Dances with Wolves

After finishing Into the Wild, I tried to think about how this book related to other stories that I have either read or seen on film. One that came to mind was a movie that I have just recently watched, a 1987 film called Dances With Wolves. Directed, produced, narrated, and starring Kevin Costner, the movie takes place during the civil-war era, with a young Kevin Costner playing John C. Dunbar, a Union lieutenant who is assigned to a new post in the far west. Upon reaching his post, Dunbar befriends some Sioux neighbors whom he grows accustomed to seeing. Through various events, Dunbar protects the Sioux from white intruders, with the Sioux returning the favor, as they save him from being executed for treason. Dunbar loves the wild and the animals in it, making him very similar to Chris McCandless.

McCandless and Dunbar have similar opinions on living life and what is most important in it. After being given the choice to be appointed any base that he wants, he chooses the one furthest out west, which little does he know is abandoned. He chooses the harsh wild over a cushy military base supplied with all the food that it will ever need. Even more so, he is there alone. He is forced to fend for himself in the wild until somebody brings in reinforcements, which never happens. He wants to be one with nature, to explore all that it has to offer. He does not care whether or not it is dangerous. All he cares about is being in the west, taking in the atmosphere and enjoying the scenery around him. I think Dunbar wants to get away from all of the fighting that is talking place, another reason why he chooses the remote area. I think this can also be related to McCandless, who wants to get away from society as a whole and just explore. In a conversation with Sgt. Fanbrough over where Dunbar will be appointed to next, Fanbrough questions, “You want to see the frontier?” to which Dunbar responds, “Yes sir…before it’s gone” (Blake). Seeing as the time period in which this movie takes place is a time of expansion, Dunbar is worried that if he does not see it now, the west will become industrialized like every other part of the country. I think he feels that the wild is one of the few areas of the world where one can just be one their own and explore their soul, kind of like McCandless. It is the once place where things have not been discovered, where possibilities are endless, which is what makes it so appealing to McCandless. Finally, I think both characters realize that although the wild is a fantastic place, one cannot live their entire lives there. There comes a time where one needs to move on and go back to where they truly belong. For McCandless, he realizes that “it’s time to bring his ‘final and greatest adventure’ to a close and get himself back to the world of men and women” (Krakauer 168). For Dunbar, he comes to terms with the fact that living a life with the Sioux would be a difficult task to handle, so he chooses to go back to civilization. In the end, both realize that going against what is normal to others is difficult, yet in the end can be very rewarding.

Drop the World

So yeah, I'm using a song for my collaboration. Not the most original idea ever, I'll admit, as Kayla already did it, and so did Mengli. But whatever. I'll do it too. I'm not using the whole song, however, I'm using only a short segment. The excerpt (do you call it that for songs?) is from Drop The World by Lil Wayne ft. Eminem, and it is part of Eminem's part. Please ignore all profanity.

It hurts, but I never show
This pain you'll never know
If only you could see just how lonely and how cold
And frostbit I've become, my back's against the wall
when push comes to shove, I just stand up, scream "Fuck 'em all!".
Man, it feels like these walls are closin' in
This roof is cavin' in, up, time to raise it then

This song I think embodies Chris' spirit in that he is very closed about his emotions. He puts on a persona of a happy and affable kid, but I get the sense he is quite turbulent emotionally. He will "never show this pain [that] you'll never know" and so nobody will ever truly glimpse the depths of his mind. It also shows his resistance to society, because when he is in dire straights, or his "back's against the wall", in other words, he resists all help in the matter, essentially screaming "Fuck 'em all!". He feels like he is all alone in the world, and that no one thinks the way he does, and that no matter where he turns, society is present. He think that as "these walls are closin' in", the walls of society will forever entrap him. However, he is possessed of an immense can do spirit, and when the "roof is cavin' in", he still tries to "raise it", and head out into the wilderness of Alaska, in a final act of resistance.

