Sunday, April 12, 2009

Exploring Chapters 10-12

Bros:

You created the questions and so you answer ONE of the following in a WELL-DEVELOPED paragraph (or two or three) that quote(s) from the text for support (for formatting guidelines see earlier posts where I explain it.)

Please indicate which question you are answering by retyping it above your answer.

This blog response is Due Wednesday, April 15, 2009 by class-time on blog (or typed, hard copy if you cannot log-in).

Please follow proper heading format:

Your Name
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009

The questions:

  • How did Westerberg prove to the Alaska State Troopers that he knew McCandless? Why?
  • Why did McCandless show sympathy for the homeless? What is an example of such sympathy?
  • Why was it that McCandless seldom contacted his parents? What did they think?
  • Why did the cop get so many calls from people claiming to know Chris?
  • How did Chris approach any task given to him? Give examples.
  • Why did Chris become less and less talkative and friendly with his parents? How did he express his feelings?
  • Sam, Chris' half brother had to tell his father and stepmother about Chris' death. How do you think he broke the news to them?
  • How may have Chris' relationship with his father triggered his radical change in lifestyle after college?
  • On page 121, Krakauer tells of the secrets of Walt's divorce and remarraige. How did this new information affect Chris? Could this have influenced his later disappearence and death?
  • How did McCandless' friends react to hearing of his death? Why did the react this way?
  • How may have McCandless' childhood experiences have influenced him to leave his home and family?
  • Why do you think McCandless strayed away from the social world and put a heavy emphasis on academics at college, but then run away shortly after graduation?
  • What were some odd charactersitics of Christ at young age? Why were they odd?
  • Explain Chris' political views and how they were reflected in his trip.
  • Why did the troopers give Gallien a chance to plead his case, but not Westerberg?
  • If Chris seemed so preoccupied with making money in high school, why did he eventually give all his money away? What caused this change of heart?
  • Why, all of a sudden, did Christ seem to despise his parents?
  • What is the significance of Billie McCandless' dream about Chris? What does it say about her relationship with him?
  • Why do you think Chris never told his family about wanting to go on an adventure?
  • Why did Chris leave South Dakota so abruptly?
  • Why was everyone so moved by Chris' speech on Walt's birthday? Why did they then let him leave?
  • Which was it, his virtues or his falws that may have ultimately lead Chris into the wild?
  • How are people's reactions to Chris's death unique due to the awakwardness of all his relationships?
  • Why do you think chapter 12 focuses so strongly on his faults? What are they?
  • How does the epigraph on page 103 tie into the story about McCandless?
  • Do you think Chris ever thinks about what he leaves behind everytime he moves to a new territory? Explain.
  • What do you think the deeper meaning of chapter 11 is? Explain.
  • Does Chris possess any of the same charactersitics as he did when a child? Are they negative or positive characteristics? Explain.
  • Why do you tink Chris can so easily isolate himself from and socialize with others?
  • Do you think the intro to chapter 10 is an accurate description of what the official found, or did they recognize that there was more to the situation than what they saw?
  • Does Walt McCandless share any characteristics with Chris? Explain.
  • What aspects of Chris' personality baffled his parents? Why were they baffled by these aspects of his personality?
  • Why do you think Alex faked his first tax form but made the second one real before he went to Alaska? Was he foreshadowing his own death?
  • When Alex makes a drunken speech to his dad, he puts aside all of the differences. Does this show that deep down Chris still had feelings for him and wanted to be a family? How does this contradict other experiences between the two? Is there anything in particularly that sparked their feud? Explain.
  • What in chapter ten reveals the importance of making friends and of socializing?
  • What changed about the McCandless family after Chris died?

27 comments:

James May said...

James May
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009

What were some odd characteristics of Christ at young age? Why were they odd?

