Outcasts

We all have little nicknames that fit our personality. Names allow people to get a understanding of someone but can also be misunderstood. For example, music artists, Ke$ha changed her name so people can understand her crazy partying personality or Nicki Minaj who has multiple "egos" and characters. Krakauer put various different "outcasts"  in chapter 8-10 to help give us a better sense of Chis's story. Chris and the others that were mentioned  aren't like everyday people. They look into life with deeper meaning and want to make something out of themselves. Therefore, they would change their names so they are not like everyone else but their own personal character.