Travel and Transcendence: Spiritual Awakening in Matthiessen’s The Snow Leopard
Prithvi Academic Journal May 18, 2026 Bishnu Prasad Pokharel, Ganga Ram Paudyal
Peter Matthiessen's novel The Snow Leopard chronicles a transformative journey through the Western Himalayas of Nepal, where a scientific expedition to observe the elusive snow leopard becomes a spiritual quest catalyzed by the narrator's grief over his wife's death. The wilderness serves as a medium for detachment from personal sorrow and worldly desires, guiding the narrator toward transcendental peace. The novel exemplifies a journey from the known to the unknown, the physical to the spiritual, and personal suffering to profound enlightenment.