Option 1: For class today we have read and now discussed the author’s note and first three chapters of Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Please write about your initial reactions to the story of Christopher McCandless. Can you relate to his story? Obviously, most of us here haven’t abandoned society for a great American and perhaps personal odyssey, but there may be points to his adventure that struck a chord with you. If so, please discuss this.
Option 2: Some of you may have had mini-odysseys over the past week during Spring Break. If so, please discuss using the best and most entertaining narrative skills you possess! (Nota Bene: Please remember that this site is public, so don’t write about anything that may incriminate you!)
Your responses should be between 200 and 400 words. And remember, these posts are now out of a possible 10 points. Therefore, do your best to revise and edit them before you post to the blog.
English 1101 Spring 2008 
Alex Seburn said,
March 11, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I have read the author’s note and first three chapters and I was kind of puzzled. It took me a while to get used to the bad organization. I understand that some books like to have a little prelude to discuss what the story will be about, but he (John K) kept changing around the order of the story. He might have some narration in one chapter, than switch it to a description of Chris McCandless’ life. That kind of thing, in my opinion, works in movies but not in books. Rather than enjoying a beginning to a story that I assumed would be about a guy’s first wilderness experiences, I spent most of that time trying to reread to figure out what was going on.
To be frank, I was very disappointed by how hard the book was to follow this far, and I already started to wonder what people see in it. Maybe I need to give this book more time, but so far I have only found out more info about Alex McCandless and who owns what businesses in Alaska. I did find some of the things interesting, like how a guy found a heavy 60+ pound object in a sleeping bag on a bus. The guy then discovers that the object was actually Chris McCandless’ dead corpse. I really enjoyed the imagery that the author used in that part of the story, but at the same time just about anyone taking college English can do that. I don’t think I read enough of the story yet to form a pleasant experience in reading Into the Wild.
Dianna Singleton said,
March 11, 2008 at 3:34 pm
We are now reading the book Into the Wild. With the first few chapters being read we are asked to evaluate anything that we have done that was this type of leaving society as a whole or any feelings we may have that deals with this book. When I was younger, and even more so now, I used to day dream what it would be like to just get away. Not any particular place but I would have different adventures that went on in my head since I could not actually leave. I would just day dream of how it would be to get away from the norm without anyone knowing where I was. I always think about it most when I am frustrated with life or life throws me a big curve ball that knocks me to my knees. At those moments I usually pray and wish I could leave, without a trace, no worries, no consequences. When I feel like I am ready and rested to come back home, I then would.
I have always had this one adventure in my head that I just can not get rid of. I have longed to just hop on a train, not a passenger train, but one that is just to pass by. Go where ever it takes me and see where I would end up in the end. I tried asking my friends to do this with me for our senior trip in High School, but I soon realized that it wasn’t the best idea. Back in the olden days you could do that with no problem and have very few worries. I just think with a little pre planning it would be okay but to be spontaneous with it was the whole point of doing it. Just hopping on a train and take enough money with you, make sure at least one person knows and see where life (train) takes you. I think it would be a GRAND adventure, especially if you had a companion with you.
Emily Noordhoek said,
March 11, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Chris McCandless’ story is honestly shocking. A person who knows nothing of Alaska or of the wilderness in general, goes on an adventure with little supplies and barely any knowledge. Yes, Chris is intelligent, but not when it comes to the outdoors. I personally think he is crazy for attempting to live in Alaska on an abandoned bus in the middle of nowhere. In chapter one, a truck driver actually picks him up when he is walking down the side of the road and the driver even has knowledge of Chris having a gun. Who would pick up a hitch hiker with a gun? Who would pick up a hitch hiker in general? When he gets into the vehicle, he automatically changes his name to Alex. It struck me that he may not have liked the way he was living before and decided to deny who he actually was and become a whole new character. Did he want to start over and live away from society? Was he schizophrenic and create a person that actually believed to be?
I wouldn’t say that I can really relate to his story. I can however, relate to his feelings. One day, I was completely fed up with my parents and I decided to go live with a friend for a while not telling my parents where I was. I was only thirty minutes away in a nice, warm home and lived my normal life. Chris went out into Alaska into the woods down a trail with little food and probably hardly bathed. I came to a point where I wanted to move to another state and work and live on my own. I obviously never did this, but I think we all find a sense of adventure come out in some point in our lives. Chris McCandless actually did it.
Brandon Richardson said,
March 11, 2008 at 3:41 pm
In the book into the wild by Jon Krakauer, I think that he is being extremely selfish not only to him self but to everyone around him. From what I can tell he had a good life with many great opportunities within his reach, yet he decided to throw them all away. There are many people I know that would have loved a chance to go to college especially a paid way to college. That just makes me upset that he could just say screw society and go into the wild with nothing, with hardly any prior experience of those parts of the woods. The locals had even told him that he wasn’t prepared to take such a risk in going out there. He was offered boots and told that he needed more food, but yet it was like he was on a mission to set himself up to fail. It just seems like that was what he wanted to do. He should have known that a .22 caliber rifle wouldn’t withstand a 200 or 300 hundred pound bear. All that rifle amounts to, is going into your back yard and shooting squires. His supplies just weren’t adequate with the type of survival he was going to endure. All of the information that was given in the first few chapters doesn’t make any type of since to me it seems as if the book doesn’t even have a plot.
Dawn Vickers said,
March 11, 2008 at 3:43 pm
The story Into the Wild has left me wondering why somebody would do what Christopher McCandless did! This seems like a gentleman who has a lot going for him and could really do something with his life.
Everybody has issues with their family and would like to get away but going into the wild unprepared sounds childish and unsettling. I can say that there are times when I have wanted to get away from everybody and everything but have not followed through with the kind of thought that Christopher McCandless used. I think that most people would like to get away for a little while. I am under the opinion that Christopher McCandless wanted more than to get away from his family and things he was involved with. He gave away all his money and changed his name, it seems as if he wanted to get away and die, or maybe he wanted the person Christopher McCandless was to go away.
From what we have read so far I believe that at the end of Christopher McCandless life he realized he really didn’t want to die and he really wanted to be Christopher instead of Alex. His note has a feeling of being desperate and wanting himself back. He also seems to want contact with somebody and realized he needed help.
I look forward to reading the rest of the book. I am hoping that they can tell us a little bit more about what Christopher McCandless life was like those last few days. He did not live a life I would want or look forward to having even if I did get away for a while.
Dawn Vickers
CRN 1718
Samantha Willis said,
March 11, 2008 at 3:43 pm
1718
In the book, Into the Wild, a man named Chris McCandless does away with all his possessions and hitchhikes his way to the alaskan frontier. He is very ill prepared with only a bag of rice, a .22 caliber, and the clothes on his back. Eventually Chris finds his way to a bus which he uses as living quarters. Four months after he left civilization, his body was found.
Leaving your family at home to worry about you is extremely selfish. He could have written to let them know where he was. It seems as if he thought it would be funny to leave everything and everyone he knew and loved. However, it is fascinating that someone would travel so far just to live in the wilderness. It seems as if he is a huge dreamer . McCandless seemed to think he could live and thrive in the wilderness. He wanted to be there with no clothes, food, or human contact?
I think Chris McCandless’ story was very intriguing. How could someone who was so intelligent and wealthy decide to give it all up for an adventure that he knew nothing about? I wonder what his plans were. Was he going to stay there forever or a few months? What were his thoughts about himself as he came closer to death?
This story is very odd. The circumstances before, during, and after his journey are almost unrealistic. I wish he would have written more so we could know his thoughts until the day of his death.
Robert Epps said,
March 11, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Chris McCandless’ story so far seems to lack any sort of inspiring thought. Chris was chasing after, what is to some, the American dream: to go out on his own and discover new things about nature as well as about his self. Another dream though, of many, not only Americans, is to be a successful and loving son or daughter, husband or wife, and father or mother. Chris seemed to despise his parents for loving him. In one of his letters to his sister he said that he “couldn’t believe they thought I’d let them pay for my school.” As if that were one of the most terrible things parents could try to do for their children. He refused to talk to them most of the time. He didn’t even own a phone. He thought about nobody but himself. He didn’t even bother to tell his parents, or any of the people who loved him and cared about his wellbeing, about what he was planning to do initially.
Chris’s Story is that of a selfish and spoiled person who wanted to define themselves in some way that made them feel different. He was so set on fufilling his own plans that he thought and cared little about the people who thought themselves close to him. He seemed like the type of person who would critisize one for adapting to the world and becoming successful in their own right. He wrote to Carine that “I’ll have to be careful not to accept any gifts from them in the future so they wont think they have bought my respect.” He did not respect his parents who just wanted to take care of him for some reason. Perhaps they “didn’t understand him.” He shows his selfishness when he gives away $24,000 of family money without ever thinking of his parents or at least of his siblings. Of course, giving anything to charity is an honorable thing to do, but not when it isn’t truly yours to give. He most likely enjoyed very much the praise from the charity he gave to who probably told him what a great humanitarian and generous person he was. He cared only for himself, and he was lazy. He worked hard, but only to get by on as little as he could.
Chris seems stupid, but not in the most common sense of the word. He was obviously very smart, graduating college with a 3.72 GPA. He seemed so set on being different and not falling into the norm, on not becoming anything like his parents, that he tromped into the wild severely underprepared and died because of it. He respected Wayne, but perhaps mostly because Wayne, like himself, was full of untapped potential to really do some good in the world that was never realized. Chris’ dream was to do nothing at all with his life to really help himself or anyone else for that matter and be considered a visionary hero because of it. I guess dreams do come true sometimes.
Robert Epps, 1718
Sara Garmon said,
March 11, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Into the wild struck a chord with me because, I do not understand how any person could out of no where up and leave their family behind. No good bye, no trace of where they went and why they left. If I were to leave my family behind with no explanations my mom and dad would be completely heart broken and they would worry themselves to death about me and if I was safe. In my eyes how Chris left his family showed no respect for his parents or anyone. Because of the way that Chris chose to live his life and the way in which he died, it will forever burden his family and they will have to bare it for the rest of their lives. No amount of details or clues will ease their pain. I think it was a selfish and inconsiderate choice. I can understand that he wanted to go out and survive in the wild like his favorite authors wrote about in their novels, but I do not think he truly understood what he was getting himself into. He was more concerned with what he wanted no matter the consequences it left on the one’s who loved and cared for him. At the same time his story is intriguing and I want to read and know more. I want to understand his reasoning. I believe, just from reading the first three chapters, right before Chris died he realized that he had made a mistake. He finally knew when it was too late, that the idea of himself living in the wild and the reality of him living in the wild were two completely different things. It is heart braking that he never had the chance to make everything right with his family, which without a doubt had been worried about him since the day he left home. I just wonder if in his final thoughts he was thinking that trying to invent this new life for himself, if there was anything wrong with the life he left behind.
