Quotes from Into the Wild

        Chris McCandless had many favorite authors and during his time on the road, he read from their work. Krakauer recorded the passages that Chris underlined or took notes on. Most of the quotes are about nature and the hands of society choking the spirit of man. McCandless probably liked these authors such as Tolstoy and Thoreau because their work reflected his own views and ideals. In his journaling, McCandless sounds very similar to the authors that he loved so much. If he had made it out of the Alaskan Wilderness alive, Chris would have most likely written a book about his own adventures, expressing his love for nature and his opinions of the modern man and society. Maybe he had hoped his work would inspire young adventurous hearts like Tolstoy and Thoreau had inspired him. It's truly tragic that Chris perished in Alaska, but Krakauer has made Chris's story known to the public, something Chris would probably appreciate.
      As a final project to conclude Into The Wild I created a poster covered in some of Chris McCandless's favorite quotes. Most of them come from the works of Tolstoy and Henry David Thoreau, but there are also quite a few from Chris himself. These quotes help summarize why Chris did what he did, and how he felt.

 “…but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure feature.”

-Chris McCandless, p. 57

“You are wrong if you think Joy emanates only or principally from human relationships. God has placed it all around us. It is in everything and anything we might experience. We just have to have the courage to turn against our habitual lifestyle and engage in unconventional living.”

-Chris McCandless, p.57

 “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.”

-Henry David Thoreau, p. 117

“No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild.”

-Chris McCandless, p.163

“I am reborn. This is my dawn. Real life has just begun.”

-Chris McCandless,  p. 168

“And then, on top of all that, you for a mate, and children perhaps-what more can the heart of a man desire?”

-Tolstoy, p. 169

“And then the two basic ideals of modern man-without them he is unthinkable-the idea of free personality and the idea of life as a sacrifice.

-Boris Pasternak, p.187

“Oh, how one wishes sometimes to escape from the meaningless dullness of human eloquence...”

-passage from Doctor Zhivago, p. 189

“HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED.”

-Chris McCandless, p. 189 

“The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning or evening. It is a little star-dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched”

-Henry David Thoreau, p. 47

“You needed to surrender to some such ultimate purpose more fully, more unreservedly than you had ever done in the old familiar, peaceful days, in the old life that was now abolished and gone for good.”

-Boris Pasternak, p. 103 

“I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD.

GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL!”

-Chris McCandless, p.199

Relaxation and Nature

The idea of going into the wild and “finding myself” with nature does have a certain draw to me. I do think it would be beneficial and enlightening to become closer with nature and live simplistically, but I don’t think I would go to the extremes that people such as Chris have done. I wouldn't necessarily be ready to put my life in danger, because what good is living life to the fullest of every moment if by doing that you could end your life? Although I wouldn't  put myself at the risk of death, I really understand what McCandless was doing on his journey. I understand why he did the things he did. And I too want to throw myself into nature and see what I find. Even before reading Into the Wild or hearing stories of the sort, I have had a longing to live off of the land. Since I was a little girl I have thought that living in the jungle with all of the animals and having to survive on my own and find my own food and shelter would be fun. As I am writing this I realize that I have contradicted myself by at first saying I wouldn't want to put myself in danger and then saying that I want to live off the land and try to survive, but I guess I just had a little self-revelation sort thing while writing. I would miss the luxuries that I have in this current lifestyle, such as the basics of showering and eating whenever I’m hungry, but the type of sojourn I am willing to do would not be forever. It would be a refreshing reprieve where I can come back to the luxuries that I am familiar with. It would be an ideal journey if I was with a close friend or family member. I think that I would get lonely more than anything, and I think it would be fun to share the experience with a loved one. Hopefully one day I will actually do the things that I dream of. 

Take Me to California!

In my lifetime I have only been to a handful of the amazing places that are right here in the U.S.A. One place in the United States that I would love to visit is California. I don't want to go there simply because of the nice weather though. What I really want to see is the Giant Redwood trees. I have only seen pictures and heard stories about these magnificent pieces in nature, but I think it would be incredible to visit them in real life. The tallest redwood, and tallest tree on the earth, is 371.8 feet tall! Northern California has multiple state and national parks that display the beauty of these giant trees. I think the enormity of Redwoods is captivating and an experience that would blow me away. I have an interest in nature and its beauty and I think visiting one of  California's Giant Redwood tree national parks would be an awesome experience. 