Chris McCandless is "Up in the Air"

There is a scene in Into the Wild in which Chris is reading Dr. Zhivago. As it turns out, this is the last book that Chris will ever read. While reading he comes across a line that strikes him, and motivates him to write in the margins, in all capitals "HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED" (Krakauer, 189). The author, Jon Krakauer, hypothesizes that at that moment, Chris decided to "abandon the life of a solitary vegabond, stop running so hard from intimacy, and become a member of the human community." In other words, Krakauer is explaining that Chris realizes that happiness, experienced alone without special people around you and close to you, is not real happiness at all. In conclusion, Chris makes the decision to finally go home.

Chris's quote on happiness immediately reminded me of this scene from Up in the Air. In this film George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a character who is similar to Chris in that he avoids intimacy with humans thinking it will enhance his life in some way. Near the end of the film, he goes to his sister's wedding and the groom gets cold feet. Ryan decides to try and talk him into getting married, but has some difficulty. He admits how he views marriage as a "pain in the ass" and that he's "not the guy you'd normally want to talk to about all this stuff" (Reitman, 103). But then he brings up an interesting point to Jim, his sister's fiancee. He asks Jim to remember some of the greatest memories from his life. Then he asks if he was alone during those moments or with other people. Jim admits that those best moments of his life were ones he spent with other people. Ryan then states, "I don't want to sound like a Hallmark card, but... Life? It's better with company" (Reitman, 104).

In the end, Ryan and Chris come to conclusions that are very alike. True happiness in life comes from the times were we are with our family, friends, or just people in general. Joy can only be a complete reality when shared with those in a person's life.

Up in the Air is a six-time Oscar-nominated film. It also stars Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. I was written and directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking, Juno)

-Mitchell Ward

Here is a link to the Up in the Air trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2-XBUdCtFQ&feature=related

Across the Universe

Across the Universe- The Beatles

Words are flying out like
endless rain into a paper cup
They slither while they pass
They slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow waves of joy
are drifting thorough my open mind
Possessing and caressing me

Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world

Images of broken light which
dance before me like a million eyes
That call me on and on across the universe
Thoughts meander like a
restless wind inside a letter box
they tumble blindly as
they make their way across the universe

Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world

Sounds of laughter shades of life
are ringing through my open ears
exciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which
shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on and on across the universe

Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva

This song really describes Chris McCandless’s life. I think he would really enjoy the Beatles and their music because the Beatles were a revolutionary band and focused some of their music on transcendentalist ideals. They influenced the world’s pop culture and redefined music.

The first line of the song- “words are flying out like endless rain into a paper cup” describes Chris’ love of literature. Chris’ words are the words of Tolstoy, Jack London, Emerson, Thoreau, and many other influential writers. The rain of words stream neatly into Chris’ cup of knowledge. Like the flexibility of water, he can interpret anything from the words that he reads. From them he develops his own kind of religion to follow during his travels. When entering into the Stampede Trail “the heaviest item in McCandless’s half-full backpack was his library: nine or ten paper bound books” (162). His backpack of books is described as half-full, and not as half-empty. This and the fact that he bothers to carry books into the wild shows how valuable knowledge and books are to Chris. The words later “slip away across the universe” with Chris but are also passed on to be shared across the universe.

The chorus is very simple but also very interesting. “Jai guru deva om” is an Indian phrase that can be interpreted as “praise to the teacher/higher being.” Chris would have found this very interesting. Even though he wasn’t religious, he strongly revered nature- his guide or teacher. Chris also has a stubborn belief in his purpose in life and his existence. “Nothing's gonna change my world” is repeated several times as emphasis. It is described that Chris “went into the wilderness not primarily to ponder nature or the world at large but, rather, to explore the inner country of his own soul” (183). The world of Chris is his soul intertwined with nature, their dual existence together. Throughout his life, nothing will ever change that; not even his family, friends, or his death- his world lives on.

