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Atlanta, Georgia
"Driving west out of Atlanta, he intended to invent an utterly new life for himself, one in which he would be free to wallow in unfiltered experience. To symbolize the complete severance from his previous life, he even adopted a new name. No longer would he answer to Chris McCandless; he was now Alexander Supertramp, master of his own destiny." (pg 23) -
Importance of Atlanta, Georgia
This is where is all began. He was no longer Chris McCandless...he was Alexander Supertramp -
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
"Instead of feeling distraught over this turn of events, moreover, McCandless was exhilarated; He saw the flash flood as an opportunity to shed unnecessary baggage. He concealed the car as best he could beneath a brown tarp, stripped it of its Virginia plates, and hid them. He buried his Winchester deer-hunting rifle and a few other possessions that he might one day want to recover." (pg 29) -
Importance of Lake Mead National Recreation Area
This stop is where McCandless really leaves society. Because a flash flood ruined the motor of his yellow Datsun, he decided it was an opportunity to leave it behind along with some other possessions. McCandless really absorbed the Transcendentalist spirit by leaving much of his supplies, including his beloved yellow Datsun, behind in Lake Mead National Recreation Area. -
Importance of Jan Burres
Since Jan and her husband were one of the first people to help McCandless, it really adds to the journey. They gave McCandless motivation and inspiration because they themselves lived on the road. They let Chris stay with them for a week in their van...a true hippie trio. -
Jan Burres
"So I said to Bob, 'Man , we got to take this kid with us. You need to school him about some things.' Alex took a ride from us for a week. He was a really good kid. We thought the world of him. When we left, we never expected to hear from him again, but he made a point of staying in touch. For the next two years Alex sent us a postcard every month or two." (pg 31) -
Wayne Westerberg
"Before departing, he gave Westerburg a treasured 1942 edition of Tolstoy's War and Peace. On the title page he inscribed, "Transferred to Wayne Westerberg from Alexander. October, 1990. Listen to Pierre." (The latter is a reference to Tolstoy's protagonist and alter ego, Pierre Bezuhov-altruistic, questing, illegitimately born.) And McCandless stayed in touch with Westerberg as he roamed the West, calling or writing Carthage every month or two." (pg 19) -
Importance of Westerberg
Wayne Westerberg is really one of the only people Chris chose to become close to on his trip. He ended up visiting Carthage twice, which is astonishing because Chris did not like to be anywhere for very long. Wayne gave Chris employment in the grain elevator operation which helped Chris get back on his feet for Alaska. Westerberg and McCandless were both very intelligent. McCandless appreciated his company no doubt because the pair of them were so much alike. -
Carthage, South Dakota
"McCandless quickly became enamored of Carthage. He liked the communtity's statis, its plebeian virtues and unassuming mien. The place was a back eddy. a pool of jetsam beyond the pull of the main current, and that suited him just fine. That fall he developed a lasting bond with both the town and Wayne Westerberg." (pg 18-19) -
Importance of Carthage
Carthage was like Chris' second home. It is important to the journey because since Chris visited there twice, It shows he had an attatchment there. In a way, it shows his weak spot. Here, McCandless was able to meet caring friends who offered him employment and a good time. This is the most important stop in the McCandless excursion. -
Importance of El Golfo de Santa Clara
El Golfo de Santa Clara proves to be one of the scariest parts of the journey for McCandless. By being the scariest, this stop is important because it humbles McCandless. It shows him what Mother Nature can really do, even to the best of us. While being in the ocean, he also discovers that water is not near as kind to him as walking on land is. It is here that he decides to abandon the water forever. -
El Golfo de Santa Clara
"he screams and beats conoe with oar. The oar breaks. Alex has one spare oar. He calms himself. If loses second oar is dead. Finally through extreme effort and much cursing he manages to beach canoe on jetty and collapses exhausted on the sand at sundown. This incident led Alexander to decide to abandon canoe and return north." (pg 36) -
Ocean Fiasco
"On January 16, McCandless left the stubby metal boat on a hummock of dune grass southeast of El Golfo de Santa Clara..." (pg 36) -
Importance of Ocean Fiasco
McCandless was very confidenet that he could have handled what nature cooked up for him...but he under estimated the ocean. This event of the coast of California really shook Chris up. It is important because it made Chris realize how sometimes Mother Nature can win. -
Bullhead City, Arizona
