Sometimes when we read, we hope to see images that relate to what we are reading, to both picture and understand what we are taking in on a different level. For this assignment, I want you to go to the following link: http://www.christophermccandless.info/intothewildpictures.html. As you open this link, you will see images of Chris McCandless, as well as images from his journey and photo journal. I want you to choose 10 images and write your reactions after seeing the images. How do you feel when seeing photos of the protagonist? What can you infer about Chris or others through these photos? Examine the expressions on his face in different situations. Describe your reaction to the inside of the bus and the conditions in which Chris lived while in Alaska.
Each picture reflection should be between 5-6 sentences. You do not need to combine all responses into a paragraph format. Rather, you may number each response, 1,2,3 etc.
DUE: Thursday, February 10th by 11: 59pm
1) Chris is posing by the river with a beaver in his hands. I believe that he is grateful that he found some food, and is also happy that he will not starve that night. I feel like this is a high point in Chris' journey. Chris thought this photo would show that he was a good outdoorsman. His facial expression shows that he is overjoyed by the hunt's success.
ReplyDelete2)Chris's Datsun is a lot like i pictured it in my mind. It is in overgrown bushes, and looks like it has been long abandoned. I feel like Chris felt like it was just another step on his journey when he had to leave the car behind. The place where it was abandoned looks like it was hard to get to. I feel like this was a positive step for Chris on his adventure.
1. Chris's final self portrait. Chris looks like he is happy. He is in a clearing of a forest. He is holding a note in his hand. He looks like he is in Alaska because he has a jacket on.
ReplyDelete2. Chris McCandless by the water. Chris looks like he is enjoying himself. He might have been swimming, because he doesnt have a shirt on. He is obviously in a warm climate, because he does not have a shirt on. He seems like he is very fit.
3. Chris is by the river with a beaver. I think he is grateful that he found some food, and is also happy that he will not starve that night. I feel like this is a high point in his journey. This photo shows that he was a good outdoorsman. His face shows that he is overjoyed by the hunt's success.
4. Chris's Datsun is a lot like i pictured it. It is in bushes, and looks like it has been abandoned long before. I feel like Chris felt like it was just another step on his journey and he had to leave the car behind. The place where it was abandoned looks like it was in a hard place to get to. I feel like this was a positive thing for Chris' journey, and he felt like he had to leave it behind.
5. Memorial left by Chris' parents. I feel like for his parents, it must have been hard for them to go to where their son died. The memorial says that he died on a journey that he loved doing. He died when he was only 24. He left a message saying "I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless."
1,Chris posing with the beaver- My reaction to this is that it must be a highpoint in his journey. He seems overjoyed to say the least. He looks as if he hasn't eaten in a while and will feast tonight. My personal opinon is Chris looks Extremely jubilant and he is a very skillful hunter.
ReplyDelete2, Chris' car- The car was kind of how i pictured it. The wildlife is out of control and everywhere. His car looks as if it has been abandoned for quite a long time. I feel that Chris thought that leaving his car behind was a step towards true freedom in nature.
3,The picture of chris on stampede trail- I think that CHris is very happy to begin his encounterment with nature. He is jubilant to start to live as thoreau and Emerson and follow the theories of transcendentalism. He looks like he thinks he is well prepared to live out by himself but in all reality he is under prepared and will soon learn that. Chris looks as if he is prehaps going hunting. He is enjoying his time in nature.
4,Chris sitting in woods with no shirt- Chris looks as if he is very hungary. He looks skinny and deprived. Chris looks very fragile and worn out. He looks like he is not having a good time in nature.
5,Chris' wallet- This represents Chris' past. He burnt all the money he had in his wallet. He threw away his id. He did all of this to get away from society. in his id picture he seems as if he is not happy or free. He looks held back.
6,Chris as a kid in nature- This picture shows Chris complete love for nature. He loved nature even as a small child. This proves that chirs has always loved to get away from society and enter nature. You can tell he loves the peacefulness it has to offer.
7, Billie at the bus- This picture shows he had loved ones. His mom is visiting where he died to leave flowers. This proves that Chris had many people who cared about him. This also shows that Chris' mom was worried when he was gone and is extremly sad about his death. YOu can see the grief on her face.
8,Chris' journal of death- This entry shows that Chris knew he was going to perish. Chris can't even walk anymore he is so weak. He is confined to his bus. This hurts Chris on the inside because he would've like to die out in nature Instead of in the bus. You can tell Chris is sad. He doesn't want to die and he wanted to go out in nature longer.
