Pick either A or B.
Question B:
Chapter 8 focuses on other "Alaska Types" (71) such as Rosselli the Mayor of Hippie Cove and Waterman. What does it mean to be an "Alaska Type?" In what ways did Chris fit this mold? In what ways was Chris different than the other adventurers discussed in the chapter?
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What does it mean to be defined as an alaskan type? In John Krakauer's, Into the Wild, an "alaskan" is defined as someone who truly knows how powerful nature is. They know that you must be mentally and physically prepared to live in the wild while being completely independent from modern technology. Also, that nature has no mercy, and if you come ill prepared, nature will swallow you up.
Gene Rosellini, also known as the major of Hippie Cove, John Mallon Waterman, Carl McCunn, and Alex all share similar traits. They all had a pursuit of knowledge and the curiosity to know if humans could be independent from modern technology. Rosellini states, "humans devolved into progressively inferior beings," and his goal, which was similar to the other alaskans in this novel, was to return to a natural state (Krakauer, 74). These characters were also down to earth but also had a side that was a little out of check with reality. An interesting similarity that I found while reading chapter 8 was that Alex and Waterman both were active in the fight to cure world hunger. They had a fascination with the harsh side of nature but unlike Carl McCunn, Alex knew that you cannot expect people to rescue you when your life is being threatened. This maybe why Alex was able to last 113 days completely immersed in the wild.
I think Krakauer points out that Chris had many of the same traits as the people before him who had come to Alaska and perished in some way. These traits are a wonderlust for adventure, and in some way a fantasy. There is no doubt Chris was a confident person who knew how to take care of himself and in no way was he stupid but i do think he was overconfident and at times a bit rash, especially when the offer of help came his way. I think that compared to Waterman and Mcunn Chris is completly different, Waterman was an accomplished alpinist who was revered in the climbing community but slowly lost his mind and McCunn was a city boy who dreamed of a romantic life in the bush. I think that Krakauer saw Chris in a different point of view, he writes on page 85, "Although he was rash, untutored in the ways of the backcountry, and incautious to the point of foolhardiness, he wasn't incompetent-he wouldn't have lasted 113 days if he were. And he wasn't a nutcase, he wasn't a sociopath, he wasn't an outcast. McCandless was something else-although percisely what is hard to say" (Krakauer 85). I agree with most of Krakauer's point of view on Chris but i do think he was an outcast but due to his own doing and liking. He enjoyed being around people but sometimes that were too much for him, as was the concrete of civilization, Chris was born in the wrong century.
Rosellini and Chris both were seeking something far from materialistic objects, technology, expensive things. They wanted something more from the planet that they reside in. Both were smart and had gone to school. Rosellini wanted to see if it were possible to live off the land with out ‘modern technology.’ Chris too wanted to live without being tied up to monetary items. The difference between Chris and the ‘Alaskan types’ is that Chris was not just an ‘energetic young guy who overestimated himself’ (p 71). If Chris was just doing it for fun because he was energetic than he would have given up long before he began is Alaskan Odyssey, he would have never even started his odyssey. Chris wanted to find adventure and live in the wild. He was the type of person who had to find the right answer before he moved on, and maybe nature was not able to provide him with the right answer that he was looking for or maybe there is not one right answer, and Chris could not accept that, and this is why he did not give up (like most Alaskan types may have). Chris felt that you could not get the most out of life unless you freed yourself from the idea that money is everything. Like Rosellini he was looking for something more out of life that was everything but mainstream, something that is hard for a lot of people to understand. Chris was different from all the other wanderers or adventurers because he was smart and he used his resources to his advantage, he never expected things from other people.
I think that inside of all of us, a a desire to live out an extreme adventure exists. Whether it be skydiving, traveling to a country with no knowledge of its spoken language, or become one with the wild like Chris McCandless,it's a part of life's journey to act upon these desires. Chris had the desire to go North and live in the wild without the materialism of our mainstream society. He wanted to be free from any worries of finance, time commitments, and formal obligations to anything. What Chris sought to accomplish was to experience a new way of life, and become reborn as a newly identified human being from the experience. This desire to become reborn through an adventure in the wilderness is not that uncommon. In the book various similar examples were described who shared the goals that Chris had for his trek through the wild. Characters like Gene Rosellini, John Waterman, and Carl McCunn all wanted a break from the life they were currently leading. These characters were each tired of certain elements in their daily lives, and sought out somewhat irrational expeditions to make up for the contempt that they felt toward these elements. Rosellini was tired of the modern technology that had entangled our society.
Despite the characters' similarities, they also have their differences. While Chris seems to have been a reasonable mind, the other characters come across as being slightly crazy. It's possible, that it's just my perception of the characters, but for example, unlike Carl McCunn, most sane people wouldn't at the spur of the moment request "to be dropped off at a remote lake on the Coleen River". Also it seemed as if Chris actually had a thought out plan, and his trip wasn't simply a spur of the moment whim. Chris took preparations beforehand to save up money for supplies, and to research some background information on Alaska. Of the characters exemplified in the book, I would say that Chris had the most preparations and his plans for going North made the most sense. Unfortunately, though, that isn't saying much because Chris was still horribly ill prepared for the rigors that the Alaskan wilderness will force upon the human body.
To be an “Alaskan Type”, refers to those who desire or try to live off the land, free themselves of modern conveniences, and material items, and to live completely and cohesively with nature. These men are usually cast off as idealists, but they are often have an intellectual side. For example, Rosellini, a learned man who preformed an anthropological study to see if he could live as humans did in the Stone Age. His experiment required dedication, control, and self reliance, and in the end he concluded that modern humans cannot live exclusively off the land. His unique and extreme life led to an unfavorable death. Waterman, on the other hand was an awkward, compulsive mountain climber who successfully completed companied and solo treks to the peeks of various mountains.
As an “Alaskan Type”, Chris McCandless shared this love, that bordered obsession, for nature. He was determined (driven), independent, and desired minimal items or needs. His happiness came from the natural environment. He had been college educated and came from a well off family. He also was a risk taker who saw death as a constant possibility, even if it wasn’t part of the plan. However, unlike the other men, McCandless was an average, even popular kid. He was socially equipped as he attracted many different people with his charm and openness. There was nothing off about him except for his yearn for an extremely dangerous adventure.
The “Alaskan type” is not something that can be easily accomplished, I personally think that Krakauer defines this type as one who desires to live among nature, to live without the 20th century human essentials, someone who can live off of the land and who can appreciate the intensity of nature. Throughout chapter eight Krakauer compares previous, similar, events where people such as Gene Rosselli and John Waterman try to live in unison with nature, also I think it’s important to note that these people all had a certain desire to be unique, to separate themselves from the norm of civilazation. Gene Roselli had a desire to live as one would during the Neolithic period he wanted to test himself to see if he could live like a “caveman” just like John Waterman wanted to test himself by hiking from sea level up the southern face of Denali. Both these events caused these men to allegedly lose their minds, which, ultimately lead to thier untimely deaths, and I believe this is what separates Chris from Waterman and Roselli. Chris does not seem to be insane while on this journey, he does not isolate himself from others, he seems to develop some pretty strong friendships throughout this story. Unlike Waterman and Roselli, Chris seems to have his thoughts together, even from the beginning of this book we get the sense that he is excited and anxious to pursue his dream of living in the Alaskan Wilderness.
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