Essay Questions

Why is Johnson finding rural life so attractive and peaceful despite the uncivilized nature of the local people?

Johnson's trip to the countryside changes his thinking and perception of the rural areas. He has spent most of his years in the city of London postulating that there no other beautiful place like an urban center. However, when he travels to the Scottish rural area, he is astonished by its attractiveness. He finds peace of mind and privacy because in the rural area, there are no traffic jams and the level of calmness entices him. People live a simple life and mostly feed on natural foods. While at the village, Johnson and his friend are fed with fresh cooked food directly from the farm. Additionally, the local people are friendly and hospitable. Therefore, John concludes that despite his earlier thinking that the rural people are uncivilized, he accepts that they lead a better and healthy life compared to those who live in cities.

Do you agree with Johnson that the barbaric traditions of the Scottish people are the significant reason for Scotland’s low population?

Johnson largely observes that the Scottish culture plays a significant role in its depopulation. The incidences of infectious syndromes in Scotland are common and are majorly fueled by their barbaric traditions. The people of Scotland have isolated themselves from the rest of the world and they do not believe in medical intervention. They think that whenever they are sick, there is a divine power that is responsible for their recovery. Consequently, many sick people are left to heal naturally or die. It is however unfortunate that many end up dying due to lack of medical attention. Johnson is of the opinion that the Scottish people should abandon their barbaric culture and embrace modernity so that they can allow medics to take control of the infectious diseases that affect them. Otherwise, their population will continue to reduce.

Which specific factor unifies Johnson and Boswell in the book A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland?

Both Johnson and Boswell are dedicated authors. When they travel to the countryside, Johnson keeps a journal of all the events that he observes. He is anticipating writing a book that will capture his travel adventures and he is sure that the public will love reading his book. He intends to write about the good things about rural people. He thinks that they should abandon their barbaric traditions and embrace modernity. He is of the opinion that the rural Scottish population can only increase if the society is civilized to accept medical intervention. On the other hand, Boswell is a dedicated writer because he is looking forward to writing a biography of Johnson's travels. Therefore, one factor uniting both Johnson and Boswell is their love for authorship.