Travels of Charley

Discovering Charley

This book, Travels with Charley: In Search of America, by John Steinbeck is about the author and his dog traveling around the United States, exploring different parts of the country. Steinbeck and his dog Charley have a very understanding relationship. “The dog without his master was like a body without a soul,” this is well said by Mary E. Wilkins. The relationship between Charley and Steinbeck is companionship and that’s the theme of this essay. Charley is Steinbeck’s companion through this trip. Both Steinbeck and Charley understand each other very well, but mostly Charley. There were a lot of things that Steinbeck discovered about Charley, something’s that he would have never guessed. According to Steinbeck, Charley is a mind reader. “He put his nose close to my ear and said, “Ftt.” He is the only dog I ever knew who could pronounce the constant F.” (20) Steinbeck understands what Charley is trying to bypass, and vice versa.

When Steinbeck and Charley visit Yellowstone, he discovered something new about Charley. Dogs aren’t permitted in Yellowstone National Park, except on a leash, but Steinbeck insisted that Charley is no harm to the bears and that they let him bring Charley. But when Charley sees the bear, he starts behaving outrageously. “He screeched insults at the bear, which hearing, the bear roared up and seemed to me to overtop Rocinante. Frantically, I rolled the windows shut and, swinging quickly to the left, grazed the animal, then scuttled on while Charley raved and ranted beside me, describing in detail what he would do to that bear if could get at him. I was never so astonished in my life.” (124) All this time Steinbeck thought of Charley as a calm and friendly dog, who never had any enemies. But after this incident, Charley had enemies, the bears, and Steinbeck learned something he may never have known.

When Charley becomes ill the reader can easily feel the depth of Steinbeck’s compassion for him. Charley had to stay at a vet for a couple of days; this is when Steinbeck realized what it would be like without him before