel that showcases Forster’s mastery of narrative technique and style.

Reception and Criticism

The reception of “The Longest Journey” was mixed upon its initial publication in 1907. Some critics praised Forster’s ability to capture the complexities of human relationships and the struggles of self-discovery, while others found the novel to be overly sentimental and lacking in plot. However, over time, the novel has come to be regarded as one of Forster’s most accomplished works, with its themes of identity, class, and sexuality resonating with readers across generations. Today, “The Longest Journey” is considered a classic of English literature and a testament to Forster’s skill as a storyteller.

Comparison to Other Works by E.M. Forster

When compared to other works by E.M. Forster, “The Longest Journey” stands out as a departure from his usual themes of social class and the struggle for personal freedom. Instead, this novel delves into the complexities of human relationships and the search for meaning in life. While Forster’s earlier works such as “A Room with a View” and “Howards End” explore the tensions between the upper and middle classes, “The Longest Journey” focuses on the inner turmoil of its protagonist, Rickie Elliot. This shift in focus allows Forster to delve deeper into the human psyche and create a more nuanced and complex character. Additionally, the novel’s exploration of themes such as love, betrayal, and redemption make it a standout work in Forster’s oeuvre. Overall, “The Longest Journey” showcases Forster’s versatility as a writer and his ability to tackle a wide range of themes and subjects with equal skill and insight.

Influence on Literature and Culture

The influence of “The Longest Journey” on literature and culture cannot be overstated. E.M. Forster’s novel has been praised for its exploration of themes such as identity, sexuality, and the search for meaning in life. It has also been noted for its use of symbolism and its complex character development. Many writers and artists have cited “The Longest Journey” as an inspiration for their own work, and it continues to be studied and analyzed by scholars and readers alike. Its impact on literature and culture is a testament to its enduring relevance and power.

Legacy of ‘The Longest Journey’

The legacy of ‘The Longest Journey’ is one that has endured for over two decades. The game’s unique blend of science fiction and fantasy, coupled with its engaging storyline and memorable characters, has made it a cult classic among gamers. Its influence can be seen in many modern games, particularly those that focus on narrative-driven experiences. The game’s success also paved the way for its sequel, ‘Dreamfall: The Longest Journey,’ which was released in 2006. Despite its age, ‘The Longest Journey’ remains a beloved classic that continues to inspire and captivate gamers around the world.

Analysis of Key Scenes

One of the key scenes in ‘The Longest Journey’ is when the protagonist, Rickie Elliot, visits his friend Stephen Wonham at his estate. This scene is significant because it highlights the stark contrast between Rickie’s middle-class upbringing and Stephen’s aristocratic lifestyle. The opulence of Stephen’s home and the extravagance of his lifestyle leave Rickie feeling out of place and uncomfortable. This scene also foreshadows the eventual downfall of Stephen’s character, as his excessive indulgence in pleasure and luxury leads to his eventual ruin. Overall, this scene serves as a commentary on the class divide in society and the dangers of excess and indulgence.

Exploration of the Novel’s Setting

The setting of E.M. Forster’s novel, “The Longest Journey,” is a crucial element in the story’s development. The novel takes place in England during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time of great social and cultural change. Forster’s exploration of this setting allows readers to gain a deeper understanding of the characters and their struggles. The novel’s opening scene takes place in Cambridge, where the protagonist, Rickie Elliot, is a student. Forster vividly describes the city’s architecture and atmosphere, setting the stage for the story’s themes of tradition and modernity. As the novel progresses, the setting shifts to the countryside, where Rickie’s family resides. Here, Forster explores the tensions between rural and urban life, as well as the class divisions that exist within English society. Overall, Forster’s exploration of the novel’s setting adds depth and complexity to the story, making “The Longest Journey” a rich and rewarding read.

Historical Context of the Novel

The historical context of E.M. Forster’s novel, “The Longest Journey,” is crucial to understanding the themes and characters within the story. The novel was published in 1907, during a time of great social and cultural change in England. The Victorian era was coming to an end, and the Edwardian era was beginning. This transition was marked by a shift in values and attitudes, particularly towards gender roles and sexuality.

Forster himself was a product of this changing society. He was a member of the Bloomsbury Group, a circle of writers and intellectuals who rejected the strict moral codes of the Victorian era and embraced a more liberal and experimental approach to life and art. This influence is evident in “The Longest Journey,” which explores themes of sexual identity, social class, and the struggle for personal fulfillment in a rapidly changing world.

The novel is set in Cambridge, a city that was also undergoing significant changes during this time. The university was expanding, and new ideas and perspectives were challenging traditional academic disciplines. Forster himself attended King’s College, Cambridge, and his experiences there undoubtedly informed his portrayal of the university in the novel.

Overall, the historical context of “The Longest Journey” provides important insights into the novel’s themes and characters. By understanding the social and cultural changes taking place in England during this time, readers can better appreciate Forster’s exploration of identity, class, and personal fulfillment in a rapidly changing world.

Discussion of the Novel’s Ending

The ending of “The Longest Journey” has been a topic of much discussion among readers and literary critics alike. Some argue that it is a satisfying conclusion to the epic adventure that the novel takes us on, while others find it to be abrupt and unsatisfying.

One interpretation of the ending is that it represents a moment of enlightenment for the protagonist, Rickie Elliot. Throughout the novel, Rickie struggles to find his place in the world and to reconcile his artistic aspirations with the expectations of his family and society. In the final scene, he has a vision of a “great light” that seems to offer him a sense of clarity and purpose.

Others, however, have criticized the ending for its lack of resolution. We are left with many unanswered questions about the fate of the other characters, such as Rickie’s wife Agnes and his friend Stephen. Some have even suggested that the ending is intentionally ambiguous, leaving it up to the reader to decide what happens next.

Regardless of one’s interpretation, it is clear that the ending of “The Longest Journey” is a powerful and thought-provoking conclusion to a novel that explores themes of identity, love, and the search for meaning in life.

Interpretation of the Novel’s Title

The title of E.M. Forster’s novel, “The Longest Journey,” can be interpreted in various ways. On one hand, it can refer to the physical journey that the protagonist, Rickie Elliot, embarks on throughout the novel. From his sheltered upbringing in a small town to his experiences at university and his travels abroad, Rickie’s journey is indeed a long and winding one.

On the other hand, the title can also be seen as a metaphor for the emotional and psychological journey that Rickie undergoes. As he grapples with issues of identity, love, and morality, Rickie’s journey becomes one of self-discovery and growth.

Furthermore, the title can also be interpreted as a commentary on the human experience as a whole. Life itself can be seen as a long and arduous journey, filled with ups and downs, twists and turns. In this sense, Forster’s novel can be seen as a reflection on the universal human experience of navigating the complexities of life.

Overall, the title of “The Longest Journey” is rich with meaning and can be interpreted in a variety of ways, making it a fitting title for Forster’s epic adventure of a novel.

Gender and Sexuality in ‘The Longest Journey’

In “The Longest Journey,” E.M. Forster explores themes of gender and sexuality through the character of Rickie Elliot. Rickie struggles with his own identity and desires, feeling trapped by societal expectations of masculinity and heterosexuality. He is drawn to his friend Ansell, who represents a more fluid and unconventional approach to gender and sexuality. However, Rickie ultimately succumbs to societal pressure and marries a woman, leading to a life of unhappiness and unfulfilled desires. Forster’s portrayal of Rickie’s struggle highlights the limitations and constraints placed on individuals by societal norms and expectations, particularly in regards to gender and sexuality.

