Respond to one or more of the following thoughts your classmates have expressed after reading the final chapters of the book. Do you agree or disagree with the statements or opinions? Can you expand or add anything to them? Can you make a connection to texts, discussions or lessons reviewed in class or in your own lives?
- "Chris McCandless was just another teen trying to prove a point." - Danny Gardner
- "It is the job of the adolescent to make mistakes and overindulge in his/her freedoms." - Olivia Taylor
- "Critics cannot criticize because they will never understand Chris's struggles, his point of view and what was going on inside his head." - Bianca Sanabria
- "Without companionship, happiness, fortune and power are meaningless. They don't have any worth if you cannot share them with anyone." - Cesar Presa
- "Chris was smart, brave, and good-natured, but in the end, perhaps he was nothing more than a crazy fool." - Sai Mandalapu
- "I pitied Chris McCandless while reading the last few chapters of the book." - Nick Couper
- "This book only taught me one life lesson: Life should not be a game; life should be whatever makes one happy." - Efe Osemeha
- "If I met Chris, I would yell at him for not being prepared enough but then also at the same time congratulate him for opening up many people's eyes about nature and the power of being alone." - Joe Pedo
- "I have come to appreciate his course of action as well as the extremity of his optimism, for even as he knew he was dying he bid the world farewell with a smile." - Emma Rodriguez
25 comments:
As Danny Gardner had said, "Chris McCandless was just another teen trying to prove a point." I do not agree at all with Danny’s statement in anyway. Chris was not an ordinary teenager, on any level. He was much more unique, caring, and driven then most teenagers I know. Yes, like most teens he was trying to prove a point, but unlike most teens who just either do nothing about that point they are trying to make, he makes it. His point will be remembered forever by his family friends, and everyone that has ever read this book.
This quote I don’t think fits Chris, but it does fit many other teens, Chris was unlike most other people his age in so many ways. He took action on what most others just talked about doing, and put his heart and soul into it.
Most teens are trying to prove a point or rebel, just because its in their nature to do so. Some teens dye their hair crazy colors and put on pounds of makeup, but under all that they still must deal with reality, whatever they are trying to hide will still be there no matter how they look, and what they try to hide. That’s just one way that teens rebel, or try to prove something, and in that case their mostly trying to prove to their parents something.
"Critics cannot criticize because they will never understand Chris's struggles, his point of view and what was going on inside his head." - Bianca Sanabria
I personally love this quote, and totally agree with it. I hate when people in general try and criticize something, or someone they know nothing about. That’s like saying I hate Barack Obama, but I don’t know anything about his issues, or where he stands on anything. There is no point in criticizing something you do not understand, all it does is make you sound really stupid. That’s what my mom always used to say to me, whenever I used to say I believe in this, or hate this, she always told me to research it, then come back and tell her my real opinion about it, now that I really knew what I was talking about.
raech629@verizon.net
I completely agree with Cesar's statement,"Without companionship, happiness, fortune and power are meaningless. They don't have any worth if you cannot share them with anyone."
First of all, there is a reason that we were all put in this world with other people: so we can share our happiness and/or sorrows with at least one other being in this world. I know that in my life, my friends are the best people in the world. They have faith in me in all my endeavors, push me in the right direction, and are always there when I need them. Friends, family, and even strangers are kind and are part of one's life no matter what. Chris unfortunately didn't realize that his family and hisf riends loved him so much. He didn't know the effect that he had on his friends that he met along the way and he didn't fully grasp the effect they had on him. If he had realized how much everyone loved him I think things would've turned out differently. He would have decided to settle down before he reached Alaska. Even though it was his main dream to live off of the Alaskan environment, I think he would've realized that being alone isn't all that its cracked up to be sometimes. Most of time surrounding yourself with people that love you makes you feel better about yourself, and helps you understand yourself more and make better decisions.
