Please respond to one of the following questions:
1. Why does Chris change his name to Alexander Supertramp? What does the name change signify?
2. How is your reading of the story affected knowing that Krakauer is writing about a real person who died? And who was close to your age? Krakauer also makes it a point to share his own biases throughout the book and not hide is authorial presence. He writes in the Author’s Note: “I won’t claim to be an impartial biographer. McCandless’s strange tale struck a personal note that made a dispassionate rendering of the tragedy impossible” (ii). In the opening pages how is Krakauer’s bias emerging? How does his obvious presence change your reading or does it?
3. The opening chapter, “The Stampede Trail” is only 5 pages long, but is our first introduction to Alex/Chris. What do we learn about him in these opening pages? Does he come across as a likable character, someone you can identify with? We, as readers, are also presented with his final postcard. Why? What does that postcard tell us about McCandless? What does chapter 4 (in which we learn about Alex’s tramping, including his canoe trip) tell us about Alex?
4. Why do you think Alex “found a surrogate family in Westerberg” (18)? In chapter 3 what do we learn about Alex’s own biological family and his relationship with them?
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It takes a great movie or book to really touch me in a way that it is constantly on my mind. This happened when I read Night by Elle Wisel, I believe because I compared his situation to my own life and Dr. Wisel was actually teaching at Eckerd so it was very real. The same thing is happening with this book, I really feel for Chris and the people he was close with. I hadn’t heard of his story prior to reading the book and almost wanted to cry when I learned in the first page that he died. I think it is because Chris possesses many of the same traits my own brother does. He traveled to Alaska as well as biked across the country alone. I admire these two people so much, and if something like Chris’s story happened to my brother it would rip my heart out. So not only does the fact that the book is non fiction make it more interesting, I really bring it to a personal level and feel deeply for the people in his life.
ReplyDeleteI think the way Krakauer writes is wonderful. He became obsessed with the journey Chris took and followed the breadcrumbs he left behind to learn about his last few years. There seems to be more facts and story telling from acquaintances than the author’s opinion. It is apparent that Krakauer thinks Chris was looney, but I don’t think he would have invested so much of his time into this case if he didn’t look up to the young man’s courage and bold journey.
1) "...he intended to invent an utterly new life for himself, one in which he would be free to wallow in unfiltered experience. To symbolize the complete severance from his previous life, he even adopted a new name. No longer would he answer to Chris McCandless; he was now Alexander Supertramp, master of his own destiny." (p. 23)
ReplyDeleteChris changed his name to Alex because he wanted to start a whole new life as a whole new person, and to distance himself from the past that he felt was pretty much useless. Chris thought that material goods were unimportant, and that perhaps experience is better than learning in a classroom. He completed college for his parents and just to say he did, but in reality he had been preparing for a journey for a long time.
He chose the name Alex "Supertramp" because those who wander without a home are called "tramps" (i.e. Lady and the Tramp). Those that wander with a car are called "rubber tramps". Those without are called "leather tramps". He calls himself "Sumpertramp" because he believes he's going further than all the other "tramps" by his journey through the Alaskan wilderness.
When Chris McCandless went off "into the wild" he wanted a fresh start, to leave everything behind. He wanted to lose his identity and the best way to shed this "name" is to physically change his name. This new name, Alexander Supertramp allows Alex to create a new identity and it also frees him from his past life in civilization.
ReplyDeleteThis new name also gives him a born again feeling, like he can do anything, "master of his own destiny" (pg. 23). Those who wander are called tramp -- hitchhikers, backpackers, gypsies -- people of that sort are often called tramps. He chose Supertramp becuase of his strong will to succeed in the wild.
3. (THE FIRST CHAPTER IS THE ALASKA INTERIOR, NOT THE STAMPEDE TRAIL. JUST A NOTE) We learn very quickly that Alex/Chris is a very independent spirit, and that he is well beyond the point of being talked out of his adventure. He comes across as likeable, but frustratingly stubborn and unknowledgeable about the place where he's going. I want to praise the fact that he's fulfilling his dream, but instinct tells us to try to get him to stop, also, or at least tell his parents or something.
