Rising+from+the+Plains+I-+CF

“Rising from the Plains I” begins by talking about the geography of Rawlins, Wyoming. McPhee begins by talking about the rock structure, and from there he moves on to talk about the plants and other vegetation. He talks about how there are many selenium contaminated plants that are fed to sheep and cattle, which are then eaten by people. He describes the effects that selenium has on the human body. It “destroys and an enzyme that transmits messages from the brain to muscles.” This is a typical example of how much knowledge McPhee has in so many genres of study. He then goes on a tour of different areas around Rawlins. He visits many towns and other communities and sees much of the geography around the area. McPhee’s tour guide (Mr. Love) stops to show him many interesting rocks and other geological phenomena’s.

McPhee then gives a detailed description of Mr. Love. He tells of where he was born, and how he is a renowned geologist in the state of Wyoming. He talks of his siblings and where he attended University.

Literally for the remaining fifteen or so pages, McPhee continues to describe the areas through which they are travelling. It was because of the constant description of the land and rock cuts that I did not find this piece overly intriguing. There were interesting sections where the reader learns about Mr. Love and other minor characters, but besides those brief instances, I found myself uninterested at some points. This is the first piece by McPhee that did not hold my attention until the very end. - Courtney Fox