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Into the Wild was definitely a book filled with so many unexpected things. I definitely enjoyed the story that the author told, but the only chapters that I really had no interest in were the ones that didn't talk about Chris' story. I understand why Jon Krakauer provided those chapters, I was just interested in the main story. Chris was a man with a bunch of different opinions and his actions were definitely something...

The Good: I admire Chris for the fact that he didn't like getting help from others, even when he needed it. He wanted to do things on his own, his own way (a little stubborn). He didn't let his family stop him from doing his own thing. He definitely has guts for going alone into the Wild without being properly prepared, I'll give him that, he is brave.

The Bad: I don't like that he just didn't say a word to his family. I get that he had a bad relationship with his parents for the most part, but c'mon his own sister?? That was low. All of that only for him to be found dead and his sister never got to say anything or see him. I get Chris has his mind set on going into the Great Alaskan Wild, but that doesn't mean you can't have memories with other people you meet on the way. He did not have to isolate himself from having a good relationship with Ron Franz.

Chris has some admirable parts to him, where he was completely set on his goal and wouldn't let anything stop him. However, I'm still against the fact that he just didn't care that he left his family and isolated himself from everyone he meets on his way to Alaska. Chris McCandless, definitely admirable in how he set his goal, but not the way he treated people because of it. I do think he deserved better than to die out there alone, I hope he's in a better place now.

#RIPMCCANDLESS #dontleaveurfamwithoutaword #admiration

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After Chris McCandless' death, the mystery (2) of how he died was left to be solved. Of course we knew that he had starved, but he had his own source of food already. Jon Krakauer circled back and back to Chris' diary (3) to figure out how exactly Chris died. Originally, Jon had thought that the reasoning Chris had died was because of neaurotoxin (6) called beta-ODAP, that causes weakening of muscle and paralysis to those starving. After 9 months and $20,000 later, Krakauer was able to finally find out that, yes, the seeds contained a toxin, not beta-ODAP, but an amino acid called L-canavanine (9). Apparently, the seeds had become toxic at a certain time of the year to keep predators away, unfortunately for Chris, he wasn't aware of this and ended up suffering.

Analysis:
It's really unfortunate to think about how, if Chris had known that the seeds had these toxins in them he would've lived. I also think that it's really crazy for Krakauer to invest so much time and money into another person's death, especially when he didn't even know the guy.

#neurotoxin #seeds #plants

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10 months after they found out about Chris' death, Walt and Billie McCandless decide that it's time they see the spot Chris spent his final days in with their own eyes (201). Originally, they had hoped to travel along the Stampede Trail just like Chris did. This didn't happen, so they changed their plans (201) and decided to take a helicopter(201). The first thirty minutes they spent their time walking around the bus, going down the river, and visiting the nearby woods. Eventually the couple decides to enter the bus. Billie seems to be reminiscing in the things Chris left behind: his boots, writing, and toothbrush. Billie didn't shed any tears (202). Walt installs a memorial (202) inside of the door of the bus, while Billie places a suitcase stocked with survival supplies. She left a note for whoever happens to come across it which read "call your parents as soon as possible", perhaps her attempt of getting others to avoid the same fate as Chris. This trip left both Walt and Billie more at ease than they have ever been since Chris' death. They prepare to leave in the helicopter and have a view of the bus, only seeing it get smaller and smaller the further they go. And it's just gone (203).

Analysis:
This chapter really hurts my heart, just thinking about how his parents felt the moment they got there, seeing the bus and then going inside. I don't know how Billie didn't cry, I would've sobbed. I do think it's nice that they were able to get the closure they needed and deserved after Chris' death.