9,journal 109-113- These blanks entries say alot. Chris is too weak to even write in anything anymore. This is sad to watch. Especially sad because he wrote so much in the past entries and now nothing. This shows Chris is dieing.
10, Chris holding antler- This picture is uplifting. It shows Chris very happy. It seems Chris thinks is one with nature. It seems as if everything is going well with his journey. He feels free and away from society
Mark D
6. Chris' note left on the bus. Chris left a note on bus 142 when he was near death. The note says that he is out collecting berries and is all alone. It goes on to say that he is near death and too weak to walk out. The note also implies that he doesnt know the date, because it only says August and not date. He achieved a goal of not knowing what time it was.
ReplyDelete7. 5th picture of Chris' diary. It was written sometime between the 100th day of the journey and the 109th day of the journey. This partial journey entry says that he is a weak condition. It also says that death is a serious threat because he is too weak. He has litterally became trapped in the bus.
8. Another journal entry picture. This one is on day 100, and marks his goal. He writes in large print the words, "Day 100! Made it!" The note goes on to say again that he is in the weakest condition of life, and death looms... This note gives the impression that he is happy, but is also frieghtened that he won't make it out alive.
1. In the photo with Chris standing next to a dead beaver, he looks very happy. I can understand why he would be happy, he caught the food for himself. I would imagine each piece of food he caught was a very big deal. When i saw this i was very happy for him. I pictured chris looking alot more rough, he was suprisingly in an alright condition, or so it seems.
ReplyDelete2. In Chris's final self portrait he looked like he was sick. He seemed very skinny, unhealthly skinny. I was very nervous when i saw this, my reason for being nervous is because this was the last picture of chris being alive. He looked very sick and must mean he was close to his death.
1. In the first picture, Chris is in a ocean. He is smiling big in this picture and he looks very happy and content with life. He also looks like he is a little big younger and more groomed so I think it was before his journey into the wild. This picture makes me think if he was truly happy at the time in his life.
ReplyDelete2.In the 5th picture, Chris is hold a beaver. He also has a smiling expression like he is very proud of his accomplishment. He also looks very excited. I think he is because he needed to find a meal and by the looks of it he hunted one. This picture makes me assume that Chris is finally happy with his life.
3. In the 6th picture, there is a portrait of Chris. He is in the wild,smiling. I think this is where Chris is most free and that is why he is smiling. It is also his last self portrait. He looks very thin and frail however he is most definitly happy.
4.In the ninth picture, Chris' car in shown. It looks exactly how I picture it to look. It is sitting in what looks like a swamp from the flood. I think that when people saw his car they were worried about how it got there. They also probably wondered how it got there and how its plates were missing.
5.In the 11th picture, Chris is pictured with Wayne and what looks like Wayne's wife. Chris looks very happy in this picture. He looks like he feels most at home in this photo. Wayne also looks entertained by Chris. The three of them look very close.
9. Chris is pictured with Wayne and Wayne's wife. Chris looks very happy right now. Wayne and his wife look entertained by Chris. He looks like he feels most at home in this photo. The three of them look very close.
ReplyDelete10. Chris holding the antler above his head. This picture is very uplifting. It shows that Chris is very happy. It seems like Chris thinks he is one with nature. He seems as if everything is going well with his journey. He feels free, and he seems to like being away from society.
3. There is one photo where Chris is standing shirtless in front over what seems to be a creek. In this photo he looks very skinny and unhealthy. His face looks very distressed as well. This picture makes me think at this point that he was sick and getting worse over time. He looks like he has not had a very good meal in a very long time.
ReplyDelete4.There is another photo which is called " Chris painting". In this photo he looks very happy. It made me believe that Chris truly loved doing hard work. The painting he did also looks very good, as well as the condition of his body. When i saw this it proved to me that Chris truly loved a challenge. I think that this photo demonstrates that he did.
5. There is another photo of Chris' car. This car is exactly how i pictured it. I would also imagine that since it is such a little car that it is very fuel efficient. I think this car, in a way, represents Chris' journey. It is very small, just like how Chris had very little supplies, yet despite its size never had a problem and could go on forever. This is also similar to Chris because he went on this journey for a very long time, and although he had a few problems few in there they were just minor setbacks. The car also went through a very tough time in a flood, and still survived and worked great. Just like Chris it, " kept on keepin on", even when Chris had nothing he worked his way out of it.
6. There is another photo of Chris with his friend Wayne. Chris looks very happy in this photo. This made me think that he was at the peak of his happiness when he was living around Wayne and working for him. This was what i thought his true home. He was happy living with those people and happy working for them.Chris seems like he really fit in there, and this makes me think that this was his true family. Not only did Chris look excited to be around Wayne, Wayne also looks very happy when he is with Chris.
