“two weeks before he left for Alaska he had signed his name...And in the blank for his social security number he’d put down 228-31-6704” I wonder why Chris left his information with Westerberg if he didn’t want to be tracked, what’s the point of changing his name then?
“And like McCandless, upon embarking on his terminal odyssey, Ruess adopts a new name” I think that McCandless went by another name so he couldn’t be found as easily, but I think Everett went by a new name so he could create a whole new person.
How did the police and state troopers know that Everett was dead, couldn't he have run away and gone off the grid instead? -Sarah MacCormick
“Chris McCandless to inscribe ‘Alexander SuperTramp/May 1992’ on the wall of the Sushana bus”. I thought it was interesting that he put his fake name on the bus instead of his real name. If he had put his real name I also wonder if they would have been able to identify the body much quicker and with less effort.
“I have changed my name again, to Evert Rulan.” I thought it was interesting that he would change his name once and then change it again. Why wouldn’t he just choose the second one at the beginning instead of Lan Rameau.
Is there a Difference between regular Harvard College and Harvard Divinity College, if so, what is the difference?
P: 55: "McCandless, uncomfortable with the request, dodged the question: "We'll talk about it when I get back from Alaska, Ron."'" I think Alex dodged the question because he didn't want to become to attached to anybody emotionally, which would restrict him from continuing on his journey without hurting anybody.
P: 63: Thirty-five years old, divorced, a mother o two teenage children, she quickly became close to McCandless. "He was kind of shy at first," says Borah. "He actedl ike it was hard for him to be around people."'" I wonder what Borah sees in McCandless that made her instantly attracted to him.
Why does Alex fill out one W-4 form with a bunch of crap, then later on fills out a form with real information? I thought he didn't want to be tracked by his old life.
Q: Why does Chris always decline money and supplies that people want to give to him if he is just going to have to work for money to buy the supplies?
Quote 1: "McCandless, nevertheless, took a strong liking to Bullhead" I think McCandless took such a strong liking to Bullhead because it reminded him of what he wants to get away from. Also, I think that he liked the feeling of being alone in the desert.
Quote 2: "So i asked Alex if I could adopt him as my grandson." McCandless, uncomfortable with the request, dodged the question: "We'll talk about it when I get back from Alaska, Ron." I think that Chris (Alex) dodges the question because he doesn't want to get too close to anyone before his trip. He wants to get as far as possible away from society which, in turn means he needs to distance himself in his relationships with people.
1."'Everett was strange,’ Sleight concedes. ‘Kind of different. But him and McCandless, at least they tried to follow their dream thats what was great about them. They tried. Not many do.’” (Krakauer 96) Opinion. I agree with opinion from Sleight because I think it is very astute and I admire McCandless for the same reason; that he followed his dream and went against the "normal way of life.”
2. “It was an eight-by-ten enlargement,” Sam recalls, “A head shot. His hair was long, and he had a beard. Chris almost always had short hair and was clean-shaven. And the face in the picture was extremely gaunt. But I knew right away. There was no doubt. It was Chris. I went home, picked up Michele, my wife, and drove out to Maryland to tell Dad and Billie. I didn’t know what I was going to say. How do you tell someone their child is dead?”’ I thought that this quote was very touching because imagining having to 1) Identify your half brother who you didn’t really know. I would feel very guilty that I didn’t get to know him better. And 2) Having to tell your Dad and your half brothers Mom that their son is dead is pretty much everyone's worst nightmare.
Question: I wonder if McCandlesses parents had any inkling that it was Chris in all those news articles.
(Pg 93) "he informs his family that he has taken to calling himself Lan Rameau." I think that it is odd how he informs his family that he his changing his name. This means he didn't change his name for tracking reasons.
(Pg 96)" Everett was a loner, but he liked people to damn much to stay down there and live in secret for the rest of his life." Everett and Chris chose to live the same lifestyle but they did not choose to live it for the same reasons. Chris didn't not like people "too damn much."
Question:Why are so many people claiming to be related or to know Chris after his death?