CRN # 1718
Sarah Hackney said,
March 11, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Spring Break 2008: A little Too Buckwild
Most people imagine college Spring Breaks as wild and out, or memorable. I can’t say that the first one applies to my 2008 Spring Break, but the second one fits in an almost demented aspect; I almost died on numerous occassions. Most of my week was spent at work and most people would look at a Spring Break at work nothing close to writing material, but from a day at that place my enthusiasm would be justified.
I wouldn’t necessarily call my week an odyssey by no stretch of the imagination. In fact, the first half of the week isn’t really worth mentioning. It was this past Saturday and Sunday that makes me wonder why these things happen to me. I’ll start chronologically with Saturday, I arrived at nine after cashing my check only to find that I had barely anything to do. I wasn’t prepared for the bombardment of cheerleaders ordering nothing but chicken salads, and fought my way through lunch. I left work around three and spent the rest of the night doing whatever it is I do on Saturday nights. As I was watching America’s Next Dance Crew I noticed my face felt sunburned. I knew I wasn’t sunburned so I ran to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror only to find my face was beet red. That was really weird because my face never turns colors. I don’t even know what a blush is. I looked down at my hands and saw all of my scars turned bright red and my hands were swollen. So not only was it late at night, but I was having a random allergic reaction to God knows what. I proceeded to text my sister the following, “Don’t freak out but… I think I’m having a random allergic reaction.” About thirty seconds after sending that message I heard a thud above my head and a fast stampede down two flights of stairs. My sister burst into my room with her doctor friend on the phone and told me to talk to him. I told him I had an epipen upstairs and that I would go get it. Well needless to say I found that epipen, but when I removed it from the tube I discovered the needle had already came out. So not only had someone used my epipen, but they decided to put it back in the tube in the bathroom as if no one would ever notice. To cut the irony down to a minimum, I took some benadryl and fell asleep.
The following night at work I had perhaps 10 orders total. Well as I was cooking some chicken tenders, I looked to the top of the fryer and realized that it was in flames. Not only that, but the underside was in flames as well and sparking. So I started screaming,”Uhhh… fire?? Seriously?!?”. I was forced to put the flames out with an extinguisher, which I will add was my first time using one. If that doesn’t constitute for a wild Spring Break story, then I honestly don’t know what does.
Madison Davis said,
March 11, 2008 at 3:44 pm
In the past, my spring breaks have always been filled with overstuffed suitcases, coolers packed full, endless days of baking in oil, and long nights that lasted until day break. This year, however, was far less eventful. My two best friends boarded a plane and flew to Hawaii while I packed my bags and headed towards Tampa.
Although I was in Florida, I unfortunately did not see the shore once. I was down there for work. I attended the Xtreme Fighting Championships, similar to the Ultimate Fighting Championships, and promoted for a clothing line called Omega. The experience was unbelievable, but far from what most would expect there Spring Break to consist of. On the beaches, men would be playing football or surfing the waves, here however, they were beating each other up and knocking each other out in a bloody battle for a championship title, which is far less appealing. After working at the fights, the other girls that promoted and I went out to dinner and the next morning we headed back home. The trip was a short three days. I was back at home by Monday afternoon.
Wednesday, my “significant other” celebrated his 21st birthday. Although I could not join in his festivities, we had friends over and went out so that he could order his first legal beer. It was exciting to watch his enthusiasm, although it quickly wore off. According to him, drinking alcohol is far more enjoyable when you aren’t allowed to do it.
I spent my Friday evening at work. Carrying plates of food to tables and making sure each customer’s glass is full while most college students would be making sure their own glasses are full- of alcohol. Perhaps not soaking up the sun last week has made me a bit hostile.
Saturday morning, Julie and Kindell returned from Hawaii with endless stories about their adventures. They brought me leis and T-shirt souvenirs, which certainly brightened my week. Once they were home, I was much happier. Saturday night, a few friends came over and we all just hung out and talked about their experiences.
Sunday evening, I worked again and prepared for class on Monday. My Spring Break was over. Although I did not have the pleasure of experiencing sun burnt cheeks or beer filled funnels on the beach, it was relaxing to have a break from classes. Summer will come before I know it and I can take a vacation then. Although this year’s spring break was far less exciting, it was much more productive than spring breaks in the past.
Madison Davis
English 1101-1718
Ronald Moua said,
March 11, 2008 at 3:46 pm
My reaction to the story of Christopher McCandles can be said in two simple words which is crazy and wild. To reject having your school paid off and to get a new car is insane. Many people would love to be in Christopher position and have no worries at all about money. Who would ever think that a person would refuse help from other especially your parents? I guess having everything set for you in life is not always the greatest. It is like the rich would want to be poor and the poor would want to be rich. The way the story goes totally confuses me and most definitely make me think twice.
I can relate to the story of Christopher McCandles through his relationship with family and his intelligence of speaking. One example of sharing the same with Christopher is family, because the relationship with step brothers and sisters is not the greatest. Furthermore, Christopher and I are close to our real brothers and sisters. Also, the way Christopher would have smart feedback in discussion is another way that I can relate to him. In chapter one,. Christopher would give a smart answer back to all the questions the Gallien would throw at him. Christopher and Gallien discussion can relate to me because i have a little six year old cousin with a smart mouth just like Christopher. My little cousin could out smart me in every discussion we have.
Ronald Moua
1718
Candice Wilson said,
March 11, 2008 at 3:46 pm
When comparing the story Into the Wild to my very own life there are no similarities what so ever. But, in a sense the story is a motivational gesture to try something daring and new. Just note that I am not at all thinking about how I am going to hitchhike out in some far away place just to get a little thrill in life. If there is one thing I am afraid of it is definitely change. What I am meaning to portray is how amazing it is to me how Christopher McCandless was able to just get up and leave everything to go out on his love for freedom and adventure. It makes me think what a wimp I must be to not be able to go after something I truly want that may change my life. Being a backup dancer for a major artist on tour or even in a music video was my all time goal. However, I have always held back from that because a part of me thinks I can’t do it. I can’t just get up and leave to go on some tour away from my family, friends, school, work, or life in general. I couldn’t even imagine it. That is why I think it is motivational, in an odd way, that Christopher accomplished what ever it was he was trying to do. It makes me think that I can do the same. Without the whole part where he dies in some abandoned bus of coarse. This must sound odd in your mind but, in mine it makes all perfect sense.
CRN: 1718
Mindy Boswell said,
March 11, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Spring break is my favorite week of the year! In this years spring break I went to Virginia and New York City! I flew to Roanoke Virginia on February 29, to be picked up by my brother. I go to his house every spring break to spend time with him, my nieces and nephew. While visiting him we relaxed, went out to eat, shopped and just enjoyed the family time. I stayed at his house until Wednesday March 5. On Wednesday morning my friend, Stephanie, picked me up from his house and we headed for New York City! I have been to NYC numerous times, but this was my first time driving there. We took turns driving and listened to music to pass the time faster. After driving for so many hours I began to fall into a daze; staring at what seemed to be constant black top and lines. When we finally arrived we were jumping for joy to be out of the car. We parked the car at LaGuardia airport and took the subway to our hotel in Manhattan. Since we were tired from all the driving we decided to just rest in the hotel. The next day, we visited the Statue of Liberty, Gray’s Papaya (which was the hot dog place Matthew Perry talked about in Fool’s Rush In.), and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All were exciting, but my most intriguing experience was at The Met, where I saw a real Picasso painting. I am not personally a fan of Picasso, but it was very neat to see one of the most famous painters work right in front of me. Friday we visited The Empire State Building and SUNY (The State College of Optometry), which is where I plan to attend graduate school after receiving my bachelors’ degree. Friday night we went to a local club in Manhattan. On Saturday we spent our day shopping on Canal St. buying fake designer bags and sunglasses. Saturday night we decided to go clubbing again since it was our last night in the city! Sunday we left NYC at 10:00am. After arriving back to LaGuardia via taxi we were on the interstate and headed south in no time. The ride home seemed much longer than the ride going there. We were running out of things to entertain ourselves, so we decided to enjoy some old school jams! We listened to Prince, Destiny’s Child, Boys to Men and MC Hammer. Road trips are always a good time to listen to music you haven’t listened to in years. We passed through New Jersey, Maryland and West Virginia quickly; however we felt as if we may die before ever getting out of Virginia. Finally about 9:00pm we reach the North Carolina border! Stephanie lives just 45 minutes over the border of N.C. so my mom met us there to pick me up and head for Georgia. We arrived home to Alpharetta, GA at 2:00am; I finally was able to sleep in my own bed for the first time in ten days! I am looking forward to Spring Break again next year!
-Mindy Boswell
English 1101/CRN 1736
Chris Zywica said,
March 11, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Option 1
What I have discovered about Chris McCandless, from the book Into the Wild, is that he may have bitten off more than he could chew. It is a very romantic notion to cut all ties with society, live in the wilderness, and be self-sufficient, but you have to be realistic while choosing your method of self exploration. I have been raised in the city, or at least in a suburban environment, for almost all of my life. For me to just one day decide I was going to be a King Crab fisherman in Alaska or a cowboy out in New Mexico is a poor thought process on my part. I have no skills when it comes to survival when at odds with nature. I wouldn’t be able to swim well enough to survive the icy Alaskan waters, and the only interaction I have with cows is at the meat department at Kroger and they are delicious! Christopher McCandless, apparently, didn’t possess enough survival skills to last in the wilderness. If he wanted to rebel or withdraw from society, he had the skills and education to do it in less dangerous manner. With his education and determination, he would have made a larger impact if he had tried to convey his message to the public. Christopher could have educated other people, changed others ideas, and possibly changed the world instead of dying alone in a bus. Before you embark on a social awareness campaign as McCandless did, make sure you choose a method of expression that will help other as well as yourself.
Stephanie Williams said,
March 11, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Option 1:
In the book, In to the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, I found myself drawn to the investigation of the death of Chris McCandless. Though I have not read or looked into the happening in detail, I believe that there is much more to his reasoning and death than we will probably ever know. My hope is to make a determination of Chris and his adventure for myself based on what I read.