ReplyDeleteThe postcard tells us that he was well aware of the fact that he might not make it out alive, and was prepared (as much as one might be able to be) for that outcome should it transpire.
Chapter 4 shows us that Alex busted out of home with almost no word to his parents or anyone. He is incredibly independent, but is also not too proud to take a helping hand when one is extended. He is spontaneous, but we also get a glimpse into how his lack of planning can catch up to him, such as when he learns that the river he's been paddling never even makes it to the ocean.
Even people like Chris McCandless, who seemed to choose to live a solitary life, will always be affected by other people. Chris had clearly distanced himself from his family, but even in this example it is easy to see how he still wanted to be with them in some way. Even though he had a fairly large sized family, he really only felt close to his sister. This wasn’t much though, as Chris only would communicate with her on a few brief occasions once he began traveling. But it’s important to realize how everyone wants to have some sort of true family.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is why two people like Chris McCandless and Westerberg could get together. They were just two seemingly random individuals, but both could somehow sense that they would get along. I think a major reason for this is that people just want to be around someone. One of the people who met Chris, Jan Burres, states to her boyfriend, “we got to take this kid with us. You need to school him about some things” (30). Certain people just seem to find each other. Family, in whatever form it may take, is a vital part of life. Jan Burres seemed to understand this, and could see Chris as a boy who left his family too soon. I don’t think anyone could know why Westerberg and Chris formed the relationship that they did, but once it started they both knew it was real and important. I think they just respected each other in the perfect way and wanted to help the other.
So this blog turned out to be really long because I didn't read the whole question to start with...wooops:
ReplyDeleteAlex is a very determined willful boy who is itching to leave behind the life he came from. This is made quite evident throughout the entire first chapter. He uses the name “Alex” with no last name to introduce himself and he is obviously not prepared for the excursion ahead of him. His excitement and enthusiasm comes through clearly when he is talking with Gallien because Alex is not easily deterred and is mentally ready to take on whatever comes his way. Alex shows how he likes to follow through with his plans and won’t let anyone dissuade him. He also is portrayed as being very friendly and well-educated as Gallien pointed out, however, not necessarily well educated in the area of survival in the Alaskan wilderness. His lack of knowledge of living in the wild comes through when Gallien describes Alex’s attire and baggage as well as the numerous questions that Alex asks Gallien about what he could eat in the wilderness.
I feel that I could identify with his motivational force and his excitement in adventure, however, if I were going into a potentially dangerous situation, I would like to be prepared so it might have been difficult for me to identify with his lack of preparedness. He seems like a very likeable character that has a lot of interesting knowledge in his head of what he is ready to leave behind.
His final post card is a crucial part of the chapter because it effectively expresses his excitement of the dangerous adventure ahead of him and how he is ready to embark on the unknown, which he understands could be potentially fatal. It also shows how he does care for other people in his life. The postcard is very succinct, which brings out Alex’s personality and morals because he doesn’t use an excess of words to express himself.
Chapter 4 is extremely representative of Alex’s adventurous, risk-taking manor. He just goes with his instinct and doesn’t let anything discourage him from his goal. Alex takes seizes every opportunity that comes his way and never second-guesses himself. This chapter shows how Alex is on a mission to discover the ungoverned, untamed life that he believes to be the most ideal.
The main reason that Chris changes his name to Alexander Supertramp is that he feels as if he needs a major change in his life. When he finally leaves the name Chris behind he becomes a completely new person. Alex Supertramp is not a graduate from Emory University, he is not one of eight children, and is not the son of a scientist. Alex is from a tiny town in South Dakota who is going on an odyssey, as it says on page 22. On page 17 it refers to rubber tramps and leather tramps, people who may not have a sole destination. He does not consider himself either a rubber tramp or a leather tramp, but a SUPER tramp. Perfect.
