Blog post #1

What do the characters emotions or behaviors reveal about their personality and psychological state?

Carrie explains Chris with, "Even when we were little he was very to himself. He wasn't antisocial, he always had friends and everybody liked him, but he could go off and entertain himself for hours. He didn't seem to need toys or friends. He could be alone without being lonely." (pg. 107) Chris moved swiftly through school and he had declined awards and recognitions, insisting that such honors were meaningless. After graduation Chris donated the remaining college funds to charity, informed his parents that he was "going to disappear for a while," and left in his yellow Datsun. I believe Chris rebelled against his parents to establish the person he wanted to be rather then the pre-determined standards his parents had set for him. In the process of breaking free from the standards of society, Chris became a wandering spirit. I don't think he ever planned for the outcome that occurred; I truly believe he just desired to live a life full of adventure.

Are patterns such as repression, dreams, and desire presented consciously or unconsciously by the author?

Throughout Chris's adventures he stumbled in and out of many people’s lives, one specifically was Jan and Bob. Chris had hitched up the coast to Oregon and was picking berries along the side of the road when a Jan and her boyfriend had pulled over to acknowledge him. They admitted that Chris looked rather hungry when they stopped. Chris's parents had hired an investigator to find their son; it's ironic that someone who was seeking a solitary life made friendships easily but refused to kindle his relationship with his parents. His mother says that "Chris was very much of the school that you should own nothing except what you can carry on your back at a dead run." (pg. 32) He is very determined in his adventure towards the Alaskan terrain to remain living off the land.

What happened in the past and how does it affect the present?

Chris McCandless called himself Alex, short for "Alexander Supertramp," during his travels. The adoption of a new name is most likely caused by Chris's rejection of his parents' values. Much like the tradition in the American literature Chris read, the characters reinvent themselves and even change their name. An example could be Jay Gatsby, from F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby. Walt and Billie (Chris's parents) often fought and contemplated divorce. Walt was not yet divorced from his first wife when Chris and Carine were born; this discovery caused Chris a lot of bitterness towards his father and may have been a reason for his views and rejection of society.