Resumo de Facing The Congo

Jeffery Tayler is an American expatriate and writer. He is also a former Peace Corp worker in Uzbekistan and the author of Siberian Dawn and Facing the Congo. He is not only the author of those two books, as his numerous articles have been published in Atlantic Monthly, Spin, Harper`s and Conde Nast Traveler. Two of his travel essays were selected for ``The Best American Travel Writing 2000`` by Bill Bryson..``In his second book Facing the Congo he makes the decision to face the Congo River and sets out on the most dangerous journey of his life. He wants to float the river on a pirogue from KISANGANI to KINSHASA (1,084 miles). First, he travels up the Congo River on one of the barges from KINSHASA to KISANGANI where he buys a pirogue and travels down the river on his own(it`s to be a 45-day odyssey)WHAT ARE THE REASONS:He answers this question in the first chapter of the book. Living in Moscow with his girlfriend Tatyana, he starts to get dissatisfied with the monotonous routine of his daily life and is going through an existentional crisis concerning his private and working life. What is more, his first book doesn`t seem to be greatly successful (at leats at that time) so he is forced to land extra jobs which have nothing to do with writing at all. This upsets him very much and he decides to write a remarkable book which will be highly profitable After having read A Band in a River, a book about a man who comes to KISANGANI (a town on a Congo River) to start a new life, Taylor develops a growing fascination for Zaire, the actual name for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He sees Zaire as ``a land of tragedy, hope and great drama``.Tayler doesn`travel alone on his pirogue, he travels with one Zairean ? Desi ? who as a native inhabitant of the place knows the Congo River like the back of his hand, and proves to be extremely helpful. Later on, the author is accompanied by a soldier, because it gets dangerous and you can get killed or robbed easily. Unfortunatelly, after overcoming 470 miles Taylor has to terminate the journay as Desi gets very sick. In order to save his life and avoid catching the illness himself he has to give up the trip.The book isn`t only about Tayler`s adventures as it tells a great deal about Zaire`s current political and economical situation and the people themselves, so the book covers diffrent issues. Majority of Zaireans are unable to understand Taylor`s reasons for coming to Congo and undertaking such a dangerous trip. The author tries to explain them that he is not intrested in gold and doesn`t want to benefit financially from the trip. They are quite used to perceiving white men (mondeles) as the ones who come and prospect for gold. He keeps on explaining and trying to convince the Congo inhabitants about his friendly attitude.Jeffrey Taylor is struck by a number of local beliefs concerning family life and values as well as religion and God. Desi, the local man who helps the author to survive on the river, talks about the role of women and religion in African society. He has a conversation with Taylor and points at his wife saying: ``See how my wife respects me? She`s showing me respect/By not looking at me and getting in my affairs/Yes, she knows her place.``(82) On hearing these words, Tayler seems to be a bit confused and cannot understand Desi`s primitive reasoning. Hovewer he doesn`t argue with him and doesn`t convince him that he is wrong as if Desi was to primitive to understand his civilized point of view. Jeffrey Tayler sets out on a journey just because he is tired with his mundane life and everyday routines. He wants to experience something entirely new and exciting. However what is an adventure for him is a regular life for others.. The people living by the river does not perceive it as some grand adventure. Quite the reverse. They have to fight every day to survive, to provide their families with food and shelter. They are openly hostile towards the author. They do not like and do not accept him.. Taylor is a tourist seeking for adventure who will leave Zair as soon as he gets bored with the country and for them there is no choice to leave Zaire. In addition, he has much more money then they have ever seen before. When Tayler realizes all of these he comes to the conclusion that maybe he should not be there. He starts to perceive the surrounding world differently. He starts to see himself as an American who plays with his life, trying to fulfil his dreams wheras Zaireans are the ones who have to struggle to live. Finally, he decides to terminate his trip. However, he admits: ` ... my endeavor taught me something positive: to value life what I have and to srtive to preserve it.`

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