#closure #memories #itstimetomoveon

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Chris returns back to the bus after his attempt to depart (188) with the wilderness on July 8th. His journal provides nothing for how he feels or what exactly he plans to do. He just seems to continue living in the wild, waiting for the river to settle down. On July 30, Chris wrote an ominous (189) entry in his journal stating that the was weak and starving. His physical condition went to hell (189) afterwards and by August 19, he had already died. It took a bit to figure out, but it turns out that he had consumed a poisonous plant that he had mistaken for sweet peas (191). This caused his immune system to go spiral, making him weaker and weaker. Due to the lack of glucose (195) and protein (195) to spare, he was unable to get rid of the toxins invading his body. Even through his suffering, he continues his journal entries and switches back from Alexander Supertramp to Christopher McCandless. Before his ultimate demise, Chris takes his final photo and wrote one last entry in his journal: "I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD. GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL!".

Analysis:
The story of Chris McCandless is truly a tragic one. Not only did on his final days he had no hope for anyone to save him, but the thing that caused his suffering was the mistaking of a poisonous plant. I don't think it was his fault though, it wasn't even confirmed that the plant had been poisonous. I wonder if he ever regretted going on this trip.

#mismatchedplant #starvation #finaldays

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In this chapter, Jon described how he went down to follow the same trail Chris did down the Stampede Trail. Krakauer wants to cross the river in order to visit the bus (173), to see where Chris died and to get a better understanding of why. Unlike McCandless, Krakauer provides himself with necessary equipment, such as a map (173). Jon and his companions find themselves going through the bush to find the bus. When they reached the bus, they had found that next to it were bones (177)! They found the remains of a moose that he shot, and shortly saw that the animal (177) was in fact a caribou. Throughout this trip they found that McCandless was ill prepared and they had but one word for him: incompetent (177).

Analysis:
I think it's crazy that all it would've taken for Chris to make it back was just a map. He was one step away from going back home safely, but due to his stubborn nature he didn't take a map with him. I think that if he had just toned down on his overconfidence he could've lived.

#grouptrip #misidentification #bebetterprepared

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Finally returning to the original story of Chris McCandless' infamous trip, we start in the North. The chapter starts off with Chris leaving Carthage, South Dakota in April 15, 1992. It continues to describe Chris' time spent with Gaylord Stuckey, a man delivering an RV from Indiana to Fairbanks. Both Stuckey and Chris had the same destination (158), but due to company rules, Stuckey can't pick up Chris. However, Stuckey reconsiders and decides to drive him anyways. A while after he parts with Stuckey, Chris was able to get a ride from Gallien when he sticks out his thumb. After his time with Gallien, we only know of Chris through his journal (163). May 1st, the day he discovered the bus, that he later dies, in by the Sushana River. Chris decided that this area was plenty wild for him, which was ironic because that patch of wilderness scarcely (165) qualifies as wilderness by Alaska standards (165). Even though this area was sufficient enough for Chris, it was too isolated and at the end of the day costed him his life. Chris decides that he wishes to cross back across the Teklanika River, however due to the melted snow, he was unable to cross safely. He turned back towards the bus in order to wait for a safer time to cross.

Analysis:
This is so sad, to think that Chris finally wants to return back to civilization, only to be stopped by mother nature. What a cruel world, just the thought that he could've made it out alive if the river wasn't flooded.

#flood #trapped #mothernaturesaidno

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Jon Krakauer comes down form the side of the Devils Thumb, and he was forced into the tent for a majority of his time the next 3 days. In an attempt to pass time faster, Krakauer chain-smoked (146) until he was out of cigs. He began to debate (146) with himself, asking himself if he should leave for the coast once it's clear or make another attempt (146) of the mountain. Krakauer used his complicated (147) memories with his family as a motivation in order to prove his father wrong. After retreating (150) from his first attempt, Jon decides to go up north again. He makes it to the top and cracks a grin (153). He takes a couple pictures and headed hope.

Analysis:
I'm trying to grasp how Jon felt when he reached the top, after so much time and effort was put into his trip. He must've felt such a huge wave of accomplishment. I'm proud of Jon and I'm glad that he was able to make it. I just wish that maybe Chris could've been able to experience that as well..