7.There is another photo where it seems Chris is holding antlers. He seems really happy in this photo. This shows how much of a hunter he was. He was truly into nature. He loved it so much and i think that this photo shows it. He was really proud in all of the photos and in this photo it really shows.
8.There is a photo of a memorial Chris' parents had built for him on the special bus. I think this photo shows how much Chris' parents loved him. I think it also shows how well respected he was. When i saw this photo i felt sorrow for his parents. They truly loved him and lost him without even getting to say goodbye. Nor did they know what Chris was doing.
9. In one of the photos it shows Chris' wallet. I was very surprised when i saw this photo. I was surprised because when he was dropped off at the Stampede Trail Chris told the man that dropped him off he had no money. I was even more surprised that he had that amount of money because previously he had burned all his money.
10. The photo of the bus really gave me a good insight into what the conditions were that Chris was living in. It really impressed me that he lived for such a long time in the rugged conditions. The bus itself also wasn't in the best condition which made it even more unreal that he was living out in the wilderness for such a long time. The bus looks as if the animals surrounding it could easily get into it. I was astonished to see the inside of it as well.
1.)In the first picture, Chris is posing by the water. He’s all smiles and looks very happy. This picture comes to show that he’s enjoying his time and is satisfied with his life. His physical appearance doesn’t seem like he’s been out in nature for that long.
ReplyDelete2.)In the fifth picture, Chris is holding a beaver. He looks pretty happy to have caught it. His smile and his emotional appearance makes him seem very proud of himself. He must have been very accomplished with his actions and finally becoming happy with his life.
3.)In the sixth picture, Chris looks very warm and comfortable with himself and his surroundings. Him waving shows that he has a kind and friendly character. Standing in front of a lot of trees documents that he was very into his nature and very proud of it. It’s a good self portrait because it portrays his happiness well.
4.)The eighth picture shows the bus out in the middle of nowhere. This picture explains how really far out Chris must have traveled. It’s surrounded by so much trees and rivers and seems to be on a very steep hill. If Chris went such a long distance like this one, it means that he is very serious about having the simple life he always wanted.
5.)The ninth picture shows Chris’ car. It’s old and rusty looking, and basically what I pictured while reading about it. The car is completely abandoned and around a swamp of mud and weeds. When people found this car, they probably didn’t know what to expect. The surroundings of it and how it was just left there must have made everyone really curious about the outcome of Chris.
6.)The tenth picture shows Chris painting. He has a huge smile on his face and is giving a thumbs up. He looks so happy and looks as if he’s having a really good time. He probably felt accomplished with his paint job and that’s why he’s posing next to that house.
7.)In the eleventh picture, Chris is with Wayne and a woman. They all seem to be very close to each other and really good friends. He seems comfortable with the two. He looks like he feels at home sitting there having a good time with people close to him.
8.)In the twelfth picture, Chris is somewhere with Wayne again. This shows that Wayne was really a good friend to Chris. There is another man there with them and they all seem to be having fun. They seem playful with each other and very happy.
9.)In the fifteenth picture, Chris is holding what seem to be deer antlers. It could be from a different animal. He’s standing there in the middle of land with mud and water. He has a big smile on his face and is obviously satisfied with the antlers he has in his hands. His expression shows that he feels like a winner.
10.)The twenty-ninth picture shows Chris with some strange kind of animal. He must have killed it and once again feels accomplished with what he has caught. The thumbs up he’s giving and the opened smile on his face shows how playful and funny Chris must have been and that he was truly happy out there in nature. The water on his pants and the condition of his clothes give a hint at how hard he worked to get whatever animal it was that he caught.
- The condition of the bus looks terrible. It came to show that where Chris was living is far different from where we live in society. The bus is torn apart and full of objects scattered all over the place. Living out there must have been really hard for Chris and would be hard for anyone and the conditions of this bus shows that.
1. In the 5th picture Chris is genuinly happy that he succesfully hunted and killed that beaver. He felt a rush that can only be felt by someone who has done what he did, and thats to hunt and kill an anial for food and in the long run, to survive.
ReplyDelete2.In the sixth picture chris looks very happy. He is comfortable and content with how he is living. He is glad that he made the choice to go on his adventure.
3. Picture 17 he is celebrating over a succesful goose kill. He feels tremendous pride over this accomplishment, but also relief because he now has a meal.
4.picture 43 Chris is proud to have his picture taken with his beloved Datsun. The wooded area the picure was taken in symbolizes the tough journeys those two had been through. He loved that car becasue it never failed to pull through when he needed it most.
