Thursday, July 23, 2009
Into the Wild - Epic Journey of Freedom
After graduating from college (described as "an absurd and onerous duty"), McCandless begins, "an epic journey that would change everything" (22). In heading west he felt freed "from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess" (22). What did he mean by this? Do you agree with his motivation for leaving?
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Mr. Hancock-
ReplyDeleteI do agree with his motivations for leaving because he made the choice to follow his dreams
I do agree because he's happy and confident about his decision that he had made by himself.
DeleteIn the book of Joshua it talks about possessions and how we never take all that is given to us. and in the book of Judges it tells a story of a tribe that was stuck on the wrong side of the Jordan river, found running a pig business. Christopher new that he was trapped in his routines of life knowing that he was missing out on a chance of true freedom. He thought that he had to escape from his normal life (get to the other side of the Jordan)to finally be released from the mental barriers that where holding him back. I agree with his motivation for leaving he took himself out of society away from comfort to find truth and success. "If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair". C.S Lewis
ReplyDeleteI agree with McCandless motivation for leaving. He had his mind set on something, and wanted to fulfill that idea. What McCandless meant by being freed "from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess" was that he was now on his own. Nobody expected anything from him. When he was home in Annandale, he was expected to get good grades, go to school, and get a job. Nowadays you have to do all that just to get along in life. However, with the life that McCandless set for himself, he wasn't expected to do much other than what he needed to do to survive. He could get along without being told to do anything.
ReplyDeleteWhen McCandless says "an epic journey that would change everything" I think he means that this journey is going to change the way he has been living his whole life and how he views the world. The next quote "In heading west he felt freed "from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess" I believe he saw people starting to care more about material things than what was around them like family and nature. Also, he saw other people's desire to become wealthy and with money brings security for the future. Chris didn't really care about money and I think he didn't really care about the future but to live day by day and see where life takes him. Chris also couldn't handle the pressure put on him by his parents and peers to do things like go to college. I do agree with McCandless motivation for leaving. He needed to get away and find somewhere else in the world where it wasn't like his home.
ReplyDeleteSean Tadlock
McCandless wanted something out of the normal everyday life, away from the materialistic world. I agree with his motivation for leaving because he followed what he believed was right for himself. He set his goals and stuck to them, never giving up. This is admirable in my opinion because they're are tasks i would like to accomplish that i have given up on.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chris's motivation for leaving. He set goals for himself and committed to them, never giving up. He wanted freedom from society and to find true happiness in life. Living a normal life with the pressure from his parents and peers just didn't work for him. By being on his own, nobody expected anything from him.
ReplyDeleteEmily Mucher
In response to Sean-
ReplyDeleteI agree with how you analyzed the first quote, but in the second I disagree. You say that McCandless "...saw people starting to care more about material things than what was around them like family and nature." I don't see how McCandless cared about either his family or nature. He was a narcissistic human being.
Family:
Chris McCandless was very hypocritcal when it came to his relationships. He took many of the "misguided" under his wing (such as Ronald Franz), but when it came to his family he had no sympathy.
Nature:
McCandless liked to believe he was a naturalist, but he didn't respect nature, didn't understand it, and in the end he met his death because of its wild intensity.
I agree with McCandless' motivation for leaving on his trek to the West because he did not want to have a life that had to deal with the pressure, the expectation, and other aspects associated with society. He wanted to live freely and wander the world because that is what made him happy. He had the courage to leave the life he had to pursue his aspirations.
ReplyDeleteMax Fefer
I would agree with McCandless motivation for heading west. In his journey west, he ended up leaving the stress and duties that could be overbearing behind and took life for its essentials and nothing more. By living freely, he touched the people he met. For example, Ronald Franz. He encouraged him to leave his stationary life behind and live the more free life. McCandless had the courage to encourage and act on his dreams and wishes instead of living the standard and wishing but not acting on them.
ReplyDeleteHannah Dailey
I would have to agree with Chris' motivations for leaving. He set goals for himself and wanted to fulfill them. Heading west was a perfect way to go about his goals to find happiness in life and recreate himself because he would be able to get away from society and go where no one could tell him differently. There would no longer be pressure from his family, he would be on his own free of expectations, and this is what i believe Chris truly wanted.
