Percy Draft 4.docx - Golini 1 Livy Golini Prof Stutsman...

Livy Golini
Prof. Stutsman
ENG101
Draft 4
4/10/17
The Loss of the Creature
Walker Percy, in “The Loss of the Creature” proposes the idea that society creates
specific expectations of certain experiences that people feel the need to achieve. He explains
that only the first explorer, pioneer, or inventor is truly able to grasp and understand the
experience’s true potential. By addressing the fact that only the original discoverer can truly
understand its true meaning, he exposes the fact that society creates, develops, and forces
universal expectations. These expectations install specific imagery into a sightseer’s mind. If
the actual imagery does not meet the standards of the predisposed assumptions, then the
individual feels no satisfaction from their experience. In this sense, Percy exemplifies the
power of originality, mystery, and spontaneity. And illustrates that having no perception or
expectation of future endeavors will heighten the satisfaction that overcomes the pioneer.
Similar to the man who first discovered the Grand Canyon, when I decided to take a Post
Graduate year I had no idea what I was getting myself in to, and because of that I loved every
moment of what I lived.
What makes an experience so great is the pure astonishment, surprise, and glee that
courses through a person when one is faced with a situation. My senior year of high school I
did not know whether or not I wanted to play Division III or Division I field hockey, I did not
know what type of school I wanted, and I especially didn’t know where I wanted to go. I was
Golini 1