# Across the Goulet explained — Travel Essays

> Chapter companion for Travel Essays by Robert Louis Stevenson.

## What happens

The narrator departs from the monastery with Modestine, crossing the Goulet mountain. He encounters surveyors at an inn, wakes early, and traverses varied landscapes filled with sounds of rural life. A conflict arises when he attempts a shortcut, leading to a stubborn struggle with Modestine. He eventually reaches the summit, overlooking the valley of the Lozère.

## Themes in this chapter

### Travel and Discovery

The journey across the Goulet is marked by new sights, sounds, and a sense of anticipation for the 'garden of the world' beyond.

### Nature and the Sublime

The landscape—from the dawn-lit plateau to the mountain summit—evokes awe, with springy turf, larks, and panoramic views.

### Freedom vs. Confinement

The narrator's struggle with Modestine over the shortcut symbolizes the tension between human will and animal resistance, and the desire for open paths.

## Character check-ins

### Modestine

The narrator's donkey, who stubbornly resists a shortcut, braying and nearly falling over backwards.

### Père Apollinaire

Accompanies the narrator a short distance from the monastery, holding his hand in farewell.

### Irish Tommy

The Irish friend who walks with the narrator to the monastery gate.

## Key lines

> The wind fell during dinner, and the sky remained clear; so it was under better auspices that I loaded Modestine before the monastery gate.

After dinner, the wind died down and the sky stayed clear, so I was able to pack Modestine in more favorable conditions at the monastery entrance.

_Sets the scene for departure with improved weather._

> I was surprised, as I went on my way again, by what appeared to be chill raindrops falling on my hand, and more than once looked up in wonder at the cloudless sky. But it was only sweat which came dropping from my brow.

As I continued, I felt what seemed like cold raindrops on my hand and glanced up at the clear sky in confusion, only to realize it was sweat from my brow.

_Highlights the physical exertion of the climb and the narrator's momentary misperception._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/travel_essays_se/chapters/across-the-goulet
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/travel_essays_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/travel_essays_se/chapters