The Incredible Journey

“Prospectors work through [the land]; there are trappers and Indians; and sometimes hunters who fly into the virgin lakes in small amphibious aircraft; there are pioneers with visions beyond their own life span; and there are those who have left the bustle of civilization forever, to sink their identity in an unquestioning acceptance of the wilderness. But all these human beings together are as a handful of sand upon the ocean shores, and for the most part there is silence and solitude and an uninterrupted way of life for the wild animals that abound there: moose and deer, brown and black bears; lynx and fox; beaver, muskrat and otter; fishers, mink and marten.” 

In this quote, Burnford gives insights about the nature of the landscape that will serve as the setting for all of the novel’s action. The quote celebrates the richness and diversity of life that abounds in this section of the Canadian wilderness. There are different kinds of human inhabitants, but the will and wildness of the land is what ultimately prevails and characterizes the region. By introducing the landscape in this manner, Burnford foregrounds the untamed and unfettered nature of the world which the domesticated animals will soon enter, alone. It is both beautiful and mysterious.

“...the only sound was the occasional crackling front he logs or the rustling of a newspaper, the pages of which Longridge turned with some difficulty, for a slender wheat-colored Siamese cat was curled on his knee, chocolate-colored front paws curved in towards one another, sapphire eyes blinking occasionally as he stared into the fire.” 

This is our first glimpse of Tao. He is comfortably sitting on Longridge’s lap. This signifies the cat’s comfort with and trust of the man. This moment also depicts the genuine fondness that Longridge has for the cat—although the cat is encumbering him, he does nothing to dispel the animal from his comfortable resting place. Burnford therefore subtly portrays the man’s loving and doting attitude toward Tao here. 

“Anyone unaccustomed to the rather peculiar points of bull terrier beauty would have thought him a strange if not downright ugly dog, with the naked, down-faced arc of his profile, his deep-chested, stocky body and whip-tapered tail. But the true lover of an ancient and honorable breed would have recognized the blood and bone of this elderly and rather battered body; would have known that in his prime this had been a magnificent specimen of compact sinew and muscle, bred to fight and endure; and would have loved him for his curious mixture of wicked, unyielding fighter yet devoted and docile family pet, and above all for the irrepressible air of sly merriment which beamed in his little slant eyes.” 

This is our first introduction to Bodger. Burnford shows her knack for selecting subtle details in order to convey the dog’s character. Firstly, there is the open admission that many would find Bodger ugly.