Chris had a few odd characteristics as a boy. One of the most discussed was his objection to structure, rules, and practice. It was not an anarchic style of thinking, but it is obvious from discussions with Walt that he opposed many rules and practices, and when an activity went past fun into work, Chris would not want to continue. Krakauer writes, "Chris had so much natural talent, but if you tried to coach him, to polish his skill, to bring out that final ten percent, a wall went up" (111). This is Walt talking about Chris's athleticism at a young age, but how he did not really take advantage of it by honing in his skills. Most children and teenagers, when they find a passion for a sport, want every bit of instruction so that they may make their game better. However, Chris did things his own way, and became almost defensive when someone tried to tell him how to do something. Krakauer writes, "It wasn't until he took up running, an activity that rewards will and determination more than finesse or cunning, that he found his athletic calling" (111). This again shows how Chris, even at a young age, seemed to have a free spirit. As a former runner I can relate, because running is more of a self-fulfilling activity and is really driven on how much you want to win. When other sports require a certain amount of skill, running is more of a measure of will, which Krakauer hints to in the above passage. It was a way for Chris to harness his free spirit at a young age, and is almost a foreshadowing of the adventurous spirit he would have as an adult.

Rob S. said...

Rob Scholle
Bro Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009

Why did Chris become less and less talkative and friendly with his parents? How did he express his feelings?
Chris McCandles was stuborn and very hard on his parents. Krakauer writes,'"Chris was the sort of person who brooded abuot things," Carine observes. "If something bothered him, he wouldn't come right out and say it. He kept it to himself, harboring resentment, letting his bad feelings build and build,"'(Krakauer, 121-122). Krakauer also writes,"Children can be harsh judges when it comes to thier parents, disinclined to grant clemencyand this was esspecially true in Chris' case. More even then most teens, he tended to see things in black and white. He measured himself and those around him by an imposibly rigorous moral code,"(Krakauer,122). The problem with Chris and his relationship with his parents was that he judged them harshly and he kept his feeling to himself, refusing to dicuss his problems with other people. Itstead of talking to his father and asking for an explaination he kept to himself. He did not even show his anger. Chris did not even have a fight with his father an then disown him. He brooded over his anger until his was redy to leave his family and never talk to them again. It was not only his father's actions that drove them apart, but also his own greaat stubornness.

Joe Fennimore said...

Joe Fennimore
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009

Why do you think chapter 12 focuses so strongly on his faults? What are they?

Chris McCandless has many admirable qualities, such as his determination, friendliness, and spiritual adventuring. These show that he seeks explanations and insight beyond peoples' average experiences. However, this is a true story, and Chris McCandless had faults just like everyone else. If he didn't, he probably would not have died alone in the wilderness. To explain, Chris's biggest flaw was his natural inclination to drive people away from him by not allowing them to enter his life. He influenced other people's lives like Wayne Westerberg and Ron Franz, but he would not accept input from other people. Jon Krakaur quotes Walt McCandless saying, "If you attempted to talk him out of something, he wouldn't argue. He'd just nod politely and then do exactly what he wanted" (119). Chris had an unshakably stubborn and irrational belief that he didn't need anyone else in order to succeed in what he wanted to do. This arrogant mindset led almost all of his relationships to be almost...one-sided. Then, when his friends would try to point that out to him, he thought that since they couldn't understand him, they no longer mattered, and that he should move on from them. The best example is his relationship with his family. Krakaur writes, "In a letter to Chris, Billie implored, 'You have completely dropped away from all who love and care about you. Whatever it is--whoever you're with--do you think this is right?' Chris saw this as meddling and referred to the letter as 'stupid' when he talked to Carine" (124). He does not conceive that people are only trying to restrain his dangerously adventurous spirit because they value his life. That leads to another of Chris's most unusual faults. He does not value his own life, because he sees life as a collective term, and not an individual one. Chris's quest for true freedom is interesting, and intellectually stimulating, but this overview of his major flaws exposes the reasons for why he died in Alaska. Without these flaws, he probably would have had people join him on his quest. He was alone, though, and he did not have anyone to help him survive.

vmerante said...