Race and Colonialism in ‘The Longest Journey’

In E.M. Forster’s novel, “The Longest Journey,” race and colonialism play a significant role in the story’s themes and character development. The protagonist, Rickie Elliot, is a white, middle-class Englishman who struggles with his identity and place in society. His friend, Agnes Pembroke, is a mixed-race woman who faces discrimination and prejudice due to her ethnicity. The novel also explores the impact of British colonialism on the characters and their relationships with each other. Through these themes, Forster highlights the complexities and injustices of race and colonialism in early 20th century England.

Religion and Spirituality in the Novel

Religion and spirituality play a significant role in E.M. Forster’s novel, “The Longest Journey.” The protagonist, Rickie Elliot, struggles with his faith and beliefs throughout the novel. He is raised in a strict religious household, but as he grows older, he begins to question his beliefs and the teachings of his family.

Rickie’s journey towards self-discovery and spiritual enlightenment is a central theme in the novel. He explores different religions and philosophies, including Buddhism and Hinduism, in an attempt to find meaning and purpose in his life.

Forster also uses religion and spirituality to comment on society and the role of religion in modern life. He critiques the hypocrisy and narrow-mindedness of organized religion, while also acknowledging the importance of spirituality and personal belief.

Overall, “The Longest Journey” is a thought-provoking exploration of religion and spirituality, and the role they play in shaping our lives and beliefs.

The Importance of Education in the Novel

In E.M. Forster’s novel, “The Longest Journey,” education plays a crucial role in the development of the characters and the overall plot. The protagonist, Rickie Elliot, is a young man who struggles to find his place in the world and to understand his own identity. Through his experiences at Cambridge University and his interactions with various mentors and friends, Rickie learns valuable lessons about himself and the world around him. Education is also a theme that runs throughout the novel, as characters grapple with questions of knowledge, truth, and morality. Ultimately, “The Longest Journey” suggests that education is not just about acquiring knowledge, but about discovering one’s own values and beliefs, and learning how to navigate the complexities of life.

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As ‘The Longest Journey’ Makes Clear, a Good Story Is Not Timeless

Storytelling isn’t static. The stories we tell, and more importantly how we tell them, evolve over the years. Times change, and audiences change, and storytellers change. The stories we tell must also change or be left behind. A good story is not timeless.

I was recently talking with a 70-something-year-old coworker who noted that older television shows were very simple compared to what’s on today. A drama from the ’50s would be a half hour with a small cast and a single storyline. Now most dramas are an hour long with ever-expanding casts and three or more storylines per episode that may or may not intersect. The basics of television storytelling have evolved, have iterated upon themselves, adding so many more layers of plot and character that those older, simpler stories seem rather poor by today’s standards.

“Poor” is, of course, just a matter of perception, but perception matters. Audiences of every era become accustomed to stories being told in a particular way, and stories that break from that formula naturally feel more alien — too simple, boring, too complex, too fast, too short, too long — a complex combination of expectations that are often reductively summarized as “it sucks”.

You don’t even have to go as far back as the ’50s to see this evolution at work. There’s a joke in the 2000 X-Men movie in which Wolverine complains about his modern X-Men uniform of black leather, and Cyclops responds, “What would you prefer, yellow spandex?” It’s a joke made at the comic book’s expense, where Wolverine does wear yellow spandex, and it was funny at the time because yellow spandex is pretty goofy and because black leather is clearly so much more badass and so much more befitting a character like Wolverine. Jump to 2011, when X-Men: First Class dressed its heroes in bright yellow jumpsuits for the climactic battle. Superhero movies now embrace their colorful comic book origins rather than mock them, and an audience raised on The Avengers is likely to reject that first X-Men ‘s attitude.

Audience expectations change, and so storytellers change how they tell stories. Audiences then become so used to these changes that to go back to an earlier time feels like going backwards through evolution. Now we’re moving from the complex to the simple, from large casts in a serialized story to a small cast in standalone story, and our culture, especially gaming culture, has often equated “simple” with “poor”, so these stories, through no fault of their own, become lesser in quality as time passes.

This has often been obvious with games on a mechanical level, since it’s easy to see how systems are iterated on and improved upon. You couldn’t look up or down in Doom , and now a player would reject any shooter with that kind of absurd limitation on vision. Older point-and-click adventure games are infamous for their absurd, obtuse, illogical puzzles that encourage you to use a teacup on a doorknob because, hey, it might work. Now puzzles have been streamlined into sensible types of obstacles or ignored altogether in favor of the “adventure” part of “point-and-click adventure”.

I assumed The Longest Journey would be a difficult game to play for these very reasons. I assumed that the puzzles would be awful. I had heard of “The Fucking Duck Puzzle”, so I decided early on to play with a walkthrough open beside me at all times. This wouldn’t hurt the experience because I wasn’t playing for the puzzles, I was playing for the story, the thing that has cemented The Longest Journey into gaming history as a game worth playing and an integral point-and-click adventure. The story, I assumed, was a thing that transcended time and old game design.

Except that it’s not. The story sold to me in reviews and hype is not the story that I actually got. What those old reviews praised as mature, I see as frustratingly childlike, simple in its morality, themes, and presentation. It’s disappointing, but also enlightening in how it reveals narrative to be just as singular to a time period as mechanics and graphics. The Longest Journey isn’t just dated because it has obtuse puzzles and blocky graphics. It’s dated because it tells a serious story that it doesn’t know how to take seriously.

Many people praise the “wry and sly” commentary of The Longest Journey ‘s heroine April Ryan, but her dry and sarcastic humor now comes across as whiny and embarrassing. It’s “funny” in the same way that X-Men joke was funny, and just as in that example, what felt like clever self-mockery back then now feels like a joke stemming from insecurity. It’s as if the game is afraid of its own high concept sci-fi/fantasy mash up and constantly makes jokes about itself in order to better sell the idea to audiences, like the developer is saying, “We know this is all ridiculous, but just bear with us.”

Such a tactic might have been necessary (or even just helpful) back in 2000 when The Longest Journey came out, but in a modern gaming age filled with the likes of Assassin’s Creed , Bioshock , and Mass Effect — big budget games with outlandish stories that still take themselves and their themes very seriously — audiences are more than willing to accept the ridiculous, and so that kind of insecure humor only serves to undercut the drama.

She Starts an Idiot and Ends a Moron

The biggest victim of this undercutting is April herself.

The game wants April to go on a traditional hero’s journey, and grow from inexperienced child to responsible adult, but she never actually gets the chance to mature because the game’s insistence on self-deprecating humor means she can’t ever take a situation seriously. She must joke and complain about everything, which undercuts the drama of the moment and also undercuts her character arc.

