Thursday, May 5, 2011

Question of the Week (5/6/11)


In the book, Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer admits that Chris McCandless was rash, but he insists he "wasn't a nutcase, he wasn't a sociopath, he wasn't an outcast. McCandless was something else -- although precisely what is hard to say. A pilgrim, perhaps" (85).

Your question:
What precisely was McCandless? Use one of Krakauer's terms or invent your own term. Choose your term carefully, and note passages as you read. Your answer to the question is your central claim. Support this claim with evidence from the text and explain how the language of the quote -- the connotations of individual words in the quotes you cite -- prove your claim to be valid.

35 comments:

  1. I think that McCandless was a selfish and extremely hypocritical person. He chose to go out into the wild without telling anyone, not even his closest friends, where he was going. While he was wandering by himself, he convinced everyone he met that being up north and in the wild is the best thing you can do with your life, and that no one should have to live any other way. However, as soon as he finally gets up north, he has an epiphany, and then believes that the only way to be happy is to share that happiness with someone else. McCandless comes to this realization while reading Doctor Zhivago. "...And this was most vexing of all", hot noted, "HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED." The way he wrote this in all bold and caps just shows how certain he is, how much of an important realization this is for him. This realization is very hypocritical of him, especially after convincing people that being in the wild is the only way to live your life. He especially convinces Ronald Franz of this in his long and detailed letter. "Ron, I really hope that... ...You will be very, very glad you did." This entire last paragraph is phrased to convince Ron of going out and really living like this. The key phrase that shows how hypocritical he is is the last sentence "You will be very, very glad you did." McCandless is glad that he did for a while, but then he starts to believe something else entirely, and really regrets going into the wild. You can't be SO sure of something, sure enough that you seem extremely passionate about it and convince people that its the right thing to do, and then go back on it just like that. This is exactly what McCandless does, and that is what makes him truly hypocritical.

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  2. Chris McCandless was an outcast. An outcast is a person who is rejected from society or his/her home. In a way this is exactly What Chris was. His parents were evil in his mind and he couldn't stand the way he was living so he removed himself, outcasted himself from his home. He also rejected himself out of society because he didn't make many friends and believed in a different type of lifestyle. I also agree with Krakaur when he says "although precisely what is hard to say" because McCandless wasn't really anything, he was complicated and passionate. The best word that describes him is a naturist or something.

    Clark I agree with you when you talk about how his realization was hypocritical, I thought that that part in the book was really annoying.

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  3. Chris McCandless was an outcast. He was a person who rejected from society and left his family and closest friends knowing how they would feel sad about it. He wanders ever where telling people about how going to wild is the best thing in world.Then in the end of the book he realizes that life is not fun without somebody to share it with. He finds this out by reading Doctor Zhigavo book and writes that in his journal before he dies.
    I also agree with what max used in Krakur's quote on how Chris is really a complicated person but a very passionate person as well. I feel like chris was a nice person and never meant harm and worry but, he still caused sadness and harm upon others.

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  4. Chris McCandless was a dreamer. He believed that he could do anything, he believed that he could do anything that he dreamed about. He always dreamed about going into the Alaskan wilderness and he did that, but it didn't turn out the way he hoped. It's almost like Chris thinks that his whole life is a dream and that since it is a dream everything will work out in the end including things that would normaly be dangerous. His first cross country trip when he was a teen he nearly died of dehydration, but when he came home he acted like it was no big deal like he knew he wasn't going to die because in dreams you never do die, you always wake up right before you do.
    Clark I agree with you that Chris was a selfish person but I'm not sure I agree with you about the extremely hypocritical. I agree he's hypocriitical and you proved that but i wouldn't nececarly say he's etremely hypocritical.

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  5. Chris McCandless was a major outcast, never being one obey to societies reasons. I dont think this makes him a bad or arrogant person, coming from such a rough upbringing what can you expect. Being exposed to such behavior his parents displayed at such a young age wasnt ideal for an up and coming child. Things could have turned out completely different if he wasnt in a household full of abuse and stress. Chris could only rely on his sister having consistent actions from day to day while his parents could go off at any moment. Never knowing what to expect next made Chris a more cautious person when it came to the world beyond the confines of his house. His parents really put a stain on society and possibly even left chris with a incorrect stereotype towards society making him want to escape from it altogether.

