Describe The Relationship Between Westerberg And Chris Mccandells

Krakauer begins with Wayne Westerberg’s first impression of when he first met Chris McCandless. ”’Chris is a likeable guy.

He was stubborn and narcissistic, thinking he could handle all he put himself in for. Chris had an understandable mindset but his actions and execution of his intentions were poor.

He strived to get away from this past and achieve his best self, especially using nature to accomplish this. In addition, due to his strong individualism and tendency to depend on himself, Chris “‘[harbored] his resentment, letting the bad feelings build and build’” (Krakauer 122). Furthermore, Chris could not “pardon the mistakes his father had made as a young man, and he was even less willing to pardon the attempt at concealment” (Krakauer

When writing in this book, Krakauer appeals to ethos by including several interviews with all the people that knew Chris. In chapter 2, Krakauer is interviewing Wayne Westerberg in Carthage, South Dakota. Westerberg was the first person Chris came into contact to when he left on his journey. After finding about Chris’s death, Westerberg told

McCandless led what many consider a great life for a student. Matthew Power describes Chris as a “...24-year-old honors graduate, star athlete, and beloved brother and son ... cut all ties with his family, gave his trust fund to charity, and embarked on a two-year odyssey that brought him to Alaska... where he could test the limits of his wits and endurance.” Based off of Power’s quote, McCandless seems like he led the best life that he could have led an almost perfect life. He also gives the impression that McCandless did not have an apparent reason to abandon his life and live in the wild. Peter Christian, an Alaska park ranger, brings another idea into view when he says, “The tragedy is that McCandless more than likely was suffering from mental illness and didn't have to end his life the way he did.” He brings another perspective into the mix because he suggests that Chris actually had a mental disease that caused him to feel drawn to the wild rather than his

He evaluated his opportunity cost of to continue living his current life or to give up most of his possessions and create a new life for himself in the wild. He choose his life in the wild and made a couple of sacrifices such as burning the money in his wallet and giving away twenty five thousand dollars from his savings to charity. As I mentioned earlier Chris did not like having things handed to him and was a self determined and reliant man who had had a solo way of thinking and didn't mind being alone in most cases. Money to Chris had no value to him and defeated his intention to struggle in life. Mccandless wrote a letter to Wayne saying all the money he had given Chris made life too easy. This truly defines his philosophical beliefs and how important it is for him to experience life to the fullest with no help but the hands of his

This exemplifies the extreme view Chris had against the possession of materials. His journal recalls this act of burning money right after he abandoned his car. Burning his possessions was a way to appease his need to be entirely on his own. Chris shows his distaste for material things in burning his money because now he cannot buy the things in life that are not needed. Through his actions Chris demonstrates his detachment from money and his disinterest in material goods.

It is false for Chris to be perceived as a hero because Chris could have helped a great amount of people with his wits and generosity, but he fled alternatively. His family always thought of him to be a caring young man with maturity beyond his age. He had the talents to be come a highly respected professional man who could help people in need. His mother told him that he would be in a much better position to help others if he “had some leverage first. Go to school, get a law degree and then you’ll have a real impact” (Krakauer 114). Becoming an established lawyer would have enabled him to help a countless amount of people. However his last two years took a turn from that potential but instead he seemed to have reflected the life of an angry child. Many of the letters, engravings and graffiti attributed to Chris on the road seemed like the emotional scrawling of teenagers. Exclamations such as “Jack London is king! (Krakauer 9), “All hail the dominant primordial beast, and Captain Ahab too!” (Krakauer 69) Do not sound like a bright young man in his 20s. Chris was a great student, completing Emory College with straight As and then without any notice, was gone. He donated his savings and “burned all his

The author Jon Krakauer had similar situations like chris. Thats a reason why Jon is so connected to Chris. In chapter three Christopher McCandless became friends with a man named Wayne Westerberg. Wayne Westerberg offers Chris a job and a place to stay. “He was the hardest worker I’ve ever seen” (pg. 18). Wayne Westerberg is the owner of a grain elevator in Carthage, South Dakota. And Wayne became really close to chris threw out this whole adventure. Chris had a mindset of where he was going to go and how he was going to do it but some who he got lost later on in his story in the Mojave Desert which he should have prepared

Although he made many friends Chris was not one for socializing, nor accepting things offered to him by others. When Chris was working for Westerberg they became good friends and when Chriss’ departure time came Westerberg wanted only to help as much as he could before the young man was off again. Chris declined most gifts offered my Westerberg except a ride. His main focus was traveling as much as he could so he avoided work when possible and only sought it out when he was in need of money or was offered work. Chris didn’t make many friends on the road, but the ones he was friends with he kept in communications with all throughout his journey. He sent his friends postcards and letters all the time and used his fake name ‘Alex’ to avoid being found by his

No individual had the same family background and early experiences in their lives. Each individual also had their own personalities. Chris McCandless was a young and successful college graduate with a job and had money. Oddly, he decided to disappear in response to his father’s misjudgment, giving away his money and overall, became homeless. McCandless could no longer

     Chris McCandless to me was a very intelligent but stubborn man. He didn’t care about how his family felt. All along his quest to the stampede trail Chris was kind to strangers and others but neglected the fact that his family back home worried about him. In the end Chris became at one with nature but realized that his surroundings (meaning family

As Chris breathed his last breath, he was finally able to find his inner happiness through the Alaskan wilderness. In chapter 18, Krakauer notes about Chris’ final photo of himself, describing Chris as, “[he] was at peace, serene as a monk gone to God,” (199). The way he was described in this picture shows that Chris has in fact found the happiness that he was looking for and was able to leave this earth in peace. Then again, in chapter 18, the last words of Chris McCandless wrote, “I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD.GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL,”(199). Although he was in severe pain, from starvation, he was still able to find the bright side of things. He was able to die in the one place that he had desired to be at.

The author creates Chris’s credibility when Chris keeps his promise of keeping in touch with the people he meets and having the impeccable ability to never quitting once he starts something. Jan Burres and her husband, Bob, liked Chris very much and “when [Chris] left, [Jan and Bob] never expected to hear from him again, but [Chris] made a point of staying in touch.” Over the course of two years, Chris sends Jan and Bob a postcard every month or two. Without getting too attached, Chris is able to keep his promise of keeping in touch which proves that he is reliable. Westerberg claims that Chris “was the hardest worker [Westerberg had] ever seen” for he would do even the dirtiest of jobs

In what could have been Chris McCandless’s last contact with humanity he tells his new comrade, Wayne Westerberg, “If this adventure proves fatal and you don’t hear from me again I want you to know you are a great man. I now walk into the wild” (Krakauer 3). For 112 days Chris lived off the harsh Alaskan land. For anyone who is brave enough to travel on the stampede trail and cross the treacherous Teklanika River you will come across the Fairbanks City Transit System Bus 142. Once a backcountry shelter for hunters, trappers, ranger patrols, and for a short time Chris McCandless, Bus 142 now serves as a memorial for Chris McCandless. Travelers will make the trip to witness the basic resources Chris had at hand and the courage it took to