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Chapter 6 is devoted to the friendship between Ronald Franz and Chris McCandless. Why do you think the connected like they did? Why do you think was able to develop such strong relationships with other tramps or other "outsiders" such as Jan Burres and Wayne Westerberg? What do you these friendships or bonds tell you about Chris?
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In the book, Into the Wild, by Jon Kauker, McCandless tends to develop strong relationships with tramps or other outsiders thoughout his journey. Ronald Franz initially took a liking to McCandless because he needed someone to talk to and give to, since he had been living in solidtude and his wife and son had died. Franz would listen to McCandless rant about his past and know when to engage in conversation with him. McCandless felt close enough to Franz to ask him a ride when he needed one. McCandless also gave Franz advice to become a nomad and to go experience the environment that God has put on this earth. McCandless was always able to depend on Franz when he needed him. I think that McCandless has been able to form relationships with outsiders such as Jan Burres and Wayne Westerberg because they have an understanding for each other. All of McCandless close friends he meets understand that he is set to go experience Alaska at it's wildest. They were all good people that would offer him jobs or gear for his trip. These relationships show that Chris is a sociable guy and is able to have meaningful, or atleast to keep in touch, relationships. McCandless made sure not to get too emotionally attached to make his adventure in solitude easier. He erased everyone from his past, but he still wanted some human contact with people. By making these friends, McCandless always has connections throughout the United States and is able to come back to these people in the future assuming he survives Alaska.
Tuesday, during our class discussion someone mentioned that it was too easy for Chris, that someone had to have hated him or beat him up. I don't believe it is from Krakauers bias or else the number of negative reviews would not have been added. But it seems that Chris had a positive impact on the majority of people he meet during his travels. Is this because those who remembered and connected with him sought Krakauer out because they enjoyed his presence and voice so much? Or was Chris's message something that most people can relate to? It does not surprise me that the kind of people (tramps or "outsiders") Chris ran into connected with him. You don't hear much about his co-workers from McDonald's or Las Vegas because they didn't correlate as easily and I would guess that Chris wasn't as open. These tramps helped Chris's voyage but it seems Chris helped them just has much, especially Ronald Franz. Franz was used to helping others but Chris did not want his help and they were able to open each others eyes, even if it was only a minimal amount. I try to imagine what kind of impression Chris would leave on me. If I had to compare it to another character I would guess Wayne's mother (of course if it was Emile Hirsch I would likely feel similar to Tracy.) Just a few hours with him and Wayne's mother was smitten. Maybe it was his ability to verbalize his thoughts, or how passionate he was, that he didn't need anyone, I couldn't say. But if the book portrays him accurately , I think I would be impacted just the same.
In chapter 6, Chris McCandless builds a frienship with a guy Ronald Franz. Ronald is an elderly man who lost his family during a war. He seems to be lonely, but is a devout Christain. He then meets Chris McCandless who changes his life. He teaches Chris to make a belt, and the buckle is great detail about his life. Ronald admires the young fellow, and he is one of Ronald's very few friends. Ronald looks after him much like a son, and listens to Chris talk about his adventures. The bond that Chris forms with Ronald is definitely more imapcting on Ronald then Chris, who eventually asks to adopt him. Ronald feels like he is the family that he has lost, and wants Chris to remain in his life. He changes his life for Chris, and moves into a trailor to try and live life without contraints. Chris, however, does not want to form to close of bonds, since he never stays anywhere for long. He often travels, and does not see people often. He writes to Ronald afterwards, and lets him know of his location, but honestly would rahter keep his distance. Jon Krakauer states, "McCandless was thrilled to be on his way north, and he was relieved as well- relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it," (McCandless, 55). This shows that Chris did not enjoy forming close bonds with people. This is why Chris had a better time bonding with Westerberg, who also seemed distant. They talked and became friends, but never got too close. Chris seemed like a loner, and human contact was easy for him, as long as they were not as close a family.
