QCQ #1

A quote from the passage that stood out to me was, “Seeing the canyon under approved circumstances is seeing the symbolic complex head on. The thing is no longer the things as it confronted the Spaniard; it is rather that which has already been formulated-by picture postcard, geography book, tourist folders, and the words Grand Canyon.” I chose this quote because I think that it could be called the thesis of this passage. The idea that once something is discovered and spread through society it no longer can hold the same meaning that it did for the discoverer connects to a major theme throughout the text. This theme is the effects of society on the meaning of a discovery. This quote perfectly encapsulates this idea, and that’s why I chose it. 

The part of the passage about the American tourists who find themselves passing through an Indian village relates a lot to our world today. This example was used to show how people often only want to experience another culture just so they can say that they have. There has been a rise in travel content and influencers on social media recently, which has led to people searching for the most unique or “candid” experience so that they can get the most views. 

Do you think it’s possible in the current day for someone to have an experience that is their own and not influenced by society?