ReplyDeleteJenny Maneatis
Honors English
When I began reading this book I found McCandless to be a little extreme and ignorant and that he felt that he had to so much just to figure out who he was. Now that I have finished the book I realized that he was actually a very smart man and made a good decision to take some time away from "home" to "begin an epic journey that will change everything". I think that what McCandless' meant by taking a journey that freed him from society was pretty much to re-invent himself on ideals that he felt as though he couldn't live by if he continued to live in "the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess." Those who he left behind were hurt by his actions, but I must agree with his motives for leaving. I think it was the smartest thing to do in this situation where he felt claustrophobic because of society.
ReplyDeleteI believe that McCandless meant that he wanted to get away from society and his family. He wanted to be free from all distractions and be able to make his own decisions without having to be told what to do. He believed that this journey would change his life by, being able to view life in a different perspective. Although his adventures brought him farther away from home, he became closer to achieving his dream which lead to his ultimate freedom.
ReplyDeleteI agree with his motivation, for the reason that he needed to get away from his former life and live the life that he wanted. Constantly, people would tell him how to do things better or tell him what he should do, but with his stubborn personality, he almost always refused. When he went on his journey he had the power to control his own life.
Elaina Torres
I believe in this statement, McCandless may have felt his world was solely based upon how many possessions he had and the pride of his parents. That the success of your life was based uon the opinions or observations made by peers or family. I think that McCandless felt the need to escape from the pressures of society, and the "abstarct" yet commonly used labels of this generation.
ReplyDeleteAnd in response to Isabelle-
I do agree with what you said for his family. Yet for nature I think that although Chris died due to nature's fury, I don't think Chris could be called ignorant. I think he understood nature, but didn't respect it. In the sense that he understood it could cause his death, yet he still underestimated it - and went "into the wild" with the common 20 year-old attitude "I'm indestructible" if that makes sense..
Ultimately I agree with the statement above and Chris' motivation for leaving. While I read it seemed clear to me that Chris didn't fit in to society nor was he happy living in it. Even though his adventure met in a unfortunate end and he hurt many loved ones in the process I do believe Chris had the right reasons to leave. Chris felt trapped by society and was pressured to worry about the material things in life.
ReplyDeleteWith concern to the part about material excess I think he would agree because I think he felt people were too focused on their possessions than those who were in need. By leaving society behind it shows he was sick of it and he needed a break. It was clear that Chris had the desire to help people. He donated his college funds to a charity and he seriously considered traveling to South Africa to help end Apartheid. Even in his high school years he spent many weekends trying to help pimps, hookers, and the homeless.
Chris ment that he no longer wanted to be in a world where money holds the power and work consumes all. Chris didn't want to be a part of the zombiefied work life when he could go "into the wild". He didn't use a dime of money he didn't earn and even then he used it for survival. He rid himself of all material things and got by with the basics. I agree 100% with Chris. He was not being irrational, and i felt that what he was doing was more justified than what people do everyday.
ReplyDeleteShelby Gruber
Chris went into the wild to free himself and escape from a world of pressure, money, and obligations. He didnt want to be living with pressure from anything or anyone; he simply wanted to go on a journey that would allow him to make his own decisions and fit in where he thought he would. I agree with his motivation because if i was somewhere i didnt feel I belonged, I would immediately search for something that made me feel like I did. I think making our own choices and finding somewhere where we belong gives us the ultimate sense of freedom, which is what Chris was searching for and the reason he left on his journey.
ReplyDelete-Erin Becker
What he meant by this was that he was finished with the life that his parents had laid out for him. He decided to follow the path that was advised to him by his favorite authors, Thoreau and London, and chose to abandon the materialistic, unnatural, and unfree world for a place where he would rule. Do i agree with his motivation for leaving? As in do i think i would have done the same were i in the same scenario as he? No. But, i do respect the decision of his to be in charge of his own life and to make his own choices without others' influence. That, the ability do decide for oneself, like chris McCandless did, is freedom.
ReplyDelete-Bryce Collins
For Chirs, his journey west represented his break with the "sububran" lifestyle and the stereotypes that he despised so much. He felt that the way he and his family had lived thier lives was greedy and full of unnecessary objects that got in the way of his "american dream". Chris found joy in living on the edge, for him living this way would be like us living our "safe" lifestyles. He found meaning in this raw lifestyle that, for him, could never be found in any neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI agree with his reason for leaving because, for him, it perfectly justified all of his ideas and dreams. I envy his determination and abilty to drop his secure lifestyle and head into the wild. I personally would never be able to do that myself!
