Question 48: Chapter 17

From this journey, Krakauer uncovered that
1. Chris lacked a good map.(p.174) If Chris has a good accurate map he could navigate himself around the Teklanika river safely.
2. Chris came into the country with "insufficient provisions and lacked certain pieces of equipment deemed essential by many Alaskans:a large-caliber rifle, map and compass, an ax."(p.180)
3. Chris did not bother to master the crucial skills you need to survive in the wilderness for an extended period of time.(p.182) If he practiced what he needed to learn to live by himself before his went on his journey, maybe he would walk out alive.
4. Chris was quick to engage in "risky behavior" and took it to a "logical extreme"(p.182). If Chris was more cautious and planned out his journey in more detail he may have survived.
5. "McCandless distrusted the value of things that came easily. He demanded much of himself-more, in the end, than he could deliver"(p.184). If Chris was not so hard on himself, I think he could have survived.

Similarities between Sir John Franklin and McCandless
1. They both starved.(p.181)
2. They both were perceived to have lacked a requisite humility.(p.181)

Differences between Sir John Franklin and McCandless
1. "McCandless's arrogance was not of the same strain as Franklin's. Franklin regarded nature as an antagonist. Chris went too far in the opposite direction"(p.181). Chris embraced nature and lived entirely off the country.
2. John Franklin had people with him on his journey into Alaska. McCandless was alone.

Question 47: Chapter 13

Compare and Contrast Chris and his sister, Carine. Include how their lives evolved in reaction to their parents' situation. List 3-4 for each

Comparisons between Chris and Carine
1. They were about the same height and they looked a lot alike.(some asked if they were twins).(p.128)
2. They are both energetic and self-assured.(p.129)
3. They are both high achievers and quick to state an opinion.(p.129)
4. They both clashed fiercely with Walt and Billie as teenagers.(p.129)

Differences between Chris and Carine
1. Carine made peace with her parents shortly after Chris disappeared and Chris never made up with them.(p.129)
2. Carine is much more diligent than Chris and would never off into the wilderness alone.(p.129)
3. Carine has no objection to wealth. Whereas Chris, liked to live without wealth enjoying his life by living simply.

Question 46: Chapter 16

To prepare for his journey, Chris is taken by Stuckey to the grocery store to buy a big bag a rice for his food. Then he goes to the University of Alaska campus where he finds a field guide to edible plants, and he also bought a used gun for the trip.

Personal Philosophies Chris learned
1. That butchering is extremely difficult.(uncovered when he killed the moose.)
2. Do not cross the Teklanika river at during rough currents because you can die.(Chris learned the hard way when he nearly drowned.)
3. Chris declares, "Deliberate Living: Conscious attention to the basics of life, a constant attention to your immediate environment and its concerns"(p.168)
4. Chris learns the meaning of life as he states, "The Great Holiness of FOOD, the Vital Heat., Positivism, the Insurpassable Joy of the Life Aesthetic., Absolute Truth and Honesty., Reality., Independence., Finality-Stability-Consistency"(p.168).
5. After the remorse Chris felt about not being able to preserve some of the remains of the moose, he states, "Henceforth will learn to accept my errors, however great they be"(p.167).

Question 45: Chapter 16

I believe that Stuckey should have gotten Chris's parents phone numbers. I think that it would be a good idea to have their numbers in case Chris informed Stuckey about his whereabouts. If Stuckey had called Chris's parents things would not change much. Chris's parents would definitely become worried for their son and drive over to try and find him. They might have even called a search in that area. I believe that if they got a hold of Chris that he would refuse to go home and it would make everything even worse.

Question 44: Chapter 15

1. In comparison, Chris and Krakauer both traveled to Alaska to perform their experimental journeys.(p.136)

2. In contrast, Chris never informed anyone about exactly what he was planning on doing in his journey. On the contrary, Krakauer told his friends and family about his journey to climb the Devil's Thumb and they all doubted him.

3. Chris and Krakauer had very similar motives for their journeys. Krakauer writes, "When I decided to go to Alaska that April, like Chris McCandless, I was a raw youth who mistook passion for insight and acted according to an obscure, gap-ridden logic. I thought climbing the Devil's Thumb would fix all that was wrong with my life. In the end, of course, it changed almost nothing."(p.155)

Question 43: Chapter 14

Krakauer states in his writing, "Like McCandless, figures of male authority aroused in me a confusing medley of corked fury and hunger to please. If something captured my undisciplined imagination, I pursued it with a zeal bordering on obsession, and from the age of seventeen until my late twenties that something was mountain climbing"(p.134).

