Question #4

   What are your impressions of Chris? Was he noble? Reckless? Selfish? Courageous? A pilgrim?

My impression? Honestly, I thought he was a little reckless until I learned about his past. Then, I saw him as a coward. He couldn't face his father with the truth, he basically ran away. Also, I thought he was extremely selfish. No, he didn't steal people's cars, but he would befriend so many people and have them love him; then, he leaves them, even after they almost beg him not to go and to stay with them. He could have not gone to Alaska, but instead find family and happiness with people who cared about him. Instead, he leaves everyone who cares about him and never comes back.

Question #3

     Krakauer said that when he was young, “personal mortality – the idea of (his) own death – was still largely outside of (his) conceptual grasp”. What does this mean? How do you think he grappled with his own personal mortality?

All humans are mortal, therefore we die when our time comes. When people are younger, they try to imagine what death would be like, but they can't because they can't fully grasp the reality of leaving the world they live in for the next. Also, this generation would think of death differently because of television; also, they probably couldn't bare to lose their iPhone.

Question #2

     “Unlike Thoreau, McCandless went into the wilderness not primarily to ponder nature of the world at large, but, rather, to explore the inner country of his own soul.” Why do you think he did this?

I I think he went into the wild because he needed to find himself. His inner survivor, his country, and his meaning of happiness is why he left Atlanta. Most of his childhood has been a lie; he was a bastard son, his parents fought a lot, and they did not always give him the love and respect for who he really was. He never really got that much support from his father too.

Question #1

Was Chris McCandless’ death a “foolish, pointless, death”? Did he lack “the requisite humility” to go into the wild?

jj I wouldn't say that his death was foolish, but I can say that it was completely avoidable. If his hunger didn't win out and he focused on what he was eating, he could have survived. Also, he should have studied more on the Alaskan wilderness and its plants and animals more in depth. He did not lack the "requisite humility" to go into the wild because he wanted to find himself, not what society wants to call him but what and who he really is.