The fact that Chris McCandless decided to leave behind a life of such possibility is awe striking to many. However, I believe there is a little back-woodsman in all of us and a curiosity that tells us there must be more to life than this. Few people find the courage to take it on. Chris donated his college fund, left his belongings and vehicle behind and destroyed what money he had in his pocket to set out on a journey that most could only imagine. Like Chris, we often find that life is bitter sweet. I feel that Chris left on his adventure with a purpose, a hope, a dream and upon his journey the bitterness of the wild overtook his knowledge, leaving behind a legacy he only wished he could have told himself.
Living in the wild, building my own shelter, living off the land God has provided to us is a life I would adore but, I know there is more to survival than the beauty of the wilderness. Nature is very unpredictable and the wild often gets lost in it’s beauty. I could survive a day, maybe even a few days, but with out an in-depth knowledge I would never attempt such a task as Chris’s. I believe an adventure like this one should to be planned in depth. There is no room for error in the wilderness, especially the remote Alaskan wilderness. Knowledge of camping and hiking doesn’t even constitute the ability to be able to handle such an idea, much less a dream.
Stephanie Williams
English 1101
CRN 1718
kelley Mcwhorter said,
March 11, 2008 at 3:51 pm
In the story Into the Wild, Christopher Johnson abandoned all his possessions to wander into the wild and invent a new life for himself. My mini-odyssey over spring break does not ever come close to Christopher’s adventure. Instead of trying to survive and work to live, my mission was to relax and take a break. I didn’t have any money left after paying bills this year to go a vacation, but I did get to spend a lovely day with my family. My mom and step-dad just recently bought their dream house with 50 acers in Athens Georgia. I decided that Watkinsville was not for me and stayed where my life and heart was here in Flowery Branch; because of this my mother and I have been very distant. I was very grateful when I got some time off from my slaving job and school to take a day and drive out to see the new house. I left on a beautiful Tuesday morning, the sun was shining bright and the temperature was just right to roll the windows down. I got an early eight o’clock start so I would arrive at my moms around 10. The drive their was very relaxing and gave me some well needed time to myself, except for the few calls from my mom just to make sure I don’t get lost.
When I turn into the long gravel driveway I could see lots of trees blocking parts of my view of the house until I got closer where I found my mom sitting on the front porch reading a book. The new house is much smaller than our old house but it’s just the house I imagined they would always grow old in. my mom welcomed me with lots of hugs and kisses and then continued to show my rest of the house. After looking at the house we headed out to explore Athens. Neither I nor my mother knew our way around so first decided to go get a pedicure and the nail salon which seemed almost twenty minutes away. After our toes were polished we decided to do our usual and go shopping. We went to a lot of just little town stores that hold mainly hand made jewelry, pottery and other originals. It was a nice break form my stressful live at home and comforting to see my family.
Ashley Weinert said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:33 pm
This spring break was one of the many that I unfortunately had to work through. For the most part of the week I worked from eight to four as for the days I had off I made it a point to live life to the fullest on those days off. On Tuesday I went to hang out with some guy friends that I never make time for any more, we went to guitar center and tried out all the new models. Wednesday was my nineteenth birthday so I worked all day until I had to eat dinner with my parents. It was one of the worst things that occurred through out the entire week. All they do is fight with each other and criticize me; I am so glad that I don’t live with them any more. On Thursday I went to a concert at the Tabernacle. One of my favorite bands “Flogging Molly” was playing. The whole night was filled with great music and dancing, I can’t wait for them to stop in Atlanta again. Lastly on the exciting things that happened this spring break, on Saturday we had a big get together over my friend Morgan’s house. We ate, drank and soaked in the hot tub all night. This spring break was clearly one to remember.
Ashley Weinert
1721
Chris Napolitano said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:35 pm
My spring break was pretty laid back, I spent most of my break working or hanging out with friends that are in town from school. It is kind of a bummer that we are already back in school but at least the semester is half over. I did have a couple run-ins with the cops over spring break which ended in a couple of speeding tickets but nothing more than that so I guess I could call it a successful spring break. I also spent a lot of my time going to the skate park and just skateboarding all day. It is a good way to pass the time and it is also very fun to me. I wish I had more exciting things to write about, but I didn’t make it down to Panama City this year so I have no tales of alcohol adventures. It was nice to just have a relaxing spring break around home though.
Melissa Jones said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:38 pm
My spring Break
Over spring break I didn’t go out of town. I didn’t do anything. I had to work, so I had the best spring break ever! But it was okay because we didn’t have school so I had time to rest, and more time to myself. Personally I think our spring break was to early, we hardly got any sun and it was nowhere near spring. But oh well it was fun while it lasted. Now we just have to get back into the groove of things. But im glad were back in school after a while I get bored of staying at home.
Melissa Jones
1727
Amanda Cronan said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:38 pm
I do relate to the story Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. When I was about six years old my home caught on fire. (The home was struck by lighting, and I lived in the middle of nowhere.) My mother instructed me to run outside and far away from the house. She remained behind trying to put the fire out.
I did just as my mother instructed. I ran, then ran, and then ran some more. Before I knew it I was lost, wet, terrified, and unprepared to be in the middle of the woods. Reading this novel brought that same emotion that I had when I ran out into the wild. I was lost for a whole night and day.
I defiantly did not have the skills or equipment needed to survive long. Chris did not have the correct gear or knowledge either. I feel so bad for Chris. He really was nothing more than a “lost” child looking for a way home (or a good way of life). The underlining meaning in this story is quite clear, and tragic.
Amanda Cronan
924-18-4942
Eng. 1101
1727
Great comparrison Amanda. And I agree with you, that there is definitely an arch to this story that pulls us back to the idea that he really was nothing more than a lost individual–literally and metaphorically–who simply didn’t get found
Chasiti Walden said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:41 pm
In the book, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless seems to be searching for himself. I don’t think that he really knew what he was getting himself into. He didn’t want any help from anyone. He was extremely independent. He came from a well to do family but it wasn’t what he wanted out of life. Chris wanted to be his own person and didn’t want anyone to impact the way he lived his life. I could never picture myself completely deserting everyone I knew to go live alone in the wild. I am an independent person but there is no way I could possibly survive without my family, even if I wanted my own “identity.” I think Chris McCandless went to the most drastic measures to prove a point.
Gilberto Nanclares said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I can’t say very much about my 2008 Spring Break week. I have a full time job and my biggest mistake was to tell my boss about me not having evening classes that week. I end up working a 12 hours shift week because they were short handed. On top of that, Friday night we had problems with our computers and I got out at 1:30am that night. In addition to that, they were behind in production so they gave me a couple of hours Sunday evening. I have had better Spring Breaks before and hopefully next year’s won’t be the same as this years.
Gilberto Nanclares
English 1101
CRN1727
Yes you violated the cardinal rule when deal with a boss–NEVER tell him of her that you will have extra time to work
Lisa albano said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Spring Break 2008
My spring break was not a mini – odyssey. However, I did spend a lot of time with a mini- oddity; my two year old son Joey. Normally my days consist of school and work and I am gone ¾ of the day. Well this past week I was home for 10 days straight, with no work or school. We had a ton of wonderful bonding time.
Joey and I went to Central Park and played on the swings and see-saw. We climbed the wooden castles and traveled through the tunnels to only end up at a slide that seemed huge to Joey and nearly as tall and long as me. We ran from one end of the park to the other, with my extremely obese 8 year old Beagle and laughed the entire time watching her waddle.
Afterwards, we went to CICI’s Pizza and filled our bellies with pizza and salad. We then waddling out to my car, which I am sure, was a sight to see and drove home. Joey then guided me up the stairs of my home, and explained to me he was tired. I followed him up the stairs and cuddled with him on my bed, to only wake up the next morning.
This may not have been a terribly exciting spring break; however, it was a very important one. Joey and I spent some quality time together. These are going to be his memories someday. I will cherish these precious times, because they sure do grew up quick! I Love You, Joey!!!
Lisa Albano English 1101/1727
Jessica Davis said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:44 pm
This spring break was by the far the worst spring break I have ever had in my life, I was scheduled to have my WISDOM TEETH cut out! When I scheduled the appointment I did it so I wouldn’t fall behind in school so I did purposely schedule during spring break.
So, Monday rolls around and its time to go get them cut out. I get there everything goes fine. I get in the car and because I was still under anstetics I wasn’t feeling any pain and I starting to think that this would be a piece of cake. I called my boyfriend and his sister to tell to come over sooner than they had planned on and I was feeling great. My mom took me home so I could get some ice on my cheeks to keep them from swelling and then she was going to fill my pain and steriod(to help the healing) prescriptions after I got settled in. I walked into my house, walked to my bedroom, back to the living room, over to the computer desk to get my gauzes cause they needed changing, and hit the floor in tears!!!!!!!! I was squalling like a baby. The anstetics had finally run out of my system and it was all pain from there on out. My boyfriend had never seen me cry before and when he walked in the door I was in the floor hysterical in pain! Of course, he picked me up and settled me down til mom came with the medicine. He even brought me balloons, a stuffed animal, and beautiful pinkish purple roses. So after the pain meds kicked in I calmed down and tried to eat some mashed potatoes. My cheeks weren’t swollen to bad that day either.
Tuesday, my face, honest to God, looked like I had been storing marshmellows. Im not talking the small marshmellows you put in hot cocoa. Im talking the giant marshmellows. And my face is still hurting pretty bad! So I of course did not go to work that day.
And this pretty much continued all week. I didn’t go to work,( I work for my mom so it really didn’t matter anyways), my cheeks were massive, and I pretty muched stayed on my pain meds. Also, the only things I could eat without have to chew were, mac-n-cheese and mashed potatoes. I don’t want either of those for along time after this past week. My face is still a little swollen and over the weekend for some odd reason a bruise developed under my chin. But everything is healing well and I am now eating my regular foods. THANK GOD!
Jessica Davis
CRN 1727
Ismael Navarro CRN 1727 said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Ismael Navarro JR
3/11/08
Option 2: Some of you may have had mini-odysseys over the past week during Spring Break. If so, please discuss using the best and most entertaining narrative skills you possess! (Nota Bene: Please remember that this site is public, so don’t write about anything that may incriminate you!)
For Spring Break My brother and his wife came to visit from California. Its has been around a year sense the last time he visited. I spend a week driving them around and taking in all the sites. It was a good week but a little tearing.