Five Similarities
1. They both had a bad relationship with their fathers.
2. They both followed their dreams and journeyed to Alaska.
3. They both went on their journey alone.
4. They both lived simply and without technology.
5. They both climbed mountains at one point in their journey.

Five Differences
1. I feel that Krakauer planned out his journey more that Chris did.(p.140)
2. Krakauer realizes that his father was only strict to look out for him and prepare his son to become successful. Chris never realizes that about his father.
3. Krakauer informed many people about his plan to climb the Devil's Thumb. Chris didn't really inform people about his plan.
4. The obvious fact that Krakauer makes it out of his journey alive. Unfortunately, Chris does not make it out of the wild alive.
5. Krakauer paid someone to fly him supplies on his journey. Chris did not rely on anyone for anything on his journey.

Question 42: Chapter 12

From what I have read thus far, I believe that Chris took those kind of chances because he wa overconfident. He believed that he could do anything without getting hurt.I think that he left behind his family because of the mistake his father made when he secretly balanced his two loves, Marcia and Billie. I believe that Chris knew that Carine would understand why he left. He trusted her to believe in him and the way he wanted to live his life.

I would definitely not be able to understand the situation if I was part of Chris' family. I would be drastically hurt and emotional.

If I were Carine before Chris left for his trip, I would urge him to use precaution and insist that I knew he didn't like to take advise or orders from anyone. But, I would tell him that I believe in him and that I love him dearly. I would also tell him to try his best to keep in contact with me.

Question 41: Chapter 12

While on his first road trip after high school, Chris learns that long after he was born, his father was secretly talking to his ex-wife, Marcia. Walt was trying to balance both Marcia and Billie at one time. When Chris caught wind of this, he was extremely upset. He did not tell anyone that he knew, but, his parents certainly noticed a change in their son. Chris basically withdrew from his parents without telling them why. He was kept to himself and was arrogant especially toward his father. I believe that this incident pushed Chris to venture on his trip to Alaska because he felt that his "entire childhood seemed like a fiction". (p. 123)

Question 40: Chapter 11

f Chris just transferred to St. Mary High School half way through his Freshman year, plan out what he would do over the course of his four years at St. Mary. What would he participate in? What sports, school oriented clubs, etc.

If Chris just transferred to St. Mary High School half way through his Freshman year, I believe that he would be on the Cross Country team and maybe the tennis team. Since we do not have a band at our school, Chris would either join Drama to play an instrument for the show or he may join a band in the town of Westfield. I think Chris would definitely succeed academically because he maintained all A's throughout his high school experience. Chris would also join journalism because he enjoys literature and he would be very interested with Transcendentalism and the works of Thoreau. I also believe that Chris would not follow every rule at Saint Mary High School simply because he does not like to be restricted.

Question 39:Chapter 11

Chris McCandless
1. When he was only two years old, in the middle of the night, Chris made it past his parents and went to his neighbor's house to raid the candy drawer.(p.106)
2. Chris was a lot like Billie's father, Loren Johnson. He loved hunting.(p109)
3. When Chris was eight years old, Walt took him on his first overnight backpacking trip.(p.109)
4. Chris played the guitar, piano, and the French horn.(p.110)
5. Chris loved Tony Bennett the musician. (p.110)
6. As a teen, when Chris was a French horn player, he was a member of the American University Symphony.(p.110)
7. Chris would use spiritual aspects to try and motivate his running team when he was the captain. (p.112)
8. As an eight year old, Chris grew vegetables in his yard and would go around to his neighbors and sell them. (p.115)
9. In 1985 after his junior year at Woodson, Chris was hired by a local building contractor. The owner loved how handy Chris was.
10. Chris was born on February 12, 1968.