"In a card he mailed to Westerberg in October, he says of Bullhead, "It's a good place to spend the winter and I might finally settle down and abandon my tramping life, for good. I'll see what happens when spring comes around, because that's when I tend to get really itchy feet." (pg 39) -
Importance of Bullhead City, Arizona
McCandless actually considered staying in Bullhead City and making a life for himself. This is an important stop because he was tempted to go back to a normal lifestye instead of being a wandering hobo which was completely against his original goal. While in Bullhead City, McCandless gets a job at a McDonalds which is confusing because McDonalds seems pretty conforming rather than the hippie style McCandless preferred. -
The Slabs
"One afternoon while McCandless was tending the book table at the Niland swap meet, somebody left a portable electric organ with Burres to sell on consignment. "Alex took it over and entertained everybody all day playing it," she says. "He had an amazing voice. He drew quite a crowd. Until then I never knew he was musical." (pg 45) -
Importance of The Slabs
While working for Jan Burres and her husband Bob, McCandless was able to return to the hippie hitchhiker lifestyle. He had recently left his McDonalds job and left the idea of living a normal life behind. The Slabs offered some work and fun distraction from his journey. -
Ronald A. Franz
"Ron, I really enjoy all the help you have given me and the times that we spent together. I hope that you will not be too depressed by our parting. It may be a very long time before we see each other again. But providing that I get through this Alaskan Deal in one piece you will be hearing from me again in the future." (pg 56) -
Importance of Franz
Like many of the other individuals in the book, Franz gave Chris a ride. Unlike the others, Franz acted as a grandfatherly character who cared more about Chris than Chris cared about him. Franz kept Chris fed, bought him supplies, and taught him the skill of leatherworking. When it came time for Chris is leave, he encouraged Franz to live a lifestyle like him. He encouarged Franz to live freely in the west and Franz did just that.This "stop" is important because of the impact Chris left behind. -
Importance of Gail Borah
Gail got to witness Chris McCandless actually being scared in his journy. When he bid Borah and Westerberg goodbye, he cried in Borah's arms. More than anything, Borah acted as a friend to McCandless. She was part of a bond that Chris was afraid to loose if anything were to happen in Alaska. -
Gail Borah
"When McCandless hugged Borah good-bye, she says, "I noticed he was crying. That fightened me, He wasn't planning on being gone all that long; so I figured he wouldn't have been crying unless he intended to take some big risks and knew he might not be coming back. That's when I started having a bad feeling that we wouldn't never see Alex again." (pg 68) -
Leaving Carthage
"On the morning of April 15, everybody gathered at the elevator to see McCandless off." (pg 68) -
Importance of leaving Carthage
In order to fully complete his journey, Chris had to leave Carthage. This was hard for him. He knew he might not return. -
Jim Gallien
"Gallien's wife had packed him two grilled-cheese-and-tuna sandwiches and a bag of corn chips for lunch; he persuaded the young hitchhiker to accept the food as well. Alex pulled a camera from his backpack and asked Gallien to snap a picture of him shouldering his rifle at the trailhead. Then, smiling broadly, he dissapeared down the snow-covered track. The date was Tuesday, April 28, 1992." (pg 7) -
Importance of Stampede Trail
This was the gold at the end of the rainbow for McCandless. Since this was the heart of his journey, the significance is overwhelming. However, simply the fact that McCandless reached the Stampede Trail, is amazing. -
Importance of Gallien
Gallien is the last person McCandless leaves before entering the true wilderness. Gallien tries to warn Chris of the various dangers that the Stampede Trail may hold by intimidating him with starvation and bear stories. Jim Gallien is important to the McCandless journey because he was Chris' last chance to change his mind. When Chris did not listen to Gallien, it shows that Chris was ready to enter the wilderness. -
Stampede Trail, Alaska
I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I felt in myself a superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet life.
Leo Tolstoy
Passage found highlighted in one of the books found with Chris McCandless's remains -
Starvation
"S.O.S. I NEED YOUR HELP. I AM INJURED, NEAR DEATH, AND AM 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, CHRIS MCCANDLESS. AUGUST ? (pg 12) -
Importance of Starvation
At this point in time, this experience for McCandless is not going well. He understands that his time is limited. However, judging by the S.O.S. note, McCandless wants to rely on OTHERS to be saved. This is completely against what he believes and really changes the story a bit. Is he afraid of death? (pg 12)