I also understand where Efe's coming from saying, "...Life should not be a game; life should be whatever makes one happy." For the majority of Chris' life, he just listened to whatever his parents told him and did whatever they wanted. He didn't want to go to college at all but his parents wanted him to and by giving him to his parents' wants, he wasn't living for himself. So he had to escape from the ropes that have been tying him down for so long and fulfill his dreams. Going to Alaska and living and hitchiking through the states was his dream and was the ultimate sense of freedom for him. He wasn't tied down at all because he cut off most interaction with the rest of the world and therfore didn't need to listen to anyone else or do what anyone else wanted him to do. He had the freedom to do whatever he wanted and that gave him a sense of happiness.
Like Raechel, I also disagree with DAnny's statement. Chris was very unique because I'm pretty sure most teens would give up everything that Chris had before he abandoned his life. Other teens who feel the way that Chris felt are too scared to do what he did. People today yare way too hung up on society's opinion and trends and such, which effects everyone no matter what, so personally I don't blame Chris for leaving it all behind; I think it was the best decision he made in his situation.
kristie.varghese@gmail.com
Nick Couper said, "I pitied Chris McCandless while reading the last few chapters of the book." I did too. I pitied McCandless throughout the course of the story, not only because of his untimely death, but because he practically set himself up for it.
I pitied him because he was not grateful for everything he had for him back home. He had two loving parents who gladly gave him anything he wanted. Those parents, whom he resented because of one dirty little secret were broken down when they found out their son had died. The dirty secret Chris found out about his father was a mental push away from his family, but what gives him the right to hate his father for one slip up, when Chris' own idols made countless mistakes of his own? That was McCandless' tragic flaw.
Actually, I do not know how to explain his tragic flaw clearly. Basically, McCandless resented society for all its' inevitable evils such as greed and poverty. He found a sanctuary in the works of Jack London and Henry David Thoreau. His two greatest influences in life were an awful alcoholic and an assumed hypocrite. Nevertheless, while reading the words of London and Thoreau, McCandless was able to gain insight on a fact that many of us cannot grasp: All of us are equal. That is why McCandless hated eating heartily while others went hungry. This doesn't seem like a flaw, but more like an aspired quality that we all should posses, but the tragedy of it all is that McCandless could not apply his life's philosophy to his own parents.
I do not wish to speak ill of the dead but my reflections and this blog response say otherwise. I pitied and still pity McCandless for being so blind towards the people who raised him. Efe said, "Life should not be a game," but when it looked like he was losing, McCandless made a mental note of saying, "I don't want to play with you anymore," (You = his father, society, etc) and got up to play elsewhere.
I agree with Sai's half hearted resolution in that saying: "Chris was smart, brave, and good-natured, but in the end, perhaps he was nothing more than a crazy fool" (Mandalapu). Chris had great talent in many aspects of life. He was great with money. The book talks about how Chris worked at company as a businessman and made the store so much money that the store offered to pay for his education as long as he kept working for them. He was very musically inclined. He was able to play the piano and sing while at a bar. This is after years of practice in which he could have gotten rusty, but he did not. He was also drunk at the time and still capable. He was also intellectual in the way that he got a degree, a COLLEGE DEGREE. Chris McCandless had the means to be a great person, but he was a crazy fool. Chris decided to go play Survivorman and died in a cold, dirty, abandoned, life draining bus.
Bianca, ironically, talks about critics in a very dogmatic perspective for her quote: "Critics cannot critize because they will never understand Chris's struggles, his point of view and what was going on inside his head" (Sanabria). Bianca is assuming every critic will be taking the total anti Chris because I am an Alaskan stance or something similiar to it. I personally consider myself to be a consistent critic of Chris McCandless and I am not Alaskan if you could not tell. I feel that I do understand that Chris was looking for true freedom and if he found it some how his life purpose would be full filled or that the purpose would become clear. He thought he found it too, to share experiences with everyone else. I see his thought process, but obviously no one sees mine. Chris was on the right path from this point. Life is based on other people, but it is not just about sharing experiences. Anyone could become a psychopath bend on kill everyone in front of their families and that would be a shared experience. However, that is wrong, it is sick, it only tears people apart and leads to a seeding vile contempt for worse evil to come. The purpose of life is to affect people around you in a positive manner. Whether it is inventing a tool to make life less strenuous, changing politics to make a more fair society, or simply cheering someone up when they are having a bad day, this is what we are built for.
