Beckett's American Literature Blog

Prompt: How does watching the film version of  Into the Wild  change or deepen your understanding of Chris McCandless compared to reading the book? In your response, explain one key difference in how his character or experiences are presented, and connect this to a time when seeing something visually changed your understanding of a situation. Prompt Response:  The film version of "Into the Wild" depicts Chris as someone who's petty or even childish after he learns of his dad, deepening my understanding of how deeply his parents' deceit got to him. In the book he doesn't seem to act as emotionally as compared to the movie on top of this. One time when I saw something that changed my understanding of a situation was when I saw a fight for the first time. Although people were cheering, eventually of the kids started bleeding, showing how serious the situation really was . Summary: Today in class we watched another portion of the book's film. Reflection: I appreci...

Prompt: Chris and his sister  Carine McCandless  had a very close relationship, even when he struggled to connect with others. Write about a relationship in your life where you feel truly understood. Explain what makes that relationship strong and how it compares to the connection between Chris and Carine in  Into the Wild . Prompt Response:  There hasn't been a relationship in my life where I've truly and completely felt understood, however my friends as a whole are definitely the closest thing to that. I feel that we've all been together for so long that we can tell what we're feeling and thinking from a look, exemplifying how strong of a relationship it is. Summary: Today in class we read chapter thirteen and answered seven questions about it. Reflection:  I found this chapter to be highly revealing of Chris's selfishness. Because he chose to go out into the wild and risk his life, all of those who cared about him are suffering greatly.

  Prompt: When something stays on your mind for a long time, how do you typically deal with it? What helps you move forward? Prompt Response:  When a bad experience or memory lingers in my head for a long time, I try to find ways to distract myself. I usually try to rationalize the situation and find out why it impacted me so much. I also play games or watch shows while I try to find a way to accept what happened and move on. Summary:  Today in class we did a vocabulary assignment and talked about chapter twelve. Reflection:  I found today's discussion to be fairly interesting. I've never had a class that was guided solely on the asking and answering of questions.

Prompt: Based on the first 40 minutes of the film and Chapters 1–11 of the book, does the visual version of Chris’s journey make his choices seem more justified or more reckless than the text does? Explain how the medium (film vs writing) shapes your perspective. Prompt Response:  I think that the visual version of Chris's journey makes his choices seem more reckless when compared to the text. I feel that the film doesn't give enough context or details as it wouldn't be as an eventful film if it did. I also feel that writing in general is more descriptive and revealing as it is able to convey more information in less time. Summary: Today in class we watched part of the "Into the Wild" movie and answered questions. Reflection:  I found the movie to be quite entertaining, however I wasn't that fond of the music choice. I think that although it was somewhat fitting for the movie, it didn't really evoke the sense of wildness I was hoping it would.

  Prompt: Think about a moment when your understanding of your family changed as you got older. How did that shift impact your perspective, and how does that connect to Chris’s realization about his parents in Chapter 11? Prompt Response:  When my parents got a divorce, my understanding of my family changed drastically. I realized that they weren't happy when they were together and that things really did needed to change. This connects to Chris's realization about his parents in the way that the idealized version of my parents disappeared and I could only see the truth. Summary: Today we read chapter eleven and completed an assignment around it. Reflection:  I found today's chapter to be highly revealing as it explained a lot about McCandless. It makes sense he turned out the way he is when you look back at how he was as a child.

  Prompt: Reflect on your reading of  Into the Wild  chapters 1–10. Which chapter stood out to you the most, and why? In your response, explain what specifically made this chapter meaningful, interesting, or impactful. You may consider elements such as McCandless’s actions, a key event, a theme, or Krakauer’s storytelling. Prompt Response:  The chapter that stood out to me the most was the one where Krakauer describes the other wanderer akin to McCandless. I thought this was interesting as it introduces the idea that people like that are universal and that there's bound to be someone else who will follow the same path. It's a shame that our society can't provide for this type of person and I wonder if there was something we could do to support them better. Summary: Today we took a test on chapters one through ten on "Into the Wild." Reflection:  I think I did fairly well on today's test. I feel the questions were fair and somewhat easy to figure out if you som...

  Prompt: Chris McCandless rejects a traditional path of success and instead defines success on his own terms through freedom, experience, and personal meaning. Reflect on what success means to you at your current stage in life. In the response, explain how success is currently defined (grades, college acceptance, achievements, happiness, etc.) and where those ideas come from. Then, consider whether that definition truly reflects personal values or if it is shaped by expectations from family, school, or society.  Prompt Response:  To me, success is being able to live my life comfortably and happily without hurting anyone. However society defines success as getting good grades to go to college and get a "good" job which makes a lot of money. I don't think that society's definition of success is compatible with my own as it encourages people to step on others to get ahead, which we as a society should not be encouraging. Summary: Today in class we went over each others ...

  Prompt: Chris chooses independence over relationships. When have you chosen to be on your own instead of relying on others? What happened, and would you make the same choice again? Prompt Response:  Throughout my career as a student, I've had more than my fair share of group projects. In classes with my friends, they're easy and fun as I know my group members will actually do their work. In classes where I know no one, however, it's a very different story. One instance of this was in ninth grade literature. We were doing a project revolving around Macbeth and I was assigned to a group where I knew no one. I could tell at the start they didn't want to do any of the work so I opted to do all of the writing if they could film what needed to be filmed. In the end, it was a lot of work, but I would probably do the same thing again as I know it wouldn't have gotten done without it. Summary: Today in class we discussed our book and started to create questions for chapter...

