Deviance: does a person's behavior create a social category - is universal and relative, meaning it is contextual and cultural 

Deviant: is the act that the person does.

If society says that doing something is out of the normal and you do it, you become a deviant person.

• "Deviance is a social definition, deviance... the social judgment of that behavior. In short, it is not the act but the definition that makes something deviant."

POWER:

• "Defining and sanctioning deviance involves power. In general, influential people and groups can establish... lower classes (perhaps that is one reason why so much deviance is found among lower classes)."

MEDICALIZATION:

• "In all instances, medical solutions are being sought for a variety of deviant behaviors or conditions. We call this "the medicalization of deviance" and suggest this... deviant behavior is the central concern of our analysis."

ILLNESS:

• "Illness is the presence of disease in an organism... include undiscovered diseases or organ changes that may be adaptations to an environment."

I feel that my experience at Avenues has the "right way" because Avenues lets the students go after what they don't understand and lets them be independent to do what they need to accomplish, meaning that we are students learn from what we go after, by researching, asking questions, and doing homework.

• Do you think your college experience will relate to what YOU believe is "real knowledge"?

I hope that my college experience will relate to what I believe: trying, asking questions, and pursuing what you don't understand.

• Do you believe society gives you what you need to thrive? Are you an outsider?

Society can help us grow by providing support like education and opportunities, but it does not always give us what we need. I don't feel like an outsider, but if so, it is because I wouldn't fit in my group and would feel misunderstood by others around me.

• Escapism and Idealism: McCandless's rejection of society, his desire to escape the "real world," and his expectation of what will happen suggest that he seeks something closer to nature and himself.

• Spirit of Adventure: McCandless looks for adventure by going out into the wild with nothing to help him survive. He never gets attached to anyone during his journey and has discovered new things about himself. The way he is exploring this isn't 'normal' in society's eyes, but people are impressed by his determination to learn new things and finish his journey. Throughout the book, we can see that Chris is inspired by two literary figures, Jack London and Henry David Thoreau, who share the same opinion.

• Self-Discovery and Identity: McCandless seeks self-discovery and identity. We can see that he changes his name (his persona) to "Alexander Supertramp." It seems he wants to forget the past that, like Chris McCandless, never existed.

• Nature vs. Society: There is a contrast between the natural world and human society. There is tension between living authentically in nature (not following laws, not being content with people, starving, etc.) and social life's responsibilities and control (the opposite).

• Family Dynamics: Krakauer shows McCandless's family background, relationships, and the impact of his troubled family dynamics. From my interpretation, he shows how this dynamic impacted his decisions and with people he met during his journey, such as Ron Franz.

Henry David Thoreau

• Individualism: Thoreau was a leading figure who emphasized the importance of individualism, self-reliance, and a connection with nature. McCandless's rejection of societal norms and the quest for a simpler, more authentic existence in the wilderness resound with Thoreau's ideas.

• Critique of Materialism: Both Thoreau and McCandless criticized society's materialism and consumerism. Thoreau was against the government laws and how they worked; he thought having them was a way to control society. He said, "We all need to be men first before becoming objects." This shows how he thought the government-controlled us. We can't do anything about it; only some laws favor all people. If we are straightforward, we can act on it and don't need to use the law. This is exactly what McCandless thought: he didn't care about government rules and what society would think about him; he was following his conscience.

• When Thoreau went to jail, he discovered new things about his neighbor. From what I understand, he started viewing things differently and stopped judging people before knowing them and hearing their stories.

When looking as McCandless I feel that solitude can help us find meaning of life. I feel that when you are alone you can understand things about yourself, make questions about life, and see what truly matters to you.

When you are alone you can take time and reflect on what is important to you, what are the things you value the most. It's like having a quiet moment to check in with yourself and make sure you're staying true to what you believe in. When I looked at McCandless I saw that his values are conpletely different from mine. His goals are something he values. It is what is important to him, and eventhough he passes through though times the value that he wants is the learning and to compleat his goal.

When you are alone, you can give a chance to be honest to yourself. It's like having a quiet conversation with yourself to figure out what's right and what's not. It could help you listen to your thoughts and feelings without any distractions. Connecting to McCandless I feel that when he was alone in the wild he could discover new things about him, understand what truly matters and be truthful to himself.

McCandless has his way of thinking. He went to the wild with a determination to go to Alaska. Through it, he passed through tough times, such as starving. However, his determination and hard work were something he had inside. He didn't like how society and government worked, so he made a way out of it, which made him unique.

Looking at McCandless, his thinking and actions are deviant in society's eyes because he left it and started living another life. Normally, the goal we see is to make a lot of money, have leisure, etc., but his goals and determination throughout his journey are odd because Chris had all of that, and he still gave it all up to live in the wild. How he thought living there would help him find himself would be 'better' is abnormal.

Government and Rules: When I think of government, the first thing that comes to mind is the rules (laws) that they put in place for the city. It is essential to have rules so everyone will be safe and treated fairly. However, not all rules apply to everyone, so people can question them and fight to change if they are unfair. I feel that rules are there for a reason and must be followed.

Families: Families are with you for your entire life, passing through good and bad times by your side. They teach you to love, support you, and teach you responsibility. You can learn a lot by being with your family, as you would learn in a community. Family is where we feel safe and cared for and discover essential values like honesty, respect, and kindness.

"Gallien asked whether he had a hunting license. "Hell, no," Alex scoffed. "How I feed myself is none of the government's business. Fuck their stupid rules."

• For me, seeing people as passionate about their convictions and beliefs about the world isn't unusual, but I can understand that it can be for others. If we use Chris as an example, he left everything behind to do something out of the normal, has no contact with his family, etc. Even though Chris met people throughout his his journey, he never got attached, maybe was because he was scared, or because of his child hood, and that could affect him on his decision. Page 81. 

"His son's disappearance scared and chastened him."

• After the discussion, I am still thinking about how people follow societal expectations, being afraid of the consequences, such as being arrested if they deviate. But at the same time, I feel that when reading "Into the Wild" and Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience,"  everyone is in the same pattern (doing the same things). It appears that stepping outside the norms feels strange (is like experimenting with new things, but in this case, doing something exaggerated), but doing so, people (society) will judge you, but if you believe that that change will help you, then do it (like Chris did, but on his case, he went to live in the wild with nothing to help him survive, and didn't care what the government said). So, I feel that change is a big thing, and everyone around you will judge, but if you believe you can do it, go for it. 

• "I think that we should all be men and subjects afterward."

• "I could not help being struck with the foolishness… following them out again without delay."

CHRIS PERSPECTIVE:

• "I'd like to repeat the advice that I gave you before, in that I think you really should make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality, nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future." - chapter six

CHRIS HARD WORK:

• "He was the hardest worker I've ever seen. Didn't matter what it was, he'd do it: hard physical labor, mucking rotten grain and dead rats out of the bottom of the hole—jobs where you'd get so damn dirty you couldn't even tell what you looked like at the end of the day. And he never quit in the middle of something. If he started a job, he'd finish it. It was almost like a moral thing for him. He was what you'd call extremely ethical. He set pretty high standards for himself." - chapter three

CHRIS STRUGGLES:

• "And he was big-time hungry. Hungry, hungry,hungry" - chapter four