In Chapter 9, after seeing two of her friends shot and seemingly killed, she runs to her room, opens her window, and as she readies to jump out into the canal below, she comments, “Oh, this isn’t going to be fun,” because the water looks disgusting. In Chapter 10, after a friend talks about making a last stand and taking some enemy soldiers down with him, April literally laughs and says, “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

Near the end of the game, in Chapter 12, April crosses a vast desert to get to a magical tower. Along the way she faces a vision of her father in the emotional climax of the game, the moment when she applies her newfound maturity to her old life in order to repair a broken relationship. It’s a fine scene and is actually relatively successful, all things considered. But afterwards, on the very next screen, when she reaches the base of the tower, when she has just established her newfound maturity, she shouts, “I thought I’d never get here,” in a tone of voice usually reserved for petulant teenagers at the end of an unwanted family vacation. The climax meant to firmly establish her maturity is immediately followed by a line that betrays her childishness. And for what? A momentary smile from a player who agrees that it’s been a damn long time getting to the end?

Situations like this happen throughout the game. Scenes that are seconds apart feel entirely disconnected. Important events or revelations are followed by poor readings of poor jokes, working together to make April feel disconnected from the events around her because nothing seems to affect her in any meaningful way. Not only does this kill any potential growth for her character, but it also makes her cruelly indifferent towards her friends and comrades.

At the end of Chapter 7, April tries to break open a treasure chest with a hammer. She misses and instead puts a hole in her ship and sinks it. This occurs after she’s purposefully mucked with the navigation to steer the ship into a storm, and the captain has locked her things away to protect the safety of the crew. This also comes about halfway through the game, after she’s come to terms with the shocking true nature of her world, broken into a police station and hacked their database, killed a cannibalistic witch, gone through a spirit journey and faced her inner demons, defeated an evil wizard, and ridden a flying castle. Instead of growing from these ordeals, instead of becoming a more competent and empathetic adventurer, she remains an idiot who accidentally sinks a ship with a hammer.

April never grows or changes. She veers from (unfunny) wisecracking adventurer to petulant teenager, based on the whims of the scene. Every time that she’s about to mature the game takes away that growth for the sake of a joke. She’s never able to become the hero the game wants her to be. She starts an idiot, and ends a moron.

World Building

April is the audience’s surrogate, so her persistent childishness affects our perception of the entire world and prevents the game from delving into the deeper themes inherent in its premise.

The world of The Longest Journey has been split into two. There’s the sci-fi world of Stark and the magical fantasy world of Arcadia. Long ago they were one, but when magic and science existed together, people could wield a dangerous amount of power that threatened The Balance — the equilibrium between Chaos and Order. To protect the world from itself, some powerful dragons (er, “Draic Kins”) created The Divide, splitting the world, separating magic and science, and de-powering the populace. Now, a chosen Guardian watches over these worlds and maintains The Balance.

The game is very clearly pro-separation. The villains want to reunite the worlds, and the good guys warn that this will only bring disaster. This stance raises many questionable but intriguing themes, of course. Magic and science both emphasize knowledge, so by keeping them apart, the game promotes anti-intellectualism. Many characters talk about The Balance in a religious context, as if it’s a sentient thing that governs the worlds, so the game encourages us to trust in this higher power. It has a very clear faith-based message… except that it doesn’t. The game never actually demonizes the pursuit of magical or scientific knowledge, just the combination of the two, so is that still anti-intellectualism?

In the end, after we prevent unification, we’re told in the epilogue that the worlds get reunited anyway, so was our blind faith in The Balance betrayed? What is the game trying to say about knowledge and faith?

These are questions that April, as the audience’s surrogate, should be asking in order to better flesh out the themes, but she doesn’t. Whenever she does question her actions, they’re not serious inquires. Instead, they’re meta-jokes at the game’s expense, look-at-how-ridiculous-this-situation-is-and-laugh jokes.

As a result, we never get a clear understanding of the sides or the stakes in this conflict. The Balance is talked about in contradictory terms, both as something that can be influenced by the fickle whims of society and as something that influences society. Only the Guardian can control The Balance, yet the bad guys are throwing it off by introducing doubt and skepticism into the world. These ideas cannot coexist. It seems like the rules for The Balance change depending on who you talk to and what kind of drama the game wants to evoke at any given time, yet April never probes deeper into this inconsistency. She accepts everything at face value, and her naiveté allows the game to reduce its morally complex world into a fairy tale of good versus evil.

How Far We’ve Come

It’s hard not to compare The Longest Journey to other more recent games that have the benefit of a decade-plus of design and storytelling innovation and iteration.

Where The Longest Journey struggles to fit puzzles into its narrative — often destroying the pace of the game and tension of its story with an obtuse gameplay roadblock in order to artificially inflate its length — the episodic adventures of Telltale have nearly removed puzzles altogether in order to let the story flow as naturally as possible.

Where the world of The Longest Journey struggles for internal consistency, striving for a serious-minded story while also mocking that very seriousness, the worlds of Bioware, Bethesda, and CD Projekt, do a tremendous job incorporating your personal hero quest into the politics of the world, thus providing a better means of delivering exposition and justifying your travels and incursions into other cultures. And they do it without losing the humor.

The Longest Journey may have been a good story in its time, told in the weird language of the era of the 00’s style of adventure games, but that design language looks, sounds, and feels old today. In a time less concerned with game length, the puzzles here feel forced and unnecessary. In a time more accepting of the weird, the game’s self-mocking feels sad and self-defeating. Even in a time that still lacks strong female protagonists, April Ryan feels like a step in the wrong direction. There’s a good story within The Longest Journey , but The Longest Journey is incapable of telling it.

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Essays About Journeys: Top 5 Examples and 7 Easy Prompts

Essays about journeys require recounting the events of your travel. Discover our guide with examples and prompts to help you write your essay.

No two journeys are the same, and various factors will always be at play. It’s the reason many documents their expedition through different mediums. Writing about journeys is similar to telling a real-life story that influenced your character or perspective. 

Writing essays about journeys helps to develop your writing and observation skills as you recall and pick the highlights of your travel. Sharing your experiences can entice readers to take on a journey themselves. So, aim to inspire with this exciting essay topic.

5 Essay Examples

1. the best journey in my life by suzanne pittman, 2. road trips: everything you need for a comfortable journey by car by anonymous on gradesfixer.com, 3. the first day of my journey to adulthood by anonymous on papersowl.com, 4. life is a journey essay by anonymous on paperwritings.com, 5. long essay on train journey by prasanna, 1. reasons to go on a journey, 2. trip vs. journey, 3. how to enjoy long journeys, 4. my most memorable journey, 5. what makes a journey meaningful, 6. my dream journey, 7. a hero’s journey.

“I had to save a lot of money because I wanted very much to go on this journey with my friends. We planned our trip to take us around Europe. We were going to stop in various parts of Europe with family members and friends.”

The essay mimics Pittman’s travel itinerary during her journey in Europe. She includes all the trip details from the first to the last day and makes the readers feel as if they’re traveling with them. Pittman also offers some travel tips to help anyone who wants to visit Europe on a budget. These tips include staying with friends and relatives and taking comfortable train rides despite long distances.

“With proper planning, everything else seems effortless. You need to consider all factors when planning in order for you to enjoy a successful, stress-free adventure.”

The author believes that the primary purpose of traveling is to relax and have fun. They use the essay to teach how to plan car trips properly. Travelers must learn to budget and estimate expenses, including accommodation, gas, activities, and food. Picking a transportation means is also crucial as one needs to consider factors such as capacity, range, and utility. 

