Word: eighner
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Dates: during 1994-1994
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Regardless of any political agenda that might emerge from the book, Travels with Lizbeth remains a deeply personal account of a man trying to maintain his autonomy and humanity despite increasingly dehumanizing circumstances. Eighner observes his surroundings with an intelligence and wit that clearly mark the individuality and self-respect that enabled him to survive. Eighner's wry sense of humor allows him to stand back and analyze his experiences with perspicacity and insight, avoiding any melodramatic pathos that could cloud his realistic portrait of life on the streets...
Especially in his matter-of-fact approach to practical matters, Eighner depicts the stark reality of homelessness. For example, his detailed instructions on how to scavenge food safely from a dumpster points out the relentless struggle for basic survival far more effectively than any Dickensian description of gnawing hunger. The details of setting up camp in a public park or washing up in a bar's restroom gives the book a firm foundation in day-to-day reality, which is quite remarkable in itself and needs no further embellishment...
...Eighner's dog, Lizbeth, is his sole and constant companion throughout his problems. From the start, Eighner states that he does not intentionally personify Lizbeth, but his relationship and attachment to the dog provide an intriguing foil for the people that drop in and out of Eighner's life. Surely, perhaps depressingly, enough, the dog demonstrates far more loyalty and integrity than her human counterparts...
Lizbeth's canine faithfulness contrasts the disappointing lack of support Eighner fails to receive from other people. The ongoing image of a man and his dog facing the rest of the world resurrects the old adventuresome, pioneer spirit of the West with a contemporary twist...
Through understated diction and humor, Eighner creates a narrative that is both instructive and engaging. His experiences and observations remain uniquely his own, yet provide relevant commentary on one of the country's most urgent concerns. The personal perspective breaks down's looming social issue into the problems of individuals, giving a voice and face to what might otherwise be just another statistic...