Phoebe Neuman
When Chris said "(free) from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess" (22), he means that he is leaving all of his possesions behind and he is going to live off the land. He doesnt need materialistic items or any direction from the people around him. He didnt want any input on what to do and he was just going to wing it. I agree with him but i dont necessarily condone it. It was kinda messed up that he didnt let anyone know what his plans were and i feel bad for his parents but i mans gotta do what a mans got to do.
ReplyDelete-Gareth Lee
I do agree with Chris's decision in venturing into the land to live off of it. He was stressed out about life, people, society...he clearly just wanted to get away from it all. Then, it became something bigger than that to him. It became a tremendous goal that he wanted to accomplish and prove to himself. When he burned all of his money, that was when I personally realized that it was something larger than just for fun, to say that he did it and prove himself to the world. That was when my opinion of him changed, and I had respect for that action, and for the whole concept of going into the wild.
ReplyDeleteAnnie Mishler
Honors English 11
By saying that he was about to embark on "an epic journey that would change everything,” McCandless clearly meant that he was going to dramatically start taking charge and leading his own life. He yearned for absolute freedom and wanted to flee the confines of his family and society around him when he used the phrase “the stifling world of his parents and peers.” Also, he seemed to be motivated by living off of his own experiences as well as being the “master of his own destiny” (23). He was obviously very committed to what he wanted, and it was set in his head: adventure, danger, and some excitement as well—not just the calm, regular course of life. I think that he was right in pursuing what he believed what was right for him, because you can’t let the people around you tell you how to live your life or you will end up being miserable. Sometimes, you need to take action with where you want it to go, and that’s exactly what he decided to do.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Burri
English 11 Honors 2010
I agree with his motivation for leaving because he came up with a goal and was determined to meet it. He felt that is world was not satifying his dream to discover america and therefore was right to leave that behind in persuit of his dreams. He went into the wild to prove to himself more than anyone that he could survive. This makes his motivation pure as it was to discover himself and allow his anger with society to blow over.
ReplyDeleteRicky Walther
I completely agree with Chris's motivation for leaving. He was sick and tired of security and materialism, which didn't matter to Chris at all. He realized that this was his chance to follow his dreams, so he gave away his money and followed them. He did what was going to make him happy. His "epic journey that would change everything" just meant that he wanted to live his life his way... not his parents way doing everything the same each day and not being able to experience the great outdoors. He wasn't afraid of the consequences or what could go wrong, he wanted to prove to himself that he could live his dream and that he would live his dream.
ReplyDeleteDon Bollard
Within all of us there is a drive to do greatness. There is a drive to be the best that we can be. After Chris left on his epic journey, he had began following his dreams. His dream was to escape the everyday life of a normal human being, to stare in awe at what God has placed upon this Earth. I agree with his motivation for leaving because Chris was following his dreams; he was embarking on an epic quest to find meaning within himself and the world around him.
ReplyDeleteI agree with McCandless motive for leaving because he was determined to break away from society and live life without influence from others. He believed that by doing this, he would find the true meaning of happiness. His determination to overcome major obstacles that would prevent him from achieving this goal is admirable. However, I also believe that he is ignorant for not respecting the unforgiving climate in alaska and not taking a map or anything to help him get out of the wild. This ignorance cost him his life.
ReplyDeleteI think that what McCandless meant by this quote is that he was tired of living in a world where how much money you had and your social status was of more value than the characteristics you had to offer. If McCandless would not have left, he would have continued on in his life most likely wondering what it would have been like if he would have went into the wild. That is why i think that it was a good idea for him to leave because he was doing what was going to make him happy and was living out his dream. I think that even once he was living in the wilderness he never regretted going there because he loved being away from society and being free.
ReplyDeleteTatum Jungsten
Mcandless didn't fit in with society, and had a different plan for himself than his parents had for him. So when he he felt freed, "from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess" (22), he felt like he could start living his life. I agree with his motivation for leaving, because he wanted to go somewhere that he felt he fit in and would be happy, but i think he acted cold and harsh toward his parents. I also believe that he didnt live long enough to understand that they loved him and just wanted him to be succesful. He was succesful, but it was in his own way.
