Welcome to our second home. I've attempted to make it as colorful and comfortable as B210, minus the overcrowding.
To begin our cyber-journey, please answer the poll question to the left. Afterwards, continue the discussion of Into the Wild by commenting on the following questions, generated from the Socratic Seminar:
- What benefits does one stand to gain by being immersed in a natural setting?
- What are the effects of possessions on a person?
- What was McCandless' motivation for rejecting his previous lifestyle and identity? What rules seem to govern the existence of Alexander Supertramp?
Please write a well-developed, lengthy paragraph on one of the questions, following the standard conventions of English. (No abbreviations and slang.) Once you have finished, read what others have written, and choose one to respond to in another paragraph. Continue this process until the end of class.
67 comments:
As it has been stated before, possessions chain a person to a certain place, making it difficult for that person to move freely in the world and seeing new places. But, Chris McCandless’ decision on getting rid of this “chain” that attached him to his home and family was rather radical because, even though most of us are attached to possessions, people can still move freely in the world and see what, according to Chris, God created for us. Also, as it was seen in tonight’s reading, Chris felt oppressed by his father’s expectations his whole life and that built up as anger inside him. His newfound independence triggered this rage in form of this adventure and will to get away from everything. We see this when it says, “Chris submitted to Walt’s authority through high school and college to a surprising degree, but the boy raged inwardly all the while…. Eventually, Chris rebelled… it was with characteristic immoderation.” (P.64) So, attachment to possessions wasn’t the main reason for this decision Chris made.
Going back to past discussion and earlier chapters, do you guys think that Chris burning his money was some sort of symbol to represent his detachment to the human world and becoming “wild”?
"...do you guys think that Chris burning his money was some sort of symbol to represent his detachment to the human world and becoming “wild”?
That is definitely one way to see it and I agree. That was most likely one of Chris’ ways of becoming more ‘au naturel,’ or becoming one with nature and the way things were meant to be. In today’s man-made, “superficial” society, the things we have are practically spoon-fed to us and while we lavish in our dramatic, half-baked lives, McCandless focuses on the more simple aspects of life as shown in his final year in Atlanta where he lived in a “monkish room,” burned his money as aforementioned, and his unwanted need for soap from a fellow McDonald coworker. In a natural setting, Chris may feel reborn and obligated to live a life far away from today’s contraptions and hoo-ha. However, the one thing that vexes me most is why “Alex” didn’t want to settle down and have a family of his own. The opportunity was there, but was “Chris” stopping him(self)?
Chris McCandless up until he graduated out of college had been a conformer to society. It seems as if he is now sick of living like everyone else and wants to live under his own rules. By doing this, he is exploring a whole new meaning to life. However, we see that Chris, who has been a runaway or “tramp” for years, now, is gradually trying to leave behind his possessions such as his car, his equipment, and food, living off the bare minimum. Yet, only these ‘bare necessities’ are all that Chris needs to maintain a meaningful journey, and one of the outcomes has been a change of name, to ‘Alex Supertramp’. Up until this point in the novel, we see that Alex governs himself very differently compared to Chris. Alex is constantly looking for new ways to live his adventure, such as canoeing into Mexico. He lives by no one else’s standards but his own. We see really one flaw to Alex and his mindset, that when things get tough he breaks, going back to the old Chris McCandless that ‘conforms’ to society.
Possessions that people obtain can affect that person greatly. It can be either positive or negative. Positive meaning it benefits them and makes them happy or satisfies them. In the negative aspect this could mean that a person has so many possessions and worries about having what they want or need that they forget about the little things that are important in life. Little things meaning something you don't need to posses to be happy. It could also mean they get so caught up in possessions, they get too used to the life they have. Chris McCandless was and intelligent and athletic kid. He had a pretty good life except for the fact that he seemed to not get along with his parents all that well. I still can't say exactly why he would reject his previous lifestyle and identity because there is more than one possibility. Either he wants to start his whole life over, by depending on himself and nature. Or he is fed up with life at home and wanted to go to the woods knowing he would die. Better known as being suicidal. One can get many benefits from being immersed in a natural setting. For example; gaining self confidence, becoming more independent, challenge yourself emotionally, physically, spirtually, you can also "find yourself" in a natural setting. Alexander Supertramp seems as if he is a fictional character. Chris McCandless made this identity up by reading Jack London's novels. He became fascinated with then and he now created his own character in a way and is trying to live up to the expectations of a character in one of Jack London's novels.
I agree completely that Chris was a conformist up until he graduated. He does seem to be trying to leave his "old life" behind and starting a new one. This is where Alex comes in. Alex is not only the new identity that Chris has but is also a character much like a character in Jack London's novel. I do agree that Alex Supertramp is like the opposite of Chris McCandless though. Matt makes some strong points of how Alex now governs himself completely different than he did as Chris. And, when the going gets tough, he does give in and resort back to the old him...Chris McCandless.
jessica m3- 'Alexander Supertramp seems as if he is a fictional character. Chris McCandless made this identity up by reading Jack London's novels.'
As it has been stated before in class, Chris is easily influenced by his “Gods” of literature. He can be compared to a fanatic terrorist who would blow himself up believing he would reach the ultimate freedom. Jack London, Henry Thoreau, and Tolstoy are Gods to Chris, and their stories, even though fictions, led Chris to try and imitate the characters created by these writers and even create a more “realistic” character he liked to call Alex Supertramp. None of the stories in the books Chris read, were either lived or even based on people who lived them, they were simply the opinions of people on what life really is about.