I'm sure some people can not understand my thinking. Maybe happiness of that one person is the life goal. Maybe I do not have a say in someone else's life because that is their business as some might think, but I will be damned before I let someone waste his or her potential without saying something about it. It is insulting to do anything other than use what you have.
Email: nicocoup@msn.com
As one can see from my quote, I have a lot of respect for Chris McCandless and his actions which ultimately lead to his death simply because they were the necessary actions for his attaining happiness. However, I do not find this respect for him because I believe he made his decisions in order to prove any point as Danny Gardner suggests, nor do I consider him "just another teen" in any way. I believe that the only person McCandless was interested in proving himself to was himself, and in the end, that is precisely what he did. He reached his goals, experienced new things, and was prepared to face his past and - more importantly, his future by the end of his time in Alaska. He was extremely unique, particularly in his optimism and wholesome view of life.
I was content to find that Efe seemed to agree with me in my view that Chris - unintentionally, showed the world that "life should be whatever makes one happy." It was not until Chris decided to take his life into his own hands that he was able to become content, as well as serious, in terms of his life. Even as he was starving to death, he took a picture of himself smiling and I think this emanates a love for life, and thus, the world.
In the end, however, these are all just my interpretations of Chris' story. I never knew the man, nor have I ever experienced his experiences. It is just as Bianca suggests, no one will ever know what truly went on in his head. I believe his actions were good-natured, his death a tragic accident. However, if there is one thing Chris McCandless' story might teach us, it is that every interpretation of happiness differs, and therefore, it is the job of all people to define, engineer, and pursue theirs.
"It is the job of the adolescent to make mistakes and overindulge in his/her freedoms." - Olivia Taylor
Before reading Olivia’s thoughts, I never thought about making mistakes as a “job.” A job is much more than being employed in a work force. Doing your job means performing tasks and fulfilling your responsibilities to the best of your ability. While some jobs are pleasurable, others are not gratifying. Most people do not like to bear responsibilities, nor do they enjoy being obedient. Making mistakes is not always auspicious; however, when you do commit wrongful actions, it is important not to repeat mistakes and to focus on the lessons learned. As for overindulgence in freedoms, I don’t believe overindulgence should occur at any age. When you become excessively lenient and too accepting, the result is not always a positive one. Regardless of age, I feel that no one should overindulge one’s self simply because humans need some degree of structure to function well and not do harm to others. Absolute freedom eventually yields chaos as seen in Lord of the Flies, or tragedy as evidenced in Into the Wild.
At the Devon School in New Hampshire, most of the boys are isolated from society, as there is a real war occurring beyond their school doors. Finny is the big man on campus and according to Gene, he is thrilled that Finny chooses him as a friend. The critical flaw or mistake in Finny is that he never finds fault or thinks ill of other people. Like a Pollyanna, he always sees the good and is unable to detect evil intent. Because Finny could not accept dissension, he grows upset and runs out the door after being interrogated about the fall. Finny has an optimistic nature which he projects towards everyone. Gene silently resents him in return. These positive expectations ultimately result in errors in judgment and lead Finny to his demise.
"This book only taught me one life lesson: Life should not be a game; life should be whatever makes one happy." - Efe Osemeha
While I feel that this story portrays the rebellious nature of teenage boys, I do agree that life should not be a game. You can’t be a winner every time; in the end, we all lose occasionally. As for life being all about happiness, I disagree. While you should always try to discover and pursue enjoyable activities, there is much more to life. Throughout our existence we must make mistakes, do things we don’t want to do, endure hardships, watch people die; but we also must find acceptance, develop friendships, and pursue our dreams. Chris McCandless wanted to live life where he could be on his own and survive independently. He established a strong relationship with his sister, Carine; why throw that joy away? Was it because he wanted change and a new lifestyle, or was he simply unhappy with his current surroundings? Why not try to improve your environment and relationships instead of fleeing to different ones with new challenges?