    Michael- I completely agree with your view of Chris.I agree that he did not mix well with society hence making him a social outcast.

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  6. I agree with Phil's opinion of Chris McCandless. He was a dreamer but he was also determined and stubborn. Once he had his mind set on Alaska, he was determined to get there and because of this he ignored many potential problems.He was mad at his family and his father and he saw Alsaska as his way to escape them. He turned his back on his family completely because he was too stubborn to forgive them. He was also stubborn when it came to his journey. He didn't want to admit that it might not be a good idea. He was too much of a dreamer to see past most of the dangers and was too stubborn to acknowlegde the problems he did notice. He wasn't a nutcase or the incompetent person many people thought he was. He was smart and knew what he was getting into (to some extent) but he didn't want to admit any of the mistakes he may have made during his adventure.

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  7. Transcendentalism-Also called transcendental philosophy. any philosophy based upon the doctrine that the principles of reality are to be discovered by the study of the processes of thought, or a philosophy emphasizing the intuitive and spiritual above the empirical: in the U.S., associated with Emerson. By all means Chris McCandless was a transcendentalist, putting much thought to the idea of living on his own in the wilderness. As were many of the people similar to McCandless mentioned in the book. Chris had his own theories and put his life at stake to prove their validity. When Chris read of Doctor Zhivago he ascended from his previous ideals to appreciate that "Happiness is only real when shared." Even when dying Chris could see the gifts of nature and record them, such as "beautiful blueberries." I believe that McCandless was an enlightened man, and that it was only coincidence that lead him to his passing.

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  8. Chris McCandless wasa believer. A believer in that he thought that anything could be done if you put your mind to it. This is what eventually led him to head to alaska without the proper equipment needed to survive. This is what led him to leave his home in the first place. Chris Is a Believier but he also did reall love nature, a dangerous passion that led to his death by starvation in the alaskan wilderness

    Hayden, i do believe that he is an enlightened man, but it wasnt just coincidence, if he had paid attention to his guide book then he wouldnt have eaten the plants and he wouldnt have died

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  9. In my mind, I think that Chris was just looking for a new meaning of life. He was sick of the ambitions of the former generations, which in his mind were to fulfill the expectations of their parents, peers, and co-workers. I would call Chris nothing more than a pioneer, looking to pave a new way of life for the countless people in head of him. I agree with Philip when he says that he was a dreamer, but all good things start as dreams. This particular dream however, was probably not the best.
    ~Austin

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  10. I find good points in agreeing with Austin, Eileen, and Phil. That Chris is a stubborn dreamer that won't let his father and corperate ambitions stand in his way. He ignored simple fact, which was one of the factors that killed him. But, he did what he dreamed, and died doing it. I also agree with Krakaur that McCandless was a pilgrim of sorts, he did explore his world the way few had before him. He loved where he went, and how he got there. He hitch hiked and walked and canoed anywhere and everywhere he wanted. Granted, McCandless didn't think everything through, but he knew what he wanted, and he went out and lived his dream, something some of us are just too scared to do.

    ~~Alexandra

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  11. Chris McCandless was a doer. Loads of people go through their lives having dreams and yet never take the risks required to achieve them. Perhaps even worse, people preach their ideals without actually ever following through. I think that he is a really admirable person because, though he could have achieved conventional success at law school after succeeding at Emory, but he gave it all up to live his dreams. He entirely changed his lifestyle in order to escape modern materialism and manage on his own and not be dependent on society. Though many label him as some ignorant spoiled brat trying to punish his parents, I think that he was a determined soul who was done pleasing everybody else and finally ready to do exactly what he wanted to. I also believe that he was more than capable of succeeding, and it killed me to read how he died. He, who had overcome mountains, snow, rivers, and desert, was killed by eating the wrong moldy seeds.
    Austin, I agree with your point about how Chris was aiming to “pave a new way of life for the countless people in head of him” and act out of line of what was expected. However I disagree with how you say that “This particular dream however, was probably not the best.” I don’t think that it is really possible to judge how good or bad somebody’s dream is, and once more, I think that Chris’ was particularly admirable.