Walt and Billie
1. Walt was NASA's project manager for a pioneering Seasat launch. (p.104)
2. Walt grew up in Greeley, Colorado. It was an agricultural town. (p.105)
3. Walt won an academic scholarship to Colorado State University in Fort Collins. (p.105)
4. Walt was a very talented musician. I can now see where Chris and Carine get their musical talents from. (p.105)
5. Walt had a previous marriage with a woman named Marcia and he had four other children with her. (p.106)
6. After his separation with Marcia, Walt started dating Billie who was a secretary.
7. Billie's real name was Wilhelmina Johnson.
8. Walt was a serious racquetball player. (p.111)
9. Walt and Billie worked extremely long hours. (p.107)
10. After Chris was born, Walt was still secretly talking to Marcia, while dating Billie. When this information leaked many were hurt. (p.121)

From my reading of this chapter, I could see that during Chris' high school years, his relationship with his parents was normal. They got along most of the time, and fought other days. It progressively got worse after he found out that his father was secretly talking to his ex-wife. Chris basically withdrew from his parents and started to act rude and not talkative. His parents never found out why because he didn't tell them that he found out about that scandalous information.

Question 38: Chapter 10

I believe that Chris' second W-2 Form that he filled out for Wayne had all of his legitimate information because Chris trusted Wayne and got to know him on a personal level before filling out the form for the second time. Chris did not really care what he wrote the first time on that form because he did not get to know the Westerbergs and therefore had no concern if they received the right information.

Question 37: Chapter 9

1. Chris and Everett Ruess wanted to live differently than everyone else. They were sick of the normal and tedious life that people live.
2. Chris and Everett both act on what they believe. They do not simply hold onto their thoughts and love, they explore and venture out to find the pure truth in their life.
3. Both Everett and Chris enjoy the wonderous wildness and everything it has to offer.
4. Everett and Chris both enjoy the exciting and different aspects of the wild which one does not get the chance to see in the everyday society.
5. In these quotes Everett says "I prefer the saddle to the streetcar and star-sprinkled sky to a roof ". This reminds me a lot of Chris because Everett is basically stating the he would choose nature over the domestic lifestyle any day.
6. Chris and Everett both enjoy the satisfaction they recieve when they do not know what to expect. They are both intrigued by the spontaneous lifestyle of the wild
7. Everett and Chris are both excited by the same thing.. the WILD! From what I have read about these two men thus far, I have inferred that these two men are more alike then different.
8. Chris and Everett both change their identity and I can definitely point out the parallelism between the two. They love the idea of finding their true self in solitude and really appreciate their journeys into the wild.

Question 36: Chapter 8

Differences between Chris and Rosellini

1. Gene Rosellini came from a wealthy, welll-known family. Chris came from a middle class family.

2. Gene devoted his life to an ambitious anthropological experiment. Chris decided to venture into the wild and put his beliefs and wishes into reality.

3. Rosellini exercised compulsively. Chris spend his time reading and hunting.

4. Rosellini purgeed his life of everything ,except for the the most essential tools, which he created from native materials with his own hands. Chris had a gun and a backpack.

5. Rosellini comitted suicide by stabbing himself in the heart. Chris was found dead in a bus in the wilderness.


Similarities between Chris and Rosellini
1. Rosellini and Chris both recieved very good grades
2. Rosellini and Chris were both good athletes.
3. Rosellini and Chris both experimented by separating from the society.
4. Rosellini and Chris were both "seekers and had an impractical fascination with the harsh side of nature"(p.85).
5. Rosellini and Chris did not believe in using modern technology.


Differences between Chris and Waterman
1. Waterman's parents were divorced. Chris's parents werenot divorced.
2. Waterman worked out excessively. Chris did not work out excessively.
3. Waterman climbed Mt. McKinley at age 16. Chris climbed it when he was older.
4. Waterman had a notebook and took notes at every chance he could. Chris mostly read rather than took notes about what people were saying.
5. Waterman is described as "mentally ill"(p.85) and Chris was not mentally ill.


Similarities between Chris and Waterman
1. Chris and Waterman were both raised in the Washington suburbs.
2. Both Chris and Waterman did not have good relationships with their parents.
3. Chris and Waterman were not prepared enough to embark on cold journeys such as climbing mountains.
4. Chris and Waterman were both "seekers and had an impractical fascination with the harsh side of nature"(p.85).
5. Chris and Waterman both "displayed a staggering paucity of common sense"(p.85).