In the next stanza, I think the “images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes that call me on and on across the universe” are the mass expanses of stars that litter the sky. In the city and civilization, you can only see a few, but out in the wild, they encompass and overwhelm you. It makes you realize how small you are compared to the rest of the universe. Chris concludes his journey and states that he is “no longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks along upon the land to become lost in the wild” (163). He would have loved this feeling of just being and not really mattering- of being lost in the wild.

Chris also strived to live without boundaries. Across the universe, “shades of life are ringing through my open ears exciting and inviting me.” Chris chased after these shades of life- the desire to really LIVE. They led him across the country and to Alaska, where he discovered his treasure.

Across the universe Chris McCandless went, literally and figuratively. His quest brought him across the country, across his mind, his soul, his knowledge, his existence, and eventually to his death, as well as to peace.

Man's Best Friend

Chris’ dog Buck in Into the Wild made me think about Will Smith’s dog Sam in the movie I am Legend. Chris was emotionally attached to Buck: “Chris was crazy about Buck… That summer he disappeared he’d wanted to take Buck with him. After he graduated from Emory, he asked Mom and Dad if he could come get Buck, but they said no…” (Krakauer 128). Similarly, Will loves his dog and makes sure she is safe at all times, even before himself. Because there are barely any humans left, Will is left with only his dog to relate to. I think Chris found it easier to relate to his dog Buck rather than his family because he considers the dog as part of nature and considers him to be less judgmental. As part of his romantic (nature-oriented) viewpoint on life, I think Chris would agree with the fact that humans are corrupting nature, and therefore sees his dog as a way to get closer the wild. Additionally, as with Will Smith, Chris wouldn’t put Buck in any situation where he thought the dog could get hurt: “Chris wouldn’t think twice about risking his own life, but he never would have put Buckley in any kind of danger. There’s no way he would have taken the same kind of chances if Buck had been with him” (Krakauer 128). Because of this, Chris’ family now believes that letting him take the dog would have saved his life, as he wouldn’t have been so risky and care-free during his adventure in Alaska. Will Smith acts more cautiously and is able to keep his cool during the hardships and dangerous events that take place in I am Legend because he has his dog Sam right by his side. Though only a small amount of information is written about Buck and his owner Chris in Into the Wild, Buck is arguably the difference between life and death for Chris.

I have included a picture of Will Smith and his dog Sam from the movie I am Legend:



-Paul D.

Role Models and Criticism

Chris McCandless looks up to a long list of people whose ideas contradict their lives. The only one he was unable to forgive was his father. I think this resulted from Walt's role as a father figure rather than than a philosophic teacher. Chris learns directly from his father simple, important life lessons, where Chris's literary role models are only that, words to live by and less a person to learn from. As kids grow up they often expect their parents to be perfect, because thats all they know. Parents become the ultimate role model from a young age, but there comes a point one realizes they aren't as perfect as many children have grown up to believe. Chris admits to how much he really looks up to his father at a party for Chris's graduation. Upon giving his father a telescope for his upcoming birthday, "[Chris] was grateful for all the things Dad had done for him. [He] said how much he respected Dad for starting from nothing, working his way through college, busting his ass to support eight kids" (118 Krakauer). Although often he resented being told how to hone his skills and ideas, Chris admits his appreciation for the effort his father put into raising Chris. It wasn't until he made the discovery of Walt's past, did he become critical.

I think the chief reason Chris became as introverted as he did was because of this discovery and he began to criticize all those around him. When I have felt socially stressed and unhappy with society, I seek comfort, as Chris did, in to comforts of nature. Of course I never attempted a trip to the outskirts of the wilderness, I find comfort in the solitude of parks, or conservation lands. I feel like the intensity of this discovery lead him to the wish to be as far from society as possible, and the critical eye he grew from this discovery was because he felt that if the two individuals he looked up to most weren't perfect what does that make everybody else. with this final straw, he immediately saw only the flaws around him and at that point had enough. To him, myself and I'm sure many others, nature is soothing and allows for one to calm down and clear one's head. His father was not the only role model he had that was far from perfect, of course, but once again the other individuals he professed to admire greatly were admired for their works, because even if their lives were not exemplary, the advice and the wisdom they imparted was the critical and important information.