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  12. Christopher McCandless was indeed an outcast but i believe he was an outcast by choice. He was smart and athletic making it easy for him to make friends. He just decided not to. He believed that he was right about society and no one else knew the truth. That was the problem with McCandless. He thought he would be right, his decisions led him to his death. He didn't think before he did anything. That is how he did things, on the spot. McCandless to me was more book smart then street smart. He suggests to everyone he talks to that they also should go into the wild. If everyone did what he said then the human race would not be able to survive. The thing about McCandless that I don't get is how he was happier in the wild. He even said "happiness is only real when shared." He was alone in the wild where his happiness wasn't shared with anybody.

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  13. I do not agree that Christopher McCandless was arrogant or selfish, just different. He was only an outcast because his thoughts were far more advanced than most people. Jim Gallien says on page 6 "He had an answer for everything I threw at him". This proves Chris knew what he wanted. The wild was where he wanted to be due to his harsh upbringing and love of the natural world, there was no one who could convince him otherwise. Just because he left his parents doesn't mean Chris was selfish. His parents didn't support his beliefs and didn't understand Chris. It's almost as if his parents are blaming Chris for the way they acted towards him and towards each other. After reading the entire book I still like Chris. I think he's adventurous, brave and full of spirit. If the wild was where he wanted to be, where he wanted to live and die than so be it. There are plenty of people who leave home and disconnect from their parents, but just because Chris's story was revealed to the world, now he's the bad guy? This was a great book, but because of the publicity and anger that followed, Chris became "stupid" and "immature" and "selfish". Although I don't agree with those who berate Chris, I see where they are coming from and I understand why this opinions form.

    Phil, I agree that Chris was a dreamer. He made his dreams come true for 2 years and if it wasn't for his lack of proper equipment, he may have gone farther.
    *Audacious is the world i choose for Chris. It means daring and/or reckless. Chris should have been better prepared for what was to come during his stay in the wild. I don't think he wanted to die yet, and that was the most depressing part of the book for me. Knowing that this young, bold, rare man had to die because of a stupid mistake.

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  14. In my opinion, Chris McCandless was an explorer. By this I mean that he is not just an explorer of the wild, but an explorer of his own mind and of the collective mind of society. He had a belief that society was corrupt, and to get away from it, one had to become an isolated traveller and go into the wild. He believed that true happiness comes from nature, from the beauty of things around him. His journey into Alaska was merely an experiment to test this theory, it was not a plot to get attention, or prove a point. The reason he read books was merely to learn, in essence to "discover" new ideas, as an explorer would discover new parts of the world. Just as an explorer would perhaps settle in his newly discovered territory if it suits him, McCandless finally settled on the idea of Doctor Zhivago that happiness can come from human relationships, and that it is only true when shared. As the explorer, McCandless of course has not discovered all "uncharted territory" but he has found what he is looking for, the "New World", which for him is his final realization that happiness must be shared. Finally by doing this he has disproved the previous theory (as the exploration in colonial times disproved the idea that the world is flat) that happiness is isolation and nature. In Chris' letter to Ron he says "The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure…. I fear you will follow this same inclination in the future and thus fail to discover all the wonderful things that God has placed around us to discover" (57). In this quote Chris is actually saying that the meaning of life is to "discover" so that is what he does. He believes it is our natural "passion for adventure" that drives us, so we must do what our natural inclination is to do.

    Clark- I don't think Chris is hypocrite at all. Although his final realization does contradict what he has been saying all this time, it is not that he is going back on his word. It is more that he has discovered something new, something that he believes to be closer to the truth than what he believed before. He is learning that he was wrong, and learning is not hypocritical.

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  15. I think he is an outcast, but an outcast by choice. The way he leaves his family not telling them where he is and also not telling people where he is from makes him an outcast. I think at the end he realizes that he should have brought people with him so they could share the experience. Chris wrote "HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED"(189). so at the end he realizes that should not have chosen to be an outcast at all.

    I agree with Michael that he was an outcast, but i dont agree with you that Chris was a nice person. I think that he is mean to the people who loved him especially his sister.