ReplyDeleteMaryann Good
Honors English 11
ooooooops...McCandless*
ReplyDeleteMaryann Good
I believe that Chris was just really looking for an escape from his parents and the life they had brought him up in. Chris being someone who really didn't focus on the material things in life, and his parents being people who did. Therefore by going west he was a far away from his old life as he felt he needed to be. This is also the reason that he changed his name. He was not looking for security or comfort, but instead, to be totally lost; no routine to fall under when he wakes up in the morning. Social status and money meant nothing to him. Material possessions do not make life. The way you decide to live your life and enjoy it, the other lives you effect along your life's journey, I believe, make life. And when you do have a lot of material things in your life, I look at it as clutter. There is no necessity to its place in your life and it will continue to build.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with his motivation to leave. Part of it being my own dreams and goals in life. Another part of it being fascinating to read about an others will and drives. People find true happiness in their own ways and I respect him for actually going out there and trying to find it, as well as doing what he set his mind too.
- Anna Paraskevopoulos
Chris McCandless had always been one to look past the material excess in life, and search for the true meaning of our existence. When he talks about "being freed from the stifling world of his parents and peers," he explains that his former life of abstract views and material possesions were inadeuqate to his progression as a human being. I strongly agree with his motivation for leaving, because he followed his heart's desire to live on the edge and experience life in the simplest but most effective of ways. By distancing himself from the materialistic things of the modern world, he was able to focus on the deeper meaning of his own life.
ReplyDeleteBrie Simmons
I believe that by this he meant that by getting away from his material things, and the superficial relationships that he had, he could really find himself and figure out who he actually was.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with McCandless because sometimes when i go out with nothing but nature and the elements, i can get a better grasp on what im dealing with in life. McCandless simply wanted to find a deeper meaning to life by going out on his own. Although, his actions were pretty extreme, but i think he might of felt that that sort of seclusion was necessary to find himself. So i agree with his motivations, but i don't feel that the extremity of his voyage was nessesary.
I believe that he meant to be completely free from all modern technology and to be one with nature in order to figure out his true self.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with McCandless because we are sometimes completely blinded by technology we lose who we are and become someone different and reliant on technology. Although he did take his approach to the very edge of extreme, he did what he thought was necessary, therefore I completely agree with him.
I believe that he meant to be completely free from all modern technology and to be one with nature in order to figure out his true self.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with McCandless because we are sometimes completely blinded by technology we lose who we are and become someone different and reliant on technology. Although he did take his approach to the very edge of extreme, he did what he thought was necessary, therefore I completely agree with him.
I forgot to put my name lol...
Kaitlin Dailey
Alexander Supertramp believed the world was too consumed by material excess and needs. He became enraged when his father bought him a new car when he already had one. Alex believed man could survive without the aid of modern technology. This proved to be fatal for Alex. He didn't fully research that man hadn't made inventions because he was lazy (well there are some exceptions too) it was because that was what he was good at, adapting. And without the aid of modern technology many people would not survive the wilderness. In the end, Alex achieved his dream of internal happiness. I agree with Alex's motivations because he was striving for his dream.
ReplyDeleteJai Ghotra
I think he made a wise decision to follow his dream. If he did not go i believe he would have been unhappy and that is not a way to live your life. Making the decision to leave his "real world" life was a tough one and it must have takin a lot of courage.
ReplyDeleteI think what he meant in those quotes was that society has become too used to the excess of materialistic things and he wants to enjoy what god has given him with as little as possible. He also felt the need to be freed from the overwhelming opinions and persecutions from his parents and live his own life. Chris McCandless was trying to persue his dream of freedom and i believe he succeded.
Tanner Huber
When Chris made the decision to go west; he knew he would give up everything and that is what he wanted to do. He was tired of being pressured by his parents and just wanted to live free. The life of civilization was the life that he did not want. The dream of going west and living off the land is what he wanted and he did follow his dream.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with his decision of going west. He had a good life back home where college was paid for and a successful life ahead of him if stuck with it. He hurt his parents and family by doing what he did and i think it was the wrong decision on Chris's part
Chris McCandless grew up in a household where everything could be handed to him on a silver platter. His parents were wealthier than many and he didn't like how easily they could get what they needed. Chris felt that everything you have should be earned and you don't need "material excess" in your life. It will only slow you down. Since Chris first learned this art of living from his parents, I believe he lashed out at them because it was his biggest example of "a world of abstraction and security and material excess".