The first weekend my parents had a party for my sister. She was celebrating her 15. It was a good party and lots of people showed up. I spend most of the morning running around doing these, picking up that, etc. But it was worth it at the end. And I spend the next day recovering from the night before.
The rest of the week as much as I would have liked to have spend it on the beach with a beer in my hand, I had to work. So not much action for the rest of time that week. But I got to spend some time with my brother so it was pretty good. I just hope next Spring Break is better than these years.
Yvette Allison said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:46 pm
After reading the first three chapters of “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, I don’t want to put the book down. The story of Chris McCandless made me think about how sometimes I want to break away from society and everything I know, and just disappear. Just with the few chapters I’ve read I think about the times I’ve seriously thought about getting in my car and just driving away. Not telling anyone where I’m going, and just leaving for nowhere.
In the first chapter you actually read about the death of Chris, and it gets you into the book and you want to find out what made him decide to abandon everything. Through chapter two you start getting the idea that Chris was trying to find himself and didn’t really know who he was, and by chapter three you learn about his schooling, his family, and his desire to leave it all behind.
Chris was a loner, and I believe a very misunderstood person. After reading about his family you wonder if they ever actually talked to him about his hopes and dream, or did they just expect him to follow certain guidelines. Chris’s friends noticed some changes in his personality but no one actually done anything about it. If his family had of paid a little more attention to the way their son was acting and not how good his grades were, would he still be with us? Chris McCandless needed an adventure I believe, because he had nothing in his life that excited him.
Yvette Allison
English 1101 #1727
It’s a difficult thing, for people who have the spirit of adventure, but not exactly the practical skills to fulfill it, nor the ability to know when to say when. I have often felt like Chris probably felt, though I think (or hope) I would know how when to hike back out to the road.
Renee Banks-Seawell said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Since last week was Spring Break for me one might think that I would arrive back at school well rested and very calm in spirit. This might have been the case yesterday but today brought a whole new vision to the end of my “break.” Today has been a seemingly unending series of adventures.
My day began with my 12 year old daughter waking me up and saying “Mommy, I think that my finger may be broken.” As I startled awake, the memory of her finger being swollen the night before came rushing back to me. As she walked over to me, her blonde hair flying on her little head, she held her finger up and there it was; bent, bruised and still swollen. I jumped out of bed, dressed as quickly as I could and took her to a nearby walk in clinic.
Now you must understand that my daughter is afraid of going to the Doctor and even more afraid that someone might throw up in her presence. Well, we walked into the clinic, I signed her in with the receptionist and we sat down in front of the television. I thought that it might help the time to pass more quickly and it might calm her down. Just as we were starting to enjoy the show I looked over to see a beautiful brown eyed little girl sitting beside us. She looked like she really felt bad and I heard her mother say “Now if your going to spill your cookies, you have to warn me so that I can get you to the bathroom.” She had no more than uttered the last word when out it came! The little girl threw up all over herself and her mother.
I glanced over at my little girl and she had a look of horror in her newly colored pale green face. I quickly moved her to another area of the waiting room and assured her that all was well. Now not only did she have a hurt finger but she thought that she had caught the flu as well. It wasn’t long until the nurse called us back to see the Doctor so this relieved her fear a little bit.
The nurse looked at her finger, asked what had happened and then said she would need an x-ray. Well, fear really set in then. She asked,” is that the big tunnel that you go into?” “No, the nurse said kindly.” She then asked, “is that a cat scan and why do they call it a cat scan anyway?” The nurse politely told her no and that it was like taking a picture of her hand.
All seemed to be well until the nurse placed the apron over my daughter’s stomach. She wan’t sure what that was but she was certain that it had harmed her in some way. By now she had forgotten all about the hurt finger and was convinced that she was going to die from being exposed to radiation.
After a while the Doctor came in and announced to us that she had severely sprained her finger and would need to splint it for the next six weeks. Upon exiting the office, my daughter proceeded to tell me that the next time she hurt her finger she hoped that I would take her to the Doctor instead of saying “Oh honey, it isn’t broken. You will be fine.”
I dropped her off at home with her Daddy and proceeded in guilt to my appointment with my Advisor here at college which I was now late for. Any simblance of organization was now gone from my day and any rest that I may have gotten over the last week has been replaced with stress and guilt. I needed to come back to school today to get a break!!!!!
Wow! Sounds like you really do need a school break!
TIFFANY MAJORS said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Tiffany Majors
English 1101
CRN 1727
I wish I had of had a mini-odyssey over the spring break to visit my parents in Virginia but since spring break snuck up on me I stayed here in Georgia. Thursday February 28th was my last day of class so on Friday I went and got my hair done after work. I went back to my short hair style which was kind of like a bob. I didn’t do anything exciting that weekend. I just hung with my friend Jermaine at his house. We went to the movies Sunday to see Step Up 2 the Streets which was not as interesting as the previews made it seem. Then it was time to go back to work.
Monday morning I lost my car keys which made me late for work so I decided to call out. I slept in for a couple of hours, and then went downstairs to help my aunt with her daycare. She had me watch the infants, a 9-month old, an 11 month old and a 1- year old. They really weren’t that bad. I would feed them and change their diapers every three hours then put them right back down to sleep.
Tuesday through Friday I worked at the Mitsubishi Parts Warehouse in Braselton, GA. I work in receiving so I logged in plenty of parts for Mitsubishi TVs, DVD players, and screens. When I got off Friday I went to my little cousin’s first track meet. She ran the 4×200 and her team came in first place so we went out to eat at the new Mexican place, La Hacienda. Saturday I slept about all day and Saturday night I went to my cousin Ashley’s house for a cook out. I ate three hot dogs and a cheeseburger and flirted with one of the guys there. Sunday I went running and bike riding through our community. This was the most boring spring break I’ve ever had and next year I don’t know about you but I’m going to the beach.
Ismael Navarro CRN 1727 said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:47 pm
3/11/08
Option 2: Some of you may have had mini-odysseys over the past week during Spring Break. If so, please discuss using the best and most entertaining narrative skills you possess! (Nota Bene: Please remember that this site is public, so don’t write about anything that may incriminate you!)
For Spring Break My brother and his wife came to visit from California. Its has been around a year sense the last time he visited. I spend a week driving them around and taking in all the sites. It was a good week but a little tearing.
The first weekend my parents had a party for my sister. She was celebrating her 15. It was a good party and lots of people showed up. I spend most of the morning running around doing these, picking up that, etc. But it was worth it at the end. And I spend the next day recovering from the night before.
The rest of the week as much as I would have liked to have spend it on the beach with a beer in my hand, I had to work. So not much action for the rest of time that week. But I got to spend some time with my brother so it was pretty good. I just hope next Spring Break is better than these years.
Angela Patterson said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:47 pm
The first three chapters of Into The Wild are really good. I have to admit I was surprised to read that he died during his adventure, although I did expect it. He seemed to have a strong mind set as to what he planned to accomplish, but his preparation was badly organized. Chris seems to be a bright young man, who for so long has lived his life around what his parents find happiness in and worthy of praise. He seems lost, but at the same time aims to please his parents. Some people call him crazy and stupid for his failed attempt, but I support him for making a decision and sticking with it, however I wish he would have made better preparation so he could have succeeded with his mission.
I can’t say that I’ve made quite an adventurous journey like Chris did, but I have up and quit a job before with no source of income. I was kind of like Chris at the time; I was trying hard to please my family and at the same time understand the world. I made ends meet by doing little jobs here and there, and somehow I always managed. I too get lost in thought sometimes and try to figure out the exact right answer. I’ve learned over time that doing this will kill you, because the world is so complex and you will probably never know the exact right or wrong answer. Again, I recognize Chris for his attempt, although his outcome was tragic.
Yes, I agree. You almost have to really admire the fact that he went on an adventure. I think that’s why we have people like this in popular culture, myth, even books. Because on some level we all wish we could be the kind of person that would do it, regardless of how crazy it sounds.
English 1101/1727
Maria F Diaz said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:48 pm
My initial reaction to the story of Christopher McCandless was very surprising. I never thought that the story was about a guy that died on those conditions. While I was reading the book, I was so surprised that he donated over twenty four thousand dollars knowing that it could of help him to survive. I tried to relate to the story, but even if I wanted to live my life and live everything behind I don’t think I would be able to do it. I am a kind of person that lives for family and relatives. It is sad that he knew that he was going to die. I think it was a very hard thing when he wrote the SOS note. I believe that he was a very brave person. I don’t think that anybody would go to an unknown place without enough information, money, and supplies.
John Mcbrayer said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Spring Break 2008
Spring break was very exciting this year. I am now 28 years old, and since I dropped out of high school in the ninth grade, it was probably the first spring break that meant anything. Partying was not involved, just relaxation and peace of mind. Thankfully, wisdom has come with age for me and I can now see that fun exists in the simple pleasures of life.
My spring break started in Fresno California. Once I arrived I rented a car and headed for San Francisco. The point of this trip was to take my time exploring the coast and to become comfortable being by myself, unfortunately though, once I started down the coast I could not stop. I have always had a way of running from myself. I drove from San Francisco to San Simeon, and it was not until the last day at the beach that I could slow down enough to enjoy myself. Along the way I was fortunate enough to see sea otters, sea lions, elephant seals, and other animals that I have never seen. Once I left the beach I drove up into Sequoia National Forest. The views from the Camp Nelson area were much prettier than the views from the mountains here in Georgia. Though I probably missed a lot of beautiful scenery in my race down the Pacific Coast, I must say that I could not have asked for a better spring break.
John Mcbrayer
CRN1727
Juan Gomes said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I feel related to Mr. Krakauer’s intent of justifying Christopher Johnson’s adventure. In the first three chapters of this narrative, I identified the details that Mr. Krakauer puts into the story. I have a similar feeling of justification for Mr. Johnson’s actions. Even though I do not have Mr. Johnson’s strong believes or desire for a new identity, I respect and understand his determination.
If I was the one writing a story about Mr. Johnson’s odyssey, I would not want the public to believe that he was crazy. Instead, I would do my best to obtain as much information as possible to bring closure and to understand Mr. Johnson’s situation. I believe that every person should be given the benefit of the doubt.
Juan Gomes
English 1101/ CRN # 1727
Kaye Cox said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:50 pm
“INTO THE WILD” is a great story. I have continued to read the book hoping to find out more information about this boy. Chris McCandless seems different from people I have known in my life. I have known people who would like to change their way of life. I have friends that do not speak to their parents for long periods of time. There are many things about this young boy that are common to people I have met or read about. The want to be your own person and have independence from others expectations is very common among young people.