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  16. I think that Chris McCandless was a runner. He ran away from a lot of things in his life. Chris ran away from his family and always kept his distance from people. He never like to stay in one place for to long. Chris did not only run away from things, though, he also ran to things. When he planned to go to Alaska he was running into the wild as well as running away from civilization. Chris did not do something halfway, he did not stop half-run. When Chris set his mind to something he would go through with it and make it to the end, or die trying. When he is in the wild and states that “Happiness only real when shared” (189) I think he has figured out that he has to stop running form things. Chris has realized to late that he should not make split second decisions and instead take his time.
    I agree with Eileen in that he was stubborn, determined, and a dreamer. But I think that Chris was so stubborn and determined because he wanted to get away form his past.

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  17. hris McCandless can best be defined as an adventurer. He loved adventure with all his heart and that is what he decided to do with his life up until the time of his death. He led a privileged life before and during college but this is not what Chris really wanted to do with his life. Chris wanted to adventure and live life to its fullest. In a letter to his friend Ron, chris states the idea that he lives by. He says: "The very basic core of man's living spirit is his passion for adventure" (57). Chris believes that in order for a human to really become complete, he must be in touch with this inner passion. Going to Alaska was his ultimate adventure and proof that he had finally achieved his life long goal. He believes that this sense of adventure is what really makes humans unique and different from our animal counterparts. By saying "man's living spirit" he is referring to this distinguishing fact. Chris McCandless was was and adventurer who wanted to find who we really are.

    Tom- I don't think that McCandless was an outcast, even if it was by choice. He was just living in a way that is not conventional. This way of life shouldn't make him an outcast though.

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  18. Chris McCandless was a stubborn person. He chose to ignore things that were convenient to ignore. Chris wanted to find a place “off the map”, but in today’s modern world, those places don’t exist. To solve this problem, Chris “simply got rid of the map” (174). He never let anything get in the way of his great Alaskan adventure. Not having a map was one of his greatest mistakes, because he had no way of knowing that the cable spanning the Teklanika was nearby. Because of his determination to live on his own, Chris went into Alaska unprepared. He did not have that kind of common sense. He relied on books that idealized nature, and so he believed that he could live like that in reality. Chris was also stubborn because he refused to listen to anyone’s advice. His father described Chris as a person who “resisted instruction of any kind” (111). Whether it was advice on playing racquetball or being told that he was unprepared for the wild, Chris went on his own path, confident of himself. Charly, I agree with you that Chris was a doer, whenever he had a dream, he went out and did it.

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  19. I believe that McCandless was a searcher. He was unsatisfied with his home life, and left as soon as he had some freedom. He decided to go to Alaska on his great adventure, to seek some elusive concept clear to no one but himself. He claimed that he was looking for the raw throb of life, much as Thoreau had written of. He moved all around the country, enjoying himself but never quite satisfied, as was proven by the fact that he kept going. He had an idyllic life at the Slabs, with a loving pair of foster parents and a girl next door, but he didn't have that which he was searching for. So he moved on. He had long since convinced himself that Alaska held the secret of life, or whatever his goal was. And perhaps he found that realization in the end, with his tragic message, "HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED". Chris had been driven on,around the country, never satisfied by what he found, and with his personality, he could only have been searching.
    -James

    Tom, I think that the reason that McCandless was happier in the wild is because he believed that he would find what he sought. He was happy there because he had pinned his dream of an answer to Alaska. When he had found his realization, as the book says, "McCandless decided to return to civilization"(168). It seems that he knew the wild as a place to find happiness, not to have it.

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  20. Chris McCandless was a believer and one who put his words into actions. He was also a man who knew that if you work hard and set your mind to your beliefs, nothing will stop you from accomplishing it. Having had this in the back of his mind, Chris did the unthinkable and was able to survive in thee Alaskan wilderness for more than 100 days. He loved adventures, the woods and did not mind being lonely, which helped him succeed in the wilderness. He was happy in the woods for the 119 days he was able to survive in the wilderness, and i think that he was seeking happiness and where to find it.
    Miles, I also agree that McCandless was searching for the answer to who we really are.