A Literary Journey: Into the Wild

I can't wait to read the novel Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. It is based on the true story of a man named Christopher McCandless who left everything he had and began a new life for himself. In 1990 after his college graduation Chris dropped out of sight. He abandoned his belongings, donated all of his savings to charity,burned the money in his wallet, and changed his name. Later he began hitchhiking; making his way to Alaska. After travelling on foot, hitchhiking and living in the wilderness of Alaska for 119 days, McCandless died of starvation. Krakauer goes into depth of the wanderer's story, expanding a 9,000 word article he had written after the discovery of McCandless's corpse.  I can feel that this will be a great read and I can't wait to get into the story!

http://bibliojunkie.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/into_the_wild.jpg

Semester 2

With my first semester of high school behind me, I can say that I have learned a lot. I didn't know what to expect in terms of my classes coming into this year, but now I feel comfortable in all of them. My favorite subjects have been AP Human Geography and Honors Spanish 2. I like both of these teachers and I find the subjects interesting. My life has changed because of the new people I have met. I hope to get to know them better during the second semester. Throughout the first semester I only received one B as a quarter grade, and my goal for the second semester is to get straight A's. In the spring I plan on playing for the school badminton team, which I hear is a lot of fun. I am excited for the second semester because I am taking  an art class, and I hope to learn a lot and improve my art skills as well. My first half of the year was pretty good, but I hope that the second half is even better! Inspirational Quote: Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being positive about what could go right.

Romantic Comedy in A Midsummer Night's Dream

One of the most popular film genres of today’s movies was also popular in the time of William Shakespeare. The romantic comedy is an all-time favorite of modern movie watchers seeking light hearted entertainment. Literary Terms and Definitions defines a romantic comedy as being a “sympathetic comedy that presents the adventures of young lovers trying to overcome social, psychological, or interpersonal constraints to achieve a successful union.” Wikipedia also defines the romantic comedy and says that they have “light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles.” Writers use the romantic comedy style or genre to deliver a message while entertaining the audience with humor but also a love a story. Shakespeare didn’t refer to a play of this type as a romantic comedy but instead called it a love comedy. Shakespeare’s love comedy plays were in fact the original “rom-coms.” Love comedies were plays that ended happily, usually in a marriage. Shakespeare writes in the format of a romantic comedy in his play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to better communicate his themes of love while entertaining his audience.

            Shakespeare uses all the elements of a romantic comedy throughout his play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” including humor, a theme of love, and a happy ending. The theme of this play was delivered by the struggles that the main characters encountered. In the opening act, it is obvious that the main characters are facing obstacles in their love lives. Lysander said, “The course of true love never did run smooth,” (1.1.136). This quote completely sums up the motifs and struggles that the main characters saw. Serious parts like this were dissolved by comic relief inserted to break tension brought on by the hardships of love. As the main characters were struggling with their love lives, Shakespeare would have Bottom and his friends lift the mood with their mix up of words. One of the funniest parts of the play was the play within a play that that craftsmen performed. In the final act Bottom says, “No, in truth, sir, he should not. “Deceiving me” is Thisbe’s cue. She is to enter now and I am to spy her through the wall,” (5.1.196-198). Bottom was speaking directly to the audience, out of character from the play; something so absurd that it was funny. This and other events and lines throughout the play upheld the humorous aspect of Shakespeare’s play. Like any good romantic comedy, the play ended happily with a wedding. Theseus says, “For in the temple by and by with us/These couples shall eternally be knit,” (4.1. 187-188). The problems that the lovers faced were resolved in the end as the Duke invited them to join him in his wedding. The love themes and motifs of love being blind and irrational, along with the humor, were topped off with a happy ending making “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” a true romantic comedy.

            In modern media, such as movies and novels, romantic comedies are a common source of entertainment just as they were in Shakespeare’s day. One modern romantic comedy is the movie 27 Dresses. In this film, when the two main characters first met  they did not like each other, but despite their initial impression, they fell in love. The movie concludes with the unlikely couple getting married, just as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” does. The overall theme of this movie is that love knows no boundaries, and this is portrayed not only by the pains that the main characters see in their situation, but also by the humor in the story, and the “happily ever after” ending. Some romantic comedies are novels that take on a different twist from the original love comedies that Shakespeare wrote. These stories are still humorous and focused on love, but rather than ending in a marriage they conclude happily but open-ended. Most books by the teen author Sarah Dessen are this type of romantic comedy. Rather than ending in the traditional marriage, Dessen concludes her novels with the main characters finally overcoming their ordeals and finding love. The movie Sweet Home Alabama uses the romantic comedy approach to get across the theme that it’s never too late for love. In the end, a couple that drifted apart reunites and the two lovers get married in the end. The list of romantic comedies goes on and on, all of them having a few things in common: humor, love, ordeals, and a happy ending.  Modern romantic comedies sometimes take on a different form, but writers and producers use this genre for the same reasons that Shakespeare did.

            William Shakespeare wrote many plays including one of his most famous, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” in the format of a romantic comedy to effectively deliver the motifs and themes of his play. In modern television, writing, and cinema, romantic comedies are a societal favorite, just as they were in the Elizabethan Era. Shakespeare used the romantic comedy to communicate themes and morals in a way that wasn’t heavy and emotionally investing to the public. This format that includes romance combined with humor and a happy ending results in  happy lighthearted entertainment. The same goes for modern movies, novels, and other entertainment sources. Many people enjoy romantic comedies, but not everyone knows that they were used in the same way and for the same reasons by none other than William Shakespeare.

Works Cited

"Literary Terms and Definitions R." Literary Terms and Definitions R. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. <http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms_R.html>.

"Romantic Comedy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Jan. 2013. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic_comedy>.