Revisions..

I would probably say that my best papers are those that are related to Into the Wild and reflect my best pieces of writing. They unpack the quotes and provide a strong central argument in the defense of Chris McCandless. My research paper probably needs the most work, as I'm still changing my main argument as well as my primary sources.

Chris

The end result of Chris' death and the explanation that Krakeur gave, made me feel some kind of sympathy for Chris. He nearly achieved something truly unique if it hadn't been for a couple of seeds that had gotten in his way. Had I been his parents I would have wanted to visit the scene and have known what Chris was looking at when he died as well as what kind of conditions he was under.

Primary Source

My primary source is Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin. Griffin artificially darkened his skin for six weeks, going to the South and writing about his experiences. The book helped to shed light on the problem of racism and the absurd point that it had reached in America. Griffin went to places where few white people dared to venture into learning more about the reality of African Americans. The book became a major reality check and served for a martyr for equal rights in an America which was strictly divided.

Research Proposal

My research paper analyzes domestic violence in the United States and how this is connected to an extremely patriarchal society. ''Burning Bed'' is a unique example of this because the violence escalated to the point were the wife burned her husband alive. The resulting trial raised serious questions, and the movie contributed to pushing the agenda of feminists and fighting against domestic violence proposing serious consequences for those who commited these actions.

Patricia Show Don't Tell

Patricia wants writers to understand that the principle of writing, is to get their point across through inferences and predicaments in their essays. Her main point is that writers have to avoid directly stating their arguments, they should do it in a way that is concise and doesn't directly give away everything. Ultimately this applies to both novels and school essays, in these Patricia wants you to use both the show and tell scarcely in order to get your point across.

Chris and Writers

All of Chris's heroes were idealist and naturalists, they only observed the wild from a distance not daring to venture into it. Their novels were based on fiction depicting the romance inherent in nature. Jack London is a good example of this he wrote most of his novels in the safety of his home in Alaska, his lonely nature and his alcohol problem eventually cost him his life. These writers would have never dared go into the wild were they would become exposed and would not last more then a week. Chris either overlooked or was completly oblivious to the fact that these writers did not pursue the wild in the way that he did.

McCandless Family Issues

McCandless' want to go to the wild came from the problems that he developed at home with his parents. The double life of his dad and the pressure to succeed in life eventually boiled into frustration and hate, the only place where he found peace after what he had been through was the peaceful wild. This turned into his refuge and his sanctuary where he could escape the torments of the world and finally find inner peace.