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  21. "I have lived through much, and now I think I have found what is needed for happiness. A quiet, secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good… then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one’s neighbor – such is my idea of happiness. And then, on top of all that, you for a mate, and children, perhaps – what more can the heart of man desire?” (Leo Tolstoy’s Family Happiness, quoted on page 169)
    The adjective that best describes McCandless is the adjective HUMAN. It was Chris’ human curiosity and adventurous spirit that lead to his eye-opening expedition, and it was his human flaws like hubris and unomniscience. It can be argued that without venturing into the wild, the idea of the expedition would have weighed heavy on Chris’ mind, even if he had found happiness in a more domesticated way of life, like the situation Tolstoy describes: quiet life, nice job, kids and a wife… Eventually, the animal (or rather the human) inside Chris would have freed itself from the shackles of society, but who knows at that point whether Chris would have been able to accomplish what he did when he was a mere 22 years old. That’s another component of the undeniable human spirit: the need to do things, and to do them right then and there, dropping everything else. For centuries, we have been training ourselves, conditioning our children to be wise, to weigh their options, when the basic human inside us wants to get up and go, throw our caution to the wind. In a way, this makes Chris more human than all of us. And though he has a love of “…rest, nature, books, music,” and, although he expresses it oddly, “love for one’s neighbor”, he is different from us other humans. This defining factor is the truth he seeks, the fact that he goes out looking for answers instead of just wondering to himself helplessly. This is what the human essence is always craving: to find out what it is, what it does, and why it does that. Chris’ mission was just that, in regards to his surroundings and his own personal needs and wants.
    I agree with James that Chris would never be truly and completely satisfied with any way of life he chose, but then again, who could? I disagree with the statement that Chris “knew the wild as a place to find happiness, not to have it”. I think that with enough preparation, Chris could have lived comfortably in the woods for the rest of his life, but then again, maybe “comfortably” is not the world. Chris is most comfortable in uncomfortable, challenging situations, which would have made life in the woods for him an absolute blast.

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  22. I believe Chris McCandless to be a very self-centered person at many times throughout the story. When he leaves after college, he is not really considering what the impact will be on his parents and how worried they would be, or how sad it would make his sister. He doesn’t seem sad to leave at all, and is only really thinking about all the possibilities for him. In the story Westerberg points this out, “Once Alex made up his mind about something, there was no changing it” (67). This is another time when Alex doesn’t seem to be thinking about others. Westerberg didn’t have many workers and needed some help, although McCandless wouldn’t even consider staying and just went on doing what he wanted. Despite many people telling him not to and that it was not the best decision, McCandless still went to Alaska and left everyone else behind. I agree with Camille that McCandless is an adventurer and tries to search for answers about himself and others.

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  23. Chris McCandless was foolish. One could also label him with the word idiot, however I don't think that Chris McCandless was an idiot at heart. Instead, his actions reflect that of someone with no common sense. Anyone who thinks they can survive alone in the wilderness is out of their mind. Breaking free from society sounds appealing to some, but in this world it just isn't possible to be such an outcast without suffering the consequences. Maybe dying in the wilderness fulfilled his personal goal and made him happy, but that doesn't mean that he had to go around causing everyone else pain. In many cases he failed to realize the consequences of his actions, such as starting the journey poorly equipped, worrying his family to death about his absence, or just plain leaving people like Ron and Wayne who actually cared his well being. I completely agree with the Alaskans who wrote to Krakauer about this book; you can't expect to make yourself a better person by being a fool.

    “Entering the wilderness purposefully ill-prepared, and surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human, it makes you damn lucky.” (71)

    Clark, I agree with you that McCandless was a hypocrite.

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  24. In my opinion, Chris McCandless was just looking for a change in his life and was not crazy. He may have done some irrational things, but he just wanted to get away from society and live and exciting, adventurous life.

    “Entering the wilderness purposefully ill-prepared, and surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human, it makes you damn lucky” (71). I think that this is the kind of adventure that Chris was striving for. I think that he wanted to push himself and live life on the edge. Chris is a daredevil.

    James, I agree with you that Chris was a searcher. I believe he was searching for adventure and a new meaning to life.

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  25. I don't think Chris was crazy, he was doing what he loved and that was being in the wild. He was being realistic, according to himself. He thought he actually had a good chance of surviving in the wild, and nobody else could talk him out of it. He didn't want to live the way everybody else did, he wanted to be different.