When a person becomes attached to a person, place, thing or idea, it causes them to be close minded and comfortable. Even within the first seconds when people are first born, they are given their first possession, a blanket. Some people take advantage of these possessions and advantage of their lives. When people get rid of these possessions, they venture into unfamiliar territories of their lives because they are so attached and used to having the possessions. The possessions help people ‘play it safe’ so they are feeling safe, but they have to learn to be safe without being reliant on anything. If people become too attached, they can create a fear of losing things. The worst thing about these possessions is that they influence people to become a certain type of person. Sometimes they don’t even notice what they are becoming. Possessions become a part of them but then they don’t know who they truly are. People don’t realize what they have until its gone and then they realize the value of things. Many people don’t truly live life to the fullest and it is because lots of possessions are not necessities. Sometimes possessions take up too much time of people's lives and they never really have fun with their lives. But possessions may not be worth anything if a person is in the right situation. If someone is deserted on a island, money is worthless. Possessions can cause jealousy, hate, envy, greed, and ignorance. Possessions make us live in a fantasy world. They really don’t know the "real world', about the wild, about nature. Without possessions, people realize what are the most important things about their life. A person could come to a conclusion that their own lives are the most important and people don’t really take care of their body and take advantage of the lives they live. People should be happy for what they have and especially if they only have what they need. Chris McCandless ventures out into the wild without barely any possessions because he probably wants to reach a point to where he can lose everything in his life and he can be happy for himself and be happy for how hard he has survived on his own. Possessions were obstacles that prevented him to fully see who he was and really see what the world naturally is like without technology.
Hey guys. Reading this book reminded me of a documentary I saw once on PBS and I was able to find a few highlights of it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsfB6oJ55wM
You don't have to watch the whole thing, but I would recommend watching just the first minute and a half. Like Chris, Dick Proenneke went to live in the Alaskan wilderness to test the extent of his abilities as an individual. “What was I capable of that I didn’t know yet? Could I truly enjoy my own company for an entire year? And was I equal to everything this wild land could throw at me?” Proenneke finds these questions running through his mind as he embarks upon his adventure. Surely Chris must have asked similar questions of himself as he traveled north. Both Chris and Proennoke, through their travels and adventures had each found their limits to some extent. However, both were ultimately drawn to adventures in the Alaskan wilderness. Alaska represents the greatest challenge, the ultimate in loneliness. Once you are in such wilderness, there are no safety nets to fall back on. For example, if you break a leg and cannot treat it by yourself, you will die. This raw individuality is the ultimate appeal of Alaska.
I have one last thought about this. Proenneke stayed in his cabin in Alaska for 30 years until he was in his eighties. If living alone in Alaska is as terrible as our society would lead us to believe, why is an old man so reluctant to return to “normal” society? In class, it has been argued that Chris must be out of his mind to want to live in Alaska for a year. But after hearing the voice of a man who shares Chris’ mindset and seeing that he is completely sane, I would have to disagree.
After the Socratic Seminar took place, I started making some connection toward Alex’s life style and the events that could have motivated him into making his journey. First of all, in the text, I’ve noticed that Alex’s current guardian is his mom and his step dad. This led me to believe that his biological father had died. The death of his father scares him. He is scared of the fact that he might drop dead at any second. After all, human being had always been scared of the unknown. He wants to make this journey so he can live life to its fullest. He wants to live his life as if it’ll end today.
I’ll agree with the idea that Chris McCandless was a “conformist” before he had graduated. Naturally, a lot of people are. However, it is aggravating how sometimes people throw out the word “conformity” a little too much. When you conform, you’re acting in accordance to how others are acting for the sake of being similar to the rest. This does not at all mean that if your friend buys a huge, brand new mansion, and you also buy a huge, brand new mansion, that you are a conforming. People seem to think that if something happens in abundance that it’s conformity. My point is that it’s hard for me to call Chris’ “conformity excuse” understandable. He was very young, barely older than anyone in the class. I can’t imagine him living such a terribly conformist life. Everyone has possessions. I have possessions. Anyone reading this has possessions. That does not make us conformists, unless everyone is getting stuff only because I already have it. Possessions are apart of life. No matter what it is you’re doing, you’re going to have some sort of possession. For example, even with Chris being in the wild, he has possessions: the books. What would he do without those books? He would, of course, die (although perhaps he would have died without or without them). One could make an argument that the wild, itself, is a possession of his. Chris was just being too hard on himself to bring him to the point of his “wild” adventure.
"However, the one thing that vexes me most is why “Alex” didn’t want to settle down and have a family of his own. The opportunity was there, but was “Chris” stopping him(self)?"-Nam
Chris had a goal. He was probably out to search for meaning of life, and to really live life naturally on earth like wild animals do. Love and having a family are obstacles and Chris was probably too young to settle down. Tracy did have a crush on him but a person cannot just get married with the first person that likes them. Maybe Chris is not interested in love for a person but in love for nature. Having a relationship with a person Means making a commitment and Chris was already committed to his Alaskan Odyssey. To have complete independence and freedom, he cannot be committed to a person. Chris also wanted a simple life and relationships are not so simple. Relationships take time and Chris is not patient and is always looking for something new. He doesn’t want to attach himself to a person. True love is a journey and Chris is already occupied with his own journey. If Chris did not want to continue his relationship with his parents, then why would he even think about searching for a mate? Anyways, the question presented by Nam was great to ponder about because many people spend their whole lives trying to find love. Love presented itself towards Chris but sadly, love was not an interest to him.
Chris McCandless’ motivation for rejecting his previous lifestyle and identity was his entire lifestyle. He got to a point where he became tired of living a routine life he had no real adventure it wasn’t spontaneous enough for him. Chris lifestyle was very mediocre he was an elite athlete, he was well educated, and he came from a good background with money. He was expected to attend a law school after he graduated from high school. Chris got to a point where he decided he needed to do away with his old lifestyle including is identity. So he reestablished himself as Alex Supertramp who is very adventurous and spontaneous. Alexander Supertramp didn’t seem to follow the same exact rules that society follows. He used Thoreau’s and Tolstoy’s books to influence him into this new lifestyle. But he became so in depth with their perspective of life and ideas that he allowed their ways of life of to govern his thoughts on life.
Maria V3 said: Chris McCandless ventures out into the wild without barely any possessions because he probably wants to reach a point to where he can lose everything in his life and he can be happy for himself and be happy for how hard he has survived on his own. Possessions were obstacles that prevented him to fully see who he was and really see what the world naturally is like without technology.
Maria brings up a valid point of view as to why Chris would venture out without any possessions. In the reading you can tell he wanted to know the feeling of being able to survive in the wild without help and without these worldly possessions that are used everyday. And also in some ways it seems that he wanted to prove to his parents that he didn’t need them or any of their stuff. But funny enough all of the possessions he was getting rid of probably could’ve have helped him survive a lot longer. Another thing I noticed if he had not been so stubborn and listen to the people that were trying to help him and in a way warn him that the supplies he had were not enough to live off the land. Throughout his journey he felt that his possessions would be his downfall and that they would old him back. When it is all said and done it was his stubbornness that was his downfall
“He wants to live his life as if it’ll end today.”
