I mostly disagree with the person who said, “nothing positive at all about Chris McCandless’ lifestyle or wilderness doctrine …surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human it makes you damn lucky” because I think certain aspects of Chris's life were admirable. He pursued a new lifestyle, experienced something beyond his knowledge, and stood in the shoes of thousands of people who suffer from starvation. I also believe it is possible for you to become a better person by going through struggles and a near death experience. However, I don't think his choices and actions are completely positive. He didn't really consider his family and he passed up an oppurtunity to help others more in the long run.

In my opinion, Chris McCandless did many things that can be seen as admirable. He set out on a journey, pursued a dream of his, and became a whole new person. McCandless went through Arizona, California, Alaska, and all sorts of other places experiencing new things. People who experience new things and are open to being adventurous is something I personally admire because you meet different people, learn about different cultures, and know how it is to be in someone else's shoes. Pursuing a dream was also something I found inspiring because many people live their whole lives not experiencing what they really want to do. I look at his determination like college, many people drop out but for the people who stick in there, they earn their degree. Chris is seen as someone who "stuck in there" and lived out his travels and I'm sure he felt accomplished in his own way which would sort of symbolize "his degree". I think it was admirable of him to look at the world and say, "I'm not going to go to college, I want to pursue something else." because society strongly hints, "If you go to college and get a good education and good grades, you will become successful." so it makes you think, "Wait, why doesn't he take the sure fire way to becoming successful?" He found his own self success and it's noble of him to go down route with an unknown future, a risky investment.

Furthermore, I feel that a near death experience can make someone a better person
In the letter, the writer said, “...surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human it makes you damn lucky” and I disagree with that. I think a near death experience, like any experience, has potential of teaching someone how they can become a better person. In Chris's case, I think he did learn how to become a better person and appreciate things more. Even in scary situations when I feel like I'm going to die, I would have realizations or some idea that makes me handle a problem better. I think it's human nature for people to look back on their life when a near death experience occurs because no one wants to pass on thinking they have no finished something. It's sort of like they are more motivated to do things because they don't know how much time they have left to actually do them. Like in chapter sixteen, Chris wanted to return to his family, the people he wanted to get away from. "Maybe he was prepared to forgive their imperfections; maybe he was even prepared to forgive some of his own." So yes, I think it is possible to take a near death experience as a kick in the rear to get life back on track and feel better about yourself or others.

However, I don't think everything Chris McCandless did was positive and admirable. One of the things that I questioned was why he would go out into the wilderness not fully prepared. His cockiness in telling the driver who drove him into the wilderness "I'll be fine." was one of those actions that made me think, "Can you at least decently prepare yourself knowledge-wise?" I think there are ways to experience the optimistic side of life without having to put yourself in so much obvious danger. For example, you can go sky diving without having to think, "This company obviously doesn't have a license for this kind of work, but I'm going to be outgoing and dangerous and go anyways." This is the part where I kind of think he was "damn lucky". I felt that his recklessness led him to an outcome that he probably didn't want to be in. He wanted to help other people. He donated $25,000 in savings to charity, he experienced the starvation that many go through everyday, and he became an old man's "son". I feel like he could've impacted the world more by using this knowledge to make a difference.

He also seemed to solely focus on himself. He helped other people, he was a hard worker, and he stayed in touch with friends. I find this positive, yes, but he was pretty rude to some, for example, when he worked at that fast food place in chapter five. Wearing socks with shoes was courtesy, being more productive on busy days would've been helpful, and walking out the door when he quit is just plain rude. He made the people at the restaurant irritated and he didn't shower. To me, he acted as if he was the only one there and the other people didn't matter unless they made a point to learn about him or help him in his journey. He seemed to treat people who helped him, like Ronald A. Franz, a lot better then people who tried to get him to do things that needed to be done, like Lori Zarza from the restaurant. Another thing that always gets me is that he had a family that loved him. There are many parents out there like his parents, Billie and Walt, and there are plenty more kids who would've loved the support his family gave. I thought it was irresponsible and rude of him to leave a family hanging, hardly sending any letters, and hardly contact them in general when they haven't done anything to deserve that kind of treatment.

Overall, the thing that I take from Chris McCandless as admirable is the struggles he worked through and the ambition he had. I don't fully agree with his actions, but the way he accomplished things, I think, was motivating. He was a hard worker and did jobs many other people didn't want to do, and touched the lives of the people he met, giving hope to some who thought it was hopeless. Those were the things that inspired me and it made me want to become a more productive, social, and powerful person. Although, his overall feelings still confuses me, like in chapter four where he said he loved his car then wrote "This piece of shit has been abandoned. Whoever can get it out of here can have it." when it stopped working. He kept in touch with people he just met versus his family who were probably terribly worried about him. I think he wanted to have a fresh new start at life, but didn't consider the people that made him a part of their life, the people who still keep him in their hearts today.