    “Entering the wilderness purposefully ill-prepared, and surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human, it makes you damn lucky” (71).
    I believe with Andy H, that Chris was a believer. He believed he could do things most people thought were crazy.

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  26. I agree with Jara Chris McCandless really was a runner. Chris ran from most things in his life, his family, friends. Although he would also run to things like Alaska. He would always keep moving from place to place. Being in the wild he made him realize that he shouldn’t keep running but to embrace it. He realized that he didn’t want to run anymore because it was like exploring “the inner country of his soul (183),” Which was Krakuer’s perception. I also think that he was a dreamer because whenever he had a dream he would make that dream come true for two years. Which I envy him for because of his passion for exploring and being independent; for learning who he really was. It’s amazing that he lived as long as he did being as isolated from civilization.

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  27. Chris McCandles was a proud boy now a man. He set his horizon high and refused to wander from it as he never took "no" to be an answer. When he was constrained, he ran. This was shown when he was a little boy and he got into honors math which gave him extra homework which limited his playing time. He did everything he could to try and drop out of the group because he wanted that freedom. When Chris’s family had a plan for him, he left. He went into the wild to live in that freedom which he thought he couldn’t find if he lived in civilization. Like Camille says nicely, Chris was an aesthete who had his ideals and felt passions for things most people miss. He had an open mind and wanted to take everything in and do as much as possible. While he was escaping, he was also starting fresh in the way he wanted. He was able to put everything aside and live. His unpreparedness was a sign of truly starting new, while reckless and thinking only in ideals without consequences world. I agree with Catherine where she says the word to describe Chris is human. I don’t mean in the sense how everyone who walks on two feet and lives in our civilization is human, but rather the characteristics of a human. There is at least one moment for every person where they wish they could redo something, or start fresh without having to bring their history with them. Chris took this to a new level and actually managed to start fresh and died a new man. He had new ideas and had lived free for some time.

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  28. I don't think Chris McCandless was a nutcase. It was stated by his mom that he wasn't an outcast in school (he had friends), but he didn't really need them. All Chris needed was motive and he could do whatever he wanted without friend or any other forms of entertainment. What Chris really wanted to know was the truth. That's normal for a person, but what Chris did was took action and put it towards his goal of knowing the truth about what life was about. Catherine, I agree with you and Valentina that he was human. During the last 120+ days of his life, that's exactly what he was being. He was living true to how people are supposed to live, and I think that was all Chris ever wanted out of his life.

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  29. I don't think Chris McCandless was an outcast. You could say that he was a little different because of the choices he made, but he still had friends, family, and a great education. Even though he decided that he didn't want to continue with formal schooling, he wasn't just leaving, he finished college and he had his reasons. I think a good word to define Chris McCandless would be a pursuer. He had a lot of things in his life that he wanted to accomplish and he wanted to get a start as soon as he could. So, when he left, it wasn't because he felt alone, it was because he wanted a fresh start. When there was something in his life that he wanted, he went for it; he pursued it without regret. When he left for the start of his adventures, it had been something he'd wanted to do for a long time and he jumped at his chance. He was tired of living his life the way everyone else did with a career and an education and a family. There were a lot of radical changes that he was prepared to make and there was absolutely nothing that could hold him back.

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  30. Christopher McCandless is merely one who is overwhelmed by the concept of a functional society. He choses to evade social scenarios when he is able to, and doesn't always chose the safest method of doing so. He is idealistic, but stubborn at the same time. It isn't until his death that McCandless realizes that he made some cringe-worthy decisions. It still is not clear as to whether Chris was innocently unprepared due to lack of common sense, or if he was suicidal. All in all, McCandless is not an anomaly. An angry, young, educated, socially awkward minimalist who wants to push himself in life.

    Matt, I agree with your suggestion of Chris just wanting to get away from society. He definitely was irrational about it, though, and I don't think what he did was at all practical.

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  31. I think that Chris was an adventurer. He placed himself in the wilds of Alaska, thus making him alone. Almost immediately after finishing college, he ran away, fleeing the grasp of his family and living life the way he wanted to. However just because he was an adventurer, doesn't mean he wasn't stupid. As mentioned earlier, he ran away to Alaska, by himself. No sane person would or should do that. It was practically suicide.

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