A Walk in the Woods Theme of Man and the Natural World

Having decided to hike the entire 2,100 mile-long Appalachian Trail, Bill Bryson and Stephen Katz are going to get up close and personal with Mother Nature whether they like it or not. Over the course of A Walk in the Woods, these two bros gain a better understanding of their relationship with the natural world, not to mention the much more tumultuous relationship between it and the rest of humanity. They might not be bonafide "mountain men," but Bryson and Katz get a lot wilder than you might expect.

Questions About Man and the Natural World

  1. How does Bryson's relationship with nature change over the course of the book?
  2. How are Katz and Bryson affected by spending so much time in the wilderness?
  3. Does nature truly revitalize the hikers of the AT? Explain.
  4. In what ways does spending time in nature change Bryson's relationship to city life?