Essay Questions

Give two examples of allegories used by John McPhee in The Pine Barrens.

The first motif is memory, which is evident in the smaller communities, which seem to recall every event in the society as compared to the larger societies. In smaller societies, there are fewer controversies implying that people can easily remember events over the years. For instance, the tragic demise of Emilio Carranza is remembered annually. The other evident motif is narratives. The Pine community is known for telling stories and memorizing events.

Is the issue of modernity a theme in the The Pine Barrens by John McPhee?

Yes, the issue of modernity is a significant theme in the book. The Pine community is skeptical of new developments in which the suspect can ruin their culture. They have vast land, which is approximately 650,000 acres, but they are not in early to up modern structures. They strongly feel that modernity will destroy their culture. However, the modern city within the community is unstoppable because as soon as the plans of bringing the supersonic jet airport to materialize, modern structures and amenities will spring up and this will be the birth of modernity.

Explain how John McPhee uses crime as an irony in his book.

There are incidents of criminal activities in the woodlands where the majority are the Pines. The Pines are harmless and unharmed people but ironically some try to associate crime with them. In fact, the outsiders who drive into the woodlands commit the crime. The police are aware of this because they do not associate the Pines with the crime as others do. The outsiders commit the crime and then cover up using the Pines people.