"In 1992, however, there were no more blank spots on the map - not in Alaska, not anywhere. But Chris, with his idiosyncratic logic, came up with an elegant solution to this dilemma: He simply got rid of the map" (Krakauer 174).
Inspiration or Fool?
The fact that Chris's death was so avoidable is what really keeps me from seeing Chris as an inspiration. There is a part of me that admires him for his bravery and independence, yet many of his choices make him come off ignorant and arrogant. Chris, despite nearly everyone in this book describing him as smart, seems to be lacking in street smarts and self-preservation. Why would anyone venture into the wilderness that unprepared unless they hadn't bothered doing any research into what they might encounter? Even the greatest explorers prepare for their trips materialistically and have back-up plans. If Chris had more respect for the land and researched, and had just brought one up-to-date map, he wouldn't have died. If he had brought more food and more supplies, he could've held out and possibly survived. Sure, he may have found inner peace, but Chris left behind him a trail of heartbroken family members and friends. This entire book was very interesting, but my opinion hasn't wavered from the beginning of the book. Chris may not necessarily be a complete fool, but he did a very foolish thing. He had a lonely and painful death that was completely avoidable. I'm just saying, that Alaskan odyssey could've been done in a much more intelligent fashion.
No comments:
Post a Comment