The quote that hits home with me is "Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation." -- Oscar Wilde. This sentiment is similar to another quote by Wilde: “Be yourself, everyone else is taken.” These days, is anything truly original? Or is every happening just a big cliché? I am intrigued by Wilde’s thoughts; this quote can sum up some people’s life stories. Everyone is concerned or at least aware of other opinions; they often take them literally and assume them to be true. To what extent do our lives mirror the lives of others? Are our passions just words on a piece of paper to which anyone can lay claim? Interesting.
e.e.butler@comcast.net
"Without companionship, happiness, fortune and power are meaningless. They don't have any worth if you cannot share them with anyone." - Cesar Presa
Chris's sister states that even as a child he could manage being alone without ever feeling "lonely". From an early age, Chris never felt the need to have company; he was always able to carry out selfless tasks on his own and never complained because that is what he liked. You can tell that from an early age, he was different. As the years went on he focused most on what was important in life: school, family, and others. He always had the essentials, but reflecting back on the quote that Cesar made when one has everything he or she needs in life it does not seem necessary to have it all when it is not being shared. Chris goes out into the desert and burned his remaining cash. He did not need the money because in the wilderness there is nothing to buy, so why carry the extra baggage. He also did not take much with him from his home because he did not need the fancy sleeping bags and clothes. He was ALL ALONE.
This can connect back to Lord of the Flies because even if they had necessities there would be no use for them. They could not use a television because there was no electricity. If they had items to write a letter with, it would serve no purpose because they do not have the utilities to send it to the adults. In life this is true as well. Money cannot buy happiness. If you are alone, but you have and extremely high income it may not seem as worth it to you as it would to some other family that has to pay for kids and schooling and what not. Money helps you get the luxuries that you want to be happy, but it will not fill a void. Just like Chris always wanted to travel and the idea that his family had a lot of money did not change his mind. He did not just buy a plane ticket to some exotic country for a month; he risked his life to fulfill what he wanted to do- wander into the wilderness.
I agree with Kristie when she says that she enjoys doing well because her friends and family are proud of her for it. I do not think that I would try so hard in life if there was no one to help me celebrate. For example, all year my math grade has been struggling and everytime I get a good grade I text my mom and dad and it automatically makes my day better. I like the feeling of knowing that someone else is proud of me for what I am doing other than myself. Chris was not normal because he did not need that type of support. All he needed was his self approval.
syd1194@aol.com
I agree with what Raechel said about Danny Gardner's quote. Danny stated, "Chris McCandless was just another teen trying to prove a point." I do not agree with this. Like Raechel said, Chris was very unique. I constantly hear teens talking about their dreams for the future, but I have yet to come about more than 8 teens that ACTUALLY take steps to accomplishing their goals. Not all the dreams may be about what career they want to follow or what college they want to go to, but it can be a dream like what Chris was following; he wanted to reconnect with the nature and the wild.
Looking at Chris and other teens, they are completely different. Chris went out and followed his dream. He never let anyone stop him, not even his parents. What he did was for his interest. Not to accomodate anyone else. He was never trying to "prove a point" to anyone besides himself. He never expected for his adventure to be turned into a book for the public to read. The world is split into two groups of people: people who do things for other people, and the people that do things for THEMSELVES. This group is what Chris fell under, so no Chris was not "just another teen".
Bianca Sanabria says,"Critics cannot critize because they will never understand Chris' struggles, his point of view and what was going on inside his head." I completely agree with Bianca when she says this. In order for someone to understand why someone makes a certain decision, is ONLY and if they went through the same experiences. In a way all critics that make judgements on Chris, are "judging a book by its cover".