Loss of a Child

During the part when Alex's parents are describing their feelings about their death, it made me curious about just how deep their pain could be. Their struggle reminded me of a book that I read 2 years ago, "Still with me: A daughter's journey of Love and Loss" by Andrea Collier. In that story, The narrator's grandpa recounts his feeligngs about the loss of one of his children. He clearly seems broken up about it still, even though it is fifty years later. He says "You should never have to see your child waste away and die", also also believes that "Losing your child is the worst"(155). Never having known any grief near this magnitude myself, I wondered if Chris' parents were changed by the experience. Chris' mother Billie was described as "weeping as only a mother who has outlived a child can weep, betraying a sense of loss so huge that the mind balks at taking its measure"(132). Just what is it about losing a child that has the power to completely shatter someone, as it clearly has done to both Billie and the grandfather? Well, parents bring the child into the world, it's the biggest treasure they have. It comes with a sense of pride and accomplishment. They obviously want their child to be safe, healthy and happy. As they get more and more attached to the child, the more the child seems to become a part of them. I asked my own parents about this, and they said they felt the same way. This is why I think the loss of a child is particularly shattering for a parent, because it dashes some of their own dreams and aspirations as well. Billie in particular seemed a bit frustrated with Alex, saying "I just don't understand why he had to take those kind of chances"(132). This seemed to add another dimension to the grief: dissapointment. In a death where the child has somehow contributed to their own death, as in Chris's case, a sense of failure probably accompanies the initial sadness. Chris's parents seem frustrated that they didn't do something different to "save" Chris, while in "Still with me", where the child died of illness, the grandfather never expressed frustration with the child, only with the circumstances. I think I can now understand just how Chris' parents felt a bit better, and where their sadness and frustration originated from.

Robert Frost Poem

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Close ties to people hinders those who romanticize nature and want to fully immerse in it. In the celebrated poem by Robert frost, "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening", the narrator stops while traveling through a secluded, forest far away from civilization and hears "easy wind and downy flakes", and notices that "the woods are lovely dark and deep, but [he has] promises to keep". The narrator wants to stay in woods even though he can clearly hear the "easy wind." That statement becomes questionable because one cannot hear winds that blow easily or softly. A wind along with “downy flakes” proclaims there a blizzard, something most shelter themselves from. Yet this harsh weather is not a deterrent for the narrator, for he calls the woods “lovely, dark and deep”. He secludes himself in the nature for he stops travels through it alone. There is no backup if there is a mistake and he freezes or hurts himself. In that creates part of the appeal. The lone stop in freezing wood shows the narrator’s ideology to be centered about harmony with nature. To be immersed without the pollution of society. The fact he obviously praises while he is in the middle of the worst of nature, shows that he has a romanticizes view of it. The reason of departure from this personal yet seemingly odd haven credits itself to “promises” to other people, not for concern for his own well being or any desire to leave nature. If those people were not there, he would have obviously continued to mull over the supposed beauty of nature untamed and wild.

In Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, there is a young adventurer named Ruess Everett who abandons all human contact, including his loving family, for long stretches of times and does dangerous activities such once when an on looker is “appalled by the seemingly reckless manner in which Everett moved around dangerous cliffs” (92). When someone does a potentially lethal activity such as “moving around dangerous cliffs” without a suicidal or deranged state of mind, it usually means that they are not truly considering the danger. Reckless means utterly unconcerned about the consequences of some action. This shows Ruess Everett had done so many dangerous activities and survived that he believes now that the percentages do not apply to him. He romanticizes the cliff side until no apparent danger remains, only the adventure. He does this alone as well, for he left his family behind. Family would have stopped reckless behavior such as this because they do not want to see their loved one hurt. Without them in tow Ruess is able to be with nature organically, without a safety device. Protection would make the interaction between him and the cliff face feel false to him. He wants the full experience of that cliff face, nothing in between him and it, not even people of safety have room. Thus people disrupt true connections with nature.