#acomplishments #thrill #unimaginable

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In this chapter, Jon Krakauer talks about himself and his own experiences in Alaska. In his early twenties, Krakauer decides to head into the wild and climb mountains. His mind becomes set on climbing (134) the Devil's Thumb. He's especially interested in imposing (134) from the north wall, never climbed and 6,000 feet from the glacier at it's base. Just like Chris, this was something that Krakauer was set on and didn't plan on giving up before he tried. Krakauer planned on spending 3 weeks to a month on the Stikine Ice Cap. Time passed when he was up there and he was nearly (140) out of fuel and food. He awoke on a warm day and was mentally unprepared (141) to climb, so he packed up and began skiing towards the base (141).

Analysis:
I had no idea that the author of this book himself would try something so daring. The similarities that Chris has with so many people makes me think that maybe I'm the crazy one here.

#adventure #skiing #bigmountain

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In this chapter, we get to take a look at Chris' relationship with his sister, Carine. In both their looks and personality, they were identical (128). They were both energetic (129) and self-assured (129). The two of them often clashed with their parents, but after Chris' disappearance Carine made peace with her parents. Months after her brother's death, Carine grieves (129) and can't get through the day without crying. Even when she found out about his death, she was in denial, didn't want to believe that it was true. They had thought that if they had allowed Chris to bring along their dog, Buck, with him, maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way. Chris would never put Buck in danger (128) and wouldn't have taken the same risks as he did if he just had Buck.

Analysis:
This chapter was so heartbreaking, just thinking about how Carine felt about losing her brother. Their bond being so strong as well must've caused her to feel so much distraught. I almost cried reading about the aftermath of her finding out about Chris.

#bigdog #heartbreaking #crying

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Chris was a skillful guy, succeeding in everything he attempted, this made him confident (118). Due to this, it made it a bit difficult to explain to Chris that he should be more careful (119) on his trips. Chris' relations with his parents, deteriorated (121) after his graduation from high school when he found out that his father had an affair with his first wife. This news only angered Chris, and even his parents had said that he had seemed further from them than before, and spent (121) more time by himself. The fact that this information regarding his father's history was kept away from him, upset him, this made him take his trip and after his graduation he vanished (125).

Analysis:
Thinking about the whole situation with his parents, I feel bad for Chris. I think that he deserved to at least be told about this happening, regardless of how long ago it was. He got hurt because of this information and just lost trust in his parents for keeping their past away from him. I suppose he made it 1:1 by not telling them about his trip to Alaska.

#affairs #cheater #hiddenpast

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In this chapter, we get a closer look into Chris' childhood. There's no doubt that Chris and his father were similar, they both shared the same intensity (105). Chris was a very intelligent and fearless (109) kid, academically he brought back A's effortlessly and only once did he get a grade lower than a B. Though, even with his high achieving grades, he refused to go to college, only going due to the persistency of his parents. Chris was a natural-born capitalist (115), ironically being a person who despises capitalism. According to his mother, he was always an entrepreneur (115), selling vegetables door-to-door around their neighborhood (115).

Analysis:
Chris always being on about wealth being seen in a negative connotation, while also having the privileges' of being wealthy will never not be strange to me. Though it seems like Chris lived a good childhood with good education. I think that if he had already known that he wanted to go on a trip, he should've just gone instead of going to college.

#blasttothepast #headstrong #capitalism

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After discovering McCandless' body, Alaskan State Troopers couldn't figure out who exactly the body they found belonged to. There was no form of identification for them to start a lead on who Chris was and how this happened. Gallien contacted the troopers and informed them that they knew Chris and proved it through describing pieces of equipment (99) not mentioned in the newspaper. Westerberg was next to contact the troopers, but due to the case being more public, they were less receptive (100) as a consequence (100). They were only willing to listen when Westerberg stated that he knew McCandless' Social Security Number (100). Unfortunately when the authorities tried to contact Chris' parents it didn't work because they no longer had a Virginia phone number (101). Luckily, Chris' brother was able to identify Chris and inform his parents of Chris' fate.

Analysis:
I'm very surprised at the fact the authorities took so much time and effort just to figure out who Chris was and what happened to him. I wonder if Westerberg hadn't called in, would they have been able to figure out who Chris was and if they would've given up on the case.