All they see is what people publish in the newpapers and what people write about him. This is a constant struggle as well in everyday life. I was on facebook once and there was a status post that said something like, "You see a pregant 14 year old and you call her a Slut, but you don't know that she was raped when she was 13. You see an obese person and you point and laugh, but you dont know that he has a serious medical condiditon that causes him to be fat. and you see a little metally ill boy and you stay treating him differently and making fun of him, but you don't know that he came out this way because his mom did drugs when she was pregnant." I feel like this ties in alot with that Chris went through and now what critics say about him. People say he was crazy and stupid for doing this, but people don't know that this was his dream; just like everyone else who has a dream. The only difference is that he accomplished his dream, but sadly died while on his journey.
ecanancy@hotmail.com
• "Chris was smart, brave, and good-natured, but in the end, perhaps he was nothing more than a crazy fool." - Sai Mandalapu
This is probably the quote that everyone who has read this book felt at one time or point while reading it. Sai is very correct when he makes this statement. Chris McCandless is intelligent. I mean, with his brains, one would think that he would come up with a cure for AIDS. But he may have been a serious fool. For example, Chris knows ahead of time that he would be traveling to Alaska to live “in the wild”. He did NOT tell his parents about it; meaning that if he got into trouble, which he did, he would have NO way to contact them or tell them what was going on. Chris McCandless was book smart – agreed – but he possessed no type of common sense – something that would help him live. It is proven, some of the most intelligent people do NOT have common sense – and that is their tragic flaw. Chris McCandless was a DAMN fool!
But was he a fool for following his dreams? Was he a fool for dying happy? Those are the questions that plague the audience’s mind while reading this biographical novel. After thoroughly analyzing his life story I have decided that I would rather die a happy fool than to die intelligent and melancholy. "I have come to appreciate his course of action as well as the extremity of his optimism, for even as he knew he was dying he bid the world farewell with a smile." - Emma Rodriguez. At one point while reading this novel, I wondered why the author would want to write about some unappreciative white boy that decided to move into the wild and thus kill himself. After reading the novel I, like Emma, appreciate and respect the fact that he died happy. I keep on stressing this fact because many people, before they die, regret what they did NOT do while they had the chance to do it. They worried about what they could NOT do instead of being happy about what they could do.
Danny Gardner stated, “Chris McCandless was just an ordinary teen trying to prove a point.” When I read this statement I agreed and disagreed. I agreed because I believe that Chris had a more powerful reason for leaving society than just his love for nature. When reading his story I felt that Chris was trying to make a point to those who take advantage for what they have in front of them. People have to appreciate the beauty within nature and themselves, instead focusing on materialist items. In life people tend to forget what is truly important and what was given to us naturally. Therefore I believe Chris tried to show everyone the true meaning of life and why it was given to us. Chris also tried to prove that society can influence people’s behavior and loose focus of who they truly are. This is very similar to the message given in The Lord of the Flies, where Golding tries to show the reader how society influences people’s behavior. I disagreed with Danny’s quote for the same reasons Reachel Ritzer disagreed. Chris was not an ordinary teenager; he was a very unique individual who had a strong and different outlook on society.
With Chris being such a unique individual he left society to prove a point but did what made him happy. That is why I agree with Efe’s statement, “Life should be whatever makes you happy.” I agree with this statement because Chris also took his journey to live a happy life away from society. Chris knew living in nature would truly make him happy instead of fulfilling someone else’s wishes. Just like Kristie stated, Chris listened to what his parents said such a going to college until he decided to escape to fulfill his passion. His experience also teaches people that they can go to school to become a doctor or lawyer, but if they do it for money instead of passion, they will never be happy. Therefore people have to follow their dreams and do what truly makes them happy, not because parents say to do so.
biancasanabria13@hotmail.com
I agree with Danny Gardner when he says "Chris McCandless was just another teen trying to prove a point." You often read in literature or watch movies about adolescents who are sick of their monotonous lives, and decide to go on an adventure of some sort. Obviously, Chris's story is just one of hundreds of journeys and tragedies about unhappy teens fueled by hormones. I obviously agree with my quote that he might have just been a fool and gotten famous for it. I don't really agree with any of the quotes that describe him as a revolutionary legend or anything. His tale has been told before but just in different forms. Since Pedo knows I mean well, Joe, I am completely against your quote in general. Maybe Ms. Depalo picked a bad quote for you, but not only is it poorly written, but based only on this quote, I feel that you missed the point of the book. Personally, I don't think the main lesson was to "be prepared" and I disagree that Chris showed people the power of nature. However, you may be right that he enlightened people about solitude.