Opinion Response: ”Reading of these monks, one is moved by their courage, their reckless innocence, and the urgency of their desire. Reading of these monks, one can’t help thinking of Everett Ruess and Chris McCandless” 97. It is possible to agree with the author about thinking that McCandless, and Ruess were similar to the monks, but only on the pure basis of stupidity. The words the author uses to describe to monks’ and the two adventurers’ traits are “courage,” “reckless innocence,” and “urgency of their desire” 97. In reality, the monks were only courageous, innocent, and urgent with their desires while crossing the ocean in their attempt to escape life and its challenges, this truly make the monks cowardly. The monks were recklessly guilty trying to play God’s role of perfection having no human temptation. The monks were urging their perfection desires for their human life, while having a strong possibility to die while crossing the treacherous ocean in their travels. McCandless, and Ruess both were courageous, however in their case it was much more of a blindness, and unknowing of what was to come, combined with stupid decision making allowing them to seem courageous in the process, as seen when Ruess climbs cliffs haphazardly, or when McCandless refuses to take help from anyone, thinking he would be his own frontier hero. McCandless, and Ruess showed reckless innocence while cutting off from society with no means to call for help eventually resulting in their deaths. McCandless and Ruess’s urgency of their desires both made them leave the most important thing in life, their family, making the monk and adventurer comparison completely valid, because all of their decisions were completely stupid, and over emphasized with undeserved attention.
Musing Response: “The cop told me they’d had more than one hundred fifty callers from folks who thought Alex was their kid, their friend, their brother” 100. Did Chris McCandless have a lasting impression on everyone he met despite the fact that he had so many bad qualities? McCandless most likely covered for his vile, rash attributes by using his talents (such as piano), or through skilled talking. It makes no sense how some of his most offensive words to Ron about leaving his house and possessions caused Ron to want to adopt him.
Clarifying Question: When the author talks of similar cases to Chris’s death, is he trying to prove all of these people are alike and they all have some mental abnormalities?
On page 68 Borah says “He wasn't planning on being gone all that long; I figured he wouldn't have been crying unless he intended to take some big risks and knew he might not be coming back.” Chris was well aware that he could die going on his adventure, but he is also excited. “He talked about the trip at every opportunity.” (66). I think that Chris unexpectedly gets close to people. He was planning to go on an adventure to be alone but then he ending up caring for a bunch of people so he was sad when his trip to Alaska started. “I decided I couldn't believe in a god who would let something that terrible happen to a boy like Alex.”(60). Franz says this I think it is really sad that Franz wanted to adopt Chris and then learned he died from a strangers. Why did Chris give Westerberg his real social security number?
Pg 90: "No man with any juices of boyhood in him has forgotten those dreams. The peculiar thing about Everett Ruess is that he went out and did the things he dreamed about" Opinion: I think that it is great that people like Everett and Chris are able to let go of everything and go pursue their dreams. they realized that they didn't have to be unhappy and lead an uneventful life, so they left.
Pg 94: Shortly after Everett's disappearance his father suggested that the boy had probably been inspired to call himself Nemo by Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - a book Everett read many times" Connection: Both Chris McCandless and Everett Ruess were inspired by literature: McCandless by Jack London and Thoreau, and Ruess by Verne.
Why did McCandless put down real information on Westerberg's form the second time- did he know he might not be coming back?
Quote #1 "I'll be fine with what I've got." Opinion: I think This quote brings out Chris's ignorance because the reason he dies is because he is not fine with what he has.
Quote #2 "I wasn't used to drinking, so it made me sick. Hoped it'd kill me, but it didn't. Just made me real, real sick". Musing: This quote made me feel sad because by not preparing himself for his new lifestyle, Chris not only died, but effected others in a negative way too. Although I believe Chris effected people negatively, he also effected them in a good way as well.
Question: was Chris McCandless mentaly disturbed or was he just a restless spirit?
Quote #1: " When his camera was ruined and McCandless stopped taking photographs he also stopped keeping a journal." Muse: This quote makes me wonder if this was near the point where chris decided he may want to live the tramping life for ever, therefor meaning that he did not have to save the memories any more because he would be living them for the rest of his life.