5.picture 46 is on ethat shows exactly why Chris wanted to go to Alska in the first place. it is the epitamy of what could be called the wilderness. But along with its harsh terrain and unforgiveing dangers, an obvious beauty surrounds it. There is nothing like this anywhere else in the world.
1.)The photo of Chris McCandless is out hunting in the wilderness in Alaska. He seems to be really dirty. He also seems to be hold a man made weapon in his left hand. The scenery in the background shows that he was completely surrounded by forest and nature. It shows that he was completely cut off from society.
ReplyDelete2.)The picture of Chris McCandless hunting in the widerness where he killed. The beaver shows that he is proficient in being able to acquire food to survive, which became apparent in the novel. He seems to be very proud in this picture also. I see that he was more prepared for the cold than described in the book. This picture seems to be taken in the fall season.
6. picture 15 shows chris sfter finding a moose shed on the ground. He was holding what was once part of a large and proud animal in his own hands. He looks like hes feeling one with nature.
ReplyDelete3) Chris' final self portrait shows a very happy Chris. He is in a clearing surrounded by woods. Chris looks like he has not had a haircut in a while. The heavy parka makes me think that he is in Alaska while this picture was taken. There is a notecard in his hand but it is not readable in the picture.
ReplyDelete4)The picture titled "142 Fairbank City Bus Location" shows where Chris spent his final days alive. It is in an area that is near a stream which is good for water and fish supplies. It is also on an old logging road it looks and that means that people could cross his path. It has woods all around the bus and that means all types of game for Chris to hunt.
5)In the picture that Chris has his hand up in triumph, he looks happy. Although happy is an understatement, he is in the middle of a snowstorm. It looks as though he had just overcome an obstacle that had been beating him. Chris is standing alone in the woods during a heavy snow storm which is bad seeing as how he was in Alaska. But he looks just as hapy if not happier than any of the other pictures.
6)In the picture where days 109-113 are written down but nothing is written show the last days of Chris' life. This is extremely sad because it shows that he did nothing on the last few days of his life. Chris was resiliant in his dreams and to have them end in that way is disappointing. This picture also shows that Chris didn't finish his 113th day in Alaska. But it shows Chris' determination, and ability to follow his dreams.
7)The picture that is titled "The Area Near Stampede Road" is interesting. It shows the beauty of the area that Chris spent the final months of his life. Chris chose a beautiful place to start his journey. Athough this journey proved to be too much for chris to handle, it was beautiful. The mountians in the background show the radical differences of the land. It can go from flat into mountians in no time.
8)The picture of Chris and Walt shows an unhappy Chris. In this picture he doen not have a smile on, and he just looks uncomfortable. Chris in all his other pictures looks happy and overcome with joy. Here he looks like he was forced to pose and be there. Chris also looks self conscious being with his dad.
9) When I look at Chris' S.O.S letter, the first thing i think of is "How could this have been changed?" I also think that he is writing during the final parts of his life. He is probably writing this letter and thinking of all the things he wishes he had done or regrets. The other thing I think of is that he is starving to death adn yet he has extremely legible handwriting.
10)The picture of the bus' interior is sad. It shows the poor conditions that Chris lived in for the time he was in Alaska. It also shows that people these days think that more is needed that actually is needed. If people could live as simply as Chris did, world hunger could be stopped. If we could live that simply, the extra money spent could feed the poor. A lot can be learned from this picture. One of those lessons is that people do not need lots of things to be happy.
1. The picture of Chris by the water is very nice. He looks very happy in this picture. To me it seems like he is right where he wants to be. He seems like he is very content with the way he is living and I don’t think he wants to be anywhere else.
ReplyDelete2. The picture of the inside of the bus is very shocking. I felt very bad that Chris had to live in that bus for so long. It was however his own choice. There is no way that it was easy or comfortable to live in that bus. I feel that Chris was in some way happy with where he was though.
3. The picture of Chris with Wayne is interesting. To me it seems like he is VERY happy to be with Wayne. It almost looks as if those were his parents. The way he is posed just makes him seem very relaxed and natural with them. In this picture he looks the happiest to me.
4. The picture of Chris on the log with the animal he killed look momentous to me. In my eyes it looks like this is the first of Chris’ kills alone in the wild. He looks very proud of himself in this picture. This picture also shows me that he was able to survive alone in the wilderness.
5. The S.O.S. letter that Chris wrote is very emotional. When reading it I feel that Chris has not given up. I also get the feeling that he has however come to terms with death in some way. He obviously does not want to die but he knows that it is a good possibility and he has accepted that as a fact.
