Costly Mistakes

"I now wish I had never shot the moose. One of the greatest tragedies of my life" (Krakauer 167).

"McCandless appeared to regain some perspective, for his journal notes, 'henceforth will learn to accept my errors, however great they be'" (Krakauer 167).

These quotes show up after Chris shoots and mistreats the meat of the moose. He shows a feeling of sympathy and becomes ethical, two traits he has not shown very much until now. Right after we find this out, he announces that he has discovered what he was looking for during his Alaskan odyssey. He writes in his journal, "I am reborn. This is my dawn. Real life has just begun" (168). It is ironic because if he had not made these huge mistakes, he would have failed to change as a person (the point of going to Alaska), but in contrast, he discovered his true self, but was unable to survive once he found this out due to the magnitude of his errors.

Even though Chris died because of these costly mistakes, was it worth finding his true self? Would you all have rather had Chris die successfully or live without accomplishing what he came for? Do you think any transcendentalist ideas affected Chris's decisions and ultimately lead to him finding his true self?

John Murphy

Jake Wood

Joey Topel

Ryan Dunn

Revelations

"He was right in saying that the only certain happiness in life is to live for others....I have lived through much, and now I think I have found what is needed for happiness. A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; thenwork which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbor-such is my idea of happiness. And then, on top of all that, you for a mate, and children, perhaps-what more can the heart of a man desire" (Krakauer 169).

By this point in time, McCandless has realized that he wants to live for other people. That you can find happiness through living for others and not being selfish.

Do you think this means Chris has forgiven his parents? Why? What caused this drastic change in his overall mindset about life? Do you believe that due to this realization McCandless has discovered some regrettable decisions throughout his journey/ life? Had McCandless survived, how do you think he would have approached his new life with this new mindset?

Kyra C.
Kyle H.
Taylor M.
Jordan W.

“Maybe he was prepared to forgive their imperfections; maybe he was even prepared to forgive some of his own. McDandless seemed ready, perhaps, to go home” (168).

“He was right in saying that the only certain happiness in life is to live for others…” (169).

--- Throughout Chris’ journey he has had such a devout stance on his principles about society and relationships.  Has Chris changed his opinion on people? Has he achieved the enlightenment he was looking for? If he has achieved his goal of transcendentalism, what is his plan for after Alaska?

 

 

Fraser

Clayton

Zach

Casey

Johnny

 

Father-Son Relationships

"He'd built a privilege for me, a hand-paved trestle to the good life, and I repaid him by chopping it down and crapping on the wreckage. But this epiphany occurred only after the intervention of time and misfortune, when my father's self-satisfied existence had begun to crumble beneath him"(148-149).

Krakauer and McCandless both had weak and struggling relationships with their fathers, despite all the love and support their dads gave. Krakauer realized that he was in the wrong with his anger towards his father. His dad loved him unconditionally and only came to this realization when his dad started to deteriorate.

If McCandless were in the same situation, would he have attempted to reconcile his relationship? Would he have still gone on his adventure? McCandless also felt betrayed by his father--was leaving part of revenge for all the pain he felt?

Karen M.
Jenna G.
Michelle G.
Kristen V.

Was he ready for the wild?

“He sought out experienced hunters around town and asked them for tips about staking game, dressing animals, curing meat” (67).

Phrase written in Chris' parting letter to Ron Franz:

“In reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future” (57). 

Throughout the book so far we’ve seen evidence that Chris’ journey had been well thought out and thoroughly planned. We also have gotten hints that Chris did not have everything that he needed for his trip. When we are told what gear Chris has it seems minimal, but as the story progresses we hear more and more about Chris working to accumulate gear and knowledge. We also know that Chris had spent a long time mentally preparing for this type of journey, even spanning back to his childhood backpacking adventures.

Do you think Chris planned his journey all the way through? Was he prepared mentally and physically? Perhaps Chris was not completely prepared on purpose, as a way to fully challenge his capabilities? If being unprepared was part of his plan, is this the reason for his death? Which preparation was more important to Chris while he was training, mental or physical, and which training mattered more when he was in the wild?

Jessica N. 

Nikki G. 

Taylor Y.

Holly P. 

Selfish or Just Young?

"It is easy, when you are young, to believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough, it is your God given right to have it," (155).

The people that Chris met on his Alaskan Odyssey said that he was selfish for abandoning his family and friends and always acting on a whim. In the long run, is it really beneficial to live in the moment and "be young" like the quote says? Is Chris being selfish or just young? Is being young an excuse for Chris's actions?
Put your life in perspective... Do people grow up with time, or is it their responsibility to mature their actions?

Elise Hocker
Theo Somers
Rachel Lockhart
Emily Castellanos

Possible Prejudice

Krakauer on his Alaskan adventure and his connection to Chris: "The fact that I survived my Alaska adventure and McCandless did not survive was largely a matter of chance... At the stage of my youth, death remained as abstract a concept as non-Euclidean geometry or marriage. I didn't yet appreciate its terrible finality or the havoc it could wreak on those who'd entrusted the deceased with their hearts. I was stirred by the dark mystery of mortality. I couldn't resist stealing up to the edge of doom and peering over the brink. The hint of what was concealed in those shadows terrified me, but I caught sight of something in the glimpse, some forbidden and elemental riddle that was no less compelling than the sweet, hidden petals of a woman's sex. In my case - and, I believe, in the case of Chris McCandless - that was a very different thing from wanting to die" (Krakauer 155-156).

Throughout the novel, Jon Krakauer sides with Chris McCandless on his reckless actions. Even after all the mail he received that talked about Chris being suicidal or just a dumb kid, he still refused to budge from his perspective of the famous, late vagabond. After Krakauer finishes recalling Chris' adventure, he considers other noteworthy Alaskan adventures that came to the same fate as Chris. In the next chapters, Krakauer finally talks about his personal Alaskan escapades. Until this point in the book, the reader had no knowledge of Krakauer's experiences. Why does the author wait so long in the novel to talk about his experiences? Does Krakauer's experiences skew his perspective of Chris? Is there a strong bias that is hidden throughout the book, or do you believe the author remains unbiased on his opinion of Chris even though their lives have been so similar? Is it possible that "Into the Wild" would never have been written if Jon Krakauer didn't have anything in common with Chris McCandless?

Ryan Reder
Matt Maxwell
Kareem Dabney