#socialsecuritynumber #casesolved #identified

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This chapter talks about a man named Everett Ruess, a man with many similarities that of Chris McCandless, both driven by their desires (p.97). Everett was born in a well off family, having a poet/philosopher as a father and a headstrong woman as a mother. He had chosen to start his first solo trip by hitchhiking (p. 89) during the summer of 1930. When Everett was 20 years old and back on the road, he etched(p 93) onto the soft Navajo sandstone. After he carved "NEMO 1934" into the sandstone, Everett Ruess disappeared and was just gone (p 89). 60 years later, there's still not a clue on where Everett went or what happened to him. Ken Sleight, who was investigating Everett's death, convinced that he had died in 1934 or early 1935. There are people who assume that Everett was murdered or fell off a cliff, but Sleight believes that Everett drowned (p.96). This could be why Everett's remains were never found.

Analysis:
It's sad to think about how Everett and Chris both just wanted to chase their dreams of being able to live in the wild, but weren't able to make it out alive. I just have to wonder how exactly both of these men would have lived if they didn't wander into the wild. Crazy to think that Everett was never found and we can't come to a conclusion of how he died for sure.

#sad #wanderer #twins

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In this chapter we learn about three different individuals who were probably known as mentally disturbed(p. 70) just like Chris McCandless. The first individual was a man named Gene Rossellini, he was extremely intelligent. He left to a forest and decided to devote (p.74) his life being completely independent (p.74) from technology. At the end of his experiment he ends off saying "I learned that it is not possible for human beings as we know them to live off the land." (p.75) just before he inflicted himself with a knife through his heart. The next individual is a man name John Waterman, born in the same area as Chris. John was a climber and was the 3rd youngest person to stand atop the highest landform on the continent. John decided on March 1978, to do a solo (p. 77) ascent of Mt. Hunter's southeast spur. After his solo ascent on Mt. Hunter's southeast spur, Waterman decided to fly to the Kahiltna Glacier in December 1979, but called it off after 14 days, saying that he doesn't want to die (p 79). Even with this, he decides to prepare himself for another attempt only two months later. After a loss on Kahiltna Glacier, he decides to climb Denali, where he died in 1992. The last of the three is Carl McCunn. He was friendly (p. 81), but he was a bit out of touch with reality. McCunn hired a bush pilot to drop him at a remote lake near the Collen River for photos. The only issue with this is that he neglected to arrange himself a flight back. He thought that someone would notice that he was gone and would come rescue him, however that didn't happen. He was found dead by shooting himself two months after his death on February 2, 1982 by Alaska State Troopers.

Analysis:
Krakauer did an amazing job with this chapter. I wouldn't have ever thought that there were other people who would've done something just as or even worse than what Chris had done. The best part about the chapter is the fact that Krakauer was able to find people who were similar to Chris, not only in the experiences they shared, but personality wise.

#stayawayfromalaska #shouldhavethoughtthingsthrough #similaritieswithchris

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Westerberg snaps at his employees, seemingly exhausted from eighteen-hour (p.62) days and due to the fact that Alex hadn't shown for work yet. This chapter, we learn about Alex's relationship with his parents. Alex and his dad were both stubborn (p 64) and high strung. Before Chris decided to drop everything and leave his family, he had a conversation with his sister, saying that their parent's behavior (p 64) was "irrational" and "oppressive". When Chris was heading out to leave, he hugged Borah goodbye and started crying (p 68). Borah assumed that he would be taking big risks (p 68) and knew that there was a chance he wouldn't be returning. The feeling of not ever seeing someone again.

Analysis:
This chapter was very interesting to me, especially the final part. Thinking that he went out there as a suicide mission doesn't seem right, I don't think that was the goal at all. I do think that the SOS message would've made it clear that he wanted the help he couldn't get. He wanted to live, but by that time, he was too unprepared to have any food left to survive off of.