ReplyDeleteThe main significance of the name change is not only that it is severing ties with his old life, but also that he is now in complete and utter control of his life, including his name. By becoming Alex he was able to “become the master of his own destiny.”
Reading the story with the knowledge that this kid, who is our age, had embarked on this fantastic and interesting journey and had passed away, changed my emotional appeal towards the story- but in a good way. In the beginning, when Chris/Alex is hitchhiking and meets, Gallien, we want him to survive and persevere through his challenge; to be the one who makes it out alive. The fact that he doesn’t, and we know this right away instead of at the end the way a chronological narration would have made it, doesn’t really affect my interest in the story, it just makes me really sad. By interest I mean, I still want to continue reading, and understand the character and his motivations for doing this, even though I know what happens in the end. I think it is just a clever idea the author had about this work, I don’t think he spoiled anything. I like how Krakauer keeps imposing his own thoughts into the story. It adds to the piece as a whole, and this is hard to achieve, because most stories where the author’s views are present are kind of annoying.
ReplyDeleteI like the book. I find it in plpaces easy to identify with and others a bit harder to. Chris is a person that has strong moral ideals and does not quiet mesh well with people around him. The authors bias does not bother me. He is adding his personal connection to the book and it helps the reader find and relate tot the same or different connections with Chris. It allows for more understandment of Chris. This book is about a real person and their personal connection to nature some of their personal writings about their perceptions of nature and the wild. It is easy to see that nautre to chris was massive place that one could escape to and find themselves in but at the same time lose themselves in it to experience. The fact that the story is real and the events and people atually exist, makes it more personal and much more of a reality, that perceptions and feeling sof these romatic harsh wildereness ideals still exist in people. The rawness of nature comes out in the story.
ReplyDeleteProf Ramsey;
ReplyDeleteI posted this at 3 this morning, but I don't see it now. I don't know if there was a computer glitch on my end, or what, but I was hoping that I could re-post it without penalty?
4. Why do you think Alex “found a surrogate family in Westerberg” (18)? In chapter 3 what do we learn about Alex’s own biological family and his relationship with them?
I think that all children need something to rebel against. When you come from perfect suburbia with great, loving, supportive, and financially supporting parents, they just don't don't give you that fodder. If your parents don't beat you and make you feel worthless, how can you become an inspired artist or writer? I think that he falls in love with a father-figure in Westerberg, exactly because of this. He gains those things that we all crave in parents, but without all that over-bearing "care about what happens to you" stuff that comes from real parents.
question 2. Jon Krakauer chose to write about a real person, one who's life ended tragically in Alaska, and one who is about the same age as myself. This makes the book incredibly moving to me because i feel like i can relate to some of Chris' feelings and emotions, no mater how drastic they may seem on paper. Chris is struggling with finding his comfort zone in this world, like any other person does, and i can relate to his struggle in finding what he is looking for. The fact that Krakauer is writing about a dead boy, makes certain parts of the text disturbing because i feel as though if it were me i might want a bit more of my tragic death kept private, not published in a national bestseller. Nevertheless, i do find this book extremely interesting, and moving, which is most likely what drove Krakauer to continue writing about such a morbid case. Throughout the text the authors opinions are mentioned because he said that he can relate to Chris' feelings from his own experiences. I don't feel as though this taints the book in a negative way whatsoever, because it adds a perspective and an alternate rationale to compare my own with as i'm reading.
ReplyDelete3.Alex is a likeable person but I could not relate to him. Alex is very stubborn about reaching his goals even though it means his death. I like the fact that he has the desire in reaching his goals, but despise him for abandoning his family. I would not leave my family even if it meant billions of dollars. It was very clear that Alex wanted to live his dream but he obviously doesn’t know how to plan it. The postcard tells us that Alex is very independent and is very ambitious about reaching his goals. It also mentions how dangerous his journey is and the fact that he might not make it alive. What makes Alex more independent is that he did not want much help from others he wanted to reach his goal without or very little help.
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