Initially I think Chris was like everybody else in the sense that he enjoyed interacting with other people and spending time with them. The main problem seemed to getting too close to people, he tended to leave at just the right time before his leaving would cause too much damage for himself and the other person. But I often think he misunderstood how quickly people got close to him and was actually only protecting himself. On page 55 Krakauer explains that he was, “…relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship and all the emotional messy baggage that comes with it.” Therefore it was not that Chris did not like socializing but he did not like what it eventually led to, confinement and perhaps commitment. After a while these people seemed to be asking too much of Chris, pushing his boundaries of friendship and so he would leave or not even let it get that far. For example when he left Jan Burres and Bob without saying anything or when he got uncomfortable when Ron asked him if he could adopt him. It was easy for him to develop such strong relationships with these people because for one he was very likeable and seemed to really be genuinely interested in what people thought and two he tended to have stronger relationships with people who were different from his parents, accepting him and his beliefs whether or not they could clearly comprehend them. I think these friendships display how despite Chris was searching for something he could only find alone on the road, those prolonged times of solitude just left him yearning for some contact because he would usually go back to work after going on an adventure or back into civilization somehow. So even though he was not really about deep human intimacy at the moment I do not think he was completely against it, at least in the future.
These bonds and friendships tell us that Chris was able to make strong and lasting friends and relationships. From seeing these friends throughout the book, we don't come away with the sense that he couldn't make connections because he spent more time in isolation than many people. If i knew that someone was going to go live out in the wilderness alone, i would also assume that they aren't the best at having and keeping friends. We can see through the friends that Chris was in fact able to socially interact. Not only was he able, but i think he also yearned for it. The images of him with the laundry basket and puppies (?) was a good example of his playfulness, innocence and youth. His personality wasn't hardened to the point where he couldn't connect with ANY person. I think he connected with the 'outsiders' because they chose to live rugged, alternative lives. They are different from his parents (for better or worse) whom Chris couldn't relate to. They exemplify (without me trying to vilify them) they exemplify the mainstream ideals and lifestyle. So even though Chris couldn't relate to them, he did still want to relate and chose to do so through his 'outsider' friends who lived, in a sense, off the mainstream grid.
Any traveller knows that we all share a connection to fellow travllers. This is why I think McCandless met so many cool people along the way. His relationship with Ron I feel was a very strong because Ron had lost his son, Chris filled that void in Ron's life and in return whether Chris wanted to admit it or not, served as the father figure he wanted as a child. Both had one of those connections you don't find very often. Each learned from the other. As far as the relations with Wayne and Jan, I think that his relationships with people in general show the reader he is a likeable guy. He obviously listens and has social skills. People like what he has to say, and yet he still keeps his distance. He reminds me of a few people I know. A few fellow travelling souls who are independent and would most likely go solo, but when around people truly they are the life of the party. I admire those people.
Friendships are a very important thing, because you can give and receive so much from each friendship you make. You can become friends even with people that have slightly different views than yours, or similar to you. Either way, you learn. Especially from the friendships that last, because those friendships can change you and can make you a better person, if you are willing to listen. I think of those reasons to explain why Chris McCandless formed good, strong friendships with people like Jan Burres, Wayne Westerberg and Ronald Franz. In those friendships Chris McCandless made with them there was trust and acceptance, and in the case of Ron Franz, a willingness to learn. I think that the difference of perspective is what made the bond between Ron and Chris particularly strong. Because, despite the fact that Ron did not understood everything Chris was about, he was willing to try to make a change of life, to see the world a different way. I think that’s one of the most important reasons why McCandless got along so well with these people was because, whether it was because they were “outsiders” like he was or something else, they listened to him they were all open minded about the journey he was making. McCandless was able to open up to them without fear of being criticized too much or looked down upon. That’s something very valuable in any friendship. At the same time Chris learned from these friendships, not only on things that expanded his views, in the case of Jan Burres, but also how, even a little, to have acceptance of society and interaction with people as well as with nature. This is illustrated on how Chris accepted to stay in Ron’s apartment, even accepted to share a lunch with him. Him keeping in contact with all these people through letters, and the warm way in which he wrote to them, showed that Chris was learning to re-accept interaction with people, to keep a link with the “human” world.
I think that Chris made such strong connections with these people because he somehow recognized a part of himself in these other people; a certain type of a yearning for adventure, and to face the world bravely and alone. He also felt a certain degree of comfortableness with these strangers because, even though he doesn't really know them, he talks to them about things he never felt comfortable talking about with his family or friends at home. I think that Ron Franz and Chris create such a strong bond because Ron recognizes a part of himself in Chris, just as Chris sees himself in Ron. Also, Ron never had any real children of his own, yet "adopted" many and helped them achieve their goals in life. I think that Ron sees an uncertain part of Chris and wants to help him discover it, while Chris loves the idea of the unknown and what it can turn into and lead to.