The Vincenzo Merante
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009

Do you think Chris ever thinks about what he leaves behind everytime he moves to a new territory? Explain.
-When Chris goes from place to place, i believe that he definately thinks about what hes leaving behind. In his mind, he has to weigh out the situation and think about the place where hes at right now is worth staying. when he comes up saying its not, he packs the very few things he has and moves to his next desirable place.Chris left behind many valuable things and people, such as, his family, friends, car, and life. Chris is a mobile guy because he gets easily sick of a place. he finds things wrong with and it and that causes him to leave. I also think that th stuff Chris leaves behind, is the stuff that causes him to leave. its kind of like they hurt him more then help. Krakauer wries, " McCandless explained to Burres that he'd grown tired of Bullhead, tired of punching clock, tired of the plastic people he worked with, and decided to get the hell out of town"(pg.43). Chris doesnt stay in one place to long because he is afraid of falling in love with it. i believe the more he likes a place, the more he wants to leave it. Chris doesnt like when he finds a great place because it makes it that much harder to leave it behind and move forward. So Chris is always out there looking for a new place to call home.....for now

JRostek said...

Jake Rostek
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel. 011.04
April 15, 2009

How did Westerberg prove to the Alaska State Troopers that he knew McCandless? Why?

Westerberg really needed to make sure that he had enough to prove that he knew Chris and that he was the hiker. Westerberg called the Alaska State Troopers to tell them what he knew about Chris McCandless. The cops were already irritated since they got so many calls from so many people saying they new McCandless. Westerberg told the trooper that McCandless had worked for him. He looked through his files and found two W-4forms that McCandless filled out. The first form said nothing that would help, but the second form that he filled out two weeks before he left for Alaska said his given name, and his Social Security number was filled out. Krakauer writes, "But on the second form, dated March 30, 1992, two weeks before he left for Alaska, he'd signed his given name: 'Chris J. McCandless.' And in the blank for Social Security number he'd put down, '228-31-6704.' Westerberg phoned Alaska again. This time the trooper took him seriously."(101).

Eharkema said...

Erich Harkema
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009


*On page 121, Krakauer tells of the secrets of Walt's divorce and remarraige. How did this new information affect Chris? Could this have influenced his later disappearence and death?

When Christopher McCandless learned about his father's ex-wife, he slowly withdrew from his parents out of some sort of rage. He didn't really seem to forgive his father for doing what he did. Perhaps he never really considered his father's reasons why he did it, just that it was a bad thing. And yes, I think because of this withdrawl Chris wanted to get away from his family so he left them without telling them and never contacted them again. He went to the extremes, unlike most people, whom run away from home and soon came back. He went into the world, young, and may have thought he was invincible. Most teens have this kind of additude and learn the hard way. Christopher's obsession with Alaska and withdrawl. in my opinion, led to his demise.

Eric Gemmell said...

Eric Gemmell
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009

Do you think Chris ever thinks about what he leaves behind everytime he moves to a new territory? Explain.

Every time Chris moves from place to place, he leaves things behind. Not only does he leave behind possesions of his, but he also leaves behind the people that he meets, and things of importance to him. One material object that he left behind was his car. It was very important to him, until he couldn't get it unstuck from the basin. He wrote about it briefly in his journal, then left it there. I believe that Chris, unable to think of why he needed to remember it, simply brushed the thought of his car from his mind. This may seem like a crude thing to do, but really, it wasn't. He had no further use for the car, so he decided to forget about it. On the other hand, I believe that he trys to remember the people that he left behind. He always sent postcards, and letters to Jan Burres and Wayne Westerberg, not to mention all of the other people that he met on his journey. I think he chooses to remember them, because he considers them to be family. Although not related by blood, Chris seems alot more fond of these people than he does of his real family. They are sort of like replacements for him. He also promised most of them that he would write. So in conclusion I think that Chris remembers and thinks about what he wants to. He forgets material possesions, and remembers whats really important to him.

