Pages 89-139 Deliverance

Man, these pages were pretty intense.  The plot really starts to unfold during this section of the novel.  It all starts with a thick looming fog.  Ed wakes up before the other men and decides to go hunting.  He remarks that he could just go a little ways up the hill, sit and wait, and then return.  That's what he would have done before the trip.  That would be just enough to make the other guys think he actually tried.  Instead of doing nothing, however, he decides to actually make an attempt to shoot something.  He walks around for a while and finally spots a deer about 15 meters away.  He remarks how he has had plenty of practice shooting stationary targets at this range before.  Shooting a live animal in the wild is a different story though.  He lines up his shot and releases the arrow.  He misses high.  He says that he just barley lifted his front hand when he released the arrow.  I think this event will foreshadow something that happens later in the novel.  I  believe the author wanted to make it seem like Ed wasn't a good shot to build suspense.  There will probably come a time later in the novel when Ed needs to make a big shot and I think he'll do it.

The major event that occurs during these pages is the rape of Bobby.  Ed and Bobby had stopped to take a break when two men walk out of the woods.  One is carrying a gun.  It seems that Ed knows from the beginning that they are up to no good, and I agree.  I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.  I really did not expect rape to be that event though.  I don't see how Bobby is going to be able to recover from this event and continue down the river.

To get out of the situation Lewis had to shoot one of the men.  Then the four guys contemplate what to do with the body.  Drew things they should keep it and turn it in to the authorities.  Lewis thinks they should get rid of it.  I have to agree with Lewis on this issue.  I don't think they have much of a shot of convincing the authorities that it was not murder if they turn in the body.  Even the best case scenario would not be good for their reputations.