Coming+into+I+KC

Katelyn Clews "Coming into the Country-I" This article, like the others that i have read by McPhee, never seem to just focus on one thing or one person. The article "Coming to the Country-I" is all about the experience people have living in the "real" country."people in the region of the upper Yukon refer to their part of Alaska as 'The Country'" When I think about the country, what comes to my mind is, somewhere with lots of land, maybe farm animals, and old country looking house. What McPhee shows us in this article is what the county really is, and he shows us this by telling us stories and perspectives of people who live in Alaska. There, people have completely different lifestyles, then you would find here in the city. What they do for a living consists of basic suvival needs. They hunt for their food, and sell things like fur to make ends meat. They will go on week trips out in the winlderness with just a few hunting tools and a sleeping bag, just to get what they need. These people are hard core country livers.

McPhee is somewhat scattered in a way, like many of his other articles, he switches back and forth from person to person, getting different perspectives on ways of life, and how they survive. But even thought he does this, he still has a main theme. McPhee explores their lives, and what living in the "county" has done for them. This article starts off talking about a woman named Donna Kneeland, and her companion Dick Cook. They have both lived in Eagles Alaska for many years, and have very different way of living life. To survive they hunt, and sell fur from animals. He talks about why these people choose to live this type of lifestyle, the majority of them are just trying to life a self sufficient life off the earth, and live without altering anything in the environment.

I really love how McPhee capture the funny parts of these poeple's experiences living in the country. McPhee wrote about one guy who had a terrible tooth ache, he lived too far away into the woods, that going to a dentist was out of the question. After the tooth was too unbarable to leave alone any longer, the guy took a pair of pliers, and tried to pull the tooth out himself. The first time he tried, he made himself pass out, this happened again a second time, the when his hand just woundnt let himself do it again, he finally took himself to a proper dentist. Now if that isnt a country "i'll do it myself" attitude, i dont know what is. McPhee also said that one woman had an old cook book that use to belong to a trappers wife who froze to death. Its said as though its a comoon thing, and it could happen to anyone.