I do feel that I can compare myself to Chris in many ways. Our ideals, desires, and family life are rather similar, but I would never do what he did to my family and the people around me. I probably just wouldn't be able to handle the guilt, but I'm still a lot younger than Chris was when he took off. Things change.
As Sai said Chris just turned out to be a crazy fool in the end. I agree with this statement because Chris had a lot going for him and then in the end he threw it all away. Even if he felt that it was his duty to create a new image for himself and try to live off of the land that still is not a good reason for being an idiot in life and trading in what could have been a very succesful one for a very short life ending in a tragic loss. I believe this book was a way for a man to give up on life. No matter how hard he tried to say it was to feel how a homeless man felt so person with such an oppurtunity infront of them would ever turn it down and would not drop it to live with the wolves. My main theory about Christopher McCandless is that he suffered from a disease to alter his feelings about the state of the world.
Cesar stated, "Without companionship, happiness, fortune and power are meaningless. They don't have any worth if you cannot share them with anyone."
Throughout the Into the Wild, Chris McCandless did not often have any sort of companionship other then the strangers he hitched rides from. I agree with this statement because if I was placed into McCandless' position, I would not want to be alone. Having companions along with you, make the time on your journey worth while. It also lets you have the ability to make memories with one another. I agree with how Kristie said the main reason people are put into this world is so we can share our memories together. Companions are there for all the good and bad times. They are there to help us through the tough times we put our selves in. Chris McCandless didn't have any of that. Even though he purposely put himself in that situation alone, having company along would make him happier and more successful along his odyssey.
I also have to agree with how Sydney relates Cesar's statement to Lord of the Flies. If Chris McCandless was placed into that situation on the island, he would have a great amount of difficulty trying to survive. He would not have the company to build his own shelter. McCandless would constantly be up trying to keep the fire going. Jack had his other followers along with him to hunt for food. Chris would have a much more difficult time to hunt. More patience would be involved in the hunt, unlike with Jack and his companions.
I agree with Efe's statement, "This book only taught me one life lesson: Life should not be a game; life should be whatever makes one happy," although there are actually two life lessons mentioned, not one. Efe's statement half agrees with and half contradicts Chris McCandless life style and values. Chris appears to view life as a game in a way and one wins by surviving. Chris continuously pushed himself to limits, like challenges in a game, to see if he could overcome them. Although he overcame many obstacles that were out of his control, he also created his own difficulties by not bringing proper equipment and making difficult situations even worse by being unprepared. Most people would think of this ideology that life is a game to be absurd, depressing, and ignorant but Chris didn't. This now ties into Efe's second realized 'life lesson'. Efe says that life should be whatever makes you happy. Well what made Chris happy was the challenge of surviving; living off the land; abandoning the rules of society. In the very last chapter, Krakauer tells us that Chris took a last picture of himself before he died and it he looked completely at peace with the world, despite being malnourished and on the brink of death.
It is impossible to truly understand Chris' mindset or the meaning of life. Was Chris playing a game of life? Is life just a game? Was he really happy? Why? Can anybody really say what can and cannot make someone happy?
I agree with Efe that some people treat life as a game. However, I think people mostly focus on making themselves happy but don't think about the long term effects. People like to go out and have fun and put off doing their work for school. Short term, they will have a lot of fun but long term they will have bad grades which can hurt their future. Reaching your life goal is the right thing to do but getting there takes hard work. Also doing what makes you happy is not always the best thing to do. Chris proves this. He did what made him happy but it led to his death. I personally don't think that being happy is worth an early death. Overall, I do agree with Efe's quote that people should live their lives to make themselves happy and not anyone else.
I agree with Bianca when she says, "Critics cannot criticize because they will never understand Chris's struggles, his point of view and what was going on inside his head." No one can judge Chris for what he did, because no one knows what goes on in his head. I basically completely agree with this quote.
In the end Chris made the decisions that he did, because HE wanted to. Other peoples judgements didn't effect him, and he did what he needed to do. So no one can stand from an outside standpoint, and try to criticize what Chris did, because they have no idea what was in his mind as he embarked on his adventure.
