The Wild Bunch

Americans sought out wilderness as a form of escape from civilization, but the very presence of humans in the wild, made these places an unnatural product of civilization. This view of nature is also harmful, as it causes humanity to detest civilization, despite the structure and safety it provides. The romanticism of Wilderness can also fundamental contributor…

“The Devil’s Highway” by Luís Alberto Urrea is a haunting story that gives life to the tragedy of twenty-six men who crossed attempted to cross from Mexico to America through the Arizona desert, with only fourteen surviving the trek. It is a story that I am familiar with, as I had to read the book for introduction to agriculture education last year. It is a book that has haunted me since and until this class I was determined not to ever read it again. This is because the images of charred…

City-dwellers and Hillbillies: An analysis of the cultural divide in James Dickey’s Deliverance James Dickey’s classic novel, Deliverance, details the troubles that befall four suburbanites on a camping trip along an unfamiliar, unfriendly river. During their trip, the friends have several encounters with locals — “hillbillies.” Lewis, Ed, Bobby and Drew — city-dwellers and proud of it — make the assumption that these natives of the Appalachian Mountains are less intelligent for having been…

The Road to Sampo directed by Lee Man-hee tells the story of 3 wandering strangers who find themselves traveling together through the snowy mountains in search of a new shot at life. On the surface, this film seems like a lighthearted journey about unexpected friendship and love. But if we look deeper, we learn about the human condition and how each character had their own personal experience that shaped them over time. As the film progresses we are able to observe how their dark pasts left…

Chris McCandless died, starving and alone in the Alaskan wilderness. His death sent shockwaves through the country, inspiring the book Into The Wild, by Jon Krakauer. Readers of Krakauer’s stirring novel have raised the question: was Chris McCandless unprepared for his escapade or did he merely suffer a cruel hand of fate? When the romance and mythology is removed from his story, it becomes clear that McCandless was in over his head from day one. Though he had enough confidence for 10 people and…

Into the Wild Chris McCandless was a bright and well brought-up young man with a heart and urge for freedom - except this time, he took it too far. After Chris graduated from college, he traveled around the country and finally made his way to Alaska; he planned to travel into the woods and live out a life of total solitude and freedom, confident he could make it out alive. To the dismay of his loved ones, just a short 16 weeks later his body was found by a group of hunters. The autopsy had…

Imagine a person you never really thought much of left a huge impact on your life and then disappeared. That is how Miles Garth left Anna and May feel after he vanished from their lives in the book There But For The by Ali Smith. Although he may have overstayed his welcome and caused a burden in a few of the characters lives, he is a charismatic person that only does things for the better of the people he cares about. Through analyzing Miles relationships with two of the main characters, it is…

If you’ve ever dreamed of escaping from the rat race and going somewhere you can live simpler life, more in tune with nature, then Life Below Zero is the reality show for you. Unlike other reality shows like Alaskan Bush people (which feels very scripted and unrealistic) there’s no question that what you see on Life Below Zero is authentic. The show follows the lives of people who live in the most remote parts of Alaska and shows viewers just what it takes to live a subsistence lifestyle. These…

The journey Chris McCandless makes into the wild is one of the most unproductive “journey” anyone has made. Chris McCandless’s journey is one that doesn 't seem to be very logical. McCandless’s proved nothing with his journey. The fact that he was not able to complete his journey due to selfishness shows the lack of intelligence Chris McCandless carried one his so call “journey”. Giving out his inheritance and college money just makes Chris sound even more childish. To add on Chris McCandless…

clueless, while others saw him as a boy who simply just followed his heart. “I just don’t understand why he had to take those kind of chances,” Billie protests through her tears. “I just don’t understand it all” (Krakauer 132). In the novel, “Into The Wild”, Jon Krakauer portrays Chris McCandless as exactly who he is. A young, reckless boy who went into the wilderness fully aware that the outcome could be fatal. Chris McCandless was a self-centered individual who irrationally ventured off on his…