Deliverance, which is written in 1970 by James Dickey, depicts a canoeing adventure turned nightmare from hell. Lewis is the only one of the men that is savvy in the ways of the woods. He concocts the plan and talks his reluctant friends to go along for the ride. Lewis is the group's fearless leader. He is the sole inspiration behind the trip. .
Lewis is a man's man. He is the type of man that has a certain type of swagger about him. Ed best describes Lewis when he says, "he was the kind of man who tries by any means - weight lifting, diet, exercise, self-help manuals from taxidermy to modern art - to hold on to his body and mind and improve them, to rise above time"(9). Lewis is the man that most men dream of being. Ed is not new to outings with Lewis. He listens to Lewis and takes in as much knowledge as he can. Ed is truly envious of Lewis's will to survive; without the teachings of Lewis, Ed would never be able to fight the battle that is ahead of him.
Survival is the key term in this novel. Survival is everything to Lewis. He says, "I think the machines are going to fail, the political systems are going to fail, and a few are going to take to the hills and start over" (42); he is one of the few. The men do envy Lewis, yet they also think that he is a bit eccentric. Survival in their suburbia setting seems almost comical. They have no idea what those hills have waiting for them. Lewis knows that he is strong enough to survive anything that could come his way. He is indirectly preparing the men for the hard times that are to come. It is almost like he knows what is going to happen on that river. .
The second day of the river voyage would start a twisted chain of events that would change the men forever. That day, Ed and Bobby set out ahead of Lewis and Drew on the river, perhaps trying to impress Lewis with their new canoeing skills. They get several turns ahead; so, they decide to pull up to a bank and wait for Lewis and Drew to catch up.