“Although things didn’t go how I planned I’m still in college bettering myself and furthering my education. Anything is possible with a good support system and positive mindset.”

The essay narrates how the author’s journey into adulthood becomes a mini-vacation in Georgia after their top university rejects their enrollment. This rejection offers the opportunity to understand many great life lessons. Despite having five other universities to choose from, the writer realizes they only provide free tuition for the first semester. Ultimately, the author receives a full scholarship to a university closer to home.

“All people have the same journey to take – their life. As well as in the other journeys, there may be some inconveniences, disappointments and joys, and a lot depends on how we plan this particular journey and what attitude we develop towards it.”

In this essay, the writer shares that the best way to go on a life journey is with the most joy and minor damage you can endure. It’s constant work to continuously improve one’s life while developing positive qualities and thinking. But in doing so, you’ll have a solid foundation to achieve what you want out of life. However, the author still reminds the readers that they should always be ready to face unexpected events and deal with them in the best way possible.

“These days, people prefer traveling via airplanes because it is time-saving. But going by plane gets boring and monotonous. Train journeys are a relief from the monotony.”

For Prasanna, whether it’s a short or extended tour, a train journey offers an exciting travel experience. She talks about the local and regional trains in India, which are often overcrowded but still used by many as they are the cheapest, safest, and fastest mode of transport in the country. She also mentions that you’ll never get hungry when riding their local trains because of the vendors who sell Indian delicacies. 

7 Prompts for Essays About Journeys 

Everyone has different motives for traveling. Some go on a journey to appreciate beautiful sceneries, while some move to attend family or work-related gatherings. Some do so to run away from problems. For this prompt, research the common reasons to travel. You can also interview people on why they go on a journey and add any personal experiences. 

It’s a trip when a person travels from one point to another without any transfers. Meanwhile, a journey is a more extended voyage that includes transfers and several trips. Compare and contrast trips and journeys to make your readers understand their similarities and differences. You can also have the advantages and disadvantages of each in your paper.

If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

The idea of having a long journey and discovering new things is exciting. However, the excitement can disappear when you’re far away from home. This is especially true for longer and farther travels. This prompt will help readers have a safer, more affordable, and more enjoyable trip by discussing the best long-distance travel tips. You can present an imaginary itinerary with estimated costs to make the essay more digestible.

Write about an unforgettable journey you’ve had through this prompt. Include the purpose of your travel, how you planned it, and if your timetable was followed. Share what you’ll improve on next time to make your journey even better; you can also talk about your companions and the activities that make the adventure worthwhile.

Journeys become meaningful when they enrich lives. It can be because of the destination, the people you are with, or the travel’s goal. Use this prompt to suggest how journeys improve us as humans. You can section your piece based on an individual’s objectives. For example, someone who wants to recharge and get away from the city will find meaning in going to a location far from technology.

Although traveling can be tiring, 43% of travelers appreciate the experience they gain. Think of journeys you desire to be in and add your reasons. Then, you can share your plan on how to make it happen. For instance, you want to tour Southeast Asia and visit countries like the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand. To make this dream journey come true, you’ll save for an entire year and work around a tight budget.

It’s normal to see the main character in a movie or novel go through a character arc before they become a true hero. Use this prompt to explain a hero’s journey and why the character must go through it. To give you an idea, Peter Parker was a shy and introverted kid who lived an everyday life before becoming Spider-Man. This makes him relatable to the audience and lets them understand his decisions in the following scenes.

For more examples, check out our guide to movies that follow the hero’s journey .

You can also talk about real-life heroes, such as doctors and firefighters. Interview someone with that profession and ask them why they decided to have their current career.

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

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Absalom, Absalom! ">When William Faulkner Set the World Record for Writing the Longest Sentence in Literature: Read the 1,288-Word Sentence from Absalom, Absalom!

in Books , Literature , Writing | March 14th, 2019 35 Comments

Image by Carl Van Vecht­en, via Wiki­me­dia Com­mons

“How did Faulkn­er pull it off?” is a ques­tion many a fledg­ling writer has asked them­selves while strug­gling through a peri­od of appren­tice­ship like that nov­el­ist John Barth describes in his 1999 talk “My Faulkn­er.” Barth “ reorches­trat­ed ” his lit­er­ary heroes, he says, “in search of my writer­ly self… down­load­ing my innu­mer­able pre­de­ces­sors as only an insa­tiable green appren­tice can.” Sure­ly a great many writ­ers can relate when Barth says, “it was Faulkn­er at his most invo­lut­ed and incan­ta­to­ry who most enchant­ed me.” For many a writer, the Faulkner­ian sen­tence is an irre­sistible labyrinth. His syn­tax has a way of weav­ing itself into the uncon­scious, emerg­ing as fair to mid­dling imi­ta­tion.

While study­ing at Johns Hop­kins Uni­ver­si­ty, Barth found him­self writ­ing about his native East­ern Shore Mary­land in a pas­tiche style of “mid­dle Faulkn­er and late Joyce.” He may have won some praise from a vis­it­ing young William Sty­ron, “but the fin­ished opus didn’t fly—for one thing, because Faulkn­er inti­mate­ly knew  his Snopses and Comp­sons and Sar­toris­es, as I did not know my made-up denizens of the Mary­land marsh.” The advice to write only what you know may not be worth much as a uni­ver­sal com­mand­ment. But study­ing the way that Faulkn­er wrote when he turned to the sub­jects he knew best pro­vides an object les­son on how pow­er­ful a lit­er­ary resource inti­ma­cy can be.

Not only does Faulkner’s deep affil­i­a­tion with his char­ac­ters’ inner lives ele­vate his por­traits far above the lev­el of local col­or or region­al­ist curios­i­ty, but it ani­mates his sen­tences, makes them con­stant­ly move and breathe. No mat­ter how long and twist­ed they get, they do not wilt, with­er, or drag; they run riv­er-like, turn­ing around in asides, out­rag­ing them­selves and dou­bling and tripling back. Faulkner’s inti­ma­cy is not earnest­ness, it is the uncan­ny feel­ing of a raw encounter with a nerve cen­ter light­ing up with infor­ma­tion, all of it seem­ing­ly crit­i­cal­ly impor­tant.

It is the extra­or­di­nary sen­so­ry qual­i­ty of his prose that enabled Faulkn­er to get away with writ­ing the longest sen­tence in lit­er­a­ture, at least accord­ing to the 1983 Guin­ness Book of World Records , a pas­sage from Absa­lom, Absa­lom! c onsist­ing of 1,288 words and who knows how many dif­fer­ent kinds of claus­es. There are now longer sen­tences in Eng­lish writ­ing. Jonathan Coe’s The Rotter’s Club   ends with a 33-page long whop­per with 13,955 words in it. Entire nov­els hun­dreds of pages long have been writ­ten in one sen­tence in oth­er lan­guages. All of Faulkner’s mod­ernist con­tem­po­raries, includ­ing of course Joyce, Wolff, and Beck­ett, mas­tered the use of run-ons , to dif­fer­ent effect.