ReplyDeleteI agree with McCandless's decision to go on "an epic journey that would change everything." He wasn't happy in civilization and, in his mind, to be truly happy he needed to live on his own in the wilds of nature. While it may not have worked out for him in the end, I believe Chris made the right choice by doing what he wanted and leaving for the West.
Ben Kaiser
I think McCandless meant he felt like he was finally free from a materialistic, unoriginal life. It seems to me that McCandless believed that everyone was all the same in society and wanted to live a life of solitude where he would find joy in nature and not in society. I agree with his motivation, because I think he did so to find who he truly was without the pressure of other people telling him how he should live. In his adventure into the wild, he discovered his true characteristics and realized what made him truly happy. Although, he made this realization a little too late, he says, “HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED.”(189) McCandless finally realized that his true happiness could only be shared with others and not just himself.
ReplyDeleteApril Wulbern
I think McCandless felt suffocated by the materialistic ideals of his family and peers. He felt that he could find a more fufilling life by traveling on his own on "an epic journey that would change everything"(22). He would rather control his future instead of letting it be depicted by other individuals. I agree with his motivation to explore his destiny in that he wanted to be independent and find joy in nature; however, I do not think the way he disconected from his parents was thoughtful. I realize he had a great motivation for leaving because of his fathers actions but it was not fair that the next time they heard about their son was that his dead body was found in the middle of nature.
ReplyDeleteAllison Turner
McCandless grew up sheltered, sheltered from the reality of a hard life. His family was rich, and pushed him to be great. However, McCandless had a different idea of a “great” life. He wanted to escape "from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess" (22). He did not want to be his father’s son, but instead, he wanted to be his own person.
ReplyDelete~sorry, above posted by Haylee Hodgkins
ReplyDeleteI think Chris meant that he no longer had do deal with the expectations of his family and friends and society. He was free to do what he liked with no regard to anyone else’s feeling. I agree with his reason for leaving. He choose to do what he thought would make him happy and give his life meaning.
ReplyDeleteAustin Fleming
The American Dream means you can pursue whatever you think will make you happy. In this case it was getting away from all the material focus and pressure, and just living life and enjoying experience. I do agree with Chris' motivation to leave home and go on this journey.
ReplyDeleteChris meant that he was escaping all that he hated so much about his life at home; he was escaping pressure and expectations from his parents, unnecessary gifts he thought he didn't deserve, and the formality and bland life he had before. I agree with Chris's choice to leave all this life behind because if he had no desire for any of his life at home, he should have no reason to stay. Chris should really be able to pursue his American Dream and find his own happiness.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with this dision that Chris made to embark on this "epic adventure." I respect the fact that he was able to go out, and do what truely made him happy, to have freedom, and living life to it's very fullest.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, as much as someone like myself would enjoy going on an adventure such as the one Chris did, in todays conformist socity, doing so would be considered crazy. What is to be done with the rest of your life after this "adventure?" When you do decide to settle down, get a house, raise a family, the money isn't going to come from no where.
In the end, before undertaking an adventure of this magnitude, you should sit back and think about it, and not give in to the young restlessness of having new freedom after leaving home.
-Alexus Munn
I agree with McCandless' motives for leaving because he was in search of the happiness he wasnt finding in the life he was currently living. He found the everyday routine and security of his life to be boring and needed a change. When he said he needed to be free "from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess" he meant that the world we all live in today provides too much of the things we dont need in our lives. He felt that living with bare minimum of what we need to survive would make one happier than living in the world of excess we live in today.
ReplyDelete-Meghan Munn
I think the quote: "from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess" means Chris was going to be happy leaving all of his responsibilities from his parents, for college and a "demeaning 20th century invention" career, behind and becoming completely independent.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with Chris' motivation for leaving. Chris was an adult, so he could do what he wanted. But if I were him, I would have let my parents know what I was doing, just because they are my parents.