#heartbroken #family #futuretragedy

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This chapter is focused on Ronald A. Franz, a man who was closely attached to Alex. Franz requested a magazine (p.48) for a cover story on Outside about Chris McCandless' death. When Franz met Chris, he was never given or told what his surname (p.50) was. What Franz did know was that someone should convince (p.51) Alex to get an education and a job. Many times during their time together, Franz would sit and listen to Alex rant (p.52) about his parents or politicians, these are moments that Franz reminisces. Later on after being with each other, Franz asks Alex if he could adopt (55) him as a grandchild, to which causes Alex to be uncomfortable. It scared Alex.

Analysis:
I honestly feel bad for Ronald, he just wanted a chance to live out there with someone that he could think of as his child. The loss of your child could weigh heavily on you, and Franz wanted to solve this feeling, by adopting Alex. I'm a bit upset that Alex had just left after the offer, but I understand that he was uncomfortable.

#parentalfigure #sadoldman #tragic

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By the time Chris had arrived in Bullhead City, his camera (p.38) was ruined and he had stopped keeping a journal (p.38). Chris enjoyed the city, even decided to get a job at McDonald's. His coworkers described him as reliable, but remembered how his scent was unappealing, so much so that they offered him soap(p.41). Chris sent a postcard to Jan Burres and was then able to meet Jan at the Slabs, an old navy air base (p.43). When Jan was with Chris, she learned that family (p.45) wasn't something that appealed to him when it came to conversations. When the two were at the point of leaving one another, Jan trusted that Chris would be fine by himself.

Analysis:
I wonder what Chris' take on working at McDonald's would be like, because he doesn't seem like the type of guy that would enjoy working at a chain store, let alone such a big one (the irony). I'm glad that he was able to see Jan again, seeing as she seemed to be such a caring person towards him. Very surprised that he brought himself to take a pause from being in the country for a bit.

#McDonalds #boocapitalism #caringperson

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In October, 1990, 3 months (p.26) after Chris left Atlanta, his yellow Datsun was found by a dry riverbed (p.26). The car was later on turned into an undercover (p.27) vehicle for drug interdiction. The car ended up there after Chris drove two miles down the riverbed of the Detrital Wash. He was camped near the edge of the water, so when it was raining a flash flood occurred. Saving some of his items from the wash, Chris was left with no battery (p.28) after he attempted to start the car. Chris came to a conclusion that he had to abandon (p.29) his Datsun and continued his journey on foot. He left on July 10th and nearly died from heat stroke (p.29). At the end of July, Chris met a man named an untrustworthy Crazy Ernie who offered him a job and then traveled to Arcata, California where he met Jan and Bob who offered him a ride and food. Chris arrives at the Morelos Dam and due to him having no identification, he decides to paddle through the dam's open floodgates and later on nearly dies in a canoe. While attempting to go back to the U.S., Chris is stopped by law enforcement where they take his handgun. Even after all of this his spirit (p.37) is still high.

Analysis:
It's crazy to think that even after all of these events happen, Chris still had it in him to continue on his adventure. I don't even think that I could imagine what it's like to go through this. What he did was very admirable and I am very impressed that he just did not give up.

#crisis #hegotthroughit #roughtimes

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Growing up, I'd always have a habit of doodling and drawing on things. I just got some type of twitchy finger for drawing or something and it kept distracting me during class. I really liked art, but it wasn't ever something that I was particularly interested in. Like, I did it on my free time and all, but I wouldn't put any extra effort into learning something about art. I took my first class in 6th grade, it was an elective that all students had to take every year of middle school. It was an alright class, but after 7th grade I ended up taking the advanced art class. It wasn't too fun of a class, all you do is watch art films and draw. I didn't take another art class until Junior year, where I was taking the class through zoom. I think the only art class that I actually enjoyed taking is the current one: AP Drawing. It's a good class, only because I get the freedom of choosing my own theme and drawing what I want. I know it seems like I don't like art, but when I get to do what I want it makes things a lot more enjoyable. What I'd like to do when I'm older is something less restricting than what I have to do in classes.

