Imagine being in agony while having to travel hundreds of miles in the cold for science. A high number of people would almost certainly give up, and let nature win the battle. However, Douglas Mawson was one of the few who kept hope, and refused to give up. Mawson went through many life threatening scenarios while exploring uncharted territory in Antarctica. The scenarios included frost bite, loss of resources, no shelter, and more. The article “Into the Unknown” showed that Mawson battled many more struggles for science research then Henrietta Lacks and Phineas Gage. Mawson's mission was to gather in a team, and explore the areas of Antarctica that have not been researched. Mawson completed his mission, however came back at the end by himself. …show more content…
The mission was placed in Antarctica,and because of the climate it was harder then usual to keep warm. However, Mawson and his team were caught up in a dilemma of losing most of their dogs to pull the sled ,and some resources to have a protected shelter. Mawson nearly starved to death, and had frostbite multiple times.In addition, Mawson fell off of an edge, almost falling to his death. Despite all he went through he decided it was best to keep going. He pulled himself up to safety. However, Mawson did not just keep going for himself. He knew there was a team of scientists counting on him to bring his research to them. Furthermore, Mawson not only tried to save himself constantly he also did not want to leave without his friend a quote from the article that showed this is“If he cannot go on 8 or 10 miles a day, in a day or two we are doomed. I could pull through myself with the provisions at hand but I cannot leave him.” Unlike Phineas Gage and Henrietta Lacks, Mawson voluntarily traveled to Antarctica for research knowing the dangers and sacrifices he would have to make. Overall, Mawson completed his mission, and the scientists got the research they needed to help people find more answers about …show more content…
After all, a pole did go through his head, and he was kind enough to share his experience with science. However, he did not volunteer, his experience just happened out of nowhere, it was a one time experience for him, and he was fine in the end. In addition, Henrietta Lacks was not alive while scientists were researching her. She had a rough life before she got cancer, and she sadly lost the battle. Furthermore, sadly multiple people go through cancer, and it is not rare, she did not go through more struggles then Mawson for science research. Both Gage and Lacks did not experience multiple life threatening situations. They also did not lose multiple loved ones such as people and animals. Another difference would be they both did not travel thousands of miles to a different part of the world, then walk hundreds of miles for research. In addition to this Mawson had to face the fear of not knowing if he was going to make it back to where he started. In brief, Gage and Lacks had a great impact on science research, but their experiences could not compare with Mawson's
Many people he met on his journey tried to talk him out of going, but he kept insisting that this trip was necessary. The last two flaws of his character are that he is too independent and overconfident. McCandless went on the trip alone and believed that if he put his mind to it, he could accomplish anything. In McCandless’s case, this obviously did not work well since he did not obtain all the tools needed and he did not bring anyone to aid him on his
...and the great scientific achievements that followed were very interesting to me and very well written by Rebecca Skloot. But what made it all so real for me, was the personal story of Henrietta and her family. The frustration of the family and the lack of information that was given by the scientists really made me angry. These people suffered from so much injustice, why did no one made a small effort to explain it to them all? Reading about the health problems The story of the Lackes really visualizes the problems in science before, and the need to resolve them. In the end, the most important lesson learnt is that human tissue used for research shouldn’t be used in such a materialistic way, but it should be handled with in a respectful and ethical way.
One important part was in the seventh paragraph. It is talking about how Nini’s died by falling down a huge crevasse. It says, “There was no sign of Ninnis or the sledge.” (“Into the Unknown”). In Lacks’ story she was already dead so we don't know about the physical adversities she went through before she died. Second most important, Mawson had to bury his friend who was the only other person with him on the journey. In the 17th paragraph his says, “Mawson buried his friend, still in the sleeping bag,” so Mawson had to go through the horror of burying his friend (“Into the Unknown”). Lastly, many times Mawson said that this was the end and he was going to die. Just imagine you being in this situation and putting yourself in his
He ventures into merciless terrain of Alaska and unfortunately, as he was not adequately prepared for the life in
... the milky crisp mountains of Alaska, it was everything he imagined it to be. However his burgeoning haplessness ended in the tragedy of his death. Though he abated in a world of reverie, he found enough energy to say his impeccable goodbyes to his loved ones and family. McCandless like a judge in the Supreme Court of the United States was justified in the absence of attending his life with his family and was not a fool for doing so. Though his incredible journey ended in demise, it was a feat for him and all of those who loved him. To quote Henry David Thoreau , “I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
In Jon Krakauer’s non-fiction novel Into the Wild, the well off, upper-middle-class, Chris McCandless disappears, donating all of his savings to charity and hitchhiking to Alaska to live off the land, but 119 days later he is found having starved to death at the age of 24. Chris McCandless was and is a very heavily discussed topic due to the mysteries of how he died. His “Great American Odyssey” was short, but lack of divulging his plan to anyone else left it in a shroud of guesswork and minimal evidence. But despite that there is just enough evidence to show that Chris McCandless was for the most part, at fault for his own death. There is a strong claim, on the other hand, that McCandless’ death was attributed to a series of unfortunate events that were out of his control.