It’s aggravating to think that “living his life as if it’ll end today” is what killed him. I don’t see the logic in calling this adventure “living to the fullest” when ultimately it’s what kills you. There are other ways doing this than living in the wild in Alaska. I’ll stray away from calling him “insane” (yes, I said it), but I will say that I think it was an idiotic idea. Unless anyone is willing to spend a mere twenty four hours in just their backyard, no one can truthfully say that what Chris had done wasn’t somewhat “crazy”. Although, I guess Chris was beginning to feel the aches and pains of old age and was seriously regretting how he had not done a lot with his twenty-year old life.
Chris McCandless's motivation for rejecting his previous lifestyle and identity was solemnly for the reason that he felt "fed up" with his life. McCandless would start and end day after day in such a uniform fashion that he recognizes nothing stimulating would ever come towards his direction if he maintains his life of dullness. Being a person who strives and dreams for adventure, he was forced to leave his consistent life behind and initiate his journey venturing into wilderness. However, in reality, it was the start of a whole new life that sparks the creation of the existence of Alexander Supertramp. Supertramp was a character that based his journey towards the west through books that McCandless had read. Through the fact that Chris created another identity for himself was proof that he wanted to get away from the "dull life of Chris McCandless".
Joe C 3 wrote: It’s aggravating to think that “living his life as if it’ll end today” is what killed him. I don’t see the logic in calling this adventure “living to the fullest” when ultimately it’s what kills you.
By stating that "living life to the fullest" is what ultimately kills you is a false statement. Different people would have various aspects on "living life to the fullest"; one would think that by "fullest" it means what brings happiness and joy to their lives. Since everyone and everything dies, if you had a chance to do something in your life that makes you feel satisfied, isn't that enough?
When someone gets attached to something it causes them to be unable to do certain things in life. As we grow up we had to leave a lot of our old possessions behind to move on into the future. These possessions keep you from doing things that you may want to do. As for Chris, he left all of his possessions behind to do what he really wants to do with his life. He left his family, his wealth and everything that would keep him from full filling his dreams. Chris gave up everything to go live the wild he planned. It's really hard to give up all of your possessions, but if that's what you have to give up to go live your life the way you want to then that's what you're going to do. I don't think i can do what Chris did. I can't leave my family and friends and disconnect myself from the world, just to live a wild life like Chris.
Everyone desires things, whether they can have it or not. Possessions can have two different effects on people, either a positive or negative one.
The positive side of possessions is that they are a major help and relief in people’s everyday life. They facilitate people by making complex tasks a few steps easier. They are great because they spark attention of others, and interest them in other related things. Possessions also comfort people. At times, they believe that if they have that certain special item, then what ever the problem may be wont seem as drastic, or threatening anymore. They are something that people can always keep, and feel that it wont go away, because it will always be there with them. Possessions can have an exclusive bond with someone that can’t be matched.
On the other hand, possessions can have a negative impact on the lives of others as well. There are things that some people feel as if they cannot live with out and constantly long for them. These certain wishes, or hopes, catch people’s attention, and easily get attached. To some, they become so emotionally involved that sometimes, it becomes a bad habit. Possessions can make people careless, spoiled, and even crazy at times, mainly because they want whatever it may be so badly. Some people are so obsessed, that to them, an alternative would never be the same or good enough. All in all, possessions are just a major distraction to every person.
The benefits of having to endure the harshness of an untamed land is that the person on their expedition will learn how to live without the luxuries of society and will the chance to see how far the wilderness will take them. The adventurer can learn their strengths and weaknesses by having them test themselves against the unforgiving environment and the wilderness will show the adventurer how far they can go by testing all their abilities and limitations. Since most don't want the opportunity to go and live in the wild for sometime without some safety net, they will never really know how capable they are of assuring their own survival or how well they will thrive in the wild. Since civilization has made it too comfortable for the general population for people to just leave the spoils of society and embrace the wilderness, many won't know how far they can go to survive in the wild.
Well going back to Vitor p3's question, to some extent, yes, Chris is burning all his money to break the “chains” of society but it seems that as Gene said in pg. 75 “I learned that it is not possible for humans beings as we know them to live off the land” and that's very true with Chris. He can live on his own for sometime, just on the fringe of death but always makes his way back to the comforts of society to make money and then use to buy luxuries you wouldn't find in the wild. Gene was absolutely correct by saying that human beings as a species has strayed too far from the wild for us to be completely immersed in it again and Chris is no exemption. For example, Gene had a good reason by going in to the wild to learn how far he can take his expedition but unlike Chris, Gene didn't know if he was actually going to stay in the wild for the rest of his life where as Chris had the carelessness to actually go in the wild and expect to stay in there.
I completely agree with what Kim D. stated. Chris is just one of those people who can pretty much give up everything they had and knew, just for something they truly support. In this case, it would be his choice of going into the wild, and experiencing a whole new world that he never knew of. Kim is absolutely right when she says, “It’s really hard to give up all your possessions…” because when you own something, or have a certain connection, you have sincere feelings and care. So, to throw it all away, not necessarily in a negative way, but to leave everything you once had behind, is obviously hard because from time to time, you do reflect and think back on what you used to have. Although Chris did conform to society here and there, I have total respect for Chris to actually go through with his plans, and last for such a long time. From what I have observed, Chris McCandless is a very strong-willed person.
When humans venture into the wild, it’s because they feel that they need to reconnect with themselves. So they believe isolating themselves from the real world will help to fully get the meaning of life. Being disconnected from society also helps to rid of temptation because living in the wild makes a person appreciate life more. They have no distractions this helps to stay focus on what is really important. When they reach, a higher understanding, then they become one with nature because nothing not even society can bring them back from where they first stared. For example, when Alex is persuading Ron to change his ways, “I think you really should make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within un happy circumstances…” Alex believes that we never take the time to sit down and really enjoy life for what it really is. By being one with nature then people have lots of time to spare and think.
jessica m3: I do agree that Alex Supertramp is like the opposite of Chris McCandless though.
