Curiosity and wonder evoke the journey of discovery which ultimately leads to a new understanding of self and the world. In Shakespeare’s 1601 comedy The Tempest, the discoveries of a new world and forgiveness, evoked by curiosity and wonder, leads to a new understanding of self and the world. Similarly, in Jean-Marc Vallee’s biographical drama Wild (2014), a curiosity and wonder of the world and need to overcome personal challenges leads Cheryl Strayed to embark on a 1,100 mile journey of self-discovery along the Pacific Crest Trails (PCT). In both texts, discoveries …show more content…
However, whilst The Tempest focuses on redemption through forgiving others, Wild focuses on redemption through forgiving oneself. The use of flashbacks throughout the film reveals her regrets; it shows that Cheryl still feels guilty for her past mistakes and has not forgiven herself for them. Similar to Prospero, Cheryl discovers forgiveness through leaving behind the past. Throughout her journey, Cheryl burns the pages of books she has read, which signifies her burning away her past. At the end of the film, Cheryl asks herself: “What if I forgave myself?” The rhetorical question conveys her newfound understanding of herself and the world, which leads her to forgive herself and accept all the mistakes she made in the past. At the end of the film, Cheryl also notes: “I found my own way out of the woods.” The idiomatic expression is a metaphor for her redemption through a discovery of forgiveness. Ultimately, Cheryl’s curiosity and wonder of the world leads her to discover forgiveness, which allowed her to gain a new understanding of self and the