As I have been saying from the beginning there is no reason for people to judge Chris. In the story he expresses that he is going on this "adventure" to be at peace wit himself, because it is something he feels he has to do. Alot of times in life you may want to make a certain decision, but the thought of what others may think holds you back. In the scenario in "Into the Wild" with Chris he doesn't fall into the trap of letting others influence his decisions, and that's why I feel the peole in the story are upset with him.
Bianca brings up a good point when she says that you cannot judge him because we will never know what he was thinking. It is very hard to judge him and any of his thoughts and beliefs because we do not truly understand how he thinks. It is clear that he may act differently but we cannot make any assumptions unless we knew more about him. Knowing that he is different isn’t enough support to challenge any of his ideas or actions other than saying he is absolutely crazy. Efe’s quote was interesting to me. I look at life as a game but only make the moves that make me happy. I can understand what Efe is trying to say but the way I interpreted it was that life should not be serious but instead more relaxed. If that is the case then I completely agree. You do not want to go through life doing something that you don’t enjoy. You only have one life so you might as well make the most out of it. If so then there is no sense in doing something that will not make you happy. Of course there are some bad events that we have no control over and must face one way or another. However the choices we should make should be ones that our hearts select and not our peers.
Out of all the reactions listed from my fellow classmates I agree with Danny and Efe's the most. When Danny states "Chris McCandless was just another teen trying to prove a point." it states my exact thoughts. Throughout the entire story McCandless just tries to prove the point of true happiness. He makes it known time and time again that even if you have a great family, quality education, and a perfect life in front of you it does not always bring true happiness. As we all know being a teenager is quite aggravating, especially thinking about our future's. Chris escapes these worries and decides to just live in the nature and let his mind escape the usual. Chris is a young man who is simply just attempting to find himself and what life is all about.
I agree with Efe's comment when she states "This book only taught me one life lesson: Life should not be a game; life should be whatever makes one happy". This is exactly what the story was all about. It is about a man who wanted to show everyone that life is what you make of it. Everyone is so worried about when or if they die. What I do not understand is why we cannot all carry a little Chris McCandless inside of us. To me living life is to find happiness and not worry about what happens when your time is up or even when your time is up. All in all this book is a life lesson written about a man who was just expressing this point. Danny and Efe's statments express what the story was all about perfectly
"Chris McCandless was just another teen trying to prove a point." - Danny Gardner
I do not fully agree with this statement. To start off I should just say I believe McCandless was the farthest thing from being "just another teen". "Just another teen" worries about relationships, money/ buying material goods such as the latest ipod and/or trending fads. However I agree that McCandless was trying to make a point, but then again who is not? Life itself is about embracing what matters most to us, and isn't that in its self "trying" to make a point? We are defined by our actions and distinguished by them. Everything we do has an impact, and we do the things we do in order to make a point/express something: do we not? Everything I say or do reflects an inner intension, and I believe that we should not belittle and categorize McCandless' experiences for a folly that which is in all human beings. I agree with Bianca when she says we cannot judge him because the inside of his "mind" is unseen. One cannot place a stereotype upon McCandless such as "just another teen" when he is filled with his complexity.
Other than agrees with my own quote, I also liked Efe’s quote. Life should be for yourself, and even though that seems very selfish, its only for the best of you. If you live life doing something you like then, that is what makes people happy. Chris likes to live by himself, which is what made him happy. I do not think he was a fool as Sai makes him seem. The only foolish act that he did was to not be prepared enough. I am not saying that, that is the moral of the story, but if was prepared more he could have had saved his life. Chris really wanted to go back to civilization, he was not crazy, he just needed some time to think. Many people after reading this book say Chris was a fool, that died then became famous for it. They forget that Chris is dead, he is not alive to receive his fame. He did not do what he did for fame, and when he says that he would come back and write a book about his journey, it is not to get famous it is to show others that people are so caught up in their lives to acknowledge the wonderful life they dwell upon.
