Journal 1 9.30.14

The sense of alienation and isolation may be common among young adults. McCandless chooses to abandon hisupper middle class lifestyle. Based on your reading of theAuthor’s Note-Ch.6, what would you say is McCandless’American Dream? Do you believe that his choice to dropout of conventional society bolsters or hinders Chris’chances at achieving his American Dream? Use specificexamples from the Author’s Note – Ch. 6 to support yourresponse. Respond in a well-constructed paragraph (8-10sentences).

Journal 2 10/1-2/14

Chapter 6 begins with a passage written by the writerHenry David Thoreau and highlighted by ChrisMcCandless. Thoreau (1817-1862) was a part of theLiterary and philosophical movement calledTranscendentalism, which started in New England in the19th century. Some of the main ideas of the movementinclude self-reliance, adoration of nature, andabandonment of social conformity. Reflecting on theAuthor’s Note – Ch. 6, write a well-constructed paragraph(8-10s sentences) in which you analyze how McCandlessespouses the three aforementioned ideas ofTranscendentalism.

Journal 3 10.3.14

HOLD ON TO YOUR DRAFTS FOR NOW!Read “Shitty First Drafts” from Anne Lamott’s wittymemoir on writing, Bird by Bird, underlining orhighlighting at least five brief phrases/sentencesfrom Lamott that speak to you, either positively ornegatively. And then, record these brief phrases/statements WITH PAGE NUMBERS. 10-15minutes. Hold on to your journal when you aredone. Fold and keep the reading in your journal.

Journal 4 10.6.14Read and annotate the the article from The New YorkTimes regardingChris McCandless’ death. Highlight/underline phrases/sentences thatspeak to you, either positively or negatively, that you agree/ disagreewith you, that cause you concern. 10 minutes.

Write an 8-10 sentence response to the article. What is the article’smain idea? What issues surrounding McCandless’ death does theauthor bring up? Based on your reading of the novel AND the article,was McCandless on a suicide mission or did he make a fatal mistake?Was he reckless and self-absorbed, or adventurous and naïve? Explain.10 minutes.

Find a partner. Share your article response. What similarities/differences do you express in your responses? 5 minutes.

Journal 5 10.7.14

Chapter 7 of Into the Wild examines some ofChris McCandless’s personality traits through thememories of people he met on the road. Choose5-7 quotes from Chapter 7 that illuminate one ormore of McCandless’s character traits. List eachquote with page number, and provide a 2-3sentence explanation, explaining what the readerlearns of McCandless’s personality through that quote.

Journal 6 10.8-9.14

Chapter 8 of Into the Wild examines the lives of GeneRosellini, John Mallon Waterman, and Carl McGunn, threemen whose lives parallel McCandless’s in many ways.These men, along with McCandless were considered to beeccentrics, hippies, and reckless adventurers who weremost likely mentally ill. Their deaths prompted manyAlaskans to publicly voice strong, negative opinions ofthem. Examine each man’s relationship with his parents,upbringing, and “unusual” characteristics, comparing andcontrasting him to McCandless. Respond in a wellconstructed paragraph (8-10 sentences).

Journal 7 10.10.14

Place final drafts in the aqua tray. Please attach the rubric (front).w

Focus on Chapter 12 of Into the Wild. How does the relationshipbetween Chris and his parents seem in public, for example atMcCandless’s high school and college graduations? How doMcCandless’s experiences at Emory affect initially his relationship withhis parents? How does their relationship evolve as McCandless’sexperience at Emory evolves? What does McCandless discover whenhe visits his old home in El Segundo, CA? How does his discoverychange his view of his parents? What does Billie McCandless’s dreamindicate about her relationship with her son? How much of a role didMcCandless’s relationship with his parents play in his choice to ventureinto the wild? Respond in a well-constructed paragraph (8-10sentences).

Journal 8 10.17.14We have spent the last several class periods viewing Sean Penn’s filmadaptation Into the Wild. Write a review of the film. In your firstparagraph, provide your overall perception of the film: positives andnegatives, highs and lows. In your second paragraph describe brieflythe film’s setting and plot. In the third paragraph, provide anassessment of the leading actors’ performances: Emile Hirsch as ChrisMcCandless, Marcia Gay Harden as Billie McCandless, William Hurt asWalt McCandless, and Vince Vaughn as Wayne Westerburg. In yourfinal paragraph, identify what you believe is the most riveting/grippingpart of the film. Or if you were not impressed, identify the point thatbroke the film. NOTE: Each paragraph can be short (3-5 sentenceseach).