Posted by Abby Chernin

The Harbor

Some of the ideas in The Harbor, by Carl Sandburg closely mirror Chris's ideas.

The poem opens by saying, "Passing through huddled and ugly walls By doorways where women ..." One thing that struck me was the huddled and ugly walls. Both Chris and the author both agree that society restricts people from being an individual because these "ugly walls" prevent them reaching out and expanding themselves. Chris shows this using his stubborness. In one instance, Chris does not listen to his teacher on how to write a lab report because he thought it was a "stupid rule" (108). Although it most likely would not have taken more time to write a lab report using the correct format, Chris feels like he is being too restricted by his teacher and quite purposely does the opposite of what is expected. Most people would not mind following the teacher's directions because they see it as common sense, but Chris believes that by agreeing to little things like this, it slowly amounts to being oppressed by society's "huddled and ugly walls".
I also believe that Chris is similar, but also very different to the women in doorways. These women are unhappy about where they are in society because they do not fit in. Hence, they are not inside or outside, they are stuck in the doorway. Chris is also similar because he "didn't quite fit into society" (108). But the difference between the women and Chris is that Chris enjoys being different because he is an individual. And even though he does not fit in, he does not want to stay stuck in the doorway. He instead tries to break free from the ugly walls and get into nature, unlike the women. Chris takes pride in the fact that he is in the outside of society while the women are ashamed of it. I think many of us would also be ashamed of not fitting into society, and that is part of the reason that it is so difficult for us to understand Chris.
The last part of the poem describes nature as "masses of great gray wings And flying white bellies Veering and wheeling free in the open". I believe that Chris would be happier in a society that functions more like nature does. Nature is able to live together in "masses", but still is able to be "veering and wheeling free in the open". Chris would enjoy this type of society because he does have friends and enjoys their company, but he also likes to be able to do his own thing. Also, Chris's personality has been described as "generous and caring to a fault" (120). Chris would be able to help many people in a society that functions like nature because people would accept him more and be willing to recieve his help. By living in "masses", it proves that nature is able to live peacefully and therefore they do not unfairly judge eachother. When describing nature, Sandburg does not mention anything about authority, which is the main reason that Chris hates society. Hence, Chris would prosper in a society where there is no one telling him what to do. All in all, Chris would definately agree with most of the ideas Sandburg presents in his poem.

McCandless' and Tolstoy's alter egos

Chris McCandless and the famous Russian author, Leo Tolstoy share many similarities, not only through their real lives, but through their alter egos. Both Tolstoy and McCandless were born into financially sound, and in Tolstoy’s case, quite wealthy, households. They also had prominent father figures. Chris’ father, Walt, is described as being “accustomed to calling the shots. Taking control is something he does unconsciously, reflexively....when Walt talks, people listen” (105). In addition, “despite the casual attire he projects an air of authority” (104). He is even described by colleagues as brilliant. Tolstoy’s father was a respected Count of Russia, who had earned himself a military honor. For both men, these would be quite big shoes to fill. I think that they were both uncomfortable with being so financially well off and having to live up to their fathers’ reputations. They were born into a lifestyle they had no choice over, and when it wasn’t what they wanted, they created alter egos.

Chris’ alter ego, Alex Supertramp, has little to his name, but is perfectly happy that way. This is probably what Chris always wanted, but because his family had money, he felt he had to create someone else in order have the life he wanted. Chris also probably felt he had to live up to his father’s reputation, and when he instead wanted to wander through nature, he created his alter ego, where there were no expectations of him.