Differences between Chris and McCunn
1. McCunn killed himself. Chris did not commit suicide.
2. McCunn hired a bush pilot to drop him off for his journey. Chris hitchhiked and walked to the start of his journey.
3. McCunn said that his main reason for his trip was to take pictures of the wildlife. The reason for Chris's journey was to find his true self by following Thoreau's writtings by living in complete solitude.
4. McCunn was 35 years old when he embarked on his journey. Chris was 19 years old when he embarked on his journey.
5. McCunn went into the wild "assuming someone would automatically appear to save him before he came to grief"(p.85). Chris fended for himself in the wild and did not rely on anybody else.


Similarities between Chris and McCunn
1. They both journeyed into the wild.
2. They both brought a gun to aid in survival on their journey.
3. They both "displayed a staggering paucity of common sense"(p.85).
4. Chris and McCunn both ventured to cold areas.
5. They were both unprepared for the cold journey they faced.


I believed that Krakauer incorporated these stories into this novel because he wanted the readers to gain insight into the journey of Chris by studying stories that may be along the same lines.  We could gain ideas and information from other stories and apply it to the information we previously learned about McCandless.

Question 35: Chapter 8

1.“Personally I see nothing positive at all about Chris McCandless’s lifestyle or wilderness
doctrine. Entering the wilderness purposefully ill-prepared, and surviving a near-death
experience does not make you a better human, it makes you damn lucky.”
-resident of Healy, Alaska
I definitely disagree with this quote because this resident says he sees nothing positive at all about Chris McCandless. Yes, Chris seems ill-prepared at times but, he chose to live in solitude. He wanted to explore his inner self and I find that inspirational.  Chris is courageous and has a lot of moral enthusiasm. I believe that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and ways of life.  I certainly would not do what Chris did, but, I find his experience in the wild fascinating!

2.“It should not be denied…that being footloose has always exhilarated us. It is associated in our minds with escape from history and oppression and law and irksome obligations,with absolute freedom, and the road has always led west.”
resident of Healy, Alaska
I agree with this quote because having freedom is an amazing feeling. We can all see that Chris did not like to be held down by anyone or anything. Chris escaped from his life and created a completely new identity for himself. He paved a new life for his individual self as well. Thoreau was a man that Chris looked up to due to his writtings.  He took Thoreau's words literally and escaped from society to live in solitude. When I see this quote, I think of Chris and his urge to create a new life.

Chapter 7: Question 34

In Chapter 7, we learn that Chris McCandless:

1. About seven months before Chris died, He worked hard, doing dirty, tedious jobs in Carthage.
2. When he was working for four weeks in Carthage, Westerberg said that Chris was definitely not mechanically minded.
3. It has also been noted that Chris did not have much common sense.
4. Borah (Westerberg's on-again, off-again girlfriend) says that Chris was a big eater. He never left any food on his plate.
5. Chris was a good cook. He would cook dinner for everybody at Wayne's house.
6. Shortly before he disappeared, Chris wrote a letter to his sister, Carine, in which he complained about his parents.
7. Alex told Westerberg that he wanted to get married and have a family some day. He did not take relationships lighty.
8. Carine recalls one incident where Chris got drunk and tried to bring a girl up to his bedroom and his father walked in and sent the girl home.
9. It has been noted that chastity and moral purity were qualities that McCandless thought about often.
10. Chris was very talented at playing the piano.

Chapter 6 and 7: Question 33

McCandless said "I'm not destitute. I'm living like this by choice." Thoreau also had this type of attitude in his writings. He is very set on making his own decisions. Chris and Thoreau both do not want people to think that they are being forced to live like this.  Chris wrote this in a letter to Franz, "I'd like to repeat the advice I gave you before, in that I think you really should make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt." Chris is trying to convince Franz that he should make a dramatic change and live boldly. Thoreau also tries to persuade his readers to make a dramatic transformation to better their lives. I see a lot of resemblence between the writings of Chris and Thoreau because Chris idolizes Thoreau and takes Thoreau's thoughts and makes them a reality!

Chapter 6: Question 32

I believe the Ronald Franz was so connected to Chris McCandless because he felt a bond with Chris as he felt with his family that he lost in 1957 due to a drunk driving automobile accident. Franz loved Chris' company. He even said, "Even when he was sleeping, I was happy just knowing he was there." He said to McCandless, "My mother was an only child, so was my father. And I was their only child. Now that my own boys dead, I'm the end of the line. When I'm gone, my family will be finished, gone forever. So I asked Alex if I could adopt him, if he would be my grandson." Franz had a big Christian heart and wanted to welcome Chris into his home because he was worried for Chris' safety.

