Ferris is a new ranger at Arches National Monument who drives Abbey to the Denver airport on Abbey’s last day in Moab. When Abbey panics, demanding that they turn around and return to his beloved desert home, Ferris refuses and steps on the gas. By refusing, Ferris embodies the unavoidability of reality: despite the urge to escape into nature forever, one has to return to society at some point in order to work and have a family. Ferris’s small role helps illustrate Abbey’s argument that the wilderness—while an essential element of human society—is not a total replacement for civilization.
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Bob Ferris Character Timeline in Desert Solitaire
The timeline below shows where the character Bob Ferris appears in Desert Solitaire. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Bedrock and Paradox
...ranger station, Abbey learns that his flight to Denver has been cancelled. A new ranger, Bob Ferris , drives him there instead. As they speed on the highway, the sight of the...
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