Into to Into the Wild Blog

The book "Into the Wild" begins with the finding of McCandless's body within an abandoned bus in Alaska. The author Jon Krakuer, retraces the adventures of McCandless during the two years he was missing. Early on in McCandless adventure he changed hi name to Alexander. McCandless planned to hike along the Alaskan coast, but the swampy terrain of the summer was too difficult to hike through. He survived about 112 days in the Alsakan wilderness, living out of an old bus and finding whatever edible roots and berries he could. McCandless also keep a journal, with him. On July 30 McCandless wrote a journal entry that read, "EXTREMELY WEAK. FAULT OF POT. SEED..." Krakuer hypothesized that McCandless had been eating the seeds of wild potatoes, which causes weakness and starvation. Eating these wild potatoes may have caused McCandless death but he also may have just starved to death, we do not know. We do know that McCandless body weighed only 67 pounds when it was found.

Jon Krakauer

Jon Krakauer was born on April 12, 1954 in Corvallis, Oregon. On his eighth birthday, his father gave him an ice axe and shortly after him and his parents began climbing mountains. By the time Jon turned 18 climbing climbing had become the thing he cared for most. After attending Hampshire College, Jon spent is life traveling and climbing throughout the western states. to fund his adventures he made money by working as a carpenter and a fisherman, from Colorado up to Alaska. Jon sold his first article to a national magazine in 1981. In 1992 Jon published "Eiger Dreams", a collection od mountaineering essays. In 1996, Jon was sent as journalist to climb Mt. Everest with a group of people. His mission was to capture the journey. Jon wrote a analysis for Outside magazine, earning him the 1996 National Magazine Award for reporting. The book "Into Thin Air" written by Jon is the story of this expedition to the top of Everest. The book was translated into 24 languages, which gave Jon International recognition. Later that year, Jon followed the Virginia Native who gave up his belongings to explore around the West and into Alaska. Krakauer wrote a book about Chris McCandless titled "Into The Wild". Jon spent most of the late 1990's researching for his latest book, "Under the Banner of Heaven." This story about the religious beliefs of some murderers.

If I Could Go Anywhere ......

If i could go anywhere in the United States i would go to Salt Lake City, Utah. I have never been to Utah but i would love to go some day. To get to Salt Lake City you could either fly there on an airplane or you could drive. Since we live so far away it would be better to fly there. Salt Lake City's weather is similar to that of Maryland's, they have hot summer's and cold winter's. The cold winters help because Salt Lake is known for their ski destination. Skiers say Salt Lake has the "greatest snow on earth." I would go to Utah in the winter and bring all my snow clothes. Since, its known for the skiing i would also bring my skis. I would expect to have an awesome skiing vacation when i go to Salt Lake City, Utah.

Getting to know Chris McCandless Through Direct and Indirect Characterization

1.  ~ Direct Characterization - the method of character development in which the author simply tells what the character is like 

 

~ Indirect Characterization - is when the wirteer shows the reader what the character does, says, think, and/or feels, then lets the reader draw his/her own conclusions about the charater.

2. 

3. The impression I get of Chris McCandless is that he really is a good kid. I admire Chris because he doesn't let materialistic things take over his life, that's not what is important to him in life. I think he might have went a little extreme with carrying little to no money and whatever he could carry in his backpack. Chris McCandless is also a very hard, diligent worker. He never stopped in the middle of a job, he always finished it, no matter what job it was.  Overall it think Chris is smart, for surviving as long as he did, but he is crazy. I don't think it was a good idea to go tramping around the United States and see how long you can survive. On the other hand, i think he was very brave for doing what he did.



Definitions Link 

    

My Symbolic Belt

If I created a belt like Chris made I would have many diverse symbols carved on it. First of all I would have A.D.K. carved on there. Not only is A.D.K my initials but it is also my brothers so I would always keep him in my heart also. Next, I would carve two lacrosse sticks that are crossed and beside that a field hockey stick. I would do this because I play lacrosse and field hockey and it would remind me a of all my good memories. I would also, put a a JC for John Carroll and a cross to symbolize my walk with Christ. Another thing I would add to my belt is a drawing of my teddy bear Emily. The reason i would put this on my belt is because I received this bear as a Valentines gift from my parents when I was five. I have had this bear ever since and I feel like it is a connection to my parents no matter where I am. I would like to put some text books on my belt because i wish to continue to study hard through high school and college. Finally, I would have a heart on my belt because I want to continue to be a loving person.

