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Impact of social media in society
Impact of social media in society
Impact of social media in society
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From my available sources it’s easy to see that even when Chris was just starting out he only saw the beauty of nature and didn’t notice her teeth. As time went on, what little respect he did have slowly diminished – until he went out into the Alaskan wilderness with almost no way to defend against wild animals. Chris wasn’t an idiot though, he understood completely that nature could be dangerous, but he didn’t apply that thinking to himself or his journey. Also, his journey wasn’t about survival, it was about how he felt about himself and how he felt about the world. Even those who see Chris as amazing wholeheartedly agree that for him, “the most important aspect of [his] quest was the enlightening effect it had on the spirit” (Christian).
Krakauer also put some of McCandless’ journals and letters in the book. According to Shaun Callarmans analysis Chris McCandless had no business going to Alaska. Callarman thinks Chris McCandless is just plain crazy. Callarman doesn't admire his courage or noble ideas. Even though Shaun Callarman thinks Chris McCandless was bright and ignorant, also made mistakes because of his arrogance, I disagree with Callarmans analysis
“He wasn’t a nutcase” (85). Why does Krakauer use this euphemism? Krakauer uses this euphemis because he believes that McCandless wasn’t insane, he was clever just the way he is. He follows what he wanted to be and what he wanted to become, he didn’t back just because people said he wasn’t like other people, who would have jobs and build a family.
John Krakauer’s account of the journey of Chris McCandless has inspired many other people to seek out the beauty of nature. Why would a story with such a tragic ending cause others to do exactly what in the end killed McCandless? Perhaps it’s because Krakauer depicts Chris as a hardworking honest young man, who throughout his journey uncovered many truths about life. Maybe it’s because Krakauer includes so many passages talking about the beauty and simplicity of nature. Possibly this inspiration is contributed to because Krakauer chalks the death of McCandless up to chance.
Throughout chapters 8 and 9, the author showed his bias towards Chris McCandless, which is an act of defiance to his position as an objective journalist, when he attempted to alter the readers’ negative point of view towards Chris by the introduction of different people who had similar experiences and characteristics as him and then making comparison. After reading the previous chapters, the readers have already made their own judgement on Chris, which are probably mostly negative. To address this issue, Krakauer initiates chapter 8 by introducing negative comments and mails not only about Chris but also to him, the author. These will serve as an argument that he will later attempt to disprove while at the same time, still informing the readers about what makes Chris special and unique.
In both of these instances, Chris’s willful rejection of traditional beliefs and behaviors made him into the man he wanted to
Although there are varied opinions on Chris McCandless, we may never get to know the full truth. He was a young man straight out of college who decided to drop everything he had to live a life on the road that would eventually lead him to the Alaskan wilderness. Many say he was reckless and naïve, while others applaud him for the journey he took, showing his bravery and courage. Much like Jon Krakauer, author of Into the Wild, I agree with the latter group. However, I don't think what he did was one-hundred percent responsible, instead I respect his vision to find himself and to get out.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a novel which explores the true story of Christopher McCandless; his life, his decision to abandon society, his trek into the Alaskan wilderness, and his death. As he introduces the novel, Krakauer warns the reader that he will occasionally interrupt the story to share a memory from his own life, as Chris’s story struck personal to him, and he hoped doing so would help readers achieve a better understanding of McCandless. In the introduction, Krakauer says, “I won’t claim to be an impartial biographer.” (2) In addition to being blatantly biased, Krakauer’s attempts to justify McCandless’s actions fall short, as there are significant bits of information which Krakauer did not disclose.
In chapters 14 and 15, John Krakauer attempts to prove that Chris McCandless did not die because he was suicidal, but rather he died because of an accident and his stubborn personality, by telling Krakauer’s own personal story to make connections to Chris so that the readers can trust him with his judgements about Chris and they can have a better understanding of Chris’s characteristics. The author starts chapter 14 by inserting his personal life experience as a young man to make connections to Chris and to show the readers their similarities so that they can rely on his judgement. Just like Chris, Krakauer was a stubborn, determined, a loner, and an outdoorsman. As a young man, Krakauer was a risk taker.
4 years after Christopher Johnson McCandless death in the Alaskan wilderness in 1992, Jon Krakauer beautifully depicts every moment of the tumultuous times leading up to Chris’s demise. Fed up with ill intentions of his peers and society, McCandless departs for the dark corners of the country. Since McCandless held nature close to his heart, and preached against the object-oriented society he lived in, Chris can be classified as a contemporary transcendentalist. Chris passionately tries to draw metaphysical connections between himself and nature.
The story of Christopher McCandless then begins with his epic journey that had a fateful end. His story builds with Krakauer trying to piece together why he left and for what gain. As the book builds up the reader begins to understand why McCandless left he did so because his parents were pressuring him he had a troubled relationship with his father. Krakauer also includes stories of other adventurers who meet the same fate and included and memories of him and letters are also included in the book. Krakauer does so in defense of McCandless to show that it could happen to anyone in the wild.
In contrast to what some individuals may believe, Chris McCandless was not a lonely hermit who lived his life alone wanting no correlation with humans. Infact Chris had several friends at home in Virginia and met a number of people whom he became very close to on his expedition. In order for the audience to truly understand not only Chris’s actions but his mind, Krakauer uses several credible sources who knew or met Chris on his journey so that we can catch glimpse as to what made Chris tick. One person who is not crucial to the story however shares great insight the reasons behind Chris’s departure is Eric Hathaway. Eric was an old highschool friend of Chris’s, he remarks about something Chris said during cross-country.
Throughout Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer gives his own in-depth look of how he feels about the young Chris McCandless. While doing so, he shows the opinions and stereotypes Chris has gained before and after he was in the wild landscapes of Alaska. It conveys how Krakauer feels toward this boy’s journey. Although Krakauer tries to maintain neutrality in analyzing the young Chris McCandless’ life and death, his own views become evident in the Author’s Note.
However, Jon Krakauer proves his argument that McCandless was not arrogant, foolish, antisocial, or crazy by giving examples of other young men who were similar to McCandless to show that his journey wasn’t unprecedented. He also proves that McCandless wasn’t antisocial because he developed personal relationships with Ronald Franz, Wayne Westerberg, and Jan Burres in such a short amount of time and explaining the many times that McCandless respected the Alaskan Bush. Krakauer admits that McCandless may have suffered from hubris; he was still a victim of circumstances. Krakauer proves that McCandless had an intrinsic motivation to discover and that he wasn’t alone because Krakauer too ventured into the Alaskan Bush when he was younger. The Alaskan Bush is a very difficult place to survive if one isn’t prepared for many challenges such as hunting for food or staying warm in the frost ridden
“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” ―Maya Angelou. Jon Krakauer’s true story titled Into the Wild is about a man who decides to throw away his old life and escape the rules of conventional society. Twenty-two-year-old Chris McCandless came from a well-to-do family in Virginia and, without warning, abandons everything. He changes his name, loses contact with his family, gives away his car and all his money, and begins a two-year long journey hitchhiking to Alaska where he eventually dies of starvation.