What is not common or typical about this story is the ability and skills this boy should have. Chris McCandless was athletic, smart, and had money to support his whims. I understand the want to create a life of his own and not live by the expectations of others. I do not understand how a person can go through elementary school, high school, and graduate college would not have enough sense of what is needed to create a new life for himself. I believe he planned to hitchhike across the country, working along the way to pay for his needs, but to take off into the wilderness without any preparation is totally ridiculous. He was smarter than that.
I have a hard time believing he did not have the appropriate shoes and/or attire for the wilderness.
I have a hard time understanding this person. I want to read more to find an explanation.
Kaye Cox
English 1101 CRN #1727
Jessica Jewell
3-12-07
Kaye, I love how your post reflects exactly what I would expect a mother to say. In fact, I think that I have heard my own mother say something like “I really have a hard time understanding how you would… (fill in the blank)” But I agree, it’s very difficult to understand, especially for practical people.
Landon Mcdonnell said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:50 pm
In the story Into the Wild, Chris McCandless changes his direction in life and literally heads north to Alaska in a new direction. Infinite variables lead him to this decision just as infinite variables lead him from that decision to his death. Is the average of all of our life’s variables the sum of what our lives turn out to be? We don’t know. It’s that uncertainty that even makes hardship beautiful. Most people live their entire lives running away from hardship because it’s unpleasant. Maybe if we face it we can find comfort. Maybe that is the reason why Chris died. He was finally comfortable.
Landon McDonnell
CRN 1727
Raquel Hill said,
March 11, 2008 at 5:52 pm
After discussed the author’s note and first three chapters of Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, I was confused and impressed about all the weird things Christopher McCandless did. I could not be able to understand him in his entire odyssey; however, it was really fascinated and unbelievable. He did have different personalities and he was not happy with his family.
I think that the reason of creating different personalities was because he could not find himself. The family expectation was completely different from his. Therefore, He created his own. I am very struck to this part. I remembered that when I was a child I was upset with my family and made up something unusual. I made up a completely new family. I told my mom that I was a foreign student from California. I was there because my parents sent money so she could keep me. Every time I argue with her about money. I asked for the best of everything that she could not provide. I change my personality because I wanted to live in a fantasy world. In a place where I could have everything and somebody from California could provide it.
It is weird how things came to memory after so many years. I even forgot about all that made up story. My mother was very upset at that time. However, I understand how Christopher could do that, also. I did it. It was fun before. Not anymore.
Raquel Hill
CRN 1727
Tony Beatty said,
March 11, 2008 at 6:51 pm
In the book into the wild by Jon Krakauer, I think that he is being extremely selfish not only to himself but to everyone around him. It seems like he wants to die in my opinion. From what I can tell he had a good life with many great options within his reach, yet he decided to throw them all away. There are many people I know that would have loved a chance to go to college. The locals had even told him that he wasn’t prepared to take such a risk in going out there. He reminds me of the guy that’s at the top of the stairs in the courthouse that s trying to kill himself. Only when he gets spooked from the cop sneaking up behind him he starts to fall and tries to grab the railing because he really didn’t want to die and reality hits him that he is about to. He was offered boots and told that he needed more food, but he I was on a mission to set himself up to fail. It just seems like that was what he wanted to do. Supplies just weren’t adequate with the type of survival he was going to endure. All of the information that was in the first few chapters makes me think he wanted to die. That just makes me confused because in society’s eye he had all that he needed to be happy and have a good life.
Tony Beatty
3/11/2008
Joseph Hall said,
March 11, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Spring Break is when you go on a trip while you have no school right? In some cases it may be, but in my case it is quite the contrary. Despite having no responsibility when it comes to school, I still have the rest of my responsibilities, work, my family, keeping the cars running, and so on. I suppose however, that you could look at my spring break as an exciting odyssey as well. It is an exciting odyssey in its own right I guess. I got a promotion at work, so learning my new position was an adventure in and of itself. First I had to figure out a way to make the guys that used to be my coworkers understand that now I was their boss. Some were receptive, and others weren’t. Through trial and error I was able to figure out ways to make things work. I also had to adjust to dealing with the next level of management as compared to who I used to deal with, which was just my job site supervisor. These learning experiences and others associated with getting a promotion were very much an adventure. Much like many other people, it lasted about a week and now I am back into the swing of things as I was before.
Allison Brock said,
March 11, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Allison Brock
CRN 1735
I have enjoyed Into The Wild so far. I feel like I kind of understand what Chris McCandless was trying to do, but at the same time I definitely would not go off into the wild by myself! I am an indoor girl. I won’t even go camping! I do not think that people who enjoy challenges and the outdoors are crazy, but I do think that going out there alone, and with no plan and with not enough supplies is sort of a little nutty. He could have went on an adventure and still told his parents what he was up to. He had so much going for him. I don’t understand what made him think that his life was so bad that he had to go off into the woods and live alone and ultimately die out there.
Chris McCandless is an enigma for me and that is what makes the book so interesting. It would be boring to read about someone who is just like me. I am learning a lot about the wilderness and hearing about places I have never been, so that is another plus. I enjoy Krakauer’s writing. I think that because he feels so close to McCandless’s story and because he knows about the wild himself makes him a good storyteller. I realize that he might put a different slant on the events in the story because of that, but at least he is up front about it in the author’s note. He tells you to form your own opinion. I liked that. He is open and honest about his feelings toward the story. I actually don’t think I would have enjoyed the story as much if it was told by someone who could care less about McCandless’s ideals. I like the book and look forward to reading more.
Dana Farmer said,
March 11, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Dana Farmer
CRN#1735
I have mixed feelings about Chris McCandless so far. A part of me feels he was just trying to venture out into the world and create his own life rather than a life his parents insisted he live. I do admire him in some aspects, such as, donating his savings to charity, making a life without all of the material things we humans feel we have to have, and for following his heart. In my opinion, there aren’t many people left in this world that stay true to what their heart desires. He had it in his mind what he was going to do and he didn’t let anything come in his way. I feel he was almost trying to prove to himself that he could live on his own. Maybe in his mind he was keeping it real. It was a very brave thing to do.
However, he was very selfish by leaving his family behind without a goodbye or simple phone call while he was gone. I cannot understand how someone can just pick up and leave without telling those you love goodbye or see you later. I found it very disrespectful how he kept in touch with Wayne Westerberg throughout his travels, sending a postcard or even giving him a phone call, but didn’t offer his family the same respect. I can understand how someone wants to escape reality, but I just can’t relate to him leaving so abruptly.
Cyrena Wamsley said,
March 11, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Unlike most college people who go places on spring break, all I did was go to work. I wished I could have gone to the beach or something, but I was working at the Vets office for those six out of seven days. Well it was somewhat sad though; during that week I found out that my co-worker dog had blood filled throughout its body from a tumor. We were all shocked! It gained like 10 pounds in the past month not thinking it was anything, but when we tapped the stomach with a needle and pulled up blood in the syringe we knew that we had a problem. Then that Sunday, the doctor and another doctor he called in did an emergency exploratory on the dog. When then they put the dog to sleep, they cut open the stomach and searched around to what may be causing the dog to have this bleeding. They then found the cause; it was a tumor. Usually, well in some cases, if you catch the tumor in time (depending where it is) you can take it out hoping that you can stop the problem, but with my co-workers dog it seemed to be too late. They had to put her to sleep. The rest of that week was really sad. We all lost a really fun, sweet, loving dog, and an old police dog. Besides from working, I was also at home a bunch at night. Me and my boyfriend rented movies, played X-Box, and just had quality time together.
Cyrena Wamsley
Charles Harrington said,
March 11, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Last week was spring break. Most college students take this time to go away and get drunk and party at beaches. I was not one of these students. I live with my girlfriend of 3 years now, and we’ve kind of out grown the whole party scene. I guess you can say that we’re boring people, but we’re happy that way. We would much rather pop popcorn and watch a movie on a Saturday night, than go out to a wild party. My whole spring break consisted of watching tv, playing video games, and spending time with my loved ones. I know that might sound boring, but I can’t think of any way I’d rather spend my time. It was really nice to just sit at home, and not worry about anything. If I could do spring break all over again, I wouldn’t do anything different.
Charles Harrington
English 1101/ crn 1735
Jeremy Daniels said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:00 pm
The story of Chris McCandless’ life in the book Into the Wild resinates with me because I have also had my own personal odyssey. Unlike Chris though, my adventure was experienced with three of my closest friends. It all started in the middle of our senior year in high school. Like Chris, my friends and I were longing to get away from our town and see the world. It just so happened that we were in a rock band together and decided it would be a good idea to go on tour the summer after we graduated.
I sold my car and bought a shuttle bus that we put bunk beds in. We all saved and scrapped enough money up to get through what we thought would be the best ten weeks of our lives. Our adventure took us from coast to coast in the United States. We met so many cool people on the way and stayed and slept where ever room was provided. Like Chris’ experience, we were all running away from something. For me, I was leaving and searching for something other that what I had always believed. All I found though was that it’s hard to survive when all you can afford are meager daily stops at the nearest Mc D’s for whatever was largest on the dollar menu. Not only was our money sparse but our so called “Tour Bus” loved to break down and cause us even more money.
In the book, Chris is searching for another idenity, likewise we were all looking to find something better. To be someone else than who we were born to be. I think in the end we realized we all belonged in good ole Georgia.
Jason Simms said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:00 pm
After reading the first 3 chapters of “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, it really made me think about why someone would want to do what Christopher McCandless did. To leave his family, friends and his life behind to begin this adventure which he seem like he was much unprepared for. When I use the word unprepared, I am not talking about his physical preparation to live in the wild but more about what he went into adventure with. By only taking a bag of rice, .22 caliber pistol and improper gear, it seem like he was setting himself up for failure. Even in the beginning the author uses the word “sacrifice” which made my wonder if that was what Christopher went into the wild to die. Maybe this was going to be his destiny but when reality or fear sat in with him that his was going to die his tune seem to change. Most notably to me was when he started using his real name Christopher McCandless and not Alex.
I am really looking forward to reading more of this story to hear more about the journeys that Christopher McCandless had and more about the life. Maybe that will answer my question was it his destiny to die in the wild alone.
