London, Thoreau, and Tolstoy all wrote books and lived in ways that questioned a complacent and materialistic middle-class existence. Reading these authors intently in college and on his own travels helped form and guide McCandless as he sought to forge an
alternative lifestyle
to that of his affluent parents.
Who does Chris McCandless admire?
Who does Chris McCandless admire? McCandless had certain literary heroes, among them were
Thoreau, Jack London, and Tolstoy
. Explore three writers and analyze what Chris appreciated about their work that he took into his own life philosophy.
Did Chris McCandless like Jack London?
Despite the incongruity of this chosen respite in light of his anti-capitalist leanings, McCandless settled for a while among the strip malls of Bullhead City, Arizona, where he forged a friendship with Jan Burres, a “rubber tramp” who states that McCandless “was big on the classics” and that “
London was his favorite
.” …
- Family Happiness, Leo Tolstoy. …
- Walden, Henry David Thoreau. …
- Dr Zhivago, Boris Pasternak. …
- Terminal Man, Michael Crichton. …
- The Death of Ivan Ilych, Leo Tolstoy.
- Tanaina Plantlore/Dena'ina K'et'una: An Ethnobotany of the Dena'ina Indians of Southcentral Alaska, Priscilla Russell Kari.
Why do you think McCandless had such a connection to Henry David Thoreau and Jack London?
McCandless, like London,
sought out and identified with marginalized people living on the social fringes
. McCandless was also taken with Thoreau, who was determined to “front life” and not die without having really lived. Thoreau wanted to strip life down to its essentials and see what he could learn by doing so.
What charity did Chris McCandless donate his money to?
Upon graduation from Emory University, McCandless donated his entire life savings, $24,000 to
Oxfam America
and embarked on an adventure to Alaska where he ultimately meets his fate. “It is a great honor for Oxfam America to be affiliated with a film of such integrity.
What is ironic about the fact that McCandless donated his money to Oxfam America a charity dedicated to fighting hunger?
Chris McCandless donated his money to OXFAM America, which is a hunger relief organization. The ultimate irony in this fact is that,
two years later, he himself died of starvation.
Who is Chris McCandless sister?
Now Chris' younger sister,
Carine McCandless
, 21 at the time of her brother's death, has come out with The Wild Truth, which tells a story as poisonous as wild potato seeds.
What makes McCandless afraid of water?
In the book, where it talks about Jim Gallien giving a ride to Chris, Krakauer mentions that Chris told Gallien that he was afraid of the water,
because of what happened in Mexico, where Chris nearly died in a sudden storm in the Gulf of California
.
Who is Henry David Thoreau into the wild?
Like Christopher McCandless
Why is Leo Tolstoy a transcendentalist?
Tolstoy was a Christian and McCandless was a transcendentalist, meaning
he believed to understand the world you actually have to live your life to the fullest
.
Why does Chris McCandless hate money?
Chris
burned his money
because he feels that in order to start a proper adventure, he had to get rid of everything that would normally help him and start a new and fresh life. He thought that money can't get you everything all the time as there's some stuff that requires money and some that don't.
How much money did Chris donate?
Chris had received “a forty-thousand-dollar bequest left by a friend of the family;” the money had paid for the final two years of his education at Emory University in Atlanta, and at the time of his graduation, “
more than twenty-four thousand dollars
” remained in Chris's account.
How much money did Chris donate to charity?
How much money did Chris donate to charity? Not only did this young man refuse to accept the new car his parents offered him at his college graduation, but he also donated his
$25,000 life savings
to the OXFAM charity, proving his contempt for materialistic things such as money that drive people mad.