This also rings true for Tolstoy. His alter ego, Pierre, is an illegitimate child, who lacks a real father. This leads to his quest for self definition. This is probably what Tolstoy would have been happier with, a life where he could completely choose who he wanted to be, instead of being born into a noble Russian family that had certain expectations of him. The creation of both McCandelss’ and Tolstoy’s alter egos was probably due to their wanting something different than the lives they were born into.

CHRIS AND MUSIC

Kayla Chalmers

As I was reading Into the Wild I kept wondering why McCandless was doing what he was doing. Why would he leave everything he had for the adventures of traveling? Even knowing he had a college education and enough money to start him off successfully, thing didn’t make sense.  Soon realizing that he was inspired by Thoreau and his transcendentalism ways seemed to be an excuse for his actions. He was a modern transcendentalist at the time. He loved the simple life, even when he was at college as quoted “[He] lived off campus in a monkish room furnished with little more than a thing mattress on the floor, milk crates, and a table…and he didn’t have a phone” (22).  We can see the similarities between Thoreau himself and McCandless. They both loved the beauties of nature, getting away from the conformities in society, and being self-reliant. At one point in the book McCandless describes conformity and being in society as,

“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future” (57).

                  We can tell McCandless wants to be nothing like these people. So at this point I wondered I McCandless was still alive today and if he had the luxury of owing an iPod (which he probably would not have even if he had the money) what type of music he would he would have and listen too. So I went through my iPod and looked up some lyrics.  I found that many of the Beatle song and John Lennon songs had ideas of transcendentalism that McCandless would most likely agree upon.  How a more modern song, “gone going” by the Black eye peas ft. Jack Johnson really described how I think McCandless thought of the world.  The lyrics talk about materialistic things, and how conforming will get you nowhere in life.  And that all these materialistic things cover you soul and you can’t really find who you really are as person. Basically saying conforming to society is bad and that ”You need to go out to life and look Cause... what happens when they take your material You already sold your soul and its...”.  This song sums up the feeling I believed McCandless had about society.

Here is a link to a YouTube video of the song, “Gone going” by black eyed peas with the lyrics.

"Gone Going" lyrics

Johnny wanna be a big star
Get on stage and play the guitar
Make a little money, buy a fancy car
Big old house and an alligator
Just to match with them alligator shoes
He's a rich man so he's no longer singing the blues
He's singing songs about material things
And platinum rings and watches that go bling
But, diamonds don't bling in the dark
He a star now, but he ain't singing from the heart
Sooner or later he's just gonna fall apart
Cause his fans can't relate to his new found art
He ain't doing what he did from the start
And that's putting in some feeling and thought
He decided to live his life shallow
Cash in his love for material

[Chorus]
And its gone... gone... going...
Gone... everything gone... give a damn...
Gone be the birds when they don't want to sing...
Gone people... all awkward with their things... gone.

You see yourself in the mirror
And you feel safe cause it looks familiar
But you afraid to open up your soul
Cause you don't really know, don't really know
Who he is, the person that's deep within
Cause you are content with just being the name-brand man
And you fail to see that its trivial
Insignificant, you addicted to material
I've seen your kind before
You're the type that thinks souls is sold in a store
Packaged up with incense sticks
With them vegetarian meals
To you that's righteous
You're fiction like books
You need to go out to life and look
Cause... what happens when they take your material
You already sold your soul and its...