But, for a time, Faulkn­er took the run-on as far as it could go. He may have had no inten­tion of inspir­ing post­mod­ern fic­tion, but one of its best-known nov­el­ists, Barth, only found his voice by first writ­ing a “heav­i­ly Faulkner­ian marsh-opera.” Many hun­dreds of exper­i­men­tal writ­ers have had almost iden­ti­cal expe­ri­ences try­ing to exor­cise the Oxford, Mis­sis­sip­pi modernist’s voice from their prose. Read that one­time longest sen­tence in lit­er­a­ture, all 1,288 words of it, below.

Just exact­ly like Father if Father had known as much about it the night before I went out there as he did the day after I came back think­ing Mad impo­tent old man who real­ized at last that there must be some lim­it even to the capa­bil­i­ties of a demon for doing harm, who must have seen his sit­u­a­tion as that of the show girl, the pony, who real­izes that the prin­ci­pal tune she prances to comes not from horn and fid­dle and drum but from a clock and cal­en­dar, must have seen him­self as the old wornout can­non which real­izes that it can deliv­er just one more fierce shot and crum­ble to dust in its own furi­ous blast and recoil, who looked about upon the scene which was still with­in his scope and com­pass and saw son gone, van­ished, more insu­per­a­ble to him now than if the son were dead since now (if the son still lived) his name would be dif­fer­ent and those to call him by it strangers and what­ev­er dragon’s out­crop­ping of Sut­pen blood the son might sow on the body of what­ev­er strange woman would there­fore car­ry on the tra­di­tion, accom­plish the hered­i­tary evil and harm under anoth­er name and upon and among peo­ple who will nev­er have heard the right one; daugh­ter doomed to spin­ster­hood who had cho­sen spin­ster­hood already before there was any­one named Charles Bon since the aunt who came to suc­cor her in bereave­ment and sor­row found nei­ther but instead that calm absolute­ly impen­e­tra­ble face between a home­spun dress and sun­bon­net seen before a closed door and again in a cloudy swirl of chick­ens while Jones was build­ing the cof­fin and which she wore dur­ing the next year while the aunt lived there and the three women wove their own gar­ments and raised their own food and cut the wood they cooked it with (excus­ing what help they had from Jones who lived with his grand­daugh­ter in the aban­doned fish­ing camp with its col­laps­ing roof and rot­ting porch against which the rusty scythe which Sut­pen was to lend him, make him bor­row to cut away the weeds from the door-and at last forced him to use though not to cut weeds, at least not veg­etable weeds ‑would lean for two years) and wore still after the aunt’s indig­na­tion had swept her back to town to live on stolen gar­den truck and out o f anony­mous bas­kets left on her front steps at night, the three of them, the two daugh­ters negro and white and the aunt twelve miles away watch­ing from her dis­tance as the two daugh­ters watched from theirs the old demon, the ancient vari­cose and despair­ing Faus­tus fling his final main now with the Creditor’s hand already on his shoul­der, run­ning his lit­tle coun­try store now for his bread and meat, hag­gling tedious­ly over nick­els and dimes with rapa­cious and pover­ty-strick­en whites and negroes, who at one time could have gal­loped for ten miles in any direc­tion with­out cross­ing his own bound­ary, using out of his mea­gre stock the cheap rib­bons and beads and the stale vio­lent­ly-col­ored can­dy with which even an old man can seduce a fif­teen-year-old coun­try girl, to ruin the grand­daugh­ter o f his part­ner, this Jones-this gan­gling malar­ia-rid­den white man whom he had giv­en per­mis­sion four­teen years ago to squat in the aban­doned fish­ing camp with the year-old grand­child-Jones, part­ner porter and clerk who at the demon’s com­mand removed with his own hand (and maybe deliv­ered too) from the show­case the can­dy beads and rib­bons, mea­sured the very cloth from which Judith (who had not been bereaved and did not mourn) helped the grand­daugh­ter to fash­ion a dress to walk past the loung­ing men in, the side-look­ing and the tongues, until her increas­ing bel­ly taught her embar­rass­ment-or per­haps fear;-Jones who before ’61 had not even been allowed to approach the front of the house and who dur­ing the next four years got no near­er than the kitchen door and that only when he brought the game and fish and veg­eta­bles on which the seducer-to-be’s wife and daugh­ter (and Clytie too, the one remain­ing ser­vant, negro, the one who would for­bid him to pass the kitchen door with what he brought) depend­ed on to keep life in them, but who now entered the house itself on the (quite fre­quent now) after­noons when the demon would sud­den­ly curse the store emp­ty of cus­tomers and lock the door and repair to the rear and in the same tone in which he used to address his order­ly or even his house ser­vants when he had them (and in which he doubt­less ordered Jones to fetch from the show­case the rib­bons and beads and can­dy) direct Jones to fetch the jug, the two of them (and Jones even sit­ting now who in the old days, the old dead Sun­day after­noons of monot­o­nous peace which they spent beneath the scup­per­nong arbor in the back yard, the demon lying in the ham­mock while Jones squat­ted against a post, ris­ing from time to time to pour for the demon from the demi­john and the buck­et of spring water which he had fetched from the spring more than a mile away then squat­ting again, chortling and chuck­ling and say­ing ‘Sho, Mis­ter Tawm’ each time the demon paused)-the two of them drink­ing turn and turn about from the jug and the demon not lying down now nor even sit­ting but reach­ing after the third or sec­ond drink that old man’s state of impo­tent and furi­ous unde­feat in which he would rise, sway­ing and plung­ing and shout­ing for his horse and pis­tols to ride sin­gle-hand­ed into Wash­ing­ton and shoot Lin­coln (a year or so too late here) and Sher­man both, shout­ing, ‘Kill them! Shoot them down like the dogs they are!’ and Jones: ‘Sho, Ker­nel; sho now’ and catch­ing him as he fell and com­man­deer­ing the first pass­ing wag­on to take him to the house and car­ry him up the front steps and through the paint­less for­mal door beneath its fan­light import­ed pane by pane from Europe which Judith held open for him to enter with no change, no alter­ation in that calm frozen face which she had worn for four years now, and on up the stairs and into the bed­room and put him to bed like a baby and then lie down him­self on the floor beside the bed though not to sleep since before dawn the man on the bed would stir and groan and Jones would say, ‘fly­er I am, Ker­nel. Hit’s all right. They aint whupped us yit, air they?’ this Jones who after the demon rode away with the reg­i­ment when the grand­daugh­ter was only eight years old would tell peo­ple that he ‘was lookin after Major’s place and nig­gers’ even before they had time to ask him why he was not with the troops and per­haps in time came to believe the lie him­self, who was among the first to greet the demon when he returned, to meet him at the gate and say, ‘Well, Ker­nel, they kilt us but they aint whupped us yit, air they?’ who even worked, labored, sweat at the demon’s behest dur­ing that first furi­ous peri­od while the demon believed he could restore by sheer indomitable will­ing the Sutpen’s Hun­dred which he remem­bered and had lost, labored with no hope of pay or reward who must have seen long before the demon did (or would admit it) that the task was hope­less-blind Jones who appar­ent­ly saw still in that furi­ous lech­er­ous wreck the old fine fig­ure of the man who once gal­loped on the black thor­ough­bred about that domain two bound­aries of which the eye could not see from any point.