Quote #2: " 'I even offered to buy him (Chris)a plane ticket to Fairbanks,' ... 'No I want to hitch up north.' ( Chris's response to the offer) " Opinion: I think chris wanted to hitch hike up to Alaska instead of taking a plane for two reasons. one reason being that despite his love of being off in the solitude of the wild he also enjoyed making connections with the people he met while hitch hiking. Also I think Chris did not accept the plane ticket because, thought in most peoples minds it would make no difference how they got to there destination, chris needed to feel like he was the one who had done everything to get himself from place to place on his journey. sadly though this obsessive drive for total independence would later lead to chris's demise.
I Can Kind Of Relate Too What McCandless and Reuss did (going off into the wild and exploring the world around them). Like When Reuss wrote "I Have Been Thinking More and More that I shall always be a lone wanderer of the wilderness" because when I was younger I would always wander off into the woods to explore them and adventure.
"Ruess Churned out many such letters, which bore the postmarks of the remote settlements through which he had passed: Kayenta, Chinle, Lukachukai; Zion Canyon, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde; Escalante, Rainbow Bridge, Canyon De Chelly." During all of this why did none of his family though maybe he should come home and not possibly die in some lonely forgotten place or were they ok with him gallivanting across the old west.
Is it possible that since Chris had basically disowned his father, he took on all the writers he read about as a sort of father figure which is why he went on his journey/adventure?
" When Chris was leaving the town Bull Head Burres offer to give Chris some supplies for his trip, he accepts it to shut Burres up, but then Burres discovers it hidden underneath the seat of the van. I really think that this was a dumb move on Chris's part not to just take some more supplies.
"When Chris's dad was talking about how he supported supported both of his families it would be interesting to find out how he was able to make enough money to support both families and how was he able to spend enough time with each of his families without causing suspicion.
Why did Chris go to Collage even if he was going to not use his skills he got in collage ?
" If you don't take it, i'm going to throw it away" I think this is annoying because Chris should at least have a watch with him when he's like in the wild.
Gracie: "How much do I owe you?" This is also annoying because Chris says he doesn't have anything like money or stuff. But then he goes and offers stuff to this guy.
Why did the wilderness seem like a good idea to chris?
“two weeks before he left for Alaska he had signed his name...And in the blank for his social security number he’d put down 228-31-6704” I wonder why Chris left his information with Westerberg if he didn’t want to be tracked, what’s the point of changing his name then?
ReplyDelete“And like McCandless, upon embarking on his terminal odyssey, Ruess adopts a new name” I think that McCandless went by another name so he couldn’t be found as easily, but I think Everett went by a new name so he could create a whole new person.
How did the police and state troopers know that Everett was dead, couldn't he have run away and gone off the grid instead? -Sarah MacCormick
“Chris McCandless to inscribe ‘Alexander SuperTramp/May 1992’ on the wall of the Sushana bus”. I thought it was interesting that he put his fake name on the bus instead of his real name. If he had put his real name I also wonder if they would have been able to identify the body much quicker and with less effort.
ReplyDelete“I have changed my name again, to Evert Rulan.” I thought it was interesting that he would change his name once and then change it again. Why wouldn’t he just choose the second one at the beginning instead of Lan Rameau.
Is there a Difference between regular Harvard College and Harvard Divinity College, if so, what is the difference?
P: 55: "McCandless, uncomfortable with the request, dodged the question: "We'll talk about it when I get back from Alaska, Ron."'" I think Alex dodged the question because he didn't want to become to attached to anybody emotionally, which would restrict him from continuing on his journey without hurting anybody.
ReplyDeleteP: 63: Thirty-five years old, divorced, a mother o two teenage children, she quickly became close to McCandless. "He was kind of shy at first," says Borah. "He actedl ike it was hard for him to be around people."'" I wonder what Borah sees in McCandless that made her instantly attracted to him.
Why does Alex fill out one W-4 form with a bunch of crap, then later on fills out a form with real information? I thought he didn't want to be tracked by his old life.
Q: Why does Chris always decline money and supplies that people want to give to him if he is just going to have to work for money to buy the supplies?
ReplyDeleteQuote 1: "McCandless, nevertheless, took a strong liking to Bullhead" I think McCandless took such a strong liking to Bullhead because it reminded him of what he wants to get away from. Also, I think that he liked the feeling of being alone in the desert.