It was very strange to see another human/carriage on the ice. It was a shock to the crew to see a single man on a sled dragged by dogs through the Northern Sea. Comparing to a well equipped ship, the sled looked like a deadly ride. As mentioned earlier, you could only see the endless ice surrounding them and they couldn?t believe that a single man would travel far from the Big Land. However, the man on the sled was a gigantic stature and most likely he was a strong and brave man.
In 1914, a great leader began a great expedition, unbeknownst to him that instead of being known as great explorers, they would be known as some of the greatest survivors. This man was Sir Ernest Shackelton and he was determined to be the first to cross the Antarctic. Little did he know, his biggest challenge would end up being his ability to lead his team to survival. He also had no idea that their tale of strength, determination, and courage to survive would influence people well into the 21st century, and the book detailing their stories would be used as a model of leadership. As our group read this book, it was evident that Shackleton was a truly motivated and successful leader as we have come to understand one to be. His ability to successfully lead a team played a significant role in their survival.
Douglass’s narrative shines a glaring light on slavery through the eyes of slaves themselves. The story of Douglass’s life as a slave and his growth into the man that he ultimately became is nothing short of awe inspiring. The way Covey tried to break Douglass only strengthened him in the end. The abolitionist movement, no, the world would not be the same, had Frederick Douglass not been born.
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 ...
An essential part of Krakauer's argument rests upon convincing the reader that he has the authority to accurately interpret the facts of McCandless’s life. His attempt begins in chapter fourteen, where his main focus is explaining why he thinks McCandless did not go to Alaska seeking death. Krakauer establishes his credibility by drawing upon his own experiences and comparing them to McCandless’s. “If something captured my undisciplined imagination, I pursued it with a zeal bordering on obsession...” (134). This passion, he believes, is the same feeling McCandless felt while traveling across the country. At age 23, only a year younger than McCandless at the time he went to Alaska, Krakauer's preferred thrill was mountain climbing (135). During ...
He had a thrill for adventure. If Jans theory of Christopher McCandless to be mentally ill or suicidal was correct he would not have reached out for help when he became sick and near death. “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 this evening. Thank you, Christ McCandless. August?” (pg. 12) McCandless wrote this letter when he was near death, he also left a handmade signal flag out of a red knitted leg warmer that was knotted to the end of an alder branch by the bus’s rear exit. This proves that McCandless was not suicidal because if he was he would not have ever tried to reach out for help, instead he would not do anything to make sure he did
Jan Burres, in the story seems to be the mother figure that McCandless always wanted in his life. Looking into McCandless life, to the naked eye it seems that he had it all it almost seems that he even had a perfect life. McCandless was very successful in school, his parents owned their own company which gave them plenty of money, and his sister was his best friend and the only person he could truly confide in. McCandless, it can be said, was very fortunate and lived comfortably. However, in the book, Krakauer explains that when McCandless’s parents argued they would drag their children into their verbal disagreements and force them to take sides. As a result of this McCandless did not have a caring loving mother figure in his life. When McCandless met Jan Burres on his journey he immediately sought out the mother figure he always wanted in his life. Jan Burres demonstrates how naive McCandless was. In the book, Krakauer claims that Jan Burres said, “‘So I said to Bob, ‘Man we got to take this kid with us. You need to school him about some things.’”(30). Burres could clearly see the McCandless was just too naive and helpless to be wandering around the country. In order to complete such a treacherous task, McCandless should have experienced semi adventures and journeys by himself first before doing it all at once. With experience McCandless would have gained the knowledge on what
...s was at peace. Chris McCandless died happy and at peace with life because of the all the sights he had seen, all the people he had met, and ultimately the goal he had wanted to achieve was at his fingertips. He did not make it out of the “Great Alaska,” but he died trying. He had survived one hundred plus days. He had walked all over America. He had met some amazing tramps along the way. He had caused heartbreak, but he helped thousands. I believe, based on the fact that he stated he would write a book upon his return, all he wanted to be a legend and have a legacy. He did just that. Chris has died over ten years ago, and here I am in the tenth grade learning about his eventful life. Chris ‘Alexander Supertramp’ McCandless had lived an eventful life in his twenty-four years of living than most do in their one hundred years of life. His legacy will live on forever.
...emselves. They endure mosquitoes and rain and tough walking and bad river crossings and the possibility of bears. The burden the pilgrims carry to the bus is so heavy, laden with their frailties and hopes and desires, with their lives that don’t quite satisfy. Well, so many of them are young, and they’re lost, somehow, just as he was.” What makes Chris McCandless such a hero to young men is that he is easily relatable to those young men. As Neal Karlinsky writes of Chris McCandless,“McCandless tramped his way across North America determined to live completely free of the trappings of modern society. He was intoxicated by nature and the idea of a great Alaskan adventure — to survive in the bush totally on his own. In his last postcard to a friend, he wrote: "I now walk into the wild."