Into the Wild #2

After reading this chapter, I believe that he was semi prepared as to take on this journey because he did have some food and a gun at which I am assuming he would hunt with. However, it never did mention him using the gun at all. Then with further reading, I realized how ill-equipped he really was, he did not have nearly enough food or good enough quality in clothing to be camping in the woods on weeks on end. I honestly think he knew he did not have enough food to survive for long. My reasoning behind thinking that is the fact that he ran away from home in the first place without saying good bye or anything. I feel as though that was his way of shutting down, being done with everything that was handed to him and move on to live as he pleased.  With this being said, I believe he did not want to come out of the woods alive.

In my opinion, Jon Krakaur’s decision to start the book with the ending was a spoiler; he ruined the end of the book for us. However, it does grasp the readers and makes them want to know what happen to Alex, what went wrong with his journey? Was it something atrocious or did he just die of lack of preparation as to food, cloths, and stuff like that? As to the liking of the character, I was not really affected with the book being written with the ending at the beginning.

  My first reaction to his S.O.S letter was not really shock, because he was getting short of food and it never mentioned him drinking any water, or at least not regularly, but curiosity, because he said he was injured. Also, after reading this note, it made me wonder if he would be dead yet or if he would be rescued. However, after reading a little after the S.O.S note, it declares him dead.

Into the Wild #1

           Well, without knowing the entire story, it seems like Chris is running away from his parents’ way of life and how they want them to live: good grades, good education, always paying his way through everything, and going to law school. In my opinion, Chris is an imprudent young man who doesn’t know how lucky he is to have a family that wants to send him to get good education and to see him succeed in life. Chris should have loved his family and had the decency to say good bye to his family and friends in person. Instead, he sent his grade card to his parents with a note. Also, he had the post office hold all of his mail until August first to make it seem as though nothing was going to happen. In my opinion this was a childishly mischievous move to play on the people who love you the most.  However, with that being said, I do not know the full story yet.

            On the other hand, Alex is hard working and has a harder life than he would have if he had not run away, however; this is the life style he chooses to life by. He wanted a “new life, one in which he would be free to wallow in unfiltered experiences.” (23). I believe this journey was out of pure stupidity because he left a family who would have given him the world. Also, he donated all of his money and went into the woods to live; this was not a smart thing to do because he needed some money to get food, warmer cloths than what he had on, and if not those, than at least shells for his gun. I believe Alex was just looking for a new beginning in the woods; a fresh start to fend for himself.