Alex Supertramp lives his life as happy as he can be without all of the unnessecary things in life. He doesn't believe that he needs money to survive nor does he need his family. "Alex" loves living each and everyday of his life in the wild where things are unpredictable, but Chris' life is dull. Chris grew up having everything. His parents provided all his needs and he didn't really have to work for his happiness, but when he left his old life behind to start his new one, he worked for every bit of his happiness. Even though his days were some what tough to get through, he was happy living every moment of it.
By having possessions, people restrict their view of the world. When one has something valuable, they see a certain situation by the way it affects their possessions. They will look at a situation and ask themselves whether this will positively or negatively affect their property. These people have restricted viewpoints because they look at something for how it will affect what they have and not necessarily how it will affect them as a person. To illustrate this point, one need only think of the lottery. When people buy lottery tickets, they think about what the money will buy them and not how the money could change the way they act. Those without belongings, Chris in this instance, are able to see beyond what something could do to what they have. They worry about living life and the things that are truly needed to survive. Without possessions, people aren�t preoccupied with making sure that everything is in order and keeping everything safe. A life without possessions expands one�s view to beyond what they do and do not have to the most they can make out of their life.
“It seems as if he is now sick of living like everyone else and wants to live under his own rules”- matt u
I disagree. It is not conformity which Chris hates about society. If it were as such, Chris would grow a Mohawk and pierce his nose, instead of living alone. What Chris rejects about society is the fact that people are forced to rely upon one another. In his view, this forces us to surrender the individuality which makes life worth living. Any time one depends upon another individual for any service, he has made himself less free because he will grow dependent on that individual and therefore cannot act in ways that would cause him to lose the favors of that individual.
To return to the topic of individuality, if everyone in the world suddenly began to live as self-reliant individuals, Chris would not stop living a self-reliant way simply because he had become a conformist. He is interested in the principles of self-reliance simply because he sees it as a philosophy that preserves freedom and liberty.
McCandless decided to stop living the way he did when he left college for many reasons. He decided to begin a new life after college because maybe he was getting sick of the way he was living or maybe it had to do something with his family however at this point we don’t know much about his relationship with his family except for that fact that it wasn’t a normal relationship a son would have with their parents. Chris’s motivation to reject his old lifestyle and identity was that he wanted to see what was out in the world because staying at college and beginning a family was not going to help him explore the world and its wonders. We know that he had it good in college, he was an athlete and a good student but he gave that up just to be an adventurer like the characters in the books he read such as Jack London. Not only does he decide to leave his old boring life but he decides to get a new name, Alex Supertramp. In his new adventurous life Alex doesn’t seem to have any rules like society does. He does whatever he wants because he is free of listening to other people and this could be another reason as to why he decided to reject his old life. One rule that Alex probably has is to survive but other then that he’s just a free man doing anything he wants. It seems weird that he left a life where he didn’t have to worry about surviving or any of that. Maybe he just wanted to see what it would be like to live a life that wasn’t controlled by the government or by the society.
Vitor made it very clear that have belongs only makes it even more difficult to live a happy full life. Today teens are worried about keeping up with news styles that come and go and new “things” that they thinks will make them more happy but it’s not true it only leaves a person wanting more “things Chris was making a point when he burned his money because he wanted to get rid of the evil he was holding on too. Money is a major item to have hold of and there are people in that world that are willing to do anything to get their hand on them. Chris wanted to let the world know that he was able to make it on his own, he did not want to be connected to society in any way.
I agree with what Joe is talking about how McCandles is crazy for doing what he is doing. He says that McCandles wants to live life to the fullest and I can understand that it is kind of an idiotic idea to go on adventure with very few supplies and no money. We see the consequences of McCandless living his life to the fullest in the beginning of the book. His adventure ultimately leads him to his death even though he never had any intention to die. Some people may call him crazy and idiotic but some people may think of him as a brave young man. In my opinion he is crazy because no normal person would go to Alaska with few supplies and no money and believe that they will survive.
If people become too attached, they can create a fear of losing things. �Maria
This is another one of many effects of possessions on people. People get attached to what they have and then they don�t want to give it up. Attachment does indeed create a fear of losing things. People don�t want to lose things because they have some sort of connection to it, such as they �need� it to communicate, to go places, or to just make things easier. Sometimes when people can�t find things, they become extremely nervous. If someone loses something they are very attached to, they can become obsessed with finding their lost object. In the grand scheme of things, this object probably isn�t incredibly important. Possessions can cause unnecessary fear over losing something that one really doesn�t need.
McCandless' motivation for rejecting his previous lifestyle and identity is because of the books he reads. He's sick of living with oppertunities and thing going his way. He doesn't want to have money to fall back on. He want to get rid of it all. Start fresh with real resources and real struggles. Like how to eat with no food, how to drink with no drinks, how to stey warm with little clothes, how to kill with to little a gun. He has no idea how to live in the natural habitat. He wants to learn it as it comes. Little does he know these struggles are a little too extreme for the everyday Joe to just walk into. In the beginning when people offer Alex resources he denies them but then he starts to take these peoples offers. The rules that govern Alex's life are the rules he learns in the books he reads. Live that natural life. With little resources. Make it on your own. Find food your own way.
"His parents provided all his needs and he didn't really have to work for his happiness, but when he left his old life behind to start his new one, he worked for every bit of his happiness. Even though his days were some what tough to get through, he was happy living every moment of it."- Kim D.
I disagree with you on this matter. what ultimately drove him into this venture has something to do with his life being fully controlled by someone else. Just because he have his parents to provide him with everything he needs,(i.e cars, college intuition, and many more)doesn't mean that he's happy. From what we know from the text, he is not a materialistic type of a guy. for example, his step dad once offered him a brand new car. However, he did not accept the offer because if he does, he is admitting to the fact that his life and his future is control by someone else. that is what ultimately ticked him off and drove him to the life in the wilderness. In the wilderness, his well being is completely up to him. There is no one there to tell him when to shower, what to do for homework, what to wear, and many more.
" When humans venture into the wild, it's because they feel that they need to reconnect with themselves. So they believe isolating themselves from the real world will help to fully get the meaning of life. " I agree with this comment made by Roledine.