Prompt: Choose a vocabulary word from Lesson 10 that resonates with you personally. Write a blog post explaining why this word is significant to you, including any personal memories or experiences that link you to the word. Prompt Response:  The word I chose that resonated with me is "tremulous" as it invokes feelings of uneasiness I experienced in the past. I remember dreading piano recitals, as I'd always get super anxious and mess up my performance, making me feel even worse about being there in turn. These times were very hard for me but at the same time allowed me to understand myself better. Summary: Today in class we completed vocabulary lesson ten and its related activities. Reflection:  The vocabulary exposed me to a fair amount of new words that I could potentially weave into assignments and essays. I found it odd that two words, both starting with "t" and meaning timid, were in the same lesson.

  Prompt:  For most of you, yesterday you took the SAT. If you did not, you  will  take it before you leave high school. What is your  desired SAT score ? Identify your  top three colleges  and explain  why each school appeals to you . Prompt Response:  I think that my desired SAT score is at least a 1450. Three colleges that I may want to go to include GSU, UGA, and Georgia Tech. These colleges are all in-state, meaning that it will be a lot cheaper when compared to out of state. They are also fairly close to where I live which is important due to familial reasons.   Summary: Today in class we read and did an assignment about chapter seven of "Into the Wild." Reflection:  I think that there's so much pressure to get good SAT scores where there really shouldn't be. I personally did not care at all about the SAT and find it sad that I have to prove myself to a college that puts many in impossible financial situations.

  Prompt: Twice a year we adjust our clocks for daylight saving time, but the change can affect our sleep, energy, and daily routines. Now that we have  sprung forward ; reflect on how this time change impacts you personally. Do you find it easy or difficult to adjust your schedule? Explain how the time change affects your mood, productivity, or daily habits. Prompt Response:  I find it somewhat easy to adjust my schedule after daylight savings. However at the same time I think it's a bit harder for me to go to sleep the change even though I'm more tired. I really think we should just stop daylight savings in general as it doesn't serve the general population as it did during the time it was instated. Summary: Today in class we read chapter six and did a short assignment for "Into the Wild." Reflection:  I found today's chapter to be fairly eventful. It's interesting how blinded Alex is by Alaska and how he has romanticized it to an impossibly unrealistic ...

Prompt:  In Chapter 5 of  Into the Wild , McCandless is strongly influenced by writers like Jack London, whose stories shape the way he thinks about adventure and wilderness.  Has a book, song, musician, or artist ever influenced the way you think about life, goals, or the world around you?  Identify the specific book, song, musician, or artist and explain how their ideas or message affected your thinking. Prompt Response:  I don't think that a book, song, musician, or artist has ever changed my life to such a profound degree. I do however think that music has allowed me a sort of escape from day-to-day life that gives me perspective on the world and myself. I like to listen to more positive music with songs that emphasize freedom or youth in a bright fun way. Summary: Today we read and did an assignment on chapter five of "Into the Wild." Reflection:  I found today's chapter to be rather surprising. I find it odd that after all Alex did out on the road he ...

Prompt: In  Into the Wild , Christopher McCandless gives up many of his possessions in pursuit of freedom and meaningful experiences. If you had to simplify your life and keep only a few important possessions, what would you keep and why? What would be hardest to leave behind? Prompt Response:  If I could only keep a few of my possessions, I would probably keep my pillow, my laptop, my violin, and my clothes as these would be the hardest to replace in my opinion. I think it would be hardest to leave behind my pillow as I'm a very picky sleeper and it's hard for me to doze off without it. Summary: Today in class we started reading the book "Into the Wild" and answered questions. Reflection:  I'd say that I'm not a super material person but at the same time I like the things I have. I see how minimalism may be attractive to be people who want to live self sufficiently, but I don't think that is where my life will take me.

  Prompt: People sometimes feel the need to step away from their normal routines or environments in order to better understand themselves. Describe a time when you needed distance from a situation, place, or group of people in order to think more clearly or gain perspective. What did that experience teach you about yourself? Prompt Response:  One time where I really needed to distance myself was in sophomore year's tabletop club. This was my first time really getting involved with an after school activity and so I was thoroughly disappointed when my group members started acting... weird. The leader of my group had blatant favorites and would cater towards them while ignoring the rest of us. One other member was very loud and was outright rude to many of us. One time in particular this individual even straight out  called people ugly, ranking everyone in the group based on how attractive they thought everyone was. After a while I dreaded going to that club and eventually I...

Prompt: After reading Chapter 1 of  Into the Wild , consider your first impression of Christopher McCandless. Based solely on the events and details presented in this opening chapter, do you believe McCandless truly understood the risks he was taking when he entered the Alaskan wilderness? Why or why not? Prompt Response:  Based on what little we went over, I feel that Chris McCandless did understand what he would face when he entered the Alaskan wilderness. I think that because he knew of the dangers he almost wanted to die or put himself in a position where death was a likely outcome for a reasons unknown. Due to him traveling across many other places in America with the same resources he had in Alaska, I don't think it's reasonable to assume he didn't know what he was doing. Summary: Today in class we were introduced to the book "Into the Wild." Reflection:  I think the book is going to be very interesting and I'm excited to find out exactly why he did what...

Prompt:  Today you worked on creating your  Vocabulary Digital Cards  in Adobe Express. In one well-developed paragraph, reflect on the assignment by explaining which vocabulary word was easiest for you to understand, which word was most challenging, and how creating your own sentence and selecting an image helped strengthen your understanding of the vocabulary. Use specific examples from your work. Prompt Response:  I would say that the easiest vocabulary word for me to understand is provocative as I already knew it prior to the lesson. The most difficult is probably soporific as it doesn't even sound like it relates to its meaning. Creating sentences and choosing images increased my understanding as it allowed me to relate unknown words to images and scenarios that I'm already familiar with. Summary: Today in class we completed a vocabulary flashcard assignment. Reflection: I found the flashcards to be somewhat easy, however it was hard to find synonyms and or anto...