A Monumental Death

So, it’s a little late, but today marks the one week anniversary of Osama Bin Laden’s death. It truly is a historical monument to U.S citizens across the country, but what do we really know about this, and how should we feel? In all honesty I have mixed feelings about the death of arguably one of the most dangerous figures since Hitler, and yet it shames me to see the celebration, not of the life of this man, but rather the death. Sure it’s clear that Osama was no saint, but what is important is that this man does not represent all Middle Easterners and that is exactly what the U.S has done. In honor of Osama’s religious roots the U.S deep sixed the body of Osama bin Laden, however, doesn’t this respectful burial come with negative connotations of Muslims across the globe? If Osama is Muslim, does that make all Muslims terrorists, the obvious answer is no, but does the general public recognize this? The answer is not likely. I’m a patriot, and I respect our country and appreciate the values and religious freedom that our country has to offer, but seriously just like not all Americans are obese, not all Muslims are terrorists. So, did the U.S government do the “right thing” by giving Osama a proper burial?

final project

I will be creating a brochure about how to snorkel and what to look for in the local habitat in the Virgin Islands. I will include the typical marine life along with pictures and a diagram explaining the mask and snorkel. I will also include the benefits of protecting marine life and the proper way in which one should snorkel and take action of preserving the marine life. there will be colorful pictures and diagrams included.

Question B: Due Monday, November 25

Answer Question A or B.

Question B:

How did the movie and the book differ? What challenged you most about the movie? What struck you?

Question A: Due Monday, November 24

Answer either question A or B.

Question A:

Into the Wild began as an article, turned into a book, and then became a movie. What, in your estimation, makes Chris and his story so appealing? Why have this story captured so many people's attention?

Question B: Due Wednesday, November 19

Answer either question A or B.

Question B:

Do you think Krakauer's decision to insert himself into the narrative added to our detracted from Chris's story? Did it help you to understand how Krakauer came to interpret Chris's motives?

Question A: Due Wednesday, November 19

Answer either question A or B.

Question A:

Chapter 14 and 15 are devoted to Krakauer's own experience on the Stikine Ice Cap. What purpose does this extended story about Krakauer's adventure in Into the Wild?

The Great Search within the Wild

The mountains of Alaska are wild to the extreme. The dangers are staggering. Large, dangerous predators, snow year round in some places, unpredictable rivers, very, very few people in the vicinity. The planes that passed over where the Fairbanks City Transit System bus 142 were mostly just commercial jets at an altitude of 25,000 feet. The mosquitoes are enough to drive anyone crazy. In the Everglades, for example, there may be vast places of dense, treacherous wildnerness, yet it is surrounded by populated areas. Planes fly overhead more frequently. The vast majority is swampland and thus is flat and easy to see for miles around. In Alaska, the forest trees and mountains form more of a barrier between explorers and the outside world.
Was Alexander Supertramp crazy? No. He was socially adept, presumably had no suicidal thoughts or gestures. He had lots of energy and drive, was highly intelligent and was searching for something, and the combination allowed for him to become accustomed to succeeding quickly or faster than the normal rate at most things he attempted. “‘Chris was good at almost everything he ever tried,’ Walt (his father) reflects, ‘which made him supremely overconfident.’” (118) Chris was not humble in the sense that his actions do not reflect it. He had little respect for most boundaries that tie most of us down, such as longing for intimate interpersonal relationships and sex, money, physical insecurity in extreme situations. His excessive hubris clouded his view of reality and thus led him to not reflect and see the dangers of what Alaskan wilderness held. He was impulsive, and if something he attempted did not go the way he wanted, he ran off to the next thing quickly before the reality of his previous failure caught up with him. This is evident in later chapters when he is within the Alaskan bush. Somewhere in the book there is a quote that states by one getting lost in the wilderness, they are actually becoming more and touch with reality; thrown into relief by the extremes of the landscape. Perhaps Alexander Supertramp was searching for that reality he was unable to find anywhere else.