People can go about finding the meaning of life in other ways than venturing off into the wild also. Chris chose to leave the normalty and go to wild life. You can find the meaning of life in other ways. Because who's to say the actual meaning of life? I could find it by going to the mall and stealing thngs everyday if that was my pasion, it's not but, it could be done.
"Chris was making a point when he burned his money because he wanted to get rid of the evil he was holding on too. Money is a major item to have hold of and there are people in that world that are willing to do anything to get their hand on them." Roledine
I've never thought about it this way. Buy i totally agree with her. Alex is burning the money to show his separation with "evil" society. if you really think about it, what is it that people will do for a money? some people rubs banks, some people deals drugs, some even kills another human being over a little bit of money. Alex must have figure that money is the root to society's corruption.
What are the effects of possessions on a person?
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*Informal note before you read: after much thinking and thinking, I have discovered the true meaning of life. Thanks to this question, I have found the answer.
There are two general parts to the meaning of life.
First, the meaning of life is to gain ‘wealth’. Mankind must strive to gain wealth. If any human fails to strive for wealth, he or she will perish.
There are many meanings to the word ‘wealth’. These variable meanings are determined by and relative to a specific person, although, two or more people many have the same or similar meanings to that word. In other words, a person’s meaning of ‘wealth’ is for him or her to decide. For example, ‘wealth’ may stand for economical wealth, love, knowledge, religion, political strength, brute strength, social influence, and among many, many other things.
The second part to the meaning of life of a person is to do something with his or her wealth. Mankind will strive to display its own wealth to others. If any human fails to strive to display his or her own wealth to others, he or she will not perish.
The second part to the meaning of life is not obligatory. There are many ways to show ‘wealth’. For example: to show knowledge ‘wealth’, a person may simply speak of the knowledge he or she possesses; to show economical ‘wealth’, a person may live a wealthy life. The concept of displaying wealth is similar for all other meanings of ‘wealth’.
Having possessions is a way show to wealth. In this case, ‘wealth’ could stand for economic wealth and/or popularity among other things. Having materialistic possessions may increase economic status and/or social status.
In McCandless’ case, his ‘wealth’ is independence from bonds (the possession of human relationships) and supplies (materialistic possessions). During his journey this is exactly what he strives to obtain. First of all, he strives for independence by severing the bond between him and his parents. He strives to show this by journeying out on his own. Also, McCandless strives for his wealth by avoiding personal relationship with the people he meant on his journey like: Ronald Fanz and Tracy from Niland Slabs.
As McCandless travels on, he becomes less and less dependent on supplies. As compared to being able to have an abundance of materialistic possessions, McCandless leaves his supply-rich life to a life with nearly zero materialistic possessions. Since, having materialistic possessions may increase economic status and/or social status, losing materialistic possessions may cause a decrease in economic status and/or social status.
Those are the effects of possessions on a person.
Note # 2: I know the assignment said to do this in a 'length paragraph' but I cut the 2 paragraphs I had into smaller sections so it would be easier to read/follow along. (Sorry if I messed up.)
Possessions are an object that will tie someone to a location. When you gain a possession, it takes away a piece of a persons freedom, his ability to move, to but unbound by obligation. Possessions also give a person a sense of security and a sense of belonging. While most people enjoy this feeling of belonging and security, Chris McCandless didn’t, and is probably why he looked away from materialistic life in search of a nomadic lifestyle. He also had a desire for adventure and excitement that he expressed in his feelings of exhilaration and pride he took in his past adventures. There are people who would see this is crazy or almost suicidal in life choices, but those same people are probably the one’s who find joy and happiness in what they possess in life, not the actual living portion of it.
‘In class, it has been argued that Chris must be out of his mind to want to live in Alaska for a year. But after hearing the voice of a man who shares Chris’ mindset and seeing that he is completely sane, I would have to disagree’
I share Jake’s opinion that Chris is completely sane in his quest for isolation and a feeling of oneness with nature. I also think that there are a lot of similar characteristics between Rosellini and his ten year stay in Alaska and Chris McCandless’s view and approach to life. Both tried to escape society but only Rosellini was aware of the inability for people to escape the comfort they’ve become accustomed to. And as I stated in my own blog, some people who have a different lifestyle will see this in a different way, or who think that life is miserable without money and the superfluous paraphernalia society pampers us with every day.
"Chris was making a point when he burned his money because he wanted to get rid of the evil he was holding on too. Money is a major item to have hold of and there are people in that world that are willing to do anything to get their hand on them." roledine L3
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I agree with you, partially. First of all, I agree with the fact that Alex Supertramp burned his money as symbolic act, but I disagree with your idea of why he did it. He didn’t burn the money not because it was evil (money doesn’t give paper cuts does it?), but because of what stands behind it. Alex hates the government issuing the money. If you look on the US currency, you will find ‘United States of America’ all over it. Alex hates the government as shown when he says, “How I feed myself is none of the government’s business. ---- their stupid rules” (p6). The burning of the US currency there fore was an act of defiance to the US government.
McCandless rejected his previous lifestyle and identity for many reasons. He was not interested in materialistic things or having things handed to him. Alex didn’t like authority or being told what to do. He craved a life on his own full of experiences where he was free to do whatever he wanted when he wanted. Alex wanted to get more out of life and he believed that “the very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure”.
At the beginning of Alex’s journey he burned all of his money. He may have done this because he didn’t personally earn it. He didn’t make the money by himself; his parents gave it to him. By burning the money, he was getting rid of his past and beginning to live only off of his own earnings. The McDonalds job was out of Alex’s character, but at the same time, he was still living off of himself.
Possessions hold a great effect over the people of society, regardless if the valuables are of necessity or luxury. Possessions may either have a positive or a negative effect on people; it all really depends on what the person makes of it. It may affect a person positively because possessions offer a sense of security, comfort, and authority. At the same time, possessions may hold a negative effect because people will become too dependant on their valuables and not know how to survive without them. In Into the Wild the reader sees how Chris McCandless chooses to abandon his possessions because he wants to free himself from the restrictions that these possessions hold over him. “During that final year in Atlanta, Chris had lived off campus in a monkish room furnished with little more than a thin mattress on the floor; milk crates, and a table.” (P 22) This quote shows the drastic measures Chris made from having the luxury of graduating from Emory University, having a balance of $24,000, and owning a rather expensive car to living as a squatter with only the bare necessities for survival. The relationship I saw between the abandonment of his possessions and his dependency was that the more “baggage” he shed the more dependency he shed as well resulting in his rapid growth of independence seen throughout the entire novel.