[Chorus]

You say that time is money and money is time
So you got mind in your money and your money on your mind
But what about... that crime that you did to get paid
And what about... that bid, you can't take it to your brain
What about those shoes you'll wear today
They'll do no good on the bridges you burnt along the way

All that money that you got gonna be gone
That gear that you rock gonna be gone
The house up on the hill gonna be gone
The gold purse on your grill gonna be gone
The ice on your wrist gonna be gone
That nice little Miss gonna be gone
That whip that you roll gonna be gone
And what's worst is your soul's already gone

[Chorus]

I think Chris McCandless is very similar to the Transcendentalists. His beliefs are very similar to those of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. McCandless writes, in a letter to Ron Franz, "We just have to have the courage to turn against our habitual lifestyle..." (Krakauer 57). Chris is telling Franz to disregard society's principles and to lead a life he can enjoy. Emerson once said, "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Like many Transcendentalists, Emerson urges others to be themselves and make their own path. Similarly, Chris urges people to ignore society's perception of a normal life. It's hard for me to relate to Chris and the Transcendentalists because I'm a conformist and I lead a very conventional life. I've never really been one to question authority, unlike Thoreau, and I've never challanged my family's or society's expectations for me.

In Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, the character, Ken Thompson, comes across a river called the Teklanika Riverright before he spots Chris McCandless. He describes it as a "fast, icy, stream whose waters are opaque with glacial till. The trail comes down to the riverbank just upstream from a narrow groge, through which the Teklanika surges in a boil of white water. The prospect of fording this latte-colored torrent discourages most people from traveling any farter" (11). The first picture is exactly where Jon Krakauer was describing. By looking at this picture and how the author describes the river is very familiar to an area where I have been. The White River in Vermont is very much like the Teklanika River with the description of the "fast, icy, stream," and how the "latte-colored torrent," makes it easy for people to reconsider their plans to go on this river on either a tube or raft. I have gone down this river and it is probably one of the scariest experiences of my life. I wish I reconsidered going any farther than I did because the river got faster, colder, and there were many more rapids than when we decided to stop earlier. I felt like i could picture exactly what the river looked like without seeing a picture of the Teklanika River because of my exerience on the White River.

Ronald Franz

Out of all the people McCandless has met so far on his journey, the one he seems to grow closest with is Ronald Franz. Franz becomes a sort of surrogate father to McCandless, providing him with funds, housing, and travelling with him at certain points. Franz obviously cares about McCandless a lot, and even asks if he can adopt him.

"'My mother was an only child,' he explains. 'So was my father. And I was their only child. Now that my boy's 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.'

McCandless, uncomfortable with the request, dodged the question: 'We'll tyalk about it when I get back from Alaska, Ron'" (Krakauer 55).

McCandless, who is "uncomfortable" about this, does not want to be tied down by family. This is the same reason he severs ties with his real family; he does not want anyone looking for him, trying to provide him with things. He does not want to have to worry about staying in touch or anything of the sort.

This is very different from Alanna of Trebond and Sir Myles of Olau from The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce. Alanna, who is, for a good part of the novel, a wanderer herself, is currently living with a Bazhir tribe in the desert. Myles, who has been an advisor and friend to Alanna for the greater part of her studies to become a knight, approaches her during their stay with the Bazhir. He has a proposition for her:

"'I've been thinking about you're situation, now that Thom is at Court and you are roaming. [...] I believe you know I have always been very fond of you. [...] I am concerned about you. If you continue to travel, you will need funds, to stay at inns, to give bribes- don't frown. Some nations use the bribe to support the national treasury. Now, consider my problem, I'm unwed and unsociable. It's not likely that I shall marry and have children. You've been like a daughter to me- sometimes even like a son. [...] I want to make you my heir'" (Pierce 117-118).

Alanna, who's father has died and who's brother, Thom, is a rather solitary being, is thrilled with Myles' request. Although Alanna likes to do things on her own, she recognizes that there is a lot of truth to what Myles says, and immediately says yes. She, unlike McCandless, recognizes that sometimes you have to be practical, even if you don't want to be. Alanna loves wandering around the country and having adventures, but she also knows that she "will need funds". Alanna is less stubborn than McCandless, and this ultimately benefits her. She also takes into consideration what Myles wants, rather than McCandless' complete disregard for how Franz feels about the adoption. She knows that it would make Myles happy, and McCandless knows it will make Franz happy, but he chooses to go with how he himself feels.