Quote 2: "So i asked Alex if I could adopt him as my grandson." McCandless, uncomfortable with the request, dodged the question: "We'll talk about it when I get back from Alaska, Ron." I think that Chris (Alex) dodges the question because he doesn't want to get too close to anyone before his trip. He wants to get as far as possible away from society which, in turn means he needs to distance himself in his relationships with people.
1."'Everett was strange,’ Sleight concedes. ‘Kind of different. But him and McCandless, at least they tried to follow their dream thats what was great about them. They tried. Not many do.’” (Krakauer 96) Opinion. I agree with opinion from Sleight because I think it is very astute and I admire McCandless for the same reason; that he followed his dream and went against the "normal way of life.”
ReplyDelete2. “It was an eight-by-ten enlargement,” Sam recalls, “A head shot. His hair was long, and he had a beard. Chris almost always had short hair and was clean-shaven. And the face in the picture was extremely gaunt. But I knew right away. There was no doubt. It was Chris. I went home, picked up Michele, my wife, and drove out to Maryland to tell Dad and Billie. I didn’t know what I was going to say. How do you tell someone their child is dead?”’ I thought that this quote was very touching because imagining having to 1) Identify your half brother who you didn’t really know. I would feel very guilty that I didn’t get to know him better. And 2) Having to tell your Dad and your half brothers Mom that their son is dead is pretty much everyone's worst nightmare.
Question: I wonder if McCandlesses parents had any inkling that it was Chris in all those news articles.
(Pg 93) "he informs his family that he has taken to calling himself Lan Rameau." I think that it is odd how he informs his family that he his changing his name. This means he didn't change his name for tracking reasons.
ReplyDelete(Pg 96)" Everett was a loner, but he liked people to damn much to stay down there and live in secret for the rest of his life." Everett and Chris chose to live the same lifestyle but they did not choose to live it for the same reasons. Chris didn't not like people "too damn much."
Question:Why are so many people claiming to be related or to know Chris after his death?
Opinion Response: ”Reading of these monks, one is moved by their courage, their reckless innocence, and the urgency of their desire. Reading of these monks, one can’t help thinking of Everett Ruess and Chris McCandless” 97. It is possible to agree with the author about thinking that McCandless, and Ruess were similar to the monks, but only on the pure basis of stupidity. The words the author uses to describe to monks’ and the two adventurers’ traits are “courage,” “reckless innocence,” and “urgency of their desire” 97. In reality, the monks were only courageous, innocent, and urgent with their desires while crossing the ocean in their attempt to escape life and its challenges, this truly make the monks cowardly. The monks were recklessly guilty trying to play God’s role of perfection having no human temptation. The monks were urging their perfection desires for their human life, while having a strong possibility to die while crossing the treacherous ocean in their travels. McCandless, and Ruess both were courageous, however in their case it was much more of a blindness, and unknowing of what was to come, combined with stupid decision making allowing them to seem courageous in the process, as seen when Ruess climbs cliffs haphazardly, or when McCandless refuses to take help from anyone, thinking he would be his own frontier hero. McCandless, and Ruess showed reckless innocence while cutting off from society with no means to call for help eventually resulting in their deaths. McCandless and Ruess’s urgency of their desires both made them leave the most important thing in life, their family, making the monk and adventurer comparison completely valid, because all of their decisions were completely stupid, and over emphasized with undeserved attention.
ReplyDeleteMusing Response: “The cop told me they’d had more than one hundred fifty callers from folks who thought Alex was their kid, their friend, their brother” 100. Did Chris McCandless have a lasting impression on everyone he met despite the fact that he had so many bad qualities? McCandless most likely covered for his vile, rash attributes by using his talents (such as piano), or through skilled talking. It makes no sense how some of his most offensive words to Ron about leaving his house and possessions caused Ron to want to adopt him.
Clarifying Question: When the author talks of similar cases to Chris’s death, is he trying to prove all of these people are alike and they all have some mental abnormalities?
On page 68 Borah says “He wasn't planning on being gone all that long; I figured he wouldn't have been crying unless he intended to take some big risks and knew he might not be coming back.” Chris was well aware that he could die going on his adventure, but he is also excited. “He talked about the trip at every opportunity.” (66). I think that Chris unexpectedly gets close to people. He was planning to go on an adventure to be alone but then he ending up caring for a bunch of people so he was sad when his trip to Alaska started.