Assignment # 21: Evaluating Images

Picture 3- Chris looks very thin and fragile.  I am guessing that he has been in the wild for quite some time due to  the fact that he looks very skinny compared to his other photos in this collection. Chris looks relaxed. He is just sitting in the woods by himself in the photograph. I am questioning who was taking these photographs of him in the woods on this journey.
Picture 4- Chris looks like he is about to go for a little boat ride. He is standing by himself next to a body of water. He looks like he is having a good time. McCandless looks very relaxed. Again, I am wondering how these pictures are being taken if Chris is by himself.
Picture 5- Chris is by himself in the woods. He has pride in his eyes and excitement on his facial expression. He has a gun in his hands.  It looks like he put that gun to use when he killed that animal next to him on the log. Chris looks very happy.
Picture 7- Chris is posing for a picture. He looks like he is in good shape. There is nothing in the backround and I think he is taking the picture himself. He looks freshly shaved and very nice.  His clothes look clean as well.
Picture 11-Chris is with Wayne Westerberg and a woman in this picture. It does not classify the woman, but i would have to say that she is Wayne's wife.  Wayne is looking at Chris. Chris looks very happy and has his mouth wide open. They all look like they are having a good time together.
Picture 12- Chris is posing with two other men in this picture. It looks like he is with Wayne and i can not specify the other man. They look like they are having a good time.  I can see that Chris and the other man have a cigar their hands. Chris looks healthy and happy!
Picture 14- Chris is standing by himself in the photo.  It is snowing and he looks very happy. He has his hand raised high up in the air. I am not too sure if he he was holding something. He has a very furry jacket on to keep him warm.
Picture 15- Chris is holding up a moose antler in this picture. He is in a swampy area just outside the woods. He looks like he just conquered the world.  He also looks satisfied and very happy. There is a pile of wood behind him and it looks like he was trying to start a fire for himself maybe.
Picture 21- This picture was taken when Chris was a little boy. He seems happy. He is in the woods.  This shows that Chris started enjoying nature and wilderness at a very young age. He has a red backpack on his back insinuating that he may be hiking or camping.
Picture 33- This is a picture of Chris' mother by the bus. This is the bus that they found Chris dead in. She is holding flowers and looks sad. I have pity for her because its so sad that she had to experience her son's death.  I also feel sorry for her because she did not even get the chance to say "good-bye" to her son.

Assignments 11-20: Chapter 4

11. Chris left his old yellow Datson, without license plates in Lake Mead National Recreation Area because a flash flood wet his engine and he tried to start the car, but his engine wouldn't catch.  He drained the battery and the car would not start.  Chris took off his license plate and buried it so that no one could trace it back to his name.  He left his car there and continued his "Odyssey" by foot.

12. Chris being described as "riding a giddy Emersonian high"  means that he was ignoring posted warnings that said strictly forbidden area. Chris admired and followed the beliefs of Emerson which included moral enthusiasm and individual freedom. Chris is applying the concepts of Trancendentalism to his style of living by moving away form society and really focusing on individualism.  Chris is also seen to have a great capacity of moral enthusiasm throughout his style of living.

13. Chris valued Thoreau's essay as "Gospel" because he felt highly that government should be more lax and they should let everyone enjoy their individual freedom that they have been given. He believed that there should be no government or at least a better government. A quote describing Chris states "-the first thing he'd do is peel those socks off. I mean the very first thing. Kind of like a statement, to let us know we didn't own him, I guess."  This showed that Chris did not like to be confined or constricted and he definitely had moral enthusiasm and individualism. Moral enthusiasm is the element of Transcendentalism that was seen in the essay "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience."

14. Krakauer believed that Chris burning his money would have "done Thoreau proud" because that is something that Thoreau would do to prove his independence and individualism. A quote from the Duty of Civil Disobedience states,"Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe — "That government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which the will have." Chris idols Thoreau and his beliefs about having freedom and no government. Chris' act of burning his money goes to show that Chris feels strongly about providing for himself and not having to rely on the government for support.
15. The significance of Chris' new last name, Supertramp, is that Chris enjoyed tramping around the country and society.  The word "tramp" in the context of this reading, applies to Chris because he described his moving from country to country as "tramping." Also the significance of "super" shows that Chris is of high stature and importance.