It is admirable that McCandless found materialism an issue. Many people complain and preach over the material excess that has become a big part of our society, but not many of those people go out and do what McCandless did. Many people are too comfortable with security we obtain from money. I can understand why McCandless would want to get away from that for awhile, actually living life on the edge and not being afraid to live out what he believed in.
ReplyDeleteTo put it simply, Chris McCandless was born in the wrong century. He could not deal with people or technology. He was just incompetent for his time period. So, he flipped out and decided he had to leave the "suffocating" life he was living. He talked to his parents roughly once a month- that is not suffocating. McCandless is a giant exaggerator and a bit of a cry baby.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, I completely do not agree with his choice to leave. He had a lot going for him and had the potential to be very, very successful. But he threw that all away to be a hobo. Not exactly my idea of the American Dream. Chris McCandless was a stupid man.
Taylor Cummings
2nd Block Mrs. Somers
What he means is that he is going after his dream of being out in the wild. When McCandless had mentioned to his parents that he didn’t want to go to college they were really surprised. His mom ended up talking him into it just because she told him that was how he could help people in need. During the summer’s of college McCandless would go on road trips to get away from civilization, and then come back right before school starts. I do agree with his motivation with leaving because when he would leave he would be happy, and he would feel free. I believe to live life to the fullest you need to be happy, and in order for McCandless to be happy he turned to nature where it was peaceful. After graduating college he realized that he was happier out in the wilderness so that’s where he headed.
ReplyDeleteKendall Larson
English 11 Honors
I agree for McCandless's motivation for leaving. When he said he needed to "get away form the stifling world of his parents and peers" I think that what he meant by that was that he just needed a vacation. I think that sometimes it is good for everybody to get away from where we are all our lives. As for his motivation I agree 100%. I think that if you want something bad enough you should do whatever it takes to do it and thats ecactly what McCandless did.
ReplyDeleteMatt McCormac BLK 1
What Chris seemed to want the most was to be separated from the responsibilities and people from the life he had been living, as well as a society that he saw as materialistic and overbearing. When he gave up his money, his car and his family he severed his ties with all these things so that he could go out on his own without any of these responsibilities and create a new life for himself. I don't necessarily agree with his reasons for leaving but I can understand how he felt. Everybody feels fed up with their own lives and society at times and would like to start something new. But Chris McCandles felt strongly enough about it to head West and leave everything behind.
ReplyDeleteErik Lolland
When McCandless headed west and felt freed “from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess” he meant that he was no longer smothered by the frivolous, unnecessary items that consume most peoples’ lives. McCandless believed that the basics to survival was all one needed in order to be happy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with McCandless’s motivation for leaving to a certain degree. I respect the fact that he pursued his dream to go out and find happiness he currently didn’t have in the life he was living; however, he should have listened to the opinions and suggestions of others. McCandless may have survived his Alaskan journey if he would have considered previous explorers’ experiences and the advice of the locals. He let his youth and naivety deter him from being properly prepared for nature’s elements.
T believe Chris wanted to escape from a world that he found oppressive and immoral. A place where material was end-all be-all. Although I understand his want to escape I think his method of escape was naive and rash. It cost him is life.
ReplyDelete-Lyle Speth
I believe McCandless' reasoning for leaving was justified. He believed that the world was corrupt and that things should not be so materialistic, therefore he left. He was strongly motivated to leave, so he did what he felt was right.
ReplyDelete-Anna Toll
I believe that McCandless meant that he wanted freedom from the drudgery and repetition of society. He hated the way civilization had transformed into a materialistic society based off of wealth. He wanted to get away from it all and try to work hard and achieve happiness by himself, rather than having opportunities laid out in front of him, rather than belonging to a pre-determined lifestyle. I do agree with his motivation for leaving because it takes courage. It's hard for one to realize and understand that within society is a corrupt way of life, and even harder yet for one to act on this realization, to abandon everything in search of happiness.
ReplyDeleteSean Lee
McCandless meant that he no longer was restrained by the demands of a material world-the need to have the best. He wanted to escape to a "simpler" world, not in terms of hard work, but in terms of being happy with so little. I agree with his motivation for leaving. When I spent a week climbing Mt Whitney there were no signs of civilization, not even the concept of time. You eat when you are hungry, sleep when you are tired, and you don't belong to a daily schedule. I think that not having to conform to an agenda is what McCandless was trying to achieve.
ReplyDelete