Eharkema said...

Erich Harkma

(Sorry I forgot the quote)

"Chris's smoldering anger, it turns out, was fueled by a discovery he'd made two summers earlier, during his cross-country wanderings. When he'd arrived in California, he'd visited the El Segundo neighborhood where he'd spent the first six years of his life. He called on a number of old family friends who still lived there, and from their answers to his queries, Chris pieced together the facts of his father;s previous marriage and subsequent divorce--facts to which he hadn't been privy" (Krakauer 121).

Wyatt Gasparik said...

Wyatt Gasparik
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009

Wayne Westerberg hadn't heard from Chris for about a year. One day when Wayne was leading his harvest crew home to Carthage from Montana. Bob called Wayne on the radio and had alerted Wayne of a kid that had starved, he said it sounded alot like Alex(Chris McCandless). As soon as Wayne got back to Carthage called the Alaska State Troopers to give some info on what he knew about Chris. The troopers seemed to be disinterested since they had previously gotten many calls of people claiming to know the kids identity. Wayne implied that he wasn't just another called, and that he was his good friend and he actually knew who he was. Wayne looked through his files to provide them with sufficient data that he wasn't just another caller. After Wayne supplied him with this information the trooper actually took Wayne seriously. I believe Wayne persisted because he had such a strong bond between him and Chris. When Chris first met Wayne he didn't give him a Social Security number, address, and gave him a fake name. After they bonded he filled out another form with all of the correct information because i feel he trusted him now

Deandre said...

Deandre White
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009

How may have Chris' relationship with his father triggered his radical change in lifestyle after college?

His relationship with his father changed his lifestyle because when Chris was young his father gave him things that could or would of been used in the future. Like for instances his father bought Chris ice picks for his birthday or something like that. In the future while Chris was on his expedition he fills that he should climb THE STIKINE ICE CAP a.k.a Devils Thumb. So he uses his ice picks that his father bought him to climb it. But, it ended up being a tragedy.

Juwan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ldietz said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ldietz said...

Logan Dietz
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009

Why, all of a sudden, did Christ seem to despise his parents?

Chris did not always despise his parents. He did not despise them until a couple summers before he made his getaway. Krakauer writes, "Long after falling in love with Billie, long after she gave birth to Chris, Walt continued his relationship with Marcia in secret, dividing his time between two households, two families. Lies were told and then expose, begetting more lies to explain away the initial deceptions. Two years after Chris was born, Walt fathered another son-Quinn McCandless-with Marcia" (121). Chris really did not despise his parents, but he just had very little trust in them, especially his father. He did not find out about all of this until 1986. He was hurt because he couldn't believe his father would do a thing like this. But Chris was also hurt because it was kept in secret from him for the first eighteen years of his life. If I were in Chris's shoes, I also would be hurt. His father was living a life full of lies, especially towards his own family members. If I were Chris, I would have no trust whatsoever in my father.

omalkin said...

OSAS MALKIN
BRO.ROB PEACH, FSC
REL 011.04
APRIL 14 2009

Do you think Chris ever thinks about what he leaves behind everytime he moves to a new territory? Explain.

I think that Christ thought of everything he left behing including his family, freinds, co workers and evens his car because you can not think of the present without thinking of the past. Since he was alone quietly in his little tent, I can not think of any other thing that will run through his mind exept his home family and friend. even though he was not in good terms with his family, but there still will be a time where he will sit down nd think of things that might have change on his behalf, good things that might have happened, and also how his parent will feel when they here of his disappearance. Since he was alone, he had the hole time in the world to think of different things in the past and what his tomorrow was going to be. speaking from my own prospective, if I was christ, I would definitely think of where I was before and how different that place will be now that I am gone, and what new things would have happened. So deffinitely, I think that Christ thought of where he left after move to a different place.

MPompa said...

