We Accept The Love We Think We Deserve

“Some people feel like they don't deserve love. They walk away quietly into empty spaces, trying to close the gaps of the past” (Krakauer 2).

Topic; Family Dynamics



Chris McCandless was one of the many people that based his worth off of others opinions. Perhaps because of past experiences people tend to only accept love and support that they feel worthy of, and also because of those experiences' they choose to suppress the memory and act like it never happened. He was forced to be very independent at a young age, both emotionally and physically. His parents were always busy at work so they never had time to tend to their children's needs which caused them to be self dependent and isolated. Since he didn't have a close connection with his family, he didn't feel the need to create any connections with anyone. which is probably why he just disappeared with out any goodbyes, because he felt that no one would truly miss or care that he'd be gone. Chris didn't feel like he deserved love from anyone, which made it easier for him to cut relations with anyone as easy as it was to escape from his past for 2 years.

Heart Grows Fonder with New Experiences

 

"The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences"(Krakauer 57). 

          Topic: Inspiration or Fool? 

         

          As teen agers get older we start to experience more freedom and our souls crave more experiences. We start to venture and creat our own lives for ourselves, which is what Chris was trying to do. As a fresh college graduate he wanted to explore the world and do anything possible that is fun to be able to make his years last while he was still young. Maybe going into the woods of Alaska on his own wasn't the best idea but it was his sort of escape from the world. He could be considered an inspiration but at the same time he was well educated and with a degree, so many would have taken him as a fool for not perusing schooling or work. Chris was always drawn to nature as he was growing up so when he had the chance to go out and explore what nature had to offer him, he took it. 

Chris creating new experiences was also him trying to forget his past and other personal experiences that he would rather leave in the past. He cut ties with anyone that was close to him or anyone that was becoming close to him before they could develop a personal connection. He didn't want anyone to bother him on his journey to find himself. This new experience was also his last but at least he passed away doing something he was happy with. 

If Only We Understood

"Sometimes he tried too hard to make sense of the world , to figure out why people were bad to each other so often" (Krakauer 18).

Topic: Family Dynamics

The quote definitely connects McCandless' personal life and views on life. As a kid McCandless dealt with abuse by his parents, he didn't understand why he had to be the one to live through that. People are bad to each other all the time for no actual reason in the moment, but it could be because of  a deeper reason. McCandless family dynamic caused him to be very independent at a young age. His father probably dealt with things that changed him as a person and took it out on his kids. Of course the experiences that McCandless went through changed him as a person and his views. He was very fond of the outdoors so it was kind of his escape from reality and from the cruel reality of people which is probably his main reason for going on his expedition.