16. Krakauer is able to tell us, the readers, about the events which happened during Chris' travels because Chris documented these events in a journal-snapshot album. Chris saved this journal and later left it with Wayne Westerberg for safekeeping before he departed for Alaska.

17. Throughout the course of Chapter 4, Chris was tramping around the West and hiking through mountains to prepare himself for his Alaskan "Odyssey".  Chris used this as a test run to see if he could endure the reality of living like that, before he actually went out to explore nature.

18. In this chapter, we learn that Chris' parents were terribly concerned over the disappearance of their son. Walt, Chris' father, already contacted the Annandale police, who did not help.  Once Chris' parents received the ticket from California, they became frantic. Walt went to a private investigator named Peter Kalitka, who had done work for both the DIA and the CIA. Chris' parents were very worried about their son to say the least and they would try everything possible to find out his whereabouts.

19. October 1990-Bud Walsh was sent into the backcountry of Lake Mead National Recreational Area to tally bear-paw poppies to inform the federal government to know how scarce the plants were.
End of July-Chris accepted a ride from Crazy Ernie and he offered McCandless a job on a ranch in northern California.
October28-Chris caught a ride with a long-haul trucker into Needles, California.
End of November-Chris paddled through Yuma, where he stopped and sent a postcard to Wayne Westerberg.
December 2,1990-Chris reached the Morelos Dam and the Mexican border.
December 14- Chris hauled the canoe far up the beach and set up camp on the edge of a desolate plateau.He stayed there for ten days.
January 11,1991-Chris writes in his journal this day and says it was a "A very fateful day." Chris set the canoe on the sandbar and a violent storm came rushing in.
January 16-McCandless left the metal boat on a dune grass southeast of El Golfo de Santa Clara and started walking north up the deserted beach.
January 18-Chris was back at the United States border. He was caught by immigration authorities trying to slip into the country without any ID, he spent a night in custody before coming up with a story that got him out.
February 3-According to Chris'journal, he went to Los Angeles to get an ID and a job.
February 24-This is seven and a half months after Chris abandoned the Datsun. Chris returned to Detrital Wash.20. Chris' writing style is "written in third person in a stilted, self-consciousness voice-often veers toward melodrama..telling the truth was a credo he took seriously."(pg.29)

Assignment # 10: Chapter 3, Question 4

I believe that someone would take such radical actions within their life if they are truly unhappy with their current life.  I feel that Chris had some unresolved family issues that pushed him to choose a new identtity and life in the wilderness. I believe that Emerson and Thoreau would say that what Chris does is something honorable and a great example to follow. Chris is different from Emerson and Thoreau because Chris completely changes his identity; whereas, Emerson and Thoreau keep their original identitiy and just move away from society.

Assignment # 9: Chapter 3, Question 3

I can see that this note was very vague and there is no emotion behind it.  I was saddened to know that this note was the last time his parents heard from their son, Chris. I can infer that Chris and his family definitely do not have an open, happy relationship.  Chris appears to have kept to himself and really close himself off from any sort of relationship with his parents.  This really worried his parents. I do believe that Chris intended to come back after he completed his journey into the wild.  I do not think that someone like Chris would go out into the wild wanting to remain there until they died.

Assignment # 8: Chapter 3, Question 2

Understanding Chris

1. His full name is Christopher Johnson McCandless.
2. He grew up in an affluent suburb of Washington, D.C..
3. He was an elite athlete.
4. He was a very intelligent, bright man.
5. He was said to be a very handsome man.
6. He was nearsighted and wore steel-rimmed glasses.
7. He was a very hard, determined worker.
8. He admired the writing of Leo Tolstoy and follows his asceticism.
9. He had a stubborn idealistic viewpoint.
10. He graduated with honors from Emory University in the summer of 1990.
11. He donated his entire balance of twenty-four-thousand-dollar savings account for college to OXFAM America, a charity dedicated to fighting hunger.
12. He burned all of the cash in his wallet before moving away.
13. He hitchhicked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley.
14. The only source of food Chris brought on his hiking trip was a ten-pound bag of rice.
15. He read a lot and used big words when he talked.
16. He had seven brothers and sisters, his mother's name was Billie, and his father's name was Walt.
17. He was really close with his sister, Carine.
18. He was found dead in a bus in the month of August in 1992.
19. He changed his name to Alexander Supertramp.
20. He receieved a job from Westerberg to help him provide for himself.

