I believe that John Green was inspired to write about Canada geese by the number of geese he sees. He said that the lake or pond by his house has lots of Canada geese. Additionally, he described an experience with his college girlfriend in which he was asked his greatest fear. He responded that it was abandonment, which she met with science. When he asked what hers was, she said it was geese. This experience is also likely to have influenced John to write this chapter.
This chapter helps with understanding living a life of significance because they are, at least to John, a way to help put life in perspective. John explained that there are things that come along with his American suburban life that seem monotonous. This feels like the way humans have always lived. However, the modern suburban lifestyle is a very new concept. It only became popular in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. It became common in the nineteen fifties and sixties. John had these thoughts because of how recently the Canada Goose became common. The goose was nearly extinct a few decades ago. This was because of brutal hunting practices that nearly hunted them to extinction. The rise of suburbia and man-made ponds paired with hunting laws has caused their population to surge in recent years. It reminded John that, like the goose, our culture as we know it is a very new concept.
My thoughts on Canada geese are mostly negative. While I find the goose to be an interesting animal with a complex way of life, I am not a fan of them. Canadian geese are big and mean, not to mention annoying. However, I cannot deny that the v-formation they fly in is beautiful. Allowing them this sole redeeming factor, I rate Canada geese 1.5/2 stars.