The only reason most of the people in the world cannot do what Chris did, is because they love the worldly things too much. Most people could not just drop everything they have and go to a uncivilized place because they are so attached to their worldly things. Have the power to just be able to leave everything behind and do something by yourself is good, because in the real world, you are on your own. I think I would be able to do what Chris did. I do not feel so attached to anything in my life that I could not leave. Even my parents, no offense to them, but one day they would be gone, and everybody has to be ready for a moment like that. Even though I would have a hard time by myself, I would have Chris as a role model.
joepedo@ymail.com
I do not agree with Efe I feel that life is the most challenging game, because you make your own decisions and never no what to expect. I agree with Bianca because you can never truly fully criticize this man because you never know exactly what he was thinking. Chris made a life decision one that he could have backed out of but chose not too. Chris's life and his journey became one of those mysteries people will always wonder about but will never have the answer too. I also agree with what Emma says because despite the fact that Chris was dying he wasnt afraid. In my mind I think that means that Chris was ready and willing for his life to end, I doubt he had any regrets about anything he had done in his life. When I die I can honestly say that I want to die like Chris, I want to in a place that I love and living the life I enjoy living. In your life you need to learn that your living for you not anyone else. It hurts me a lot to see when kids in our school say " Oh my parents want me to be a docter", it always make me want to slap them and ask " WHAT DO YOU WANT?". Your parents are very important dont get me wrong but you need to live you life to make yourself happy like Chris did. I respect anyone who can stand up to their parents and tell them that they want to live their life up to his or her own standards not theirs.
"Chris McCandless was just another teen trying to prove a point." - Danny Gardner
I completely disagree with Danny. Chris was not trying to prove any point. He needed to do this for himself. I, like Chris, like to be completely isolated from everyone and everything. Chris felt the need to go all the way into the cold wilderness of Alaska to get away from it all. I'd prefer being on an island like the boys from Lord of the Flies. Just because we like to be alone does not mean we crave attention or need to prove a point. It's quite the opposite actually. We don't want anyone to care for us. Better to be forgotten. I bet Chris could care less about what anyone else said or thought about his personal journey. The point is he did this for himself and no other.
Jazzyjass@verizon.net
I will be responding to Efe's quote: This book only taught me one life lesson: Life should not be a game; life should be whatever makes one happy."
This is actually very true and the fact of the matter is that far too many people in the world today take their lives for granted and pretend like it is just one big game. There are also people that believe in doing what makes them happy which is the right way to run your life. I am not saying that their is a right or wrong way to run your live in specific just the fact that you only live once so you should make the best of it. Also, it ties into the fact about how people commit suicide. People that take their own lives or think this way have serious problems and do not realize what impact they will have by making all of these actions. Just like Chris, he was very selfish and in the end even though everyone cared about him and wanted to take care of him, he never took the help or advise and died. He left his family crushed and heartbroken due to the fact that he took his life for granted and just acted like it was one big joke/game and he thought he had a million lives. Well newsflash, if I could talk to Chris I would tell him that life is not like Super Mario and we only get one life. I feel very sorry for people who do not live up to their full potential and make something great out of their lives.
"Critics cannot criticize because they will never understand Chris's struggles, his point of view and what was going on inside his head." - Bianca Sanabria
I agree with this quote by Bianca because often times people try to generalize people/things. But they fail to realize that everyone is different and that everyone has different things running through there mind. Whenever one of my siblings makes a mistake, my parents think we all act the same way, but they do not see past the fact everyone makes mistakes, and they do it for different reasons."This book only taught me one life lesson: Life should not be a game; life should be whatever makes one happy." - Efe Osemeha
I also agree with this quote by Efe because when I grow up, I would like to engage in a profession in which I would make a lot of money. But I have many people telling me that I should pursue happiness first and the money would follow. But to me, the money would be a security blanket in order for me to pursue my happiness. But when one actually looks at examines the situation, the people who are truly happy, are the ones who chases their dreams whole-heartedly.
I'm so sorry Ms.DePalo, I swear I have been trying to submit my response since 11:48 but every time i would click PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT it kept bringing me to the page saying "your post could not be submitted at this time" but it always does that to me for some reason
Post a Comment