Grizzly Man is a documentary produced in 2005 by Discovery Docs and Lions Gate Entertainment. Grizzly man depicts Timothy Treadwell’s lifework. Timothy spent thirteen summers in Alaska at Katmai National Park. He meticulously filmed over 100 hours of video and repeated narrative takes up to 15 times. Timothy had a unique relationship with the animals he encountered. He was searching for himself and believed that bears gave him life where he had none. He connected to the bears and mimicked their actions. He wanted the bears to accept him as one of their own. His colleagues either respected his relationship with bears or thought he was crazy and going to get himself killed. His love and awe of these deadly creatures led to his death. A bear killed Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend …show more content…
His passion for animals helped give him a sense of who he was again. He believed man could be one and live in harmony with all animals. He would spend his summers watching and interacting with grizzly bears. He named each of them and talked to them like a friend. He tried to understand their way of life. He picked up several of their characteristics. He even tried to scare off these dangerous animals and try to be the alpha. He wanted so much to be one of their own he did not really perceive the danger he was in. He had no form of protection and most of the time was alone. The pilot would not be back until the meet time at the end of the season. He was essentially on his own in their habitat. As much as he loved the animals, I do not think the severity of the situation was real to him. Bears are a very wild animal. Ultimately, this choice to travel without any protection led to his demise. It is great to think that man and nature can become one. We all could use to think more about animals. We have endangered so many species by cutting down forests and destroying their homes. Future generations will miss out on the beauty of animals such as the tiger,
seem to be lacking common sense and was also unprepared for the wild. He made friends very
situations. He went to Alaska unprepared which cost him his life. He left his family without
All three adventurers displayed their affection for the wilderness through how they lived after leaving society. After reaching Fairbanks, Alaska, McCandless set up his camp and began to live off the wildlife nearby. In his journal, he noted what he caught each day and showed his gratefulness through his writing font. He believed that “it [wildlife] was morally indefensible to waste any part of an animal that has been shot for food” (166). He tried his best to preserve the animals he shot for food, which in turn displayed his thoughts of nature as something precious.
In this paper Martin is arguing that late quaternary or near time extinctions where caused by human activity or as he calls it “overkill”. Martin recognizes that there have been many forces that have triggered extinctions in the planet on the past but disagrees with the idea that near time extinctions where caused by some commonly believed causes like climate change, disease or nutrient shortage. He argues that the arrival of humans to different continents, islands and the subsequent excessive hunting, the introduction of diseases and other competitors and predators was the cause of extinction of a great number of species “As our species spread to various continents we wiped out their large
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
... middle of paper ... ... He did not turn into an animal, who only thinks of survival, but he shared his food with the people he loved. Therefore, one can conclude that one can see the theme of inhumanity through survival.
He took everything in his life to the extreme. As stated earlier, “It is hardly unusual for a young man to be drawn to a pursuit considered reckless by his elders; engaging in risky behavior is a rite of passage in our culture no less than in most others. Danger has always held a certain allure….”(Krakauer 182). People want to live while their young, therefore they take risks. However, what McCandless did was more than just risk taking. He contained something along the lines of an excessive hubris. ‘“He didn’t think the odds applied to him. We were always trying to pull him back from the edge,” vocalizes Walt McCandless (Krakauer 109). Trudging into the vast Alaskan wilderness without proper provisions is taking the extreme too far. As Krakauer states, “...[Chris] was fully aware when he entered the brush that he he had given himself a perilously slim margin for error” (182). Only someone with an extensive hubris would commit an act so dangerous and be confident in their survival. Although he lent himself to a handful of stupid mistakes, McCandless was far from an idiot. Even though the extreme he took his Alaska adventure to was ill-advised, there is something about Chris that is almost admirable. Many people have dreams and passions that get shoved into an old chest and are never to be visited again. In today’s society it seems as though everyone is
Since time immemorial, society has become increasingly complex, leading otherwise successful people to retreat to their origins. This is often due to an inability to adapt and find true happiness in mainstream civilization. The case of Christopher McCandless from the film Into the Wild is no exception to this rule. Mr. McCandless divests himself of his identity and retreats to the wilderness of Alaska. This journey was what eventually led to his ultimate demise. While it is clear that he was courageous in embarking on this quest, it was unfounded in logic and born of arrogance, stupidity and recklessness. Mr. McCandless knowingly demonstrated a lack of regard for his own life and safety by making several poor decisions. Moreover, he carelessly and selfishly gave up a life of privilege that many covet. Furthermore, Mr. McCandless showed regret for his decisions, further proving his initial recklessness. Based on this, it is clear that Christopher McCandless’ reckless actions that led to his death were founded in arrogance and stupidity. For this reason, he must take responsibility for the ultimate outcome.