ReplyDelete“I decided I couldn't believe in a god who would let something that terrible happen to a boy like Alex.”(60). Franz says this I think it is really sad that Franz wanted to adopt Chris and then learned he died from a strangers.
Why did Chris give Westerberg his real social security number?
Pg 90: "No man with any juices of boyhood in him has forgotten those dreams. The peculiar thing about Everett Ruess is that he went out and did the things he dreamed about" Opinion: I think that it is great that people like Everett and Chris are able to let go of everything and go pursue their dreams. they realized that they didn't have to be unhappy and lead an uneventful life, so they left.
ReplyDeletePg 94: Shortly after Everett's disappearance his father suggested that the boy had probably been inspired to call himself Nemo by Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - a book Everett read many times" Connection: Both Chris McCandless and Everett Ruess were inspired by literature: McCandless by Jack London and Thoreau, and Ruess by Verne.
Why did McCandless put down real information on Westerberg's form the second time- did he know he might not be coming back?
Q: Was Chris scared of dying? If not why?
ReplyDeleteQuote #1 "I'll be fine with what I've got." Opinion: I think This quote brings out Chris's ignorance because the reason he dies is because he is not fine with what he has.
Quote #2 "I wasn't used to drinking, so it made me sick. Hoped it'd kill me, but it didn't. Just made me real, real sick". Musing: This quote made me feel sad because by not preparing himself for his new lifestyle, Chris not only died, but effected others in a negative way too. Although I believe Chris effected people negatively, he also effected them in a good way as well.
Camila Pentland
Question: was Chris McCandless mentaly disturbed or was he just a restless spirit?
ReplyDeleteQuote #1: " When his camera was ruined and McCandless stopped taking photographs he also stopped keeping a journal." Muse: This quote makes me wonder if this was near the point where chris decided he may want to live the tramping life for ever, therefor meaning that he did not have to save the memories any more because he would be living them for the rest of his life.
Quote #2: " 'I even offered to buy him (Chris)a plane ticket to Fairbanks,' ... 'No I want to hitch up north.' ( Chris's response to the offer) " Opinion: I think chris wanted to hitch hike up to Alaska instead of taking a plane for two reasons. one reason being that despite his love of being off in the solitude of the wild he also enjoyed making connections with the people he met while hitch hiking. Also I think Chris did not accept the plane ticket because, thought in most peoples minds it would make no difference how they got to there destination, chris needed to feel like he was the one who had done everything to get himself from place to place on his journey. sadly though this obsessive drive for total independence would later lead to chris's demise.
I Can Kind Of Relate Too What McCandless and Reuss did (going off into the wild and exploring the world around them). Like When Reuss wrote "I Have Been Thinking More and More that I shall always be a lone wanderer of the wilderness" because when I was younger I would always wander off into the woods to explore them and adventure.
ReplyDelete"Ruess Churned out many such letters, which bore the postmarks of the remote settlements through which he had passed: Kayenta, Chinle, Lukachukai; Zion Canyon, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde; Escalante, Rainbow Bridge, Canyon De Chelly." During all of this why did none of his family though maybe he should come home and not possibly die in some lonely forgotten place or were they ok with him gallivanting across the old west.
Is it possible that since Chris had basically disowned his father, he took on all the writers he read about as a sort of father figure which is why he went on his journey/adventure?
" When Chris was leaving the town Bull Head Burres offer to give Chris some supplies for his trip, he accepts it to shut Burres up, but then Burres discovers it hidden underneath the seat of the van. I really think that this was a dumb move on Chris's part not to just take some more supplies.
ReplyDelete"When Chris's dad was talking about how he supported supported both of his families it would be interesting to find out how he was able to make enough money to support both families and how was he able to spend enough time with each of his families without causing suspicion.
Why did Chris go to Collage even if he was going to not use his skills he got in collage ?
" If you don't take it, i'm going to throw it away" I think this is annoying because Chris should at least have a watch with him when he's like in the wild.
ReplyDeleteGracie:
"How much do I owe you?" This is also annoying because Chris says he doesn't have anything like money or stuff. But then he goes and offers stuff to this guy.
Why did the wilderness seem like a good idea to chris?