6. The memorial that Chris’ parents left on the bus shows me a lot of things. The first thing that comes to mind is that they never gave up on Chris. It seems to me like they always loved him and just wanted to see him happy. It also shows me that they have in some way come to terms with Chris’ decisions. I can see this by how they put “Alex” under his real name in sort of a way to show they accept him no matter what.
7. The above view of the bus shows how hard it must have been to live in that area. The bus itself had a small clearing from the trees around it. Everywhere else there just seemed to be never ending trees. It also looked like the patches of trees were very thick and probably hard to move through. This makes me think that Chris had to have some exceptional skills to live in this area.
8. In Chris’ last self portrait he still looks very happy. It seems to me that he never got bored of the wilderness. Even up to his last stretch he was still very happy with what he was doing. He does however look very shaggy and ungroomed. This definitely shows that he has been in the wilderness for a long time yet he seems so happy.
9. The pictures of his journals are very eye opening. They show a side of Chris that you do not really see in the pictures. In his journals Chris talks of how he is very scared and feels alone. In most of his pictures he always looks very happy and care free. He even carries on to say how he knows death is near for him and how he is trapped where he is.
10. In the overall accumulation of the pictures, Chris seems very happy and care free. In all of the pictures he has a big grin on his face. To me it seems that he is very happy where he is. There is one however that he is not smiling in. This makes me wonder where and at which point in his journey it was taken. I also wonder why he is not smiling in this picture like he is in all of the other ones.
1. In the 5th picture, Chris McCandles is holding some sort of animal and in his other hand he has a rifle. There is a big smile on his face and he looks like he is somewhere in the woods. This picture shows that Chris must've been very happy at this period of time living in the wild. He was looking a bit scruffy, assuming he has not showered in a while. He also must've been happy about catching his own food.
ReplyDelete2. In the 6th picture, It is the final self portrait of Chris McCandles. It is kind of weird because he is in a way waving at the camera, and in almost all of his other pictures, he is not waving. This is almost making me question if he was saying goodbye. He also seems quite happy. The picture doesn't say when it was taken ,but you can observe that before he died, whether it was a long period before or short, he was happy.
3. In the 8th picture, it is a picture of 142 Fairbank City bus location where Chris stayed for 113 days. It is crazy that he had survived in this location for this long. There is nothing, but trees, and the looks of a lake around him. If he wanted to live as a transcendentalist, this was truly the right place, maybe just not the way he came, slightly unprepared. Seeing this picture makes me admire Chris more because the conditions he lived under weren't that close to town.
4. In the 9th picture, it is a picture of Chris' yellow Datsun. Looking at this picture, I have no idea how Chris managed to get his car in that area. I feel as if he must've had to run over a lot of brush. Also the swamp, or lake that it is in does not look like its deep enought to flood the engine, so I am a little confused. I wonder if the car was moved for the picture.
5. In the 10th picture, it is a picture of Chris McCandles painting a house. When I saw this, I thought immediately about in the book when he was referenced as a good worker. Seeing this picture also proved it to me in sight. Chris always had an interesting expression in his pictures. I imagine he was always very happy doing what he was doing.
6. In the 11th picture, Chris is sitting between Wayne and a lady. He looks very happy and comfortable with these two people. His arms are around both of them and they look as if they are laughing. This picture tells me that Chris must've had a good relationship with Wayne. I also notice, at this time in Chris' travels, that he looks very clean.
7. In the 16th picture, It is an image of just the bus from the outside. The bus looks small and abandoned/ old. Looking at the bus, you can tell that the condition of it is so bad that it does not run. I have no idea how Chris kept warm on this bus and lived here for 113 days. The area around the bus looks abandoned and lonely. I can't imagine being by myself for that long.
8. In the 19th picture, Chris is roasting or cooking two animals. I am not sure what the animals are, but he looks very proud of himself to have caught them. This picture brings out Chris' intelligence. Not only was he able to catch BOTH of these animals, but he found a way to cook them so that they were clean and would not give him a disease.
9. In the 24th/25th picture, it is a picture of Chris' journal entry. In this entry he says it is the 100th day and he is in the weakest condition in his life and he is no longer able to make his way out of the woods. He now says he is trapped, indicating that he no longer wants to be in the woods. He is able to admit that there is a possibility of death. There is only a matter now of him accepting it.
10. In the 29th picture, Chris is making a goofy face and holding up one of his catches of food. This picture shows that Chris had a sense of humor. It also showed that his personality didn't change when he was alone. The only thing that strikes me in all of these pictures, is the fact that he traveled alone and there are all of these pictures of him. Who took the pictures of him...?