McCandless is a very independent person, a person with high hopes, that has a lot of courage, and is a very brave man for going out by himself in the wild of Alaska of the Stampede Trail. Chris McCandless had a lot of courage on going to Alaska by himself at a young age. While Chris was at any city or anybody’s house, he was ready to go to Alaska. But while he was there, close to the end of his life, he left a note on the back of the bus saying, “S.O.S I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here i am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of god, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return by evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August?” Chris McCandless was by himself at the time. He shows his courage because while by himself, he went back out even though he was near death. He went out for food. Food for his health. That shows how much courage he had for his trip. Chris McCandless encouraged many young men to ...
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
With all of that said, Herzog presents Timothy as looking both foolish and in a sense irresponsible for going to the Alaskan wilderness alone to watch and study grizzly bears without any prior training with the animals. Never shying away from how Timothy died, Herzog had an obligation to document ethically and truthfully, but in a way did not to the full extent. Though even the national park rangers claimed he was harassing the wildlife, Timothy truly believed in what he was doing and was wrongfully portrayed for who he was. In Introduction to Documentary: Second Edition by Bill Nichols (pg. 138), Nichols even states that “Grizzly Man explores the life of a specific disenfranchised and/or marginalized individual,
To start with, McCandless was not someone who gave up. Despite others trying to scare him out of continuing with his journey into the Alaskan wilderness, nothing deterred McCandless. He anxiously awaited to experience life off the land. The people McCandless encountered on his way to Alaska often commented on his determination. Jim Gallien, a man who drove McCandless into the Alaska interior, described McCandless as “real gung-ho”. McCandless's attempt to undertake such a risky endeavour is something to admire in itself. To travel two years, mostly on foot, is certainly not an easy task. However, McCandless still persevered through the hardships he faced throughout his journey. McCandles...
... every aspect of his life whether it be his education, physical endurance, or making it through the Alaskan wilderness with nothing more than a rifle, a backpack, and a road map. Chris was aware of his differences and that he did not fit into society. He fully embraced that and and chose to lead his own path. Chris led a happy life according to one of his last journal entries he wrote, “I have had a happy life and thank the lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!” (Krakauer 199). Chris was willing to risk everything to gain that happiness. His ambition to enter the wilderness, in the end, took his life but that did not stop him. He would have rather died a happy man than lived a miserable one. Chris ventured out into the wilderness and found himself; a tragic story for a tragic hero.
All in all, it is interesting how the trials of life can lead a person into an awakening that inspires millions. Many people believe that walking “into the wild” to live off the land and find himself alone in nature was arrogant, foolish and irresponsible. Chris lacks of knowledge about the wild was a major factor in his death. Chris did not plan how he will survive in the wilderness without proper equipments. He misunderstood that he would have no problem in setting in the wild. Chris immature manner and decisions lead him to starvation and ultimately death. If he planned it out in the beginning he would have saved his life.
The only world the man truly accustomed to, is his own. Never being exposed to such a harsh climate. draws us to the conclusion that the environment is the determining factor. of his survival, as well as his dogs too. Anything that the man and his dog comes into contact with, creates an anticipation for disaster in the story.