March 20th

 "They are like potted plants that go to weed unless they are pruned and tended daily."

- Page 521, West with the Night


        Markham describes the job of being a pilot who flies over herds of cattle to find bulls and ivory, and reports it back to the base camp. She is a force to be reckoned with and someone who is relied on heavily for the functioning and survival of the camp in which she is based. However, in this portion of her memoir, she is struggling with thinking about England (her home). 

        Markham shows a certain level of relatability with her audience, one that is sensible and understood. She is in the wild, seemingly the only woman on her team, and is far away from her home. Yes, she has all of the resources anyone could need and is living 'well', but she is still not where she feels most comfortable. I think that she offers her readers the wonderful question of what is worth more- work or pleasure? 

        As the a female aviator and the first woman to fly solo from Britain to America, Markham is an icon for women worldwide. She is strong-willed and can clearly hold her own in any situation. In this portion of her story, she even goes into detail about her landing capabilities in short terrain and taking off, alike. She was entrusted to help many people with her flying and I think is a staple of the power of a knowledgable woman! 


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