Transcendentalism
In which of the following quotes is the most transcendentalist and why?
A: “The beauty of this country is becoming part of me”
B: “I am always being overwhelmed. I require it to sustain life”
C: “A few more stings might have been too much for me”
D: “I don’t think I could ever settle down”
A, because the speaker is recognizing that nature and humanity are one.
Chris' annotation "HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED" is ironic considering he was also writing about how happy he was while he was in the woods completely alone. What type of irony is this?
A) Situational
B) Dramatic
C) Verbal
D) Transfictional
A) Situational: you don't expect a "happy" person all alone to be writing about how the comfort that comes when being with others.
What is odd about Chris’ journal entries?
A) He makes his journal entries in pictures instead of words.
B) He pretends that he is Thoreau.
C) He writes them in the third person.
D) He writes about how much he misses his family even though he tells everyone he hates them.
C) He writes them in the third person.
Which of the following best describes the impact of describing Carine and Billie’s reactions to Chris’ death?
A) Demonizes Chris’ family and encourages readers to do the same thing that Chris did.
B) Describes Chris’ family and explains to readers why Chris ran away.
C) Makes readers never want to have a family and children of their own.
D) Humanizes Chris’ family and adds a reason for readers to not follow in Chris’ footsteps.
D) Humanizes Chris’ family and adds a reason for readers to not follow in Chris’ footsteps.
Which of the following offers the best reason for Jon Krakauer to include his own story of climbing Devils Thumb in this book?
A) To distract the reader from the horrific details of Chris’ death that are to come in future chapters.
B) To incite sympathy for modern-day transcendentalists by using first-person narration.
C) To draw parallels between himself and Chris in order to make Chris seem more likable.
D) To explain that Chris didn’t have a death wish when he set off to Alaska by using his own somewhat reckless and youthful adventures as an example.
D) To explain that Chris didn’t have a death wish when he set off to Alaska by using his own somewhat reckless and youthful adventures as an example.
Many times in the book, Chris is referred to as being “an adherent of Thoreau”. What does Krakauer mean by this?
Chris, like Thoreau, wants to abandon all modern conveniences and live off of the land.
Chris being naturally good at business and entrepreneurship, but at the same time believing “that wealth was shameful, corrupting, [and] inherently evil” is an example of what literary device (115)? (hint: be specific!)
Situational Irony
Throughout his adventures across America, Chris McCandless goes by the name of Alex Supertramp. At one point he even signs a document with the name Iris Fucyu. What name does he choose to sign his S.O.S. note with?
Chris McCandless
What are three reasons why Chris felt misunderstood by his family?
1. Chris' family was very rich and Chris didn't see the point in having a lot of money.
2. Chris' family offered to buy him a new car when he loved the one he already had.
3. Chris' family pushed him to go to college even though he just wanted to leave college ASAP so that he could do what he wanted.
4. Chris' father had pushed the importance of integrity while meanwhile cheating on his current wife with his ex-wife.
Jon marks in this chapter how similar his father was to Chris’ father. Which of the following was NOT something that the two dads had in common?
A) They both had high scholastic and occupational expectations for their children.
B) They both disapproved of their sons’ desires to survive in the wilderness.
C) They both ended up going insane.
D) They both were flawed in ways that deeply disappointed their sons.
C) They both ended up going insane.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY!!
Chris McCandless poses that "all true meaning" comes from a person's relationship to a situation. He says that all situations in life are meaningless until someone gains a perspective by experiencing them (168). What other reading that we've done by a past transcendentalist supports Chris' viewpoint?
Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self Reliance" because you can only rely on your own experiences.
Jon eventually goes to the bus where Chris McCandless died. While heading up there, he describes the trail as "Gothic". What does he mean?
On the surface, it may seem beautiful, but--for some reason that Jon can’t put his finger on--it seems more malevolent than any other part of Alaska that he has visited.
Chris documents well his days in the Alaskan bush. It is quite eerie that he made a correct entry about exactly what had killed him. What ended up killing Chris McCandless? (Be specific!)
How did Chris feel about women according to annotations made in his books? How did that carry through to his romantic life?
Chris would highlight sections in books about women being equal to men, but warning Chris not to get into a romantic relationship with a woman. As a result, when women made advances he never pursued relationships with any of them.
What are two reasons why Chris ended up deciding on running as his sport?
1. It was individual
2. He didn't have to be coached
3. It was spiritual