Sabrina McCollum said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Spring Break 2008
I used to have wild and unforgettable spring breaks. Now that I am married and have four children the week isn’t so wild. It was very nice to not go to school for the week. I didn’t do much just of anything different than any other week, except for no school. My children were not off for their break. The morning started off the same by taking the two oldest to school. During the day I did a lot of spring cleaning. Then it was time to pick up the boys. Then in the evening I still had to do the mother thing; make dinner and get everyone ready for the next day. My biggest adventure for the week was on Thursday I went to the Mall of Georgia. I had lunch with a friend and her kids, and did a little shopping to stock up on summer clothes. I guess to someone reading this my spring break might sound boring. Honestly it was better than the years in the past when I was wild and crazy because I had five night of uninterrupted time with my family.
Sabrina McCollum
English 1101/CRN 1735
Renee Newport said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:01 pm
The week prior to spring break I was busy preparing myself for the application process for med school. I had gathered all of my transcripts together, started writing my admissions essay and even met with advisors to make sure that I had the tiny details ready. Then I saw it. The day that classes would start: July 14, 2008. Are you serious? I finish at Gainesville in May then I have to turn around and start back somewhere else a few weeks later. Where’s my summer? I had realized that my life was pretty much over at the age of 19. I had made no big plans for my spring break but to just relax and maybe work a bit here and there. But after I got the news of no summer break I decided to do something crazy. Maybe a tad dangerous!
An acquaintance of mine through a mutual friend had asked me a couple weeks before if I wanted to come down to Augusta for a few days. I kept making up excuses not to go because we had only met once or twice within company. On Friday night I was trying to decide what adventure I wanted to take over the next week. I figured I would give the Augusta trip a shot. It wasn’t too far away but far enough that I wouldn’t be stuck in Cleveland, GA all week. The next morning I packed my stuff up and headed out. I told my mom that I was just going to stay with a friend for the weekend. She would have killed me if she knew I was driving three hours by myself to stay with a guy for the weekend. I knew that was I was doing may have been a little on the dangerous side, but at that moment in time, I honestly didn’t care. I figured if things went badly I could always come home. Turned out that I had one of the best weekends of my life! Not only did I hang out with Corey, but I met a huge group of his friends and we all spent the weekend being absolutely random.
Now of course my mom has eyes everywhere, so somehow she found out that I lied about where I was all weekend. We fought for a good three days on end but it was so worth it. And now I’m looking at when I can go back!
Renee Newport
CRN 1735
Brad Birney said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Spring break wasn’t much of a break. Last week might have been a break from school, but not from work. I did much of the same as I usually do in my weekly grind.
I didn’t get to ride my mountain bike as much as I would have liked because of the less than cooperative weather. I was pretty psyched, last weekend I installed some new grips and fixed my leaky front tire which has been slowly getting worse over the past few weeks. It seemed like every day I was ready to ride; it was either threatening to rain or just got finished. Being the upstanding ethical rider that I am, I did not go and ride the muddy trails and make them worse than they already were. It’s sort of an underlying rule not to ride just after a soaking rain; it just ruts the trail out more than it already is.
My co-worker Scott was installing a new engine into his 72’ Vette’ last week also. I stayed with him after work a few days last week to tie up some loose odds and ends since class was still a week away. With the Holley full of fuel and the MSD box at an initial of 16 degrees BTDC, it fired up with the first twist of the key. Schweettt!!! We ran it for the first 20 minutes only to find a leaky intake manifold from the engine builder. Can’t have a good without a bad I guess. We tore the top half of the engine down to find a leak in the gasket around the water jacket. It could have been worse I guess, so with that being the pit of my Spring Break, I guess I did ok.
Brad Birney
Eng 1101 #1735
Catherine Daniels said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Spring breaks should not be seen as a time to party, but a time where one can take care of things that they would normally not be able to take care of while work and school are going on. For myself, I’m definitely not the partying type. I ended up spending a vacation day from work during spring break to get the perfect used mini-van. That’s right, a mini-van. Lord, I never thought I would ever have a mini-van, but it serves the purpose.
My husband and I have been in need for a band bus. A bus that could hold up to seven people as well as some band equipment. If anything, another vehicle that would be reliable transportation. My husband Jeremy and I got a great deal on a Dodge Caravan from my parents, who happen to work at a place where they bid at auctions on cars in order to get parts or to fix up cars in order to sell. They decided to sell this nice mini-van to us for a great price. There were only a couple of minor things that needed to be fixed and it would be up and running by Wednesday.
Jeremy and I ended up driving all the way to Lagrange, Georgia to get the mini-van and it ended up not being ready. You can beat that we were pretty upset to hear that the van was not ready after we drove 2 hours south and used a vacation day in order to get this van. Well, Jeremy decided that he would go through the junk yard to find some seats for this van to fix it up a little. As well as to find other parts that could make this van look better. It’s not that the van was in bad condition or anything, but since it was not up and ready to drive, he decided he might as well invest in the van. He ended up finding all kinds of things to spruce up the eleven year old van.
After all of the interior decorating Jeremy did, the van was finally ready for take off. Little did we know that there was a ghost in the mini-van. We learned that every time one of us would start the car to test drive it the windshield wipers would come on, but if that’s the only problem we have, then we got a great deal. I have to say that I’ve been very pleased with the van. It definitely picks up and goes when it comes to driving on the interstate.
My time was not only useful, but valuable. I got to see my parents as well as my brother, and Jeremy and I inherited a new addition to the Daniel’s household. The eleven year old Dodge Caravan that has windshield wipers that enjoy coming on by themselves.
Lucy Terrones said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:02 pm
For my first spring break in college I was disappointed. However, this week out of school helped my mind release all the stress I go though everyday on my regular schedule. My weekend was the same. On Saturdays, I sleep in probably until 12 noon. I usually clean the house, take a shower, prepare something to eat, and then I have the rest of the afternoon free to do anything. On Sundays, I wake up at 9:00AM and I take my sister to her soccer game. We usually grab breakfast afterwards and then we head home. Sunday is normally my relaxing day. I just stay home and catch up on things I need to do on myself. Some Sundays I spend all day doing homework and others I just rest. Monday through Friday are like watching a movie over and over again. I wake up at 7:00AM, head to work at 7:50AM, and arrive at 8:15AM. Work is the same everyday and lunch is too. I get off at 5:00PM and I head to school; however, on spring break I came to the campus to run everyday. I normally go to school and work-out or run after class. After my exercise I go home eat, relax, shower, and sleep. The following weekend was the same, but coming back to school is something I did not want to do. Most people like to travel on their spring break to have memorable moments; however, my spring break was spent mainly working and exercising.
Lucy Terrones
English 1101
CRN 1735
Holly Colgan said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Spring Break 2008
Spring break was extremely relaxing and something I definitely needed. I needed a break from the stress of school and work.So, my boyfriend and I went on a five hour road trip to Tybee Island. The first day we got there the weather was great so we packed up the cooler and headed to the beach. The sun was shining just enough to make it worth ever going, because we got a little burnt and that would eventually, by the end of our trip, turn into a tan.
When it got dark most nights, we went out to eat at various seafood restaurants, others, we just stayed in and saved our money for breakfast in the morning. There was a great little diner down the street, we could walk to from our hotel, that made the best vegtable omelet. It’s a shame the closet thing to that excellent diner we have here, is I Hop and they’re extremely pricey.
We tried to make it to the beach everyday we stayed in Tybee. We walked forever untill we were not able to see where we had left our cooler and bright beach towels. We came across at least eight dead jelly fish, which I thought was really weird ,because I had been to ocean before and never had I seen anything like it. Therefore, I refused to get in the water, thinking one would sting me.Overall, my vaction turned out wonderful, relaxing and there was just something about looking at the ocean that made the whole trip worth it.
Holly Colgan
English 1101\1735
Ingried Ramirez said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Every since I was in middle school I picture myself having the great experience of my life for my first college spring break. I always imagine myself in the beach along with my friends away from home, with nothing to worry about. It was something very excited to think about. I remember watching those spring break videos of college students partying all day long. Although this was something that I really wanted I always had the feeling that it sounded too cool for it to happen to me. I was right, that week finally arrive and I had no plans for those days except for going to work and then go home and sleep. It was so crazy to think about that I wished for this week to arrive and nothing excited happen. All I did was work, chill with my boyfriend and go home. Although it may sound boring, it wasn’t that bad. It helped me to rest and relaxed. That is something that I wouldn’t have done without this week off. Even though I feel disappointed of not preparing the spring break of my life, I don’t feel bad because I know that the right time for me to party like crazy would arrive sooner or later.
Ingried Ramirez
English 1101
CRN 1735
Brittany Spallone said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:04 pm
My father and I are really close and each year we take a week trip down to Tampa Florida. Now when you thing Florida you think beach, sand, hot days, seafood ect. It’s different for us because we think baseball and nothing else. We both share a love for the Yankees and I don’t know if me being into the Yankees was a choice of my own or no choice at all. My father was born and raised in New York and he is the biggest Yankee fan EVER. He has tattoos all over him and unless he is going to work you wont find him in anything else than a Yankee shirt. Me, on the other hand only watches the game because of Jeter. I love sitting in the stands watching Jeter`s every move. Last spring break Jeter hit a ball and it went into the stands, the next thing I know I’m holding it up in the air. Needless to say it is my prize possession. For one whole week we eat, sleep and breathe baseball. We kind of kill two birds with one stone because I am obsessed with being tan, so I get to have fun being at a Yankee game with my father but also get a nice tan from the sun.
CRN 1735
Carolina Carrion said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Books, stories, come to you in unexpected ways. I went to buy this book only knowing that it was required for my english class. As I went on with my reading there was something about this story that seamed familiar. I realized that my boyfriend had passionately told me about this book a while ago, so it was a nice surprice to end up reading something which was significant to someone who is close to me. And since I started reading it I have been discovering various things about my own opinions, and about other people’s opinions and passions.
The was the story is written makes you take a position in realtionship to the main character. In a way it forces you to judge him, weather it is a good or a bad judgement. Such judgement reveals more about ourselves than what we may think. It reveals how we think and feel about differnet things in life. Things such as order, caution, control, adventure, excitement, ideals, self search among other things. While reading this story I realized that more than reading a story I was reading perspectives. I was reading the author’s perspective, the perspective of those who met Chris, and even the perspective of those who read the story and got inspired or upset about it. I personally had two oppossite feelings. I liked the adventure, I like that the character goes against what is established and proofs to be able to life a lifestyle that is outside the common social rules, I like that he lets go of his worldly possetions for something else. What confuses me a little is that when I look into that something else I’m not quite sure what to find. To give an example, one of my favorite books is Kontiki the story of a journey in a precarious ship from Peru to the Easter Island. It is a journey which like this one seams undoable and absolutely crazy, but in that case there is more of a point to it. Because those who took the journey wanted to proof that the first inhabitants of Easter Island came from Peru. Like they let go to something bigger, and that something bigger isn’t visible in Chris story.