My Final Impression of Chris McCandless

I am one of Chris McCandless's admires. When we first began the book I disagreed with what he was doing and thought he was crazy. But now that we have finished the book, I see that he was really brave. Chris spent 113 out in the wild by himself and ended up dying out there. His mother said, "He must have been very brave and very strong, at the end, not to do himself in." This quote found in the epilogue describes my feelings toward Chris. I now look up to him as someone who was brave enough to express his own ideas and opinions.

Chris McCandless Proves to be a Hero

            After at least a hundred days in the wild and his starvation eating him alive, Chris McCandless took a farewell picture of himself in front of bus 142. One of his hands was raised in a brave goodbye and the other held a sign that read, “I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!” In the picture Chris’ face was almost skeletal but if he had pitied himself for the mistakes he had made at all, he did not show it. He was smiling in the picture, and there was no mistaking in the look in his eyes: Chris McCandless was at peace (Krakauer 199). To me this story puts all the critics to rest.  Chris McCandless did not walk into the wild on a suicide mission; he went into the Alaskan wilderness to be with nature. I admire Chris McCandless for many reasons, but especially because he went into the wild to be with nature, survived as long as he did without killing himself, and was not a materialist person.

            I admire Chris McCandless because I know he went into the wild to be with nature. I know this because the story Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer has many examples of his love of nature. One example is when Krakauer says, “Although McCandless was enough of a realist to know that hunting game was an unavoidable component of living off the land, he had always been ambivalent about killing animals” (166) Jon Krakauer said this after Chris had shot the moose. At first Chris was excited that he would have food, but his excitement soon turned into regret. McCandless felt so bad about killing the moose that he spent six days trying to get anything edible out of the animal. I think that this story shows how much Chris cared about nature and how much he really does appreciate it.

            I also admire Chris McCandless for the way he held on and survived as long as he did. In the novel Into the Wild, Krakauer tells stories about men like Chris who tried to survive out in the wild by themselves. One thing many of these men ended up doing was killing themselves because there was no hope that they would make it out alive. I respect Chris for not killing himself because he believed that the gift of life was precious and should not be taken for granted. Even Chris’s mother said, “He must have been very brave and very strong, at the end, not to do himself in” (202). I think this proves that Chris did not enter the wild on a suicide mission--he was just too weak to get out.

            Furthermore, I value the fact that Chris was not obsessed with material things. “Immediately after graduating, with honors, from Emory University in the summer of 1990, McCandless dropped out of sight. He changed his name, gave the entire balance of a twenty-four-thousand-dollar savings account to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet. And then he invented a new life for himself (Author’s Note).” The story of McCandless is one that shows his true love of nature and just being with the things that truly matter in life. For Chris it did not matter if he had the latest iPod or Xbox, Chris just wanted to be with nature and enjoy the beautiful world that God created for us. Chris’ not materialistic attitude is the last but not least thing I admire about him.

            There are many people similar to me that praise McCandless for going out into the wilderness and attempting to live off the land. Chris’ theory was that you should only bring with you want you can carry in your backpack at a dead sprint. Bt with all those that respect Chris there are just as many that think he was stupid to try and live off the land without being prepared. One man said, “Entering the wilderness purposefully ill-prepared and surviving a near-death experience does not make you a better human, it just makes you damn luck (71).” I disagree with this man because I do not think Chris entered the wild purposefully ill prepared. Chris did not have the plan to go into the wild with a microwave, a television, an oven, a refrigerator, and a mattress; he went into the wild to escape reality and to just be with nature. In conclusion, No I do not believe Chris came into the wild purposefully unprepared, I think he came into the wild with the hope of living off the land. 

            Chris McCandless went into the wild to be with nature, he survived a long time and he did not kill himself, and he was not obsessed with material things; for these reasons, I admire him. Yes, maybe Chris wasn’t fully prepared but his intentions were good.  I want to you to now be inspired and read the story Into the Wild if you have not already but mainly I what I want you to get out of Chris McCandless’ story is to be unique. As Chris showed us we all do not have to follow the same pattern, we can have our own ideas and we have to freedom to express them.