Assignment # 7: Chapter 3, Question 1

From what I have read thus far of Into the Wild, this quote in many ways applies to Chris' life.  Chris wanted to express himself by moving away from his family and the place where he was raised.  He craved a change. Chris thought that the only way to achieve that excitement and love he thrived for must be to move into the wild and create a whole new personage for himself.  He wanted to sacrifice everything, including his family, friends, a great sum of money, and a fabulous education, for his love. This quote speaks to me in a sense because it states that you have to sacrifice yourself for your love. I have always believed that everyone should follow their dreams no matter what. With this information, Chris McCandless did exactly what that quote procalimed one should do for their love.

Assignment #6: Chapter 2, Question 2

After reading this quote in my book, I felt sorry for Chris McCandless.  I felt as if reality finally hit him and he could not escape his death all by himself.  I am also surprised due to the fact that Chris has always seemed independent and self-reliant and I never would have thought that he would write a letter for someone to help him out.

Assignment #5: Chapter 2, Question 1

In my opinion, I feel that Jon Krakauer's decision to begin the story at the end was a very bold move.  I am not used to a story like this starting out so informative.  In most cases, a story such as this would gradually build suspense and reveal what happened to Chris McCandless, towards the end of the book.  However, I find this interesting because as we are studying Transcendentalism, we are reminded to look at things from a different point of view.  This story is seen from a different point of view which is very coincidental to our recent studies. This does not really affect my liking of the protagonist.  I feel that the story will still unravel for the readers and we will shortly see all of the events that led to Chris McCandless' destruction. If I were writing a story, I am not too sure that I would ever consider doing something similiar because I am so used to the traditional form of writing such as, building up the suspense to result in a dramatic climax.

Assignment 4: Chapter 1, Question 2

After reading this chapter, I believe that Chris McCandless recognized how unprepared he was for this journey because he accepted the boots and sandwiches from Gallien.  At first, Chris was being very persistent with his answers towards Gallien.  Gallien tried to persuade Chris from starting this journey and he also tried to scare Chris with bear stories.  Nevertheless, Chris McCandless could not be stopped!  From what I have read so far, I believe that Chris went into the woods wanting to take an approach similar to Thoreau in existing in total solidarity.  He does not seem like that type of kid that would try to set himself up for failure like this.

Assignment 3: Chapter 1, Question 1

Chris McCandless says,"I don't want to know what time it is. I don't want to know what day it is or where I am. None of that matters."  There are three quotes that I found from the text that parallel as inspiration for Chris' thinking from Walden, Solitiude and Where I Lived, by Thoreau.  In Solitude, Thoreau states,"I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude."  This shows that all you need in life is to be alone and away from all socitey. Another quote from Where I Lived words,"Let us spend one day as deliberately as Nature."  This quote shows that it does not matter what society, time, and money mean to our lives; our lives are meant to be spent in Nature in solidarity and happiness.  The last quote from Where I Lived states, "Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. I drink at it; but while I drink I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is." I see the parallelism in this quote because it is showing how time is of very little importance.  The important thing is what you do with the time you are given.

Assignment #2: Author's Note, Question 2

From thus I have read so far, I view Christopher McCandless as "admireable" and "noble".  I do not know a single person that would drop everything and give it to charity as McCandless did.  That right there shows that McCandless is a sincere, generous man.  I disaggree with those who see him as a "wacko" because I believe that he set his mind to changing his lifestyle and he stook with it.  McCandless had a dream to live in the solitude of pure nature and really experience life.  Therefore, it is hard for me to understand why such a person could call McCandless a "wacko". McCandless is a strong-willed leader, and I really look up to that type of characteristic in a person.  It shows that they set their mind to something and they do not let anything get in the way of achieveing it.

Assignment #1: Author's Note, Question 1

I believe that an entire book is written about Chris McCandless' story because Jon Krakauer was one of those men who became intrigued by Chris McCandless. Krakauer was not only inspired by the courageous McCandless, but he also pointed out a parallelism between McCandless' experience of life and his own. I feel that Christopher McCandless is a noble man to give up basically everything and start a new life of solitude for himself.  Many portray McCandless as someone who is arrogant, but from the given information thus far, I personally see him as someone to look up to. I am excited to read this book and learn about the fascinating, yet mysterious life of McCandless.  Might I add, the excitement and love of the author towards McCandless provides another reason for my growing curiosity.