However I find the book a very good read, because it forces me to think, to take a stance and to evaluate things in my life, sometimes I lean towards it and sometimes I’m repelled by it, but the exercise of evaluating is the one that I find valuable.
Carolina Carrion
CRN 1735
Kamilla Araujo said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:09 pm
After reading the first three chapters of the book Into the Wild I started thinking about how much I could relate to the few pages I had already read. Different from Chris McCandless I did not run away into the wilderness to find myself or gave away everything that I owned, but I moved myself from a life that was holding me back from becoming the person I wanted to be.
At the age of twenty three I made a decision to start making my own decisions. I am the younger in my family and I made the decision to move out of my parents’ house before my siblings ever did. I do have to say that I have a great family, even better now that they are almost an hour away and we only see each other once every two weeks. My parents always wanted the best for me, or what they thought was the best for me and I was very unhappy. I was never a well behaved person like my siblings. I was actually considered the black sheep. I always felt like nothing I did was good enough, even though I always thought I was doing well.
After reading about McCandless life in school and other accomplishments I was excited on taking the turn I did in my life because now I only have myself to blame for my mistakes or achievements I have in my life.
Just like McCandless, I made new friends and started a fresh life. A lot of the people I got to know knew nothing about my past when I first met them. People got to know me for who I was not because of where I come from or because of who my family was. For the first time I got to be myself and my friends accept me just the way I am.
I guess different people find different ways to run free and for me was to move away and the wilderness for me is doing things because I want to do such as working, going out or even going to school.
Kamilla Araujo
CRN# 1735
juliana medina said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:09 pm
As I read the first chapters “into the wild”, I thought that what Chris McCandless decided to do was both fascinating and shocking. For someone that had everything in life, to just decide to let it all go, is pretty far fetched. It was fascinating in the sense of how he decided to leave everything behind and start a new beginning and possibly make a new name for himself. For a person to that you have to feel pretty sure about yourself and about your capabilities. If he was well off and well educated he probably thought that he could survive in the wilderness. If that would have been me, I don’t think that would have been the case. I don’t think that I could go without my everyday necessities and leave them just because I want an adventure or to prove to myself that I would be capable of that. Yes, sometimes you might think that you can free yourself from society by doing something like this. But you are not really freeing yourself. You are freeing your needs. When he decided to do this, he was probably thinking that he was going to prove to himself that he could do it as well as to his family. Sometimes people decide to do things such as Chris McCandless did, either to make a point, or just to prove that it can be done. It may not be in your best interest. But if you do it, and succeed, then you have just made it clear that it can be done. In his case, he may have not succeeded, but he made people think about the possibilities.
Stirling Ricks said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:10 pm
The first impression I got from “Into The Wild” by Jon Krakaur was that Chris McCandless was a dreamer. Chris was an idealist. He was set on surviving on his own without any assistance from his parents or his former self. After school Chris, as myself and I am sure many other young people have done, finally get the chance to fulfill a journey. A journey that I can only describe as an adventure to lose you/find yourself before adulthood begins. The journey is you finding your own way in the world. Now I am almost thirty and realize my own journey was joining the military. I was able to accomplish anything I wanted by my own merit, my name or socio-economic status did nothing for me. As a result I grew up and my own journey helped shape me into the person I am today. Chris’s story is one of tragedy and also a story of warning. I believe Chris had a need to venture out and find truth. I have seen many people that preach ideals all day long, but when it comes to acting on them they realize they were asking for too much. Maybe Chris knew what he was getting himself into, maybe he didn’t. Hopefully we will find out later in the book.
Stirling Ricks
English 1101
CRN 1735
Rick Sakal said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:15 pm
As I started to read John Krakauer’s Into the Wild it brought back memories of when I, like the subject of the book Chris McCandless, was in my early twenties. A time in life when so many young adults dream of adventure and an idealistic life void of all the tribulations of current society, of going to a place where I could be free and independent of the restraints that our culture imposed.
It was spring break of my freshman year in college and I had been asked to go with some fraternity brothers to live on a desolate island off the Florida Keys. We left Albion Michigan with a boat and all the necessary supplies, water, food, camping equipment, first aid supplies, and most importantly beer. When we arrived in the keys we launched our boat and gear and spent a week in total isolation.
The best thing to come out of the week was the realization that life in the real world with all its problems was really not that intolerably. That dreams sometimes are better left as dreams.
This is an interesting point of tension in the book. Many of us have have these small journals or odysseys that allow us to escape the “real world” for a little bit, but it’s curious–what makes us come back when someone like Chris couldn’t?
Linda Felbaum said,
March 11, 2008 at 7:24 pm
After reading the Authors notes and the first three chapters of Into The Wild, I have to say that I am very interested in reading more. I know that some people are perplexed at how the story began. We find out right away that we are reading about a man that is already dead. After finding the conclusion of the story right off the bat, we are lead into an unorganized sketch of a young man who thought full heartedly that he could survive in the Alaskan wild with so little gear and, apparently, so little knowledge.
At this point into the story we are given so little information about his life. We don’t know how he felt about society in general. Did something happen in his life that made him want to get away from it all? We are left wondering what the heck he was thinking. Was he a psychotic head case? Or was he just plain delusional about what it would really take to survive out there? All these questions are running through my head as I read the first three chapters. And then I realized just how brilliant this writer really is. He has his readers asking so many questions so early in the story that can only be answered if they continue reading. I personally could not wait to read what may have encouraged or persuaded this young man to go through with such a plan. I am looking forward to watching the story unravel. I want to find all of the things that may have influenced his decisions. I want to get to know Chris McCandless and try to see, through his eyes, why he wanted to abandon his family and the every day functions of what we know as society. I know that everybody lives by the beat of their own drum. Some people may have beliefs that make perfect sense to them, but leave everyone else baffled. It will be interesting to get to know how this man came to Alaska and all of the events that took place in his life that lead him there.
Amy Thornton said,
March 11, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Into the Wild – Out of Society
It strikes me after reading about Christopher McCandless that his adventure was not about escaping into the wild, but escaping from what he felt were trappings of society. Writings of the wondrous landscape and natural beauty are absent from Chris’s journal. The location of where to live out this simplistic lifestyle was chosen from the books he read and enjoyed. The Alaska terrain was the place he chose to shed himself of the material pleasures of life he grew up with.
The idea seems to start at the point where he finds his ideal family is only a façade. Discovering his father had two families and led a double life negatively impacted him and left a scar. Chris McCandless possibly decided that even though his family could not live by their values he could live by his, no matter the consequences. At Emory he studied the plight of the people of poor nations and appears to become obsessed with shedding his material wealth. Was Chris McCandless ridden with guilt of having so much while others had so little? I believe he set out to find a way to disown the capitalist society and rid himself of his guilt. He intentionally brought limited provisions, to do otherwise would be against his new set values of minimalism.
The readers are allowed a small personal glimpse into the mind of this young man from his last letter left on the front of the bus. In the end did he decide that he was paying a deadly price to punish his family? His last letter resonates desperation and resolve to end an adventure he was unprepared to see through.
Natalia Gaviria said,
March 11, 2008 at 8:59 pm
When I first bought the book “Into the Wild” by John Krakauer, the cover and the quote gave me a sense of an adventurous, interesting story of a risk-taking young man. I really don’t have any interest in reading anything but when I started reading the author’s note I realized that Krakauer was honest and very thoughtful of Chris McCandless story. When I first started reading the first chapter, I perceived that the author wanted to start from the point that was closest to his death and the point where important witnesses had seen him for the last time and could describe the personality that they met. I couldn’t understand that such intelligent, well-educated young man could not have sense of getting himself prepared for this adventure. A bag of rice, a .22 caliber pistol, no money, no rubber boots, was all that he thought that he would need, it seems like as if he knew that he was going out there to face death.
Chapters two and three were confusing to me because I couldn’t make sense of the author’s purpose of his way of having the chronological order of the events of Chris’ life all over the place. One minute the author would bring in references of the best hikers, and then he would you a flashback of how Chris was found dead. Having the ending in the first three chapters of the book was disappointing, even though Krakauer compares his life with the one that Chris had the beginning of the book to me has giving enough information to end the book. In my opinion, I believe that Chris felt trapped in this perfect life projected and designed by his own parents. Chris was an intelligent, generous, young man that wanted to live his life his way and makes his own decisions without worrying about his parents’ disapproval.
I could relate in a sense with Chris’ decision to take on this adventure, he wanted to be freed from this imposed life expected from his parents. As I was growing up, my mom always had my actions and decisions limited to an extent. I was not allowed to spend the night out of the house unless it was an emergency; I was always expected to be an honors student and had limited time to have friends. My mother’s imposed focus for me was school and being extremely disciplined so when I got older I would be able to make the right decisions. Chris was privileged of being raised in a wealthy, healthy family; in my case, I was raised in a poor-middle class life, with divorced parents and limited resources. When I turned eighteen, I could no longer handle this style of life and the feeling of being trapped in this cage where I had no freedom to do anything or have my own personal life. I moved out as soon as I graduated and moved in with my older cousin that at the time had a room available, since I moved out my life has changed completely. I am able to make my own decisions, be responsible and decide who my friends are.
Natalia Gaviria
CRN 1736
Jonathan Miles said,
March 11, 2008 at 11:06 pm
In the national bestseller “Into The Wild”, Jon Krakauer explores the life and adventures of Christopher McCandless. What is so intriguing about his story is what would prompt a sane, productive human being to give up all of their worldly belongings and become a bum? Is it his personal ideals, his rocky relationship with his parents, or was this just some kid looking for adventure? As a youth, I went through a similar period of rebellion but I could never give up everything that I own and traipse around the country.
I grew up in a very structured, rigid household. My father had served in the Marine Corps and all of his soldiers (i.e. children) were held to the same high, exacting standards as any enlisted man. Around the time I turned sixteen years old, I decided that I had my own ideas on how I wanted to live my life. I had an after school job working on a ranch, and after nine months, I had accumulated enough money to buy my own truck. My father was very proud of me and offered to insure the truck under his policy.