Michael Pompa
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009

Why do you think Chris never told his family about wanting to go on an adventure?

The reason chris never wanted to tell his family, or anyone else, is because their will be no point of the adventure that he wants to go on. their are also many reasons. another one is that he wanted to make a change and hope someone will learn off it. also he didn't have a great relationship with his parents before he left. he also wanted to be free of life just live it have a great time. do something you really want and not just waist it. of cause he wants family but were he was he couldn't have one. he also want them to not let him go or be sad that he is leaving. another fact is that his parents if they let him go then they might go with him and he wanted to go alone and do the things that he wanted to do and not his parents. it i sad that he did not want to tell them that he is going to alaska and might die it broke there hearts.

MPompa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Graham Sides said...

Graham Sides
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009

How did Westerberg prove to the Alaska State Troopers that he knew McCandless? Why?

Westerburg wanted to prove the the Alaska State Troopers that he knew McCandless because he had been such a good friend to Westerburg that he had to find out what happened to him. The troopers did not take him seriously at first because there were so many other people calling in claiming that they knew McCandless. Most of them were mistaken however because so many people had friends or relatives that tried to survive the Alaskan wilderness that all of them thought that McCandless was their relative or friend. So after Westerberg realized this, he needed to find some evidence that he knew McCandless. He found this in one of two w-4 forms that McCandless filed out. On that one he found McCandless' social security number and that proved it to the troopers that he actually knew him.

Graham Sides said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jamacanbacon2 said...

Tyler Zymroz
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009

Do you think Chris ever thinks about what he leaves behind everytime he moves to a new territory? Explain.

When Chris travels around, going town to town, he definately thinks about what what he has left behind. Chris left behind many things in his life such as people he met on his journey, his family, friends from his old life, and a life. One thing he left behind that he never thought of again was his car that he crashed in the basin. He just brushed it from his mind and never thought of it again once he left it there. On the other hand he trys to remember people in his life by sending certain people postcards, and writing about them in his journal.

mikeklim said...

Michael Klim
Bro Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
15 April 2009

Why do you think McCandless strayed away from the social world and put a heavy emphasis on academics at college, but then run away shortly after graduation?

I believe that McCandless only finished his education to keep his parents from getting worried about him. I think that he focused on academics and strayed away from the social world because of his personality, and the fact that sometimes he liked to isolate himself from the rest of the world and just think. Also, I think that McCandless knew that even if his trip turned out to be successful and he returned to the civilized world he would need a good education to get somewhere in life.

Guthrie is hood said...

Guthrie Renwick
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009

If Chris seemed so preoccupied with making money in high school, why did he eventually give all his money away? What caused this change of heart?

I think Chris was so preoccupied with money when he was in high school because he thought getting alot of money was the only way he could go on an adventure. Later, he burns all his money and i think this is a sign he realizes that material goods don’t matter as long as you’re happy. This change of heart was most likely inspired by his family (who were wealthy) and he didn’t want to turn out like them, so he did what he could to stay as far (Mentally and physically) away from them via burning all his money and just leaving home to go on an adventure.

Robbie McKinstry said...

RobbieMcKinstry
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 14, 2009

What were some odd characteristics of Christ at young age? Why were they odd?

The Infancy Narratives are found in only the books of Matthew and Luke in the Gospels. Matthew's narratives are only 48 verses long, while Luke's are 132, so Luke is referenced to most often when referring to Jesus' childhood. However, the only story that will answer the question asked, is only found in Luke, and no where else in the bible. The only story of Jesus before he began his public ministry following his Baptism and post infancy is the story of lil' J in the Temple. Luke 2:41-59 tells about how lil' Jesus' parents ditched him and left him in the hood after Passover (Yes Brother, i did score 570 for writing on the SATs by using words like Hood, ditched, and Lil' Jesus)((Sorry Bro, Kris Sabatini convinced me to "Mess with Brother Peach"))
Not only did every account of the bible (e.g. King James, New International, New American, Matthew and Luke for each translation) agree that the scholars were amazing at Jesus' knowledge of the scripture, they also agree that perhaps drama went down in the Christ household.
Firstly, however, to fully understand the situation, the contextual passages must be provided:

