Essay Questions

Why did the author need to find a connection with the Congo in order to successfully write about the country?

Butcher had been writing about the political situation and the civilian casualties in Congo for quite some time but never seemed to be able to truly connect with his own stories. He realized that his readers were feeling a disconnect as well and so he needed a different angle from which to approach his subject matter. Finding a predecessor at the Telegraph who had undertaken the journey along the Congo gives Butcher the connection to the area that he needs. By finding a connection himself he is able to connect his readers with the area as well and this means that he is able to focus their attention in it far more than he did with stories about a political situation. It also enabled him to see the area in a different way and give his stories more meaning.

Butcher's book was a popular success and a best-seller; why do you think this book made people pay attention to the situation in Congo when decades of hard news broadcasting did not?

There is a theory that people have "news fatigue" and this in part explains why a travelogue is more appealing to people than broadcast after broadcast showing soldiers, conflict, and war-ravaged regions. It is difficult for people to truly connect with a situation that is to all intents and purposes, abstract. The war they read about in one region sounds much like the one they read about in another and both seem to be the result of corrupt politics, and violent guerrilla groups. Yet we have all taken a trip somewhere, all met the locals, all had our heartstrings tugged at by seeing people who need help. Writing about the situation in the Congo through a travelogue is a far more connective way to reach people and to focus their attention on the effects of war than a bland political piece in a newspaper. This is why people felt far more connected with the book than they would ever have been to a newspaper article or series.

What makes Katherine Hepburn's journal of her time filming "The African Queen" the perfect research material for Butcher's adventure?

At first it seems silly to read a movie star's diary when planning a dangerous expedition through a war-torn area. It would probably be a better idea to read the memoirs of war journalists, or mercenaries, or even trained military personnel. What can a movie star in a protected environment possibly tell a travel journalist about making his own way through a war zone? But thinking about it, the idea to use Hepburn's journal as research h is inspired. After all, neither one was an experienced explorer, or well-versed in the daily practicalities of living in an area with limited food and even less hygiene. This is what makes Hepburn the perfect inspiration and guide because Butcher was really in the same "rookie" position as Hepburn and did not have the experiences of seasoned professionals. Their experiences would not benefit him because they came into the country with skills and prior knowledge where neither Hepburn or Butcher had skills or knowledge to help them. They are the same type of traveler and this is why she was the perfect research for him.