Into the Wild blog 5

Positive triats about Chris:

• Dependable
• Determined
• Independent

Negative traits about Chris:

• Secretive
• Stubborn
• Know-it-all

      I think Chris's positive traits affected him as a person by setting him up to be self-reliant, and overall a very well rounded person. He didn't really need anyone to help him throughout his life. He we was so independant, he baisically handled his own battles by himself. I think his traits affected him on his journey to Alaska by giving him a sense of rebellousness. I think he wanted to prove to himself that he was capable of anything and his character sure showed it as well.
    
     Chris's negative traits really made it hard to have a good type of relationship with him. The way he acted in certain situations really put up a gaurd between him and some people. The way he was so secretive with his personal life, and how he thought he didn't need the help from anyone really put him up for failure in my opinion. I think his negative triats affected him on his trip to Alaska by bringing him farther away from his goal. I thought it was bringing him farther away from the journey then him actually progressing with it. He was just to stubborn to realize it.

 

     I think Chris's trait of being stubborn really outweighed all the other ones. In the long run, his stubborness really only made the journey harder for him. I think it really affects the way people see him today because it's aggravating that he couldn't take the time to listen to what anybody had to say to him. You can't help but wonder what could've happened, had he had taken some advice and actually tried to help himself stay alive out there.

  
I think Krauker found a personal connection with Chris and decided to take on a story about him because his triats resembled much of Chris's. I think he felt they were more alike then different and both set off in a way the same story.

Similar:

• They both were in their early 20's when they entered Alaska (pg. 135)
• They were both reckless in nature (pg. 134)
• They both were adventerous (pg. 135)
• They both felt good about leaving the life they lived behind (pg. 136)
•  They both had misunderstanding parents (pg.138)

 

Different:

•  Jon willingly abandoned his car, while Chris abandoned his car because the engine was flooded. (pg.136)
• Jon almost needed someone, Chris could live in chastity. (pg. 137)
• Jon had came on his trip prepared (pg. 140)
• Jon had warned people where he would be (pg. 140)
• Jon had survived, while Chris died. (pg. 144)

Into the Wild blog 4

My reaction to Chris’s job at McDonald’s was very surprised.  He always did odd jobs and offered to take on the nastiest and hardest ones.   I was taken aback when it said he was working there, because it just didn’t seem like the kind of job he would take.  I think he might have applied there because he thought he would be in that area for a good amount of time and needed a steady, paying job.      

    Colleagues from McDonald’s described Chris as very dependable, but he worked at his own pace.  In the book, a girl named Lori Zara says, “He was reliable, though, a body that showed up every day, so they didn’t dare fire him.  When he talked, he was always going on about trees and nature and weird stuff like that. We all thought he was missing a few screws.”  

     It did not really seem that Chris cared for them, but at the same time he didn’t mind working with them.  He mostly kept to himself and did not hang out with them outside of work.  If I worked with him, I would probably think he was a little crazy too.  The way he always talked about nature, and the way he interacted with people, would make me feel uncomfortable.

     Chris’s relationship with Jan and Bob Burres is strong.  They meet Chris as he arrives tired and hungry by the side of the road.  The Burres try to take care of Chris, attempting to understand his desire to live free of society, but they also warn him of the dangers in his actions.  The Burres are no longer close to their own son.  They try to convince him of the dangerous things that could lie ahead and tell him to go back to his mother, though they fail.   They like Chris and are both interested and frustrated by him.  They decide that he will eventually grow out of his weird ways.

     I think Ronald Franz was most affected by Chris because he wasn’t used to having company around. All of his family was dead, and when they started to get close he didn’t want to let him go.  Chris was like a son to Franz, and the thought of Chris leaving really upset him.  It upset Franz so much he wanted to adopt him, but never got the chance.  He also admired that Chris did not much care what other people thought.  Chris always said do what you want to do and take chances.  I think he really inspired Franz, because Franz began to take Chris’ advice and change his lifestyle.

Into the Wild blog 3

20 things I learned about Chris:
1. He's stubborn
2. Doesn't like socks
3. Burries his belongings in random locations
4. Loved books by Jack London
5. Worked at McDonalds
6. Became really good friends with a man Names Ron Franz
7. He's from the D.C. area
8. He had a college degree
9. Canoed on the ocean
10. Lived in Vegas
11. Very Dependable
12. Refused to take a lot of items from people who offered them to him
13. Loved the outdoors
14. Liked being on his own, away from a lot of people
15. A very independant person
16. Changed his name to Alex Supertramp
17. Had a Datsun car
18.  Died in an old bus
19. He hitchhiked everywhere
20. Never stayed in one place for too long

     My reaction to the note Chris wrote to his parents was that he seemed annoyed with them for whatever reason that may be. He sounds like he's being sarcastic when he's talking to them. It also made me feel like he didn't really care if he ever heard from them again. He didn't say "I love you," or "I miss you guys." He just simply said say hi to everyone for me, so I was confused. I think his intensions at that time were to send the message that he doesn't really need anything from them and wants to be left alone.

     I think what really motivated him to get rid of everything he had and to start a whole new life for himself was his Alsakan adventure he was going on. In my opinion, I think he wanted to be on his own without the remarks of what others thought about his descisions, (his family for instance). He comes off as very independant, so I guess he likes doing things on his own. I don't know, maybe he just wanted a change because he was tired of the average lifestyle.