Favorite Famous Quotes

Writer: Paul Shepard

Books:  Man in the Landscape: A Historic View of the Esthetics of Nature

Favorite Lines: “The desert is the environment of revelation, genetically and physiologically alien…” (pg. 25)

“The desert sky is encircling, majestic, terrible.” (pg. 25)

Author’s Connection to Chris McCandless and his outlook on life: This passage, and especially the specific quotes, connects to Chris McCandless. Chris lived and hitchhiked through the desert for the majority of his after college life. The desert did make Chris realize what he was going to do. He met some people in the desert that help him with his revelations. Chris left his family for what he thought was a getaway, but instead he was finding reality. The last line of the passage says, “…not to escape but to find reality.” (pg. 25) This passage really connects with what Chris was seeing in the desert and what he learned in the desert.

Favorite Quote: My favorite quote is from my favorite movie Finding Nemo. Dory says, “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.” This is my favorite quote because it is humorous, but it also has a deeper meaning. It says to keep going and not to let anything bring you down. Chris may have found this quote a bit childish. He would probably not understand it because it was from a Disney movie. Chris probably did not watch that much T.V., especially Disney movies. If he understood where the quote was coming from, he would probably “get it”, but it may not have been his favorite.

http://home.earthlink.net/~frshepard/PaulShepardInf.html

Writer: Mark Twain

Book Mentioned: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Favorite Lines: “…a man that left his family, it didn’t say why. I read considerable in it now and then. The statements was interesting, but tough.” (pg. 61)

Connection: This quote from Mark Twain connects to Chris McCandless because Chris left his family as well. The reader later learns why Chris decided to leave his family, but as an outside perspective it is difficult to understand Chris’s motives for leaving. Chris did not like his family, other than his sister, Carine. When Chris died, his family was very upset. They loved him very much and cared about him. It is hard to understand why he could just drop everything and leave.

Favorite Quote: Albert Einstein once said, “A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be.” (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/albert_einstein.html#ixzz1G9UW8wxo) I really enjoy this quote. I wish I thought more this way. I believe that Chris McCandless would enjoy this quote as well because he was looking for “what is.” He believed this way.

http://www.yesselman.com/TwainSpn.htm

Writer: Henry David Thoreau

Books: Walden, or Life in the Woods

Favorite Lines: “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” (pg. 117)

Connection to McCandless: This quote connects with Chris McCandless because he left everyone he knew. He lost contact with his family and friends to travel. He burned all his money and left belongings. He tried to pack as light as possible. He did not want fame. Chris just wanted to live. He wanted answers and truth. This is the reason Chris had such a hard relationship with his father.

Favorite Quote of Mine: In the movie, The Lion King, there is the quote, “The past can hurt. You can either run from it or learn from it.” (http://disneyquotes.org/) I do not think Chris McCandless would be very fond of this quote because he could take it that he is running from his past. In the end, he is, but I do not think he would like to admit that.

 http://www.thoreausociety.org/_news_abouthdt.htm