When Christopher justifies his reasoning as to why he would be a successful astronaut, it is clear that he tends to make decisions with his brain, not his heart. In this quote, his inclination to thinking logically rather than emotionally becomes evident, which can be supported with scenes later in the book.
In a literal sense, this quote shows that Christopher is considering his future careers and would like to be an astronaut. Though eventually realizes that he cannot actually become an astronaut because of his mental condition, he takes a moment to consider what it would be like and why he would be successful as an astronaut despite his autism. Although he is imagining something that will never be, he thinks logically about what the job would entail, not just the fantasy aspect. Most kids his age would probably only think about flying into space, maybe seeing aliens and other somewhat trivial things. Christopher however thinks in a more realistic fashion and considers what he would bring with him in the rocket ship, why he wouldn’t get homesick, how he would go about his exploration of outer space and what ways he would communicate with scientists back on Earth. He also says directly that he wouldn’t mind being alone, and he wouldn’t get homesick because he would be thoroughly enjoying his time exploring outer space. Other kids wouldn’t enjoy the extensive solitude of it, yet Chris almost implies that he would prefer it. He says he’ll never get homesick because of the computers and machines, which he likes. This exemplifies just how different Christopher is from his peers in his way of thinking. He doesn’t mind being alone, much unlike the other children his age.
This quote speaks volumes figuratively about Christopher’s wa...
... middle of paper ...
.... He prefers to be responsible for his own fate rather and make his choices using the information that is unchanging and set in stone, because he feels like he cannot be wrong. Because of this, he reacts badly to changes and feels unhinged and disturbed when things that he thought he could rely on have suddenly changed. He can’t adjust to modifications in his life, and in this quote he explains his opposition to using emotions and intuitions to make his decision. Christopher would much rather use the knowledge and things that he is sure of than take a chance and go with his instincts in contrast to other kids his age.
Overall, Christopher is incredibly different from his peers in his way of thinking. While other people may use their instincts to make decisions and don’t enjoy solitude, Christopher prefers the reassurance of concrete facts and things set in stone.
Chris believes that if he too the ticket from Wayne that would be a shortcut, an easy way out. Chris believes that the voyage is just as important as the destination. One example of this is on Page 67 Chapter 7 “Once Alex made his mind up about something, there was no changing it.” This quote shows Chris’s stubbornness and how he is determined to get to Alaska as he intended, the long way. Another quote showing that he lives to his own words, and wouldn’t take a shortcut is on Page 68 Chapter 7, when Chris sent a postcard to Wayne saying “April 18 Arrived in Whitefish this morning on a freight train. I am making good time. Today I will jump the border and turn north for Alaska. Give my regards to everyone.” TAKE CARE ,
Christopher McCandless can be described as a thrill seeker for many reasons.One example is he would always be thinking about adventure and always wanted to be on the move. On page 45, it states “I thought Alex had lost his mind when he told us about his ‘great Alaskan odyssey’ as he called it. But he was really excited about it. Couldn’t stop thinking about his trip.” This shows that he was ready to go and explore and to be able to go where he wanted. Another example is he would write down everything he was doing day by day as it was his own little adventure book. “The trip was to be an odyssey in the fullest sense of the world, an epic journey that would change everything.” found on page 22. Therefore Chris would go on about how he would make it on his own to where he wanted to go. From these examples, it is clear that Chris made
“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, it’s what’s inside counts” This quote reminds people about how they should not judge other people from the outside but look deep into their true personalities. Looking from the appearance and how Chris lives, everyone would assume that Chris is a crazy, foolish person and does everything without thinking. If people try to know more about Chris, they would have different perspective. Chris is intelligent, determined, independent and follows what he believes. He went into the wilderness to escape from the society that tries to suppress him and look for the meaning of life.
Although living this life is not always easy for Chris, he embarks on this adventure to achieve what truly matters to him in life.
Although Christopher McCandless was intelligent young man, he could’ve been a little more considerate of the fact that he wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild. To be able to survive without civilization, it requires experience and awareness of what’s to be expected. Christopher McCandless was not familiar with this type of environment, therefore he couldn’t survive. He was brave and fearless leaving everything behind and burning most of his belongings. Starting over is a hard thing to do, but getting rid of your old self may not be the best idea.
