In the End

"'Many people have told me that they admire Chris for what he was trying to do. If he lived, I would agree with them. But he didn't and there's no way to bring him back. You can't fix it. Most things you can fix but not that. I don't know that you ever get over this kind of loss. The fact that Chris is gone is a sharp hurt I feel every single day. It's really hard. Some days are better than others, but it's going to be hard every day for the rest of my life'" (Krakauer 203).



Topic: Inspiration or Fool?

      After reading the novel, I understand why Chris did the things he did. Although, it is still easy to say he was foolish, it is admirable he chased his dreams and conquered them. Not all of us do that given the long lives we have. He did not want to face reality because he was living the dream, his dream. If I had the choice, I would travel, go to Spain, dive in the Great Barrier Reefs of Australia and go skydiving in Cancun. But to me, these are all bucket list dreams. For Chris, he had his list from the start and conquered each, one by one. For some, Chris may seem foolish because he died. But in reality, death does not happen to the one who dies, it happens to all the people left standing at the funeral, trying to figure out how they are going to live the rest of their lives now without them in it.

Still a Fool?

"Have been living on the streets of San Diego for the past week. First day I got here it rained like hell. The missions here suck and I'm getting preached to death. Not much happening in terms of jobs so I'm heading north tomorrow" (Krakauer 53).


Topic: Inspiration or Fool




    In the quote, McCandless is writing a letter to Burres and Franz, reassuring them that he is alive and well. Chris has had his dream/adventure of running away from his family and problems and I feel like he needs a reality check. I find it foolish he stayed away for so long. He has no more resources, money and the family he left still has no idea where he is. I think it's fine if Chris wanted some time away from reality and people because we all need that sometimes, but in my opinion, there is a limit for someone who wants to run from their problems. You can't run forever, but if you do, you should have a better plan than Alaska. Chris leaves for Alaska for another great adventure but things don’t go as expected. For me, your family is your rock; they support you and you need them. If Chris had his family by his side on his great Alaska trip, things could have ended up a lot differently.

In the Beginning

"Alex admitted that the only food in his pack was a ten-pound bag of rice... he had no ax, no bug dope, no snowshoes, no compass" (Krakauer 5)

Topic: Inspiration or Fool?
     

In the beginning, it is said that a hitch-hiker named Chris McCandless, later re-named Alex, left his family without any notice to find himself. A few years later, he was found dead in Alaska by a couple of moose hunters. I think he was a fool for not telling anyone where he was or even taking better equipment. I’m sure whatever happened with his family could not have been so bad that he had to leave without saying goodbye or not sending a single letter during his journey. Although, he must have thought he was a smart man and an exceptional hiker, it is still common sense to take more food and water when hiking any trail. For example, before he died, he met Jim Gallien. Gallien offered him food, shelter and better equipment. It was wrong and foolish not to have accepted his gestures. I find it inspirational that he achieved his goals but foolish that he ran away from his problems for so long.