Travels With Charley

The first section of Travels With Charley outlines the motivations behind the road trip that informs the book’s narrative structure. It introduces the broad theme Fear and Acceptance of Change, which runs throughout the text and concerns topics such as aging, technological and consumer progress, and feeling disconnected from one’s country and culture. These topics align well with the themes Steinbeck became famous for writing about. He presents a central irony: He’s known for telling stories about America, but in his life of wealthy comfort, he fell out of touch with the lives of average American citizens. Instead, he spent years traveling abroad and living in coastal cities that don’t present a full picture of the country: “Thus I discovered that I did not know my own country. I, an American writer, writing about America, was working from memory, and the memory is at best a faulty, warpy reservoir” (3). He feels that he needs to not only visit a wider variety of places but do it in an unconventional way that allows him to travel incognito and blend in with other people.

Steinbeck openly admits that he’s somewhat conflicted about the purpose of his road trip. He makes it clear from the start that he doesn’t necessarily expect to discover any groundbreaking truths about America during the trip, because he considers having a set itinerary or purpose for any journey foolish given that trips tend to take on a life of their own. Travelers who set out with meticulously planned itineraries are only setting themselves up for disappointment. Although he hopes to better acquaint himself with the country, he simply wants to travel for the sake of traveling, which introduces the theme The Journey. In many ways, his desire to learn is simply his way of finding a solid reason to take a trip: “When the virus of restlessness begins to take possession of a wayward man, and the road away from Here seems broad and straight and sweet, the victim must first find in himself a good and sufficient reason for going. This to the practical bum is not difficult” (1).

This wanderlust strongly connects to Steinbeck’s fear of getting old, which is a running topic throughout the book, supporting the theme American Masculinity. Many scenes show Steinbeck attempting to prove that he’s still capable of things that many old men give up on. The first such scene comes during Hurricane Donna, when he swims into the seething bay to protect his boat. Steinbeck characterizes the dramatic rescue as an entirely reasonable choice, despite his wife’s disagreement. However, the descriptions of the whipping wind, boats crashing against the pier, and being blown to shore and pulled from the water by a neighbor show that he was taking a great risk, thinking more of preserving his boat than preserving himself. He writes, “There was no danger” (11) yet portrays a very dangerous situation. Other scenes of such recklessness appear later in the text, such as his nearly being trampled by a moose in Maine that he lures with a deer call—an incident he likewise describes nonchalantly. In contrast are several instances where Steinbeck makes his fear evident, including anytime he’s driving in heavy traffic. In light of the message of Travels With Charley as a whole, these contradictory depictions indicate that Steinbeck is conflicted about progress, a trope that becomes a major topic in the theme Fear and Acceptance of Change: In contrast to his unease in modern civilization, he’s bold when faced with threats he sees as more primal.

In addition to outlining his motivations for the trip and laying the thematic groundwork, in Part 1 Steinbeck introduces the two major nonhuman characters: Charley (his dog), and Rosinante (his modified pickup truck). Rosinante, named after Don Quixote’s horse, becomes a metaphor for the feelings, moods, and thoughts of the two other characters. At the beginning, the truck symbolizes Steinbeck’s hopes for the journey. Although it’s custom built and contains many comforts of home, it’s simple and requires creativity to live in. Steinbeck notes that the name Rosinante was inspired by friends making fun of his trip—but he’s proud of the name, even painting it in elaborate script on the side of the camper. Like his friends, he clearly views his journey as somewhat quixotic (foolishly impractical). He introduces Charley as a timid but proud dog whom he brings along for the illusion of protection. He acts as a silent conversation partner throughout the journey; Steinbeck interprets full quotes from Charley’s body language and anthropomorphizes him, referring to him as “an old French gentleman” (7). This personification helps Steinbeck develop ideas both within his mind and on paper.