Relat­ed Con­tent:

5 Won­der­ful­ly Long Lit­er­ary Sen­tences by Samuel Beck­ett, Vir­ginia Woolf, F. Scott Fitzger­ald & Oth­er Mas­ters of the Run-On

Sev­en Tips From William Faulkn­er on How to Write Fic­tion

William Faulkn­er Reads from As I Lay Dying

Josh Jones  is a writer and musi­cian based in Durham, NC. Fol­low him at  @jdmagness

by Josh Jones | Permalink | Comments (35) |

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Comments (35), 35 comments so far.

Imag­ine read­ing a nov­el with a sen­tence that was 40 000 words long!

Ya know ya got ya ya girl ya ya know ya ya boy you got caught with them and then ya got a robot in the car with a car in your head that was the best dog ever and you can call me and call him when I wan­na is it time I get off work I will see if I got­ta I wan­na is a time I got a ride truck truck ride and iiiu­uyr

How did you do that. the longest thing that I have ever wrote was a 600 word para­graph and I just wrote that.

I think this is so cool that he spent this time on it but who would real­ly read this all

omg i have to read this about a week and im done and i just want to say this have made my day

i have wrote a sto­ry which has 12083 words in it. i broke the world record. but they did not give the award because i was a kid :C

Read this in an hour eas­i­ly

@arkin “It is sup­pos­ed­ly the world’s longest pub­lished nov­el in Eng­lish at 2.5 mil­lion words. If you have some extra time, you can read it at marienbadmylove.com. 4. A la recherche du temps per­du by Mar­cel Proust.”

I got a sen­tence that was 5639 words long

i just looked it up so can can copy and paste it on my school chat for fun not to read

I just want­ed to say, i real­ly like cheese, and…i think…i think my teacher is mad at me sry wait…shes mad because i was ask­ing my oth­er teacher ques­tions about work online… hmmm.…my teacher sure is a ##### ass fem­i­nist…

shutcho pick­el chin as up

i just wrote a sen­tence with 1,289 words so ha

oh real­ly i doubt it

oh real­ly i doubt it.

Maybe fact check before com­ing up with such bla­tant lies. 12083 is a mid length nov­el­ette.

hel­lo, I like to play Fort­nite it is a real­ly good game.

i just read this in a day

owfr­jt­nrgkzcb­vwruogjlv­da­jng­wruo­jl­nvdak­jefn­lvk aij hii­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­ii

This was so long

jfeo’is­b­hoaub­h­fvion­ad­k­fvb­skjvb efn­vkjnb­sx­uh­bgv hii­i­ii

Wow final­ly a wor­thy oppo­nent.

this has one word in it first per­son to see the gets $100 cash app njhce­whfb whebfuewhfjwenifbewiubfiebfebwqjfbwejnfewihfiuhweniufjeuirhfiuerfburiebfiewbjfkwefqhcewfhepwuhfiuwerfuiwqerpifjbruegferiuhfiuerwhfuiifewiviiuhuihrgiobguhtrbiuhtreiubhriurhviuwrhiuvht4rnrijpewvpiefhwnovjibrfpierfnhvipuerbfviuphrwipjvnwefkjvnpwiefv pirfnh­piejpo­er­w­pivher­w­poivh­wepri­u­vipr evi­jn­rei­jn­ro­jvwe­jr­fvoijer­reiobfr iuvfrvjo frvjr­weoijb­vweio­jr­foi­w­er­vice­br­wou­vb­wer­ou­vu perivoerijvoiuwerbviouweroiuberouvberfoefubvouiwriuebrouweuberwiuvherivyherwiubvewiurobviuwervuwervouwrewoiuvherwiuoeHIewijvhferiucbuhewjdhfewiufdhiu3riuheriufheriuhfiuerhfiuhwreiufhirwhiufhwiurhfiuhreiuhfiuheriwfhriehfiuerwhufihreuifheirhfiuwheruifherwoiuwfheruhwifhreiuhwoiuhfuerhfhwruifhriuehfueri

is it the word “be” found in the 17th, and 18th let­ters?

this is not a long para­graph it is mul­ti­ple

I am just not as pret­ty as my friend Haylee she is fab so give me a chance for this job

This has the word “his” in it

Had to trans­late this for his­to­ry class so I chose this sentence(How fing stu­pid of me)

That Was A lot Of Words

Bro I copied this and held paste and send it to my friend XD

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September 15, 2021

2021-2022 Prize for the Longest College Essays

It’s that time of year. Awards season. And while Emmys will be given out this weekend, we’d like to give out another award: the prize for the longest college essays of the 2021-2022 college admissions season. So which university takes home the grand prize? Is it the University of Chicago with their two long essays? Stanford University with their three somewhat long essays and then laundry list of short answers? Columbia University with their two fairly long essays and super long lists, some of which happen to be shorter than in years past? No, no. None of these schools have claimed the 2021-2022 grand prize for the longest college essays among elite universities.

Tulane University Asks the Longest Essay Prompts

The grand prize goes to…drum roll please…Tulane University. That’s right. Tulane University, which historically has presented applicants with a long supplement in the past , outdoes itself this year. This year, the school asks applicants to respond to two 800-word essays and one 250-word essays. We can’t think of any other elite university that asks applicants to respond in up to 800 words — unless the school doesn’t specify a word count. And to ask two 800-word essays and a 250-word essay? Well, who can accuse Tulane of trying to bump up its US News & World Report ranking by making it easier for students to apply? The school is making them jump through quite the hoop when it comes to its essays.

Tulane University Asks 3 Essay Prompts, Including Two 800-Word Essays

And what exactly are the Tulane essay prompts, you ask? The first prompt reads, “Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.” Applicants are asked to respond in 250 words. And while the essay is “optional,” loyal readers of our college admissions blog know all too well that “optional” means diddly-squat in elite college admissions. The second prompt reads, “Please describe why you are interested in attending Tulane University.” This essay, too, is optional and applicants are given 800 words to respond. And the third essay reads, “Tulane values the lessons gained from pursuing an education alongside a student body that represents a wide range of experiences and perspectives and is reflective of our multicultural world. If you would like to share a perspective related to your family, cultural group, sexual or gender identity, religious group, or some other aspect that has shaped your identity, please do so here.” This essay, like the other two, is also optional. Applicants are given 800 words to respond just like for the second prompt.

Congratulations to Tulane University for winning the 2021-2022 grand prize for longest college essays!

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The Longest Journey - A Retrospective

A game that almost vanished.

My earlier post about story reminds me of a piece I wrote for PC Gamer a few years back, looking at The Longest Journey, and its lasting effect on me. There was never room for my full thoughts then, and the full length 'director's cut' version has sat on my hard drive since. Clearly Dreamfall has been released since, telling us more about April Ryan, and another retrospective is due for that. Meanwhile, here's the full-length version of the original piece.

“Mystery is important. To know everything, to know the whole truth, is dull. There is no magic in that. Magic is not knowing, magic is wondering about what and how and where.”

The Longest Journey almost vanished away unnoticed, another obscurity ranted about by a few, but never reaching any acclaim. In the mire of pre-millennial adventure gaming, it could so easily have been drowned by the density of its peers, ignored by pessimism, never given the chance it so strongly deserved. How it was joyously liberated from this fate is mysterious. And in mystery, there is magic. In The Longest Journey, there is magic.