When you are immersed in a natural setting you start to appreciate the non-necessity in your life such as: bathroom, showers, bed, air conditioner, and heaters. The benefit that is drawn from living in an immersed natural setting, is self reliance, you no longer need anything or anyone to rely on. �Everyone desires things, whether they can have it or not.�(iliana p3) Who�s right and who�s wrong to say that someone is insane, in the then end everyone has a goal/desire in life. With Chris McCandless his goal/desire was to rely on no one but himself. For those who say Chris McCandless was luring away from his life of self-reliance by working in a society at MacDonald�s, like all goals that are set in life there are setbacks, whether one-self proceed beyond that point is up to them. With Chris McCandless he advanced to his life of self-reliance in Alaska which unfortunately led to his death.
�Going back to past discussion and earlier chapters, do you guys think that Chris burning his money was some sort of symbol to represent his detachment to the human world and becoming “wild”?� (Vitor P3)
When Chris McCandless burned his money a symbol that is draw to mind is the phenix. A Mythology bird in Egyptian mythology that lived in the desert for 500 years and then consumed itself by fire, later to rise renewed from its ashes. What this symbolizes for Chris McCandless is by burning his money he �renewed� himself. By renewing himself he was no longer the same person anymore therefore took the name of Alex supertramp.
I agree with Vangjeris’s comment on McCandless’ motivation to reject his previous lifestyle. It was several different factors that led to his ultimate decision of abandoning the society he lived in. In the novel, it seems as if Chris did grow tired of living the life his parents expected him to which was to graduate college and find a successful job after. He wanted to venture into the wild which he did so by hitchhiking to Alaska. Also Chris McCandless created Alex Supertramp whom I think represents the courageous and adventurous character in the novels he reads by London and his other favorite writers. Now that he has broken free from the restriction of living with his parents and living the stereotypical life of any successful person he has the ability to live through his fantasies; essentially by creating for himself another character that could only exist in a fantasy.
�Just because he have his parents to provide him with everything he needs,(i.e cars, college intuition, and many more)doesn't mean that he's happy.� -Shi
I agree. His parents supplying him with all of these things made him unhappy. He even stated earlier in the story that he was upset that his parents wanted to but him a new car. As the story goes on it reveals more about his relationship with his parents, which doesn�t seem to be a good one. Although he wasn�t close with his parents, they continued to buy him things. They could try to win his love with material items, which is probably why Alex is so against material items and tries to keep his possessions to a minimum.
Throughout the book, Chris never seems to be happy with the way his parents treat him. Going back to where Chris talks about his parents buying him a car—Danielle’s point—or any other type of presents, it’s not only about how meaningless these objects are to Chris, it’s also the facts that he doesn’t want his parents to buy “my respect.” (21) Going back to a point that was made in class, McCandless wants to earn absolutely everything he needs daily. He doesn’t want people to help him in any way, he wants to be dependent (as Denise mentioned before) of all negativity objects keep. McCandless has adopted a lifestyle that provides a sense of autonomy in all senses of the word. He collects his own food, he builds or finds his own shelter, and most importantly he doesn’t need money to accomplish any of his daily goals. He has detached himself from the word “materialistic” and hopes to keep doing so as long as his name is Alex Supertramp.
“What are the effects of possessions on a person?”
People rely on gadgets to live today and everyday. Most likely we will be relying on them through anyone’s life. Examples such as using a car to get to places, communicating over the phone or internet, using machine powered lawn mowers and much more things that makes life easier. Because life is not perfect, everything has a downside. Our possessions, “helping tools/gadgets”, make us really dependent, thus living a lazy boring life. As our future progresses and so will the technologies. So the everyday life will only get duller than before. What is the purpose of living? It is to experience the “great triumphant joy of living to the fullest extent in which real meaning is found” (37). McCandless abandoned most of his possessions to fulfill his way of life, live everyday to the fullest like there’s no tomorrow. If someone is so used to rely on his/her possessions throughout life, they are not living to the fullest. And if all of the person’s possessions are stripped away suddenly, he would become a failure in life, because he/she has nothing to depend on and not know how to survive without them.
“McCandless' motivation for rejecting his previous lifestyle and identity is because of the books he reads.” – Taryn S3
I agree with what Taryn said. Chris McCandless believes that man's ultimate joy can only be found in communion with nature. McCandless is a passionate reader, and his favorite authors are quoted frequently to support McCandless's romantic view of natural communion. Jack London and Henry David Thoreau are two of McCandless's favorite authors, and their immense respect for nature influences the impressionable young man.
“Little does he know these struggles are a little too extreme for the everyday Joe to just walk into.” - Taryn S3
On the other hand, I don’t think your statement is true, because McCandless is not insensible to this fact. His personal experience and the literary accounts both teach him that nature's laws do not change for any man. Natural cause and effect can work just as easily against a man, as it can in his favor.
Several catalysts are responsible for McCandless's rejection of his previous lifestyle and identity. First is the McCandless’s so called static life. In a letter to Franz, he claims that people live a “life of security, conformity, and conservatism” (qtd. in Krakauer, 57). McCandless dislikes a life where everything is safe, predictable, and the same. In a sense, such a life may be considered boring and repetitive to him. For this reason, McCandless had this contempt for his old lifestyle in the educated world and relinquished his lifestyle for one of exactly opposite properties. McCandless lived a life full of danger, individuality, and liberty. He was nearly drowned out at sea, he is separate from the rest of society, and he disregards many rules and does as he pleases. However, just the hatred for his old life was not enough to make him change his lifestyle. Remember that McCandless read Jack London’s The Call of the Wild. Within that text, McCandless found out about the last frontier, a location where he could exercise his new lifestyle, even satisfy his masculine “passion for adventure” (qtd. in Krakauer 57). Being a tramp, going into the wild, and living the lifestyle associated with the former, were adventures―escape hatches from his boring lifestyle. McCandless’s change in identity can be explained via his need to sever all ties from his old lifestyle, world, and self. Using his old identity would have impeded his journey as it would have made him easier to track down. Also, consider the name itself: Alexander is a possible reference to Alexander the Great; heroic, master of his own destiny. This reflects the earlier mention of McCandless’s need for freedom from the conventional world. Overall, McCandless’s changes seem to have been motivated by a desire for freedom and adventure, both of which can be provided by the wild.