He went through many obstacles that could have proved fatal. From canoeing in the Colorado River to picking the right berries, he was testing his intelligence. Chris had a true confidence in the land and in himself to set out on a mission so dangerous. “Wilderness appealed to those bored or disgusted with man and his works. It not only offered an escape from society but also was an ideal stage for the Romantic individual to exercise the cult that he frequently made of his own soul. The solitude and total freedom of the wilderness created a perfect setting for either melancholy or exaltation” (Nash; Krakauer 157). Chris longed to escape from society and rely on only mother nature. An innumerable amount of people desire to withdraw from society as Chris did; but they are so comfortable and secure with a normal life they do not dare take such a gutsy
Christopher’s father, Ed Boone and his mother, Judy Boone both have one important trait or aspect that they share together which is their way of showing their love and protection towards their child. In this case, that would be Christopher. A quote that Christopher’s father said in the book that supports this answer is “”And Father said,”Christopher, do you understand that I love you.” This shows how he desperately wants his son to love him despite all of his efforts in trying to prevent Christopher from knowing about the truth that he is hiding. A quote that Christopher’s mother saying in the book is, “Christopher, I never meant to hurt you. I thought that what I was doing was the best for all of us. I hope it is. And I want you to know that this is not your fault.” This demonstrates that she really cares about Christopher in what is right which is leaving the house just like what his father believes that it was the best decision in preventing Christopher to know the truth about his mother.
.... Like Christopher, he also tries to find a pattern which will enable him to make sense of his world.
...though Christopher functions more like a computer than a human, but he possesses the ability to think independently, which over all else represents a human characteristic. No machine can operate efficiently without being instructed and following exact orders. Christopher also needs to be told exactly what to do because the vagueness of common phrases is confusing to him, but knows that people break rules and also knows that he can make decisions for himself. On his journey to find his mother, Christopher makes the decision to break away from all of his rules in order to find her. He is able to go to London against almost all odds, and does so by stepping out of his comfort zone and into a world of uncertainty. Even though he uses computer-like thinking to come to the conclusion of going to his mother, it is his underlying human qualities that make the trip possible.
At the beginning of the story, he told many incidents of the past of screaming in situations where mass amounts of people were in the same area as him. However, near the end of the novel we see him riding on a train and reaching his mother by himself. This realization of self-worth and ability to do anything he sets his mind to was a major lesson that throughout the book Christopher learned. Also, since Christopher is on the autism spectrum when he learned about complex facial expressions, such as worried or scared, it was an important lesson about human nature and communication. During the course of the novel, Christopher discovered his self-worth and the meanings of complex facial expressions. After reading this novel, I learned that the lessons you learn are based largely on where you start and the things you
McCandless, an intelligent child to say the least, was frustrated with orders by anyone. He wanted to do things his way or no way and he does this throughout his life. Whether it was getting an F in physics because he refused to write lab reports a certain way (an F was something that was never on McCandless report card) or not listening to advice from his parents to the extreme of leaving society to go into the wilderness, McCandless definitely was not a follower. His parents were told by one of his teachers at an early age that Chris "marched to the beat of his own drummer". Chris never lost his ability to do things the way he wanted and when he wanted to do them. After receiving his diploma from Emory in 1990 he set off on a two-year escapade that would eventually end his life but in my opinion, if Chris could start over he would probably not do things much differently. I think he would still donate his $25,000 to an organization, leave his car in the woods, burn the remainder of his money, and hitch-hiked across the United States. The only thing he might do differently is finding a way not to starve to death at the end of the novel.
In chapter 71, Christopher says people have “special needs”. Christopher sees himself as a very smart student, but a picky person as well. Christopher likes math and reading a lot, so he decided to take level A math and physics in his school. He knows that it has never been done in his school which is why he wants to take level A math and physics and be able to get a level A grade. Christopher deals with the fact that his know differently from others by taking these level A classes. A quote from the book “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”, in chapter 83, Christopher says he can be a very good astronaut. “I think I would be a very good astronaut. To be a good astronaut you have to be intelligent and I’m very intelligent. You
Living in the wilderness is difficult, but understanding the meaning of such lifestyle is even more difficult. One of the Christopher’s admirable qualities was that he was well aware of what he was doing. He knew about the difficulties and dangers that he would face into the wilderness, and was mentally prepared for that. Author Jon Krakauer says that “McCandless was green, and he overestimated his resilience, but he was sufficiently skilled to last for sixteen weeks on little more than his wits and ten pounds of rice. And he was fully aware when he entered the bush that he had given himself a perilously slim margin for error. He knew precisely what was at stake” (182). McCandless was an educated youth, who loved nature and dreamed of living in the Alaskan wilderness. Although he ignored to take many necessary things with him on this
...se, McCandless replies, “Hell no…how I feel myself is none of the government’s business” (Krakauer 6). With this statement, Chris demonstrates that he is the ultimate non-conformist, that he is an individualist. “He needed his solitude at times, but he wasn’t a hermit. He did a lot of socializing. Sometimes I think it was like he was storing up company for the times when he knew nobody would be around” (Krakauer 45). With that said, Chris understood the importance of being his own person, with his own ideas and views and his own way of thinking so that others could not manipulate him along the way. He realized that the only way for him to find his own freedom and peace was to be self-centered and to put himself before others without others polluting his sense of existence.
Though Christopher is aware of these facts about himself, this no lessens his struggles for self and social acceptance. His self, although different than most, still seeks validation and approval. On the other hand, Christopher seeks a world with people like him, or no one at all. Therefore, he simultaneously attempts to understand others and wishes he did not have to do