As a point and click adventure, The Longest Journey already defied conventions, ignoring the genre’s desperately floundering attempts at “catching up”. Developer and writer Ragnar Tørnquist and his team at Funcom understood that “catching up” was meaningless – they had a story to tell, and a world in which it needed to be told, and so this was the game they made. The natural instinct to say how it recaptured the adventure’s previous glory is strong, but this just simply isn’t true. Adventure gaming had never been as glorious as The Longest Journey – it hadn’t ever even come close.

Eighteen year old art student April Ryan provides the most perfect eyes through which to witness this tale. Sceptical, sarcastic and sassy, she tight-rope walks the same line as Buffy, mouthing off but never quite tumbling into the irritating. And yet still somehow gets away with normally grating late 90s Ameriteenisms such as, “That’s SO not appropriate.” You forgive her, because you realise, as do the games’ twin worlds of Stark and Arcadia, that she’s important .

A friend was recently explaining to me how Silent Hill 4 manages to spook so effectively by blurring the two worlds of the normal, and the horrific. When an element of one leaks into the other, stability in the known is shaken, and fear drip, drip, drips in. In April Ryan’s life, it is the fantastic that begins to disturb the normality of her existence, the world of dreams invading her world of rational and science. And where a good horror story shows you fear in the every day, The Longest Journey shows you magic. Set 200 years in the future, April’s world is enough like our own to allow us to identify, but distant enough to allow it status as a metaphor.

The meta-narrative tells of how, long ago, the united Earth was divided into two: Science and Magic, Stark and Arcadia. The Bladerunner-inspired future version of our known world allows the effects of this severance to have been demonstrated even more, well, starkly than they are now. Wars have increased the degree of global apartheid, Capitalism’s punishments are more prevalent, authority rules over democracy, and people simply get on with being people as it happens around them. It is unavoidably our future.

In contrast, Arcadia refers back to so many fantasy lands, simplicity bolstered by magic, thus creating seismic instability and inevitable fracture. But Arcadia at least possesses hope. Stark’s worldview is blind, eyes gouged out by its people’s own hands. It allows the coming destruction of Chaos without even the consciousness to question. And so it is through April’s dreams, through her powerful imagination, that she is drawn to ‘shift’ out of that world, and to learn her part in the shaping of the future.

I was unaware of how much I’ve been influenced by The Longest Journey, until returning to its tale for this piece. I’ve been writing a children’s story, on and off, for a couple of years, never getting very far with it, but always driven to persist by its unstoppable urge to leave my head. I’m now wondering how much I have to remove because I’ve simply plagiarised it from my subconscious. The ideology of this game is lodged deeply inside me, partly because I so strongly identified with the message I took from it, and partly because that message is so powerfully told. It is always a point and click adventure. There are always daft clicking the rubber duck on the clamp and tying it to the string puzzles. But it works with these elements, not despite them. Nearly every voice is perfectly cast, and the recording supervised by the game’s creator and writer, Ragnar Tørnquist. Yes, there is swearing, but there is swearing where real people swear. And wow, are the conversations long. But they are telling you a story like no other.

April is not a simple character, a template onto which we may impose ourselves to experience a world. She has issues with her father, trouble letting people get too close, and a propensity to run away rather than face difficulty. She is a complex and broken human being, thrown into a situation too big to understand, and arguably destroyed by it. She’s a person.

The opening quote, said to April by her mentor when she is persisting with him for answers, speaks for the whole game. The Longest Journey is epic and magnificent, but completion makes you aware that this is only a tiny fraction of a created world. Indeed, these are only weeks in the whole of April Ryan’s lifetime. So much remains unknown. But to know the whole truth is dull. Magic is in not knowing, magic is wondering about what and how and when.

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The Sunday Papers

IELTS Practice.Org

IELTS Practice Tests and Preparation Tips

Cue Card | Describe your last journey

by Manjusha Nambiar · December 9, 2014

IELTS Speaking

Describe your last journey. Say:

• Where did you go?
• What did you do there?
• Will you recommend this trip to others?

Sample response

Last month I visited my native place in Kerala. It was the longest journey I undertook in over 18 months. I live in Mumbai with my husband and kids. However, my parents and other relatives are in Kerala. Since I hadn’t seen them in a long time, I was really looking forward to this visit.

Kerala is about 1,500 kilometers away from Mumbai. The journey takes about 24 hours by train. Our train was a bit a late, but aside from that the journey was a pleasant experience. I absolutely love to travel by the Konkan railway. The scenery on either side of the track is awesome.

We spent about 20 days in Kerala and during that period we were busy visiting friends and family. We also visited several temples.

I didn’t visit Kerala as a tourist. It was basically a family affair. But Kerala is one place that every tourist should visit. The state is known for its beautiful landscape and backwaters. The local cuisine is healthy and delicious. In addition, the climate is quite pleasant. I will definitely recommend this trip to my friends.

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Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I'm Manjusha. This is my blog where I give IELTS preparation tips.

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Write A Letter To Your Friend About The Longest Journey Made By You In English

Frazer Town, Bangalore

26 December 2022

Dear friend,

I hope this letter finds you in the best of health. I am also doing well on this side, just recovering from a long and tiring journey. I am going to tell you about the longest journey made by me.

I have been an introvert my entire life and wished to spend my life in my relaxing home in Assam. But when I got a good offer for a job in Bangalore, I couldn’t ignore it. To shift my stuff to my new home, I had to make a long train journey. It is single-handedly the longest journey that has ever been made by me. The duration of the train from my station to Bangalore’s station was just over two days. In addition to the long hours, I couldn’t sleep properly on the train. But I kept myself distracted by watching movies. Finally, after two days, my journey came to an end.

I will tell you more about Bangalore in my next letter. Until then, take care!

Your friend, Lovey C

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The views expressed on this site are the author's. The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics does not advocate particular positions but seeks to encourage dialogue on the ethical dimensions of current issues. The Center welcomes comments and alternative points of view .

• Solar Eclipse 2024

What the World Has Learned From Past Eclipses

C louds scudded over the small volcanic island of Principe, off the western coast of Africa, on the afternoon of May 29, 1919. Arthur Eddington, director of the Cambridge Observatory in the U.K., waited for the Sun to emerge. The remains of a morning thunderstorm could ruin everything.

The island was about to experience the rare and overwhelming sight of a total solar eclipse. For six minutes, the longest eclipse since 1416, the Moon would completely block the face of the Sun, pulling a curtain of darkness over a thin stripe of Earth. Eddington traveled into the eclipse path to try and prove one of the most consequential ideas of his age: Albert Einstein’s new theory of general relativity.

Eddington, a physicist, was one of the few people at the time who understood the theory, which Einstein proposed in 1915. But many other scientists were stymied by the bizarre idea that gravity is not a mutual attraction, but a warping of spacetime. Light itself would be subject to this warping, too. So an eclipse would be the best way to prove whether the theory was true, because with the Sun’s light blocked by the Moon, astronomers would be able to see whether the Sun’s gravity bent the light of distant stars behind it.