Unlike, McCandless I'm not as dedicated towards my dreams or goals. There's only a little I need in order to be satisfied and that just having freedom with my artwork. Working from home sounds like it would fit me perfectly as well. There's a small chance that I'd be able to make this happen, but I know that there's somewhere in the world where I can succeed. I'm no where near the end of my odyssey, but I really hope that I get to experience the same excitement and passion that Chris McCandless felt when he walked into the wild.

#artist #goals #believeandacheive

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Carthage, a small town in South Dakota, is somewhere Chris called him home after claiming himself as Alex. While Chris resided in Carthage he was close to a man by the name of Wayne Westerberg. Chris met Westerberg when he was a leather tramp (p.17) and Westerberg offered to drive him. He was also the man to had given Chris a job during his stay in Carthage. Chris spent a while in Carthage and even Westerberg stated that many folks (p. 16) got attached to Chris. Westerberg also mentioned that Chris was very hardworking  and did a lot of physical labor (p. 18) and mucking (p.18). Chris didn't tell much about his past to Wayne, so he never knew why Chris had decided on the name change. We know that Chris was estranged (p.18) from his parents and made it clear that he was going to disappear after his graduation. When Chris left his parents, he only left a letter that contained his grades, but we know that he went off to experience something new which is why he changed his name. He just wanted to start over.

Analysis:
I understand why Chris had wanted to do such a thing, but I don't think that he should've just left without a word. Even though he didn't enjoy his parents, I think that he should've at least said something because I'm sure he knew that they cared about him. Though, I am glad he was able to find himself in a life where he could enjoy the people around him.

#hardwork #familyissues #bestbuddieswithwayne

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In 1992, six people traveled through the Stampede Trail where they encountered an S.O.S. (p.12) note in a bus (p.12) that belonged to Chris. The note stated that Chris was injured (p.12) and close to death (p.12). Gordon Samel examined the bus and decided to shake a bad from the back window of the bus. Deciding to walk around to the other side, he saw that there was a head sticking out, it was Chris McCandless' dead body. At 8:30 the next morning Alaskan State Troopers arrived to handle Chris' dead body. They found through an autopsy, but due to Chris' body being so decomposed it was difficult to figure out the cause of death. Chris was seen to be 67 pounds making them believe that the most reasonable cause of death would be from starvation (p.14). At the time they had no idea who Chris was or where he was from because he hadn't carried any form of identification (p .14).

Analysis:
This is such a tragic story, knowing that Chris spent his final days alone, but also knowing that he probably had given up knowing that he was too injured to get food himself. The only chance he had of living was if someone traveled up there and helped him. It's quite unfortunate knowing that he had to die very slowly as well.

#rip #youlivedagoodlife #resteasy

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Summary: Into the Wild is a story about a young man, Christopher Johnson McCandless, that seems to be a bit unprepared for his adventure in the wild. Chris heads on his journey determined (p.6), however is lacking in preparedness, only bringing a rifle that was 2.2 caliber (p.5) and ten-pound bag of rice (p. 5). A man by the name of Jim Gallien drove Chris to the Stampede Trail and understood that Chris was excited (p. 6). Gallien seeing the limited supplies that Chris had brought with him, attempted to persuade(d) (p.7) him into not going without proper gear. Failing to convince Chris not to go, Gallien drops off Chris and as he is leaving he thought over telling the Alaska State Troppers about Chris, or as he knows "Alex", but he assumed that "Alex" would go back if he ran out of food like a normal person.

Analysis: I think that Chris was a bit reckless in this chapter. I understand being excited to do something, but I don't think doing something unprepared is the wisest idea. Even though Gallien had offered to buy him better gear, Chris had said no and I was wondering what exactly was going on in his mind to refuse this offer.

#adventure #beprepared #travel

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Growing up I didn't get to experience many parts of the "wild". This experience to Big Bear was one of the times where I went out and had fun doing things I was used not doing. Of course I had gone camping before years back from this photo. It was I believe the second or third time I was every able to experience snow. You can imagine how excited I was to see the snow, let alone play in it.

If I could go again I definitely would, maybe with new people like my friends rather than family. I do enjoy spending time with my family, but I haven't had the chance yet to travel anywhere with friends, so I will look forward to that.