Alexander Supertramp, as I have said earlier, exists only to sever himself from his old world. Whenever Chris meets someone new, he introduces himself simply as “Alex”. Alex exists, in this case, to ensure that Chris is never brought up again, as that may interfere with his journey. Alex’s existence is also governed by the absence of Chris. Whenever Chris is not needed, Alex takes over. Chris is used primarily for necessities, like the job he applied for at McDonald’s; “...he presented himself as Chris McCandless, not as Alex” (Krakauer 40). Chris is used here to earn money to continue on Alex’s odyssey, as a regular person. Elsewhere, Alex exists as a triumphant hero, facing danger and discovering adventure. Thus, Alex is an identity used when Chris decides not to be a regular person.
Question: What benefits does one stand to gain by being immersed in a natural setting?
Being surrounded by a natural setting strips someone of the influences from society. There is no distraction or outside factor that influences you in your everyday life. When there is nothing but nature, then you are the truest from of “you” because there isn’t anything to take you away from it. Therefore, Chris may have been taken to the wild because there is where he can find his meaning of life. Chris’ beliefs, I found to be very similar to transcendentalism (I think Jess brought this up in class) because it claims that by becoming one with nature, then you will gain the universal truth. Thus, Chris McCandels draws himself into the wild in hopes (or Alex Supertramp) for finding the universal truth and understanding of himself.
Living in isolation from society can help to build one’s character more than living in close contact with society. Living alone in the wilderness is never easy. There will be a lot of challenges along the way especially finding food and shelter. Shelter often has to be built from scratch which in itself is often an arduous and time consuming task. By watching the documentary of Dick Proenneke this is quite evident. Each tree is chopped down and dragged over to the building sit one by one. After that the trees are carefully shaped so they will fit together properly. Building such a shelter is often a major accomplishment for an individual. Such significant accomplishments like the one described can often cause one’s self-confidence to soar. He or she is likely come to the conclusion that he or she can accomplish anything no matter how difficult the task looks. Living in the wilderness alone also provides one with a great deal of independence. When a task needs to be done one knows that he or she can complete it without another person’s help so that when a situation like that does occur the person will not worry as much about not being able to complete it alone. Being too dependent makes one less competent in society. Such an experience will usually help build that person’s character which may serve as an invaluable asset in the future.
I definitely agree with JJ, but at the same time a question comes up for me, do we choose to be materialistic? I personally think we don’t, our parents have taught us to use these everyday technologies and we obviously haven’t objected, but instead we have adapted to these commodities.
= And if all of the person’s possessions are stripped away suddenly, he would become a failure in life, because he/she has nothing to depend on and not know how to survive without them= jinj3.
This statement is true, but Chris has gone further with this non-materialistic way of thinking. It is not everyday that we see someone make a choice as hard to understand as McCandless’, and gotten this far. He has learned to appreciate the beauty of the natural world and keeps the idea that men are the ones who have damaged nature. Chris wants to explore what we haven’t touched and damaged, and in order to appreciate nature at its fullest, one most let go of commodities of our everyday life, and one has to be ready to work hard and earn one’s breakfast, lunch and dinner. Something we daily take for granted.
I wholeheartedly concur with JJ. Technology and modern conveniences do make life less interesting. They do and provide too much and that does result in a boring life. Think of how easy it was for McCandless to travel with his Datsun. Had he not abandoned it, his journey to the Alaskan tundra would have been boring and easy. All he would had to do is drive. But without it, he had to rely on tramping and hitchhiking.
Getting back on track, McCandless’s rejection of possessions (particularly technological ones such as his car) really does have a general message. It is true, as technology progresses, things will become more automatic, and so will life. Life would really be pointless since everything would be automated; humans would not have to do a single thing to survive.
Beyond what JJ commented on possessions, possessions not only make life more boring, but they also slow people down, like anchors or dead weight (sometimes literally). Possessions need to be cared for and looked over. McCandless in his time in the Detrital Wash “buried his Winchester deer-hunting rifle and a few other possessions” (Krakauer 29). He could not be seen with these possessions, as they would warrant inspection, questions, and so on. When McCandless enters cities and towns, he buries his possessions in fear of theft. So he must go out of his way to bury them and retrieve them. Possessions in McCandless’s life are just extra things to worry about; they’re high maintenance.
Since, having materialistic possessions may increase economic status and/or social status, losing materialistic possessions may cause a decrease in economic status and/or social status. – Timothy
Timothy’s blog clarifies a bit of the nature of Chris McCandless. Chris search for himself or “wealth” means that he has to separate himself from relationship and society/government. “You are wrong if you think Joy emanates only or principally from human relationships. God has placed it around us. It is in everything and anything we might experience.” (Krakauer 57) He believes that happiness isn’t found in materialistic possessions or with relationships, but rather with himself and his experiences on his adventures. Therefore, by having fewer possessions it will enable him to live outside the norm of society. And as many had already voiced, he is not “normal.” By doing so, Chris increases the chances of experiencing new joys of life because he is not conforming to the norms of society to do so. Unlike many who experience new things by simply going to another country via airplane/car, Chris chooses the rawest and the most uncommon way of traveling. He has decided to experience everything life has to offer, by the simplest means, because it will help him find his “wealth” of experience/knowledge.
Chris McCandless might have burned the money not only as a symbol of defiance of the government but also to society. In society, the acquisition of money is often looked upon as the ultimate goal. Even today you hear a lot about seniors needing to save up for retirement, teenagers who need to find a job in order to make some money, and people who gamble so they can take a shot at winning the multi million dollar jackpot. He probably wants to show that money is not everything and that there much more to life than that.