And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”
And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
(Luke, Luke 2:47-49)

Now, as you can see, Jesus' parents were reasonably worried, but their worry may have carried into angry. The scripture has a way of hiding the truth. Everything is toned down in the Gospels. Did Judas really kiss Jesus? Or did he kick him in his divine Trinity. What i mean is there was way to little drama in the Gospels for it to be plausible, if you ask me. Life isn't as sugar-coated then, just as it isn't now.
Essentially, what I'm implying is that Joseph probably yelled. Anyone under those circumstance would have.
The last interesting thing about Jesus' childhood is that he sassed his mother. He gave her some lip when she questioned him. Now, this is not uncommon among children his age, but perhaps unexpected for him.
Of course there is an explanation. One must read deeply. Mary is accusing Jesus of hurting her. She's saying that he made them worry, caused them stress, and trouble them much more than we think. (("My son, why have you done this to us?"(Luke 2:48))) She's implying that Jesus should feel guilty. So Jesus isn't sassing her unprovoked. She's suggesting he doesn't respect her enough to follow her authority, or care that she was worried. He simply responds that she shouldn't have been looking for him, and that she is to blame because she lost her son. Besides, not only should she know where he is, if she lost him, she should still know where he'll be. His Daddy's Pad.

Thomas O'Connor said...

Thomas O'Connora
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009
What aspects of Chris' personality baffled his parents? Why were they baffled by these aspects of his personality?

Chris' personality was quite odd, especially at a younger age. As shown throughout the book, Chris is capable of holding strong relationships with people, many of which are complete strangers. In contrast, he shows a somewhat asocial side of him also. He had a self-absorbed obsession on his political and social ideas, which intensified throughout his late teenage and college years. The contradictory nature of Chris' beharvior puzzled his parents.

dan said...

Dan smith
Brother Robert Peach FSC
Religion 011
4-15-09

How did Wayne prove to the Alaska State troopers that he knew McCandless?
At first the troopers did not believe Wayne when he offered information to them because the story had become famous and so many people were calling. Many of these calls were phony and from people looking for attention. It was the authorities job to discern the fact from the fiction. Westerberg used the W-2 forms to verfiy that he truly knew mccandless. Wayne chose to do this because Curis was such a good friend to him. He wanted to help him in anyway he could.

Patrick Drake said...

Why do you think Chris never told his family about wanting to go on an adventure?

I think Chris never told his family about his trip because they would try to keep him from going on his trip. He wanted to go on this trip to make a difference. He didn't have the greatest relationship with his parents, but later you find out they really cared about him because they hired people and spent all their time looking for him. He never told anyone because he didn't want anyone to worry to try to stop him from going on his trip.

Juwan said...

Haynes, Juwan
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009

What change about the McCandless family after Chris died?

In the McCandless family, there were mournful emotions and dramtic changes happen after chris' death.There were major extremites of the family's grief even nearly a year later. For instance carine, chris' sister cries every day over the death and how he grief presists. She was effected with hysteria and he diet completley change. Walter didnt loose weight, however he reacted a differnt way. He started gaining weight, like eight pounds. A month later after chris' death, Billie sits in her dinning room and goes through the pictoral record of chris' final days. She breaks down time to time weeping that she outlive her child, which to her should never happen. Like all mothers, including Billie, should never face this horrible incedent. It'll destroy their lives and forever devestate them.

Ben Mickens said...

Ben Mickens
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
April 15, 2009

How did Westerberg prove to the Alaska State Troopers that he knew McCandless? Why?

Westerberg proved that he knew McCandless by telling Alaska State Troopers his social security number, which actually led to them tracing his background down. He had found his social security number on a form that McCandless filled out to work for Westerberg.