Ronald franz1/15/2024 ![]() ![]() He’d successfully kept Jan Burres and Wayne Westerberg at arm’s length, flitting out of their lives before anything was expected of him. He had fled the claustrophobic confines of his family. Krakauer characterizes McCandless’s constant traveling and desire for the road as a personal way of fleeing from human ties: “McCandless was relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it. Ronald has always treated ‘Alex’ like a son, and their relationship is just one of many examples of McCandless’s struggle between isolation and creating intimate connections with others. Krakauer opens this chapter by receiving a letter from Ronald Franz, an eighty-one year old who requests a copy of the article published in Outside magazine, describing Chris McCandless’s unfortunate story. You will be very, very glad that you did” (Krakauer, 58). Life is to be lived boldly, and as McCandless writes, “Don’t hesitate or allow yourself to make excuses. I really believe that in doing these things, it will not only give you a greater perspective on the world around you, but it will also give you a new perspective about yourself. It’s important to experience different things and cultures and people, to educate yourself about the world you live in and to also get lost sometimes. McCandless states, “The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences” (Krakauer, 57), and I completely agree. I believe that since this is our only life to live, we shouldn’t live it averagely, we should live it adventurously. It is in everything and anything we might experience” (Krakauer, 57). He wrote, “You are wrong if you think Joy emanates only or principally from human relationships. I think that’s the message Alex/Chris wanted to get across to Ron, whom he felt was unhappy and living a “monotonous” lifestyle. Whether it’s exploring the woods or going out to the Grand Canyon, being one with nature has such a calming, freeing effect on the soul. There is beauty in nature and simplicity, and most people are too wrapped up in their cell phones, their work, or other things to see it. I think that even if someone doesn’t want to completely abandon everything and start a whole knew life, at least at one point in their existence, they should “throw what they know”, go out of their comfort zone, and experience a different side of life, away from our modern, fast-paced, constantly connected society. In fact, that letter that he writes to Ron is one of my favorite parts of the novel. Question: Do you believe that Alex is right and that we should all take a journey and change our lifestyle to experience the beauty of nature? Alex draws into Ron’s past slightly by saying that he doesn’t need people to give him happiness, but the vast open land that lays right outside of the common civil life. Alex writes on his own experiences of the beauties and encounters he has come across and how,” there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon.” Alex ends the letter off by pointing out that Ron has been living a one-track mind by mentioning how he knows Ron didn’t stop at the Grand Canyon, even though it is a sight Alex believes people should visit and see at some point during their life. Alex uses sharp words to say that,” mak a radicle change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things,” is a way for people to find relief from,” unhappy circumstances.” Alex mentions that he is repeating himself, showing emphasis that Alex feels his words are one of the grand truths of the world. Though the time Alex spent with Ron was short, Alex understood that Ron had felt lonely and empty inside, thus Alex feels that the only way for Ron to fill the empty hole within himself is to see life from a different point-of-view.Īlex also sees Ron as an average American man and uses his letter to Ron to talk about reasons why one should live out the land and seek adventure. ![]() However, Alex’s letter to Ron greatly emphasizes on Alex trying to persuade Ron to start a journey of his own. ![]() Near the end of the chapter, after Alex had left Ron, Alex sent a lengthy letter to Ron explaining how he was doing fine, which is common since the book tends to mention that many of the people that Alex met with on his adventure usually get letters and postcards from Alex every now and then again. In Chapter 6, readers learn about the close relationship between Alex and Ronald Franz and how close they bonded to one another. ![]()
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