Everything was going well until I decided that I wanted to take my best friend, Eric, and go on a road trip. School was ending in two weeks and my friend and I had meticulously planned a road trip to Mexico. We were going to travel from Grapeland, Texas to Tijuana, Mexico and stop on the way to see the Grand Canyon. Somehow Eric’s parents had found out about our plans and promptly, called my parents. My Dad confronted me that evening. He demanded to know how long I was going to wait until I informed him of my plans. He also wanted to know, “under whose authority was I traveling to Mexico?” The confused look on my face must have answered his question because he took my keys and informed me that I would no longer enjoy the privilege of driving for the entire summer. I was devastated! I stormed off to my room and stewed for the rest of the evening. The next day, at school, Eric told me how his parents found out. We decided that no one had the right to tell us what to do.
I spent the next two weeks going about my daily routine. I only spoke to my father when it was absolutely necessary. The last day of school was on a Thursday and when I got home, I quietly started packing my bags. My father didn’t realize that I had a spare key hidden in a black, magnetic box under the driver’s side of the truck. Early that next morning, around one o’clock, I snuck out of my window and started loading my luggage in the truck. I pushed my truck down our dirt driveway, far enough so nobody would hear me crank the engine, and jumped in. Free at last! I drove down the road to my friends’ house and saw his bedroom light flash twice. That was the pre-arranged signal that everything was ok so I circled the block. When I came around the corner, my father was standing in the middle of the road with a flashlight and smug look on his face. He motioned me to move over to the passenger side of the truck and he got in. He didn’t say a word to me, he just turned the truck around and started back home. It was the longest two miles of my life. The silence was deafening. The next morning, my Dad and I had a long discussion about what it means to be an adult. He also confided in me that he was once an adventurous young man and proceeded to tell me the most unbelievable story. We never had any issues after that.
Like McCandless’, I was a rebellious young man but I was smart enough to realize that my father had my best interests at heart. He did not want to see me make the same mistakes that he had made. If Chris and his father communicated honestly and openly, he may have made different choices but no one will ever know. I do not mean to imply that Chris’ demise is his father’s fault. I do believe, however, that their awkward relationship had a profound effect on Chris’ ideology, thus prompting Chris do go on a sabbatical that ultimately ended in his death. This story should be a wake up call to those who do not have a healthy relationship with their parents. You can never tell what may prompt you to make brash decisions that may lead to your demise.
Jonathan Miles
English 1101
CRN 1735
Excellent post, Jonathan. I really appreciate you telling your own story and using it as a catalyst in your analysis of possible behavior triggers for C.M. Nice job.
Charles Thornton said,
March 11, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Into The Wild
After reading the first three chapters of this book it brought to mind adventures of my youth. When I was fourteen years old some friends and I went to the Table Mountains, we took our pellet rifles and some camping gear. We were going to live off the land, show what we were made of, and be outdoorsmen. We did Ok at first. The availability of drinking water, we had not considered this and it became our biggest mistake. Even though we had road horses there, we never considered the long walk to water on foot. We made it three days; then walked to town, went to a restaurant and ate chicken.
Another adventure of mine was when I was sixteen and took off across country, to go to Alaska to be a lumber jack. I know it sounds foolish but I was only sixteen and it sounded good at the time. I made it from Texas to Washington before having a run in with the law and escorted out of state, by the state patrol. This time I spent two months on the road and survived many close calls and near death situations. I learned many life long lessons that have stayed with me to this day.
I spent a lot of time in the wild and had some close calls; one time when Elk and Deer hunting in Colorado, I got caught up in tracking some deer and lost track of time. When I realized the mistake it was almost dark and a storm was setting in, it was a long way back to the truck. I had taken a compass reading on some high peaks, which was my bearing to get back. I knew I was in trouble before I headed back, the sun was down, and snow was falling. When it gets dark in the woods with no moon, you can’t see your hand in front of your face. With the temperature dropping below zero and snow falling you don’t want to wait until morning to walk out. It probably was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, walking in pitch black, using a stick like a blind man to keep from walking into trees and falling into streams. My Bick lighter and compass got me out by 2 am. Cold, wet and completely exhausted, I made it. I learned good lessons that time the kind you always remember.
I have also been to areas in Alaska that were 460 miles from the nearest civilization. Its kind of scary knowing you can’t walk out. If the plane does not come back you probably will not survive. In my lifetime I have had many adventures, some fun and some not, but I was intelligent enough to make it through them alive. Or maybe I was lucky who knows?
Charles Thornton
English 1101
Dustin Carter said,
March 12, 2008 at 10:11 am
After reading the first three chapter of Into the Wild I have to say I was shocked at what all McCandless had done. I find it very strange that he had burned all of the money in his wallet and had given all of hhis money to charity. Also when he did not listen to the guy who said let me take you to town. It seems to me like he was just trying to get himself killed. Any one in their right mind would have thought out their plan more. They would have wanted to of been dropped off a place where they coul fish and gather food very easily. I can not realte to his way of thinking because i think that it is very stupid and careless
Dustin Carter
1736
CaseyWillis said,
March 12, 2008 at 10:40 am
We are now reading Into the Wild and it was a little weird how someone could just toss out everything he’s ever known all his money, possessions, and his family to go out into the wild and try to survive. To me it seems a little selfish he changes his name and never looks back. All Christopher has to survive on is a .22 caliber, a bag of rice, the clothes on his back, and $.83 cents in his pocket. Now that to me doesn’t seem sane because that’s not nearly enough supplies to survive. It was only four months later that his body was found. He does occasionally take a few hand outs and job for a little while until his friend went to jail.
I can’t really say that I would have done the same thing because I don’t believe that I would have gone to that extent to find myself. People do strange things and this was just something that he thought that he had to do. Even though his family knew that he was up to something they weren’t thinking it would be the last time they would ever see him again and, I think that that was selfish on his part I could not imagine how his family must of felt when they heard the news. I’m looking forward to finishing the book so we can find out what his motive might have been and what he was thinking on the last days at the bus.
CRN 1736
Ester Maxwell said,
March 12, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Reading the book Into The Wild made me remeber the times when I was younger and would day dream about being in another time and place. When my parents would scolled me for doing something wrong I wanted to be with a famous family that had lots of money and they would have me a hired nanny to take me places. I would always dream about going to Paris and being on the river bed with my boyfriend. He would be singing to me and telling me how much he loved me. I knew that it was just a dream and I enjoyed it for the time being, then I had to come back to reality and my life as me. I feel that Chris forgot to come back to reality when he started to day dream and he really thought in his mind that the things he read was real and he felt that if the characters in the books could do it so could he. By not thinking about the consequences he just set out to be a nobody living on a pipe dream. The people he meet also knew he wasn’t living in the real world and they also tried to bring him back. It’s alright to dream but, remember that it’s just a dream and you have to come back in the real world before it’s to late.
Eater Maxwell
English 1101
CRN 1736
Dustin Melton said,
March 12, 2008 at 3:25 pm
The first few chapters of “Into The Wild” are very interesting but quite puzzling. To me, going out into the wilderness and living in a bus for a while would be something I would love doing. Of coarse I would do some things a bit differently than Chris did in the first few chapters of the novel. It seems very strange to me that he would wonder into the middle of a forest in Alaska all by him self and not plan accordingly. Planning a trip of this extent would require many things like fishing poles, food, flint rocks and definitely a rifle. Alaska is a vast territory that many people have visited and never came back. There are bears and mountain lions that would kill you in a instant if they wanted to. I have no idea why Chris would have done this knowing he would probably end up dead. He was a very smart person in the real world, but something triggered his mind when he decided to go out on a limb like this. He must have felt like he was either not good enough for society or he wasn’t fulfilling his life to the fullest. Like I said before, I would love to do wonder off into the woods in the middle of nowhere and spend a week or so just getting away from the busy schedule I have everyday. I would definitely take a few weeks to plan and look at my surroundings before I would attempt a journey like this.
Dustin Melton
924162227
Professor Jewell
bailey knott english1101 said,
March 12, 2008 at 4:16 pm
When I was reading Into the Wild by Jon Krakouer , I thought that it was going to be a very exiting story about a man going on a wild adventure that turns fatal. But in the first few chapter he tells everything about the whole trip of Mccantless up until he dies. I was dissapointed because now what is the rest of the book going to be filled with? Despite some people thinking that Mccantless was not prepared or couldn’t handle where he was going to be living, I think that he was very brave. It takes a lot o just up and leave everything that you know to be alone in the wilderness. I am very exited to read more of the backround information on Mccantless’s life before he left to go into the wild.
amy holcombe said,
March 12, 2008 at 5:17 pm
I think some point in time all of us would like to leave everything behind, take on a new identity, and go on a great adventure. My first initial recation to Chris’ story was almost shock because he we was so unprepared for this great adventure that he was about to embark on. He didn’t have the right hiking equipment, the right boots, and was not skilled on the land to know what he would and wouldn’t be able to hunt. I think that some would look at Chris’ story as heroic because he gave more than $26,000 to charity and left all material possessions behind, but I personally think that it was just immature. Maybe if he was just going for a period of time to get some perspective on life, that would be looked at as courageous to take on that type of journey but you almost got to question his mental state. Was he going there to die? Or was he really just that nieve? I think that he was just really nieve and that he probably read an article or two about how great this alaska trail was. He then probably got excited by the way that the artist described this great and heroic adventure and decided that he could do that also. He obiviously didn’t think it through which ended up costing him his life.
Amy Holcombe
92410228
Allen Perry said,
March 12, 2008 at 5:20 pm
My intial reaction to the story was sort of mixed. After reading the author’s note, I was excited to continue on with the story because Jon Krakauer built up an exciting beginning. He pulled the reader into the intro and left the reader wondering. I was actually stunned that he continued on with the intro, through the first three chapters at least. After the first three chapters, Krakauer went on to disappoint me. I could not relate to the story at all but that was okay because he found a way to kepp the reader interested even if the reader could not relate to anything he was saying. Also, I did not like the organization that he used. I know that it is used to enhance the essence of the story and the meaning he is trying to get across but, he also found a way to distract the readers from the story and made it difficult for readers to keep up with the story. I do not mean to undermine anything Krakauer has tried to attempt in his writing because even with all the things I mentioned that I found wrong with the story, the story is still, at the same time, very intriguing.
Allen Perry
1736