The Climate of Into The Wild: Part 1 alpha 1pre

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In Into the wild, one of the most interesting things to me was the various climates that Chris Mccandlass visits in his journey. From the desert to the Subarctic, He lives in many different climates throughout his journey, and for each post, I am going to talk about each climate that he lived in, starting with the Subarctic.

Part I. The Subartic

Chris's time in the Alaska wilderness was a perfect example of the Subartic Climate. The subartic is located below the artic circle, about 50 to 66 degrees North latitude. (shown in red on the picture)The Subartic is known for having the widest temperature differential between the summer and winter, with some years having a 120 degree or more difference. In the subarctic, The amount of sunlight varies greatly from

Living without any material possessions is alot harder than it seems. In the book, the author says that McCandless "changed his name, gave the entire balance of twenty-four-thousand-dollar savings account to charity, abandoned his car, and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet."(1) A few summers ago, my parents thought it would be a fun idea to go to the grand canyon for a week. Our hotel was located in Las Vegas, but we were only there during the nights. During the days, we would be walking all around the grand canyon, taking tours, and just being outside. Of course, cell phones do not work up there, and there are no computers or internet connection. I felt completely lost not being able to use any of these things, and this was for less than a week. My brother and I were getting very bored and constantly asking to go back to the hotel with the pool, and tv, and internet connection. We toughed it out in the end and got through it, but it was very hard. I cant even imagine getting rid of your material possessions to make a lifestyle choice, the way McCandless did. He must have really wanted a different life than he had. He also must be very strong, and not reliant on society or media, to be able to be happy with his new life. He wants to be secluded from everyone, which is the opposite of me. Throughout the beginning of the book, it is all about how he is living with nature in these horrendous conditions, which brings me to another point, the heat. It was VERY hot in July at the grand canyon. Shorts and tank tops did not cut it, it was still burning hot."In extreme July temperatures becomes delirious"(29) I can relate to the heat because i have experienced it, but i cannot relate to the cold he talks about in Alaska, which must have been even worse than the heat.

Jon Krakauer mentions that Chris drove into the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, where "the temperature was 120 degrees Fahrenheit [and] the empty desert stretched into the distance, shimmering in the heat" (27). Chris admitted in his journal that temperatures in July "become delirious" and unbearable (29). I feel that I can relate to this because my family and I went on a road trip in the summer of 2009 that took us across Southern Nevada, and I must say, I do not know how Chris was able to hitchhike around Nevada after ditching his old Datsun. Going outside our car immediately gave me a sensation of gaining 20 pounds with the dense heat beating down on me and making me feel tired and woozy. I returned to our air conditioned car as fast as I could. Also, the highways were quite empty, and there were extremely few places to eat. Hitchhiking in this kind of place would be nearly impossible, as the air is very dry and it is essential to be constantly drinking water. And knowing how badly prepared and equipped Chris usually was, he probably would not have lasted very long. Chris must have gotten quite lucky in finding rides, because if he hadn't, he very well could have died of dehydration in Nevada.

This is a picture that we took of the Jack Ranch Cafe, which was about 2 or 3 hours from Las Vegas. It was the only place to eat in at least 20 miles. Suprisingly, the food was quite good.

This is a picture we took that shows the emptiness of the desert in Nevada.

Tolstoy & McCandless

Chris quotes Tolstoy quite a bit. He seems to be inspired by the Russian author. I had no idea why until I watched the film The Last Station about the last days of Tolstoy's life. At the end, Tolstoy denounced private property and created a utopian community near his home. I think Chris attempts to emulate that drive for utopia. The following is a quote by Tolstoy that I think fits Chris' idealization: "In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you." Sometimes I do this when I walk my dog, and it really does give me peace. That's why I like my dog, Henry, so much!