Josh+H+Archive+2

Close analysis on the extracts
McGirr starts 'Bypass:The Story of a Road' as an Ex-Jesuit priest. He tells the reader about his past life in Melbourne and the tasks that he had to do as a priest. He compares this life to his journey down the Hume and the changes that that happened along the way, not only physically but emotionally and professionally.

As a priest McGirr had to go to every part of Melbourne to perform his work, from 'giving a talk on one side of town' to 'saying a wedding or Mass on the other side.' McGirr stated; 'I belonged nowhere because I belonged everywhere. I lived on the road.' Over his journey on the Hume he has parts where he doesn't want to be on the road, though at the end of the book he wouldn't walk on the footpath over one bridge because he wanted to be on the road.

Emotionally he has changed over the course of the book. He refers back to the times when he 'was occasionally asked to speak on issues', about these issues he says 'I knew much less than I thought I did', but now he has experienced those issues he knows a bit more about them. His experience on those issues make his feelings towards other priest and god different.

His attitude towards his environment in Melbourne was making him think that he was important because he did the work instead of thinking thinking it was that work that he did that was important. He states; 'I am afraid I was beginning to think that I was important because of what I did.' Being 'afraid' of this meant that he didn't want to be like that, and when he moved to 'Gunning, population 500, it was overwhelming by comparison'.

As a Melbourne Priest he was detached from the people and didn't really have any close friends or patrons. Where as in Gunning he would've had to interact with the population a lot closer than he would've in Melbourne and he would've been doing more things for each person because there were less of them to go around. This meant that he would get more personal and closer with them, in his one year in Gunning he would've made much closer friends than when he 'lived in Melbourne for seventeen years'.

Through this paragraph the reader learns what he feels about his priesthood and his life before the book. The reader can also see how he compares this life to the one he is undertaking at the moment. His professional responsibilities now, his feelings about this journey and his expanded knowledge since his priesthood. This is also reflected in his personality and the way that he writes the book shows that to the reader.

=Holiday Homework=

Task 1
//The autobiographical nature of Bypass uses the writer’s personal reflections to highlight that life is not always what it seems.//

Even from the start of 'Bypass: the story of a road' McGirr has reflected on his past. This originated on his past as a Jesuit Priest and evaluated to his feelings about the locations as he rode his way down the Hume. At one point through the book he mentions that he never really felt differently about those with a rank or other privilege. Though he then continues to say that he misses his priesthood and that people would call him 'father'. This change in title was what he missed most, though he thought that he was not affected by one's title he was.

His reflections on his thoughts of life show that even though he thought that that is how he felt, he may not have truly felt that way. For example, his thoughts about Jenny were limited by his Priesthood but he felt sexually attracted to her, where he thought he only liked her as a friend. His thoughts on the road were also not as they seemed, when he had the dream of pushing his bike up the hill he showed himself that the journey wasn't the same one that he had already thought of at the time of his departure, the easy going discovery of himself, the road, its history and life in general.

Further down the road, his path to discovery, he learns about his feelings about society and the people that had passed this road before him. His thoughts about the people that sped along at 110 kilometers per hour and the three prime ministers that had lunch together, even though they were rivals in their campaign. His thoughts about the road itself show that life is not always what it seems and his statements about that show, the people that pass on the new Hume highway (going 110 kilometers per hour) don't see the history, or the experience, of the old road. Those that pass over there now have a new experience, it isn't the same road that they past over years ago. People who haven't past over the road before don't even notice the lack of these old road pieces. The parts of road that never get used anymore, though they were once part of the Hume.

His reflections of the other people that have past the road before and have left their mark are unique to him as a person, his thoughts about the family that piled out of the car would've been different if he hadn't have been a Jesuit priest earlier in his life. Though that family also didn't have the same feeling for themselves, they were thinking that it was all ok to let rubbish go flying and they probably thought negatively of this old unfit man on his Chinese made bicycle.

'You can never step in the same river twice' - this is an example of life not being what it seems, this metaphor can be used with a road and represents the change of the road and of our life, our thoughts and our feelings over time. When McGirr first started to regret not buying a better bicycle seat the reader could see that at the start of the book he did not think that McGirrs bottom would hurt that much, hence showing that this aspect of McGirr's life was not what he thought it was going to be, proving that life is not always at it seems.

McGirr's perspective on all the events that he recorded that happened on the Hume affect how the book portrays his experience and life in general. From the Truck strike to Ivan Milat his reflections affected the story, not only what he wrote but how he wrote. The position of McGirr before the book's writing will show the reader a different perspective (assuming that they aren't a 40ish year old Jesuit Priest). His personal reflections are not only about his priesthood but the portrayal of his feelings when he was a priest, and how they differ now that he has left Priesthood.

If 'Bypass: the story of a road' had have been written by a famous author then it wouldn't have had the same effect as it did have. Though the book's autobiographical nature means that it would have been different no matter who wrote it, even another Jesuit Priest, because they would each have slightly different views, interpretations and ways of portraying those ideas. McGirr's reflections do highlight that life is not always what it seems and through his actions and writings he shows this.

New Beginnings
McGirr had been in favor of new beginnings. His own journey had experienced a new beginning, he left his life as a Jesuit priest and started his life as an explorer, one who wishes to discover the road and the history of it. He then has different feelings (or different actions, on his feelings) than he had when he was a Priest. This ranges from his feelings about society to his feelings to individuals and himself.

Changing Beliefs/Faith
McGirr experiences a change of belief, or more an expansion in his knowledge to alter his beliefs. He had full faith in his Jesuit belief, and now he has belief in himself and his peers. He states that it was his own choice to cease being a Jesuit Priest which shows that he believed (at that time) that it was right, from his attitude and lack of regret about it we can tell that he has the same feelings now.

Loss
McGirr had shown his attitude towards loss in multiple ways. Some things he lost he felt changed for, such as not having the title of father. As he traveled down the road he saw memorials to those that had deceased, and he also found stories of other's losses, such as the truckies loss. He went into these and explained how he felt, like no-one cared for their losses and some people didn't know.

Life as a journey
'You can never step in the same river twice'. McGirr's use of this quote (and his explanation) shows that he believes that life is a journey. The 'river' is also like a 'road' because of the changes that affect you. The quote also implies that you are like a river, always changing.

Social isolation
McGirr was once isolated from his full social potential. As a jesuit priest he wasn't allowed to do things that he wanted to do. He later left priesthood, showing that he may not have likes his social isolation. Though through other parts of the book he explains the effects of social isolation, and gets more open with his social feelings, further explaining his view on this matter.

Relationships
McGirr had not truly experienced a relationship before as he was a priest. When he left priesthood he got a new beginning and started to experience a closer relationship than he had before. He had helped others with their relationships but never before had he experienced one of his own. He would've liked his relationship else he wouldn't have pursued one.

Life/Events on the road
McGirr explains that all events change a person. The 'You can never step in the same road twice' quote shows that, the road can also be used as a metaphor for life. Roads change as different things happen to them, so do you.

Environment (Roads physicality or terrain)
McGirr says multiple things, more about the landmarks of the road rather than the road itself. Though he mentions that: 'I dreamed I was pushing a bike up a long, steep hill. In the morning my dream came true.' He also says later that that hill goes down again.

Task 3
I believe that the term 'inbound tourism' means any tourism to the location in question. When talking about 'inbound tourism' you may be referring to the country, the state, the city or the exact location. This can be to or from any location where the visitor is defined as the tourist.