Tolstoy, Stegner

Tolstoy was an independent man. I am sure he loved his family very much. In his epigraph he believes he is in a life with no movement. Tolstoy wanted an adventure, some excitement in his life same as Chris. Tolstoy and McCandless were both filled with excited and both needed to escape. Stegner's epigraph is simply about being free. You can walk where ever your little heart desires; whether it is miles or blocks. When we walk on a beach or take a hike up the mountains you think to yourself "damn this is one beautiful place, I am here free from everyone." We tend to love that feeling knowing there is no one around and you can experience nature. Tolstoy, Stegner, and McCandless all wanted to be free and experience the world on their own, which McCandless did. He lived his life to the fullest. We need to all start living a bit, we are not guaranteed tomorrow so you should live everyday like it's your last.  Chris was inspired by these authors. He related to them in so many ways, which gave him the idea to actually do want he wanted to do in life. That is why I am a big fan of Chris McCandless. He shows dedication, motivation, and adventure. Every human being has that one thing they want to do before life is over but some are to scared to actually do it; not Chris though.

-Rachel

Alexander Supertramp

Would I reinvent myself? Good question. After thinking about it for a few moment I actually think I would reinvent myself. I would make myself a better person and try to help out the world in as many ways as I can. If I could I would travel all over the world. The world is such a beautiful place and has so much to offer. All over he world there are places with many stories behind them that I want to see. McCandless was a smart man when it came to traveling. He had so many new experiences in life he could write multiple novels. I don't blame him for wanting to reinvent his life. Today people rely on to many things and need to start living like back in B.C time period. The human race became to educated and now we are tearing the earth apart affecting the atmosphere with pollution and also Global Warming. We are so deep in the situation we con not fix it no matter how hard we try. It will be our fault if the earth no longer exist. Therefore, I would love to reinvent myself and meet all the kind people Chris met.

-Rachel

"Death of an Innocent"

Chris McCandless was a free spirited, adventurous, ambitious man. He was his own character. No one could tell him what to do or change his beliefs. I admire Chris, you only meet or know very few people like himself. A lot of people call him crazy but honestly how many people do you know that has dropped everything in life family, friends, money, car, etc to do what they truly believe in? He is not a wacko because he did something with his life, this is what made him happy. In some ways I believe Chris was an idealist. He was inspired by many which probably gave him the idea to actually do what he wanted in life. Chris's actions were similar to transcendentalism. He went out into the wild to live how we are all supposed to live, like animals. Chris did this with no problem. He is intelligent and knew what he was doing until he mistake a poisonous berry with an edible. That's when he began to suffer and pleaded for help.

-Rachel

"How Much Land Does A Man Need"

Today our world is filled with materialistic people. Why must we have to buy name brand things to feel important? Pop culture has a huge affect on people's character and impression. When one thing becomes popular for example, Polo, Uggs, Gucci, and Prada(clothing), we feel the need to go out and buy the expensive material to rub it in people's faces. You may look like you have all this money but really you could be spending it on more valuable things. We should be living life more simpler. No one should feel the need to try and compare with one another, just be yourself. I would be damned if I went out and bought Gucci or Prada, other stores are selling the same items just not with their logo. So why waste your money? I feel as though we need a reality check because people are changing who they are to try and be like other people or just be popular. All your doing to yourself is showing people you are a follower. Therefore, I do not believe we are on the right path. We should be living life simpler and more comfortable.

Transcendentalist

Today we look at nature and don't think much about it, when nature is what created us. What we are doing to nature such as animals, plants, and the atmosphere is wrong. For example, we lock up wild animals into cages at the zoo. No animal wants to have a limited space to where they can go, they want to be free. We torture the poor animals and not once do we think about how the animals feel. Nature is beautiful and apart of life we need to recognize before we destroy everything God has given us.  In Australia the polar bears are being hurt due to our actions such as Global Warming and pollution. Us humans are so selfish because all we are worried about it our entertainment and our happiness. I feel like we all need to return to nature and realize what we have before it is gone. I believe there is somewhat a relationship between nature and our spiritual  side. Look at the various children movies that were made, for example, Tarzan or Pocahontas, we wouldn't randomly create a movie if there was no true meaning to it. Therefore, I believe there is some type of relationship between nature and our spiritual side.

-Rachel

One semester down, seven more to go. Back up to Huntingdon, Pennsylvania to finish off my first year of college. First semester went well although I wasn't to pleased with my grades. This semester I set high standards for myself therefore I can get a higher GPA and better grades. Coming back from a long break with my friends made me realize the people here changed me. Not only did I notice but my friends were bitching at me that I wasn't the same "Rachel" as before. The people up here are VERY different from the people I grew up with in Philadelphia but I am used to them now. I honestly can say I did change a bit, I am not drinking so much nor do I smoke anymore, which is a plus. Being up here you tend to have a lot of time to yourself. There isn't much you can do up here besides the gym, movies, and well that's kind of it. Anywho, this semester I plan on doing well to prove to my parents I am not taking college as a joke.

-Rachel