Being immersed in a natural setting is getting rid of all personal possession. What is left of a person after the get rid of their car, their house and their belongings? The person would only have the only thing that naturally belongs to them, their mind and body. He or she would gain a better understanding about themselves and what makes them truly happy. Someone can have all the money in the world, but would money really make him or her happy. He or she can buy everything there is to buy, but then what would they do with the rest of the money. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby’s money could not by Daisy’s love. Back in the day when people had to hunt for their food, people had a mindset of survival of the fittest. They lived each day not knowing if the next day was their last. This is the basic instinct that everyone has. Today there is no need to rely on this instinct because of the perks of society. People who are hungry have free food provided at soup kitchens. By going to the forest, Chris was able to see another side of life that most people don’t see. Before his transformation into super tramp, Chris was living a routine life that was too predictable and boring. He wanted see what else life had to offer. Life in the forest was unpredictable and adventurous. Those who need homes can go to homeless shelters. But in natural settings people do not have these luxuries.
Going back to past discussion and earlier chapters, do you guys think that Chris burning his money was some sort of symbol to represent his detachment to the human world and becoming “wild”? " (Vitor)
His burning of the money wasn’t necessarily a detachment to the “human world”. It was more of a detachment to human society. What makes the “human world”? Somewhere in the human mind, there is the basic human instinct of survival. Money would not useful be useful in the forest. He can’t buy a tiger to eat, he has to tap into survival mode and kill the tiger. Money would only remind him of what he left behind.
McCandless’ motivation for rejecting his previous lifestyle and identity is because he was sick of the life style he was living he wanted to experience new things. He had it all he had the good grades he had lots of money and he had a family that loved him. He didn’t want this so he went out on his own to experience life without having anything that’s why he burned up his money gave all the money he had in his saving account to charity and left his family behind with out telling them anything. When he got the job at McDonalds and when applying he put his real name he wanted to go back to being Alex but then when he seen that wasn’t for him he just worked to get money to buy him self some supplies.
I disagree with iliana when she says that “Chris McCandless is a very strong-willed person” Chris McCandless is a sick person. Who gives up everything they have to be out in the wilderness? He had it going on for him he had been a great high school student and that continued into his college career. So why give up been a very successful life to become a nobody in life. Who does that in our world there had to be something wrong with Chris to give this great life ahead of him up?
I think that by being immersed in a natural setting one begins to learn the true meaning of life. Seeing as McCandless has isolated himself from the rest of the world it seems he has no one else to rely on but himself. He no longer has a person to lean on or a family to help him out and this seems pretty significant to what life is. Now a day everyone relies on their family or on a friend and never really experiences true independence. I believe this is what McCandless was searching for and decided that Alaska was the best place to go to run from the rest of the world. He actually understands independence and reliance on ones self to live and survive. Therefore being immersed in a natural setting is a learning experience and almost provides a self discovery of ones self and shows aspects of life that one could never obtain if they existed within the society that has been built. Some could also point out that true happiness could only come through being alone and away from all of the pressures and stress of the new “advanced life” that we now live in this present.
I agree with Baatan's statement, "The person would only have the only thing that naturally belongs to them, their mind and body. He or she would gain a better understanding about themselves and what makes them truly happy."This is exactly what I believe to be true and I think what Chris McClandess thought too. It would explain why McClandess went on his crazy adventure through America and to Alaska because he wanted to be truely happy and not experience the empty happiness that only possesions could give.
“Since everyone and everything dies, if you had a chance to do something in your life that makes you feel satisfied, isn't that enough?”
Saying this is almost like saying “since I’m going to die anyway, I should just go do something crazy.” However, I do agree with how it should be about doing something that makes you feel satisfied. The only problem I have with Chris is that the thing that made him feel satisfied was going to Alaska to live in the wild. Sure, it’s good for him if that’s what he wanted to do, but why on Earth would anyone who enjoyed life want to do that?
When McCandless goes from Chris to Alex it's a very symbolic gesture. McCandless is shedding his previous existence to create a new one. He emancipates himself from order, possessions, and the oppressive world (p22-23). When he was Chris he listened to his parents who represented order and everything Supertramp was agianst. This was motivation enough for Chris. I agree with Thomas when he refers the burning of his money to “renew” McCandless but I disagree with the example of the phoenix. The phoenix reincarnates itself, representing the life cycle. Chris is like a snake, shedding its skin to become new again. Chris had enough motivation to become Alexander Supertramp because he was driven. Getting “itchy feet” he decided to resume a “nomadic existence”. Alex lived for “shaping his life by circumstance”(p29) and not following the limitations of society. The only thing that governed Alex was “the experience, the memories, the great triumphant joy of living to the fullest extent in which real meaning is found.” (p37) Chris McCandless represents the oppressive past of Chris. Alex Supertramp represents the “helter-skelter style of life.” (p57)
"I was always getting on Mom and Dad's case because they worked all the time and were never around"
If this is the reason that Chris McCandless hated his parents it's not a good reason at all. If his Mom and Dad left those jobs so that they can spend more time with there kids then who would put the food on the table for them to eat who would pay the bills. Yes I know that parents should be around but if there working to put food on the tables and to buy them clothes or w.e they need then Chris and his sister should respect them for doing that. They shouldn’t get mad at them for not spending time with them.
Ms.Foley I don’t know if I did the homework right but I tried and I couldn’t find any 1s comments so I didn’t respond to any 1s. Sry
The last three pages off chapter 2. It's talking about Chris and his parents and they seem really nice. After his graduation they offer to buy him a car or pay for school if he cannot afford it. He denies their request but they seemed pretty sincere. He later says in a letter to his sister "or tgat they think I"d actually let them pay for my law school if I was going to." He is really rude about it and his parents were tryinng to be nice and drove to where his school was to see hm graduate. I'm sorry but parents who don't care, don't do that.
I agree with Jonathan. That quote is true. Him and his parents were closer then we get form this story. He holds a big grudge because they were never around. He just wanted someone to be around or someone to care and he always felt neglected because they weren't around. Yeah, his dad does seem like a jerk sometimes. But they're was probably thing provoking him to do and say these things. I'm sure Chris wasn't perfect and I'm sure theyre was good times.
I agree with Domenic. Chris definetly does not want to be belonging and his craving for adventure really drove him to do what he did. He was just looking for more, a reason to live with the bare essentials for life. He survived a good long time before he reached his downfall. I want all the people who are poor to not be but I am not willing to go out there and be poor myself. I love the things I have and I would never ask for anything more. Chris McCandless did not see eye to eye with luxuries.
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