I think Chris was able to develop such strong bonds with the other "wanderers" he meets along his travels, because in everyone's case something drove them to want to leave society and whether or not the people share the same view, they all chose to do something and change their life in order to find happiness.
This chapter really sang to me. As i was read the book i got a call from my trainer back home telling me that she had sold my best freind. SO as i was reading this chapter inbetween tears and rants of anger i could not help but think about connection, relastionships and most of all freindships. Everyone is on a jurney some more noticable then others. Chris was searching for answers to life and so was Franz. Often the old and young are the most lost and unsure so naturaly they come together. The thing that made them even closer was that both had no family and so Franz came to see ALex as a son. I feel that Chris has all the anwers but what he lacks is a knowing of who he is or what he what to be or even if there is anything he should be and what is the meaning of it all. Wayne said that Alex would get caught up in these thoughts. He broke free of society because even the highist education could not anwser his questions. it seems that he formed relastionships with outsiders because they were non conformistes and thus something new that may help him find his way. What is so interesting about this book is how everyone Alex conected with remembered him and it seems that he really cared about each of them back. Friendship is a wonderful thing that can last through anything and brakes all bounderies,speices and maybe even death.
Chris McCandless was a legend of his charming social skills and intelligence. This is not the only trait that captured the attention of the people he met, most notably rural-living people caught in the rule of society, living a comfortable life but not in the name of money. Franz I believe sought his young self and son out of McCandless... similar to what we talked about in class on Tuesday, McCandless represented the reality of a dream that many people have or had when they were young. McCandless' morals, thoughts and ambitions are not as outstretched as it seems-- the only difference he has from most of the people he has met that appreciated him was that he actually detached himself from the glue of society, embraced the adventure and physically went to live his young but big dream. Franz was especially lonely out of those that McCandless has met, however, and Krakauer noted that Franz took "lost" children under his wing to fill that hole. He was also especially astonished and taken by McCandless' intelligence (pg. 52). This trait was luring to Franz in that he was kind of living through McCandless, or it was kind of like seeing his own son uptake his intelligence and watch how he uses it. Mutually, McCandless appreciated Franz for his kindness, ability to teach, and chance to share an intelligence with someone who didn't deny him for his ambitions and thoughts. A relationship is always a mutual two-way game, and the fact that they could both feed off of each other strengthened their bond.
Chris McCandless was a legend of his charming social skills and intelligence. This is not the only trait that captured the attention of the people he met, most notably rural-living people caught in the rule of society, living a comfortable life but not in the name of money. Franz I believe sought his young self and son out of McCandless... similar to what we talked about in class on Tuesday, McCandless represented the reality of a dream that many people have or had when they were young. McCandless' morals, thoughts and ambitions are not as outstretched as it seems-- the only difference he has from most of the people he has met that appreciated him was that he actually detached himself from the glue of society, embraced the adventure and physically went to live his young but big dream. Franz was especially lonely out of those that McCandless has met, however, and Krakauer noted that Franz took "lost" children under his wing to fill that hole. He was also especially astonished and taken by McCandless' intelligence (pg. 52). This trait was luring to Franz in that he was kind of living through McCandless, or it was kind of like seeing his own son uptake his intelligence and watch how he uses it. Mutually, McCandless appreciated Franz for his kindness, ability to teach, and chance to share an intelligence with someone who didn't deny him for his ambitions and thoughts. A relationship is always a mutual two-way game, and the fact that they could both feed off of each other strengthened their bond.
The friendship between Ronald Franz and Chris McCandless is so intriguing to me. I think they connected like they did because Chris picked up that Ronald was jealous (maybe jealous is too strong a word); Ronald was intrigued by the life that Chris was living. When Chris picked up on this feeling, he flat out told Franz in a letter that he should break out of his everyday lifestyle and explore the beauty that god put out in the west for us to explore (Kauker 58). Franz knew he was right, so packed up his stuff and headed out camping.
I think the relationships and bonds that Chris made along his route tell you that he was outgoing, liked meeting new people, hearing their stories, and telling them his stories. He liked to experience life as much as possible and talking/living with people and experiencing their way of life and understanding what they're about is all apart of the adventure.
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