Two teams of astronomers boarded ships steaming from Liverpool, England, in March 1919 to watch the eclipse and take the measure of the stars. Eddington and his team went to Principe, and another team led by Frank Dyson of the Greenwich Observatory went to Sobral, Brazil.

Totality, the complete obscuration of the Sun, would be at 2:13 local time in Principe. Moments before the Moon slid in front of the Sun, the clouds finally began breaking up. For a moment, it was totally clear. Eddington and his group hastily captured images of a star cluster found near the Sun that day, called the Hyades, found in the constellation of Taurus. The astronomers were using the best astronomical technology of the time, photographic plates, which are large exposures taken on glass instead of film. Stars appeared on seven of the plates, and solar “prominences,” filaments of gas streaming from the Sun, appeared on others.

Eddington wanted to stay in Principe to measure the Hyades when there was no eclipse, but a ship workers’ strike made him leave early. Later, Eddington and Dyson both compared the glass plates taken during the eclipse to other glass plates captured of the Hyades in a different part of the sky, when there was no eclipse. On the images from Eddington’s and Dyson’s expeditions, the stars were not aligned. The 40-year-old Einstein was right.

“Lights All Askew In the Heavens,” the New York Times proclaimed when the scientific papers were published. The eclipse was the key to the discovery—as so many solar eclipses before and since have illuminated new findings about our universe.

To understand why Eddington and Dyson traveled such distances to watch the eclipse, we need to talk about gravity.

Since at least the days of Isaac Newton, who wrote in 1687, scientists thought gravity was a simple force of mutual attraction. Newton proposed that every object in the universe attracts every other object in the universe, and that the strength of this attraction is related to the size of the objects and the distances among them. This is mostly true, actually, but it’s a little more nuanced than that.

On much larger scales, like among black holes or galaxy clusters, Newtonian gravity falls short. It also can’t accurately account for the movement of large objects that are close together, such as how the orbit of Mercury is affected by its proximity the Sun.

Albert Einstein’s most consequential breakthrough solved these problems. General relativity holds that gravity is not really an invisible force of mutual attraction, but a distortion. Rather than some kind of mutual tug-of-war, large objects like the Sun and other stars respond relative to each other because the space they are in has been altered. Their mass is so great that they bend the fabric of space and time around themselves.

Read More: 10 Surprising Facts About the 2024 Solar Eclipse

This was a weird concept, and many scientists thought Einstein’s ideas and equations were ridiculous. But others thought it sounded reasonable. Einstein and others knew that if the theory was correct, and the fabric of reality is bending around large objects, then light itself would have to follow that bend. The light of a star in the great distance, for instance, would seem to curve around a large object in front of it, nearer to us—like our Sun. But normally, it’s impossible to study stars behind the Sun to measure this effect. Enter an eclipse.

Einstein’s theory gives an equation for how much the Sun’s gravity would displace the images of background stars. Newton’s theory predicts only half that amount of displacement.

Eddington and Dyson measured the Hyades cluster because it contains many stars; the more stars to distort, the better the comparison. Both teams of scientists encountered strange political and natural obstacles in making the discovery, which are chronicled beautifully in the book No Shadow of a Doubt: The 1919 Eclipse That Confirmed Einstein's Theory of Relativity , by the physicist Daniel Kennefick. But the confirmation of Einstein’s ideas was worth it. Eddington said as much in a letter to his mother: “The one good plate that I measured gave a result agreeing with Einstein,” he wrote , “and I think I have got a little confirmation from a second plate.”

The Eddington-Dyson experiments were hardly the first time scientists used eclipses to make profound new discoveries. The idea dates to the beginnings of human civilization.

Careful records of lunar and solar eclipses are one of the greatest legacies of ancient Babylon. Astronomers—or astrologers, really, but the goal was the same—were able to predict both lunar and solar eclipses with impressive accuracy. They worked out what we now call the Saros Cycle, a repeating period of 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours in which eclipses appear to repeat. One Saros cycle is equal to 223 synodic months, which is the time it takes the Moon to return to the same phase as seen from Earth. They also figured out, though may not have understood it completely, the geometry that enables eclipses to happen.

The path we trace around the Sun is called the ecliptic. Our planet’s axis is tilted with respect to the ecliptic plane, which is why we have seasons, and why the other celestial bodies seem to cross the same general path in our sky.

As the Moon goes around Earth, it, too, crosses the plane of the ecliptic twice in a year. The ascending node is where the Moon moves into the northern ecliptic. The descending node is where the Moon enters the southern ecliptic. When the Moon crosses a node, a total solar eclipse can happen. Ancient astronomers were aware of these points in the sky, and by the apex of Babylonian civilization, they were very good at predicting when eclipses would occur.

Two and a half millennia later, in 2016, astronomers used these same ancient records to measure the change in the rate at which Earth’s rotation is slowing—which is to say, the amount by which are days are lengthening, over thousands of years.

By the middle of the 19 th century, scientific discoveries came at a frenetic pace, and eclipses powered many of them. In October 1868, two astronomers, Pierre Jules César Janssen and Joseph Norman Lockyer, separately measured the colors of sunlight during a total eclipse. Each found evidence of an unknown element, indicating a new discovery: Helium, named for the Greek god of the Sun. In another eclipse in 1869, astronomers found convincing evidence of another new element, which they nicknamed coronium—before learning a few decades later that it was not a new element, but highly ionized iron, indicating that the Sun’s atmosphere is exceptionally, bizarrely hot. This oddity led to the prediction, in the 1950s, of a continual outflow that we now call the solar wind.

And during solar eclipses between 1878 and 1908, astronomers searched in vain for a proposed extra planet within the orbit of Mercury. Provisionally named Vulcan, this planet was thought to exist because Newtonian gravity could not fully describe Mercury’s strange orbit. The matter of the innermost planet’s path was settled, finally, in 1915, when Einstein used general relativity equations to explain it.

Many eclipse expeditions were intended to learn something new, or to prove an idea right—or wrong. But many of these discoveries have major practical effects on us. Understanding the Sun, and why its atmosphere gets so hot, can help us predict solar outbursts that could disrupt the power grid and communications satellites. Understanding gravity, at all scales, allows us to know and to navigate the cosmos.

GPS satellites, for instance, provide accurate measurements down to inches on Earth. Relativity equations account for the effects of the Earth’s gravity and the distances between the satellites and their receivers on the ground. Special relativity holds that the clocks on satellites, which experience weaker gravity, seem to run slower than clocks under the stronger force of gravity on Earth. From the point of view of the satellite, Earth clocks seem to run faster. We can use different satellites in different positions, and different ground stations, to accurately triangulate our positions on Earth down to inches. Without those calculations, GPS satellites would be far less precise.

This year, scientists fanned out across North America and in the skies above it will continue the legacy of eclipse science. Scientists from NASA and several universities and other research institutions will study Earth’s atmosphere; the Sun’s atmosphere; the Sun’s magnetic fields; and the Sun’s atmospheric outbursts, called coronal mass ejections.

When you look up at the Sun and Moon on the eclipse , the Moon’s day — or just observe its shadow darkening the ground beneath the clouds, which seems more likely — think about all the discoveries still yet waiting to happen, just behind the shadow of the Moon.

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