Final Exam Five Paragraph Essay The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger was the true story of a mid sized swordfish boat and it’s crew going out of the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts and getting caught in one of the worst hurricanes of the century. The six crew members on the ship were there to catch as many swordfish as they could and return quickly to get as much money as possible. The crew of the Andrea Gail knew there was a large storm coming, but wanted to get back to port before the fish went bad. Trying to avoid the storm, the Andrea Gail ended up right in the middle of it. The crew was presumed dead days after they started searching for them. The book shows these people had a lot of drive to them, but unfortunately they could not survive. Because it is a true story, some parts are unknown. Also, It was controversial at first when Sebastian Junger was writing this, because many felt it was disrespectful to the families of the deceased. Junger was a journalist so he wrote as it is, but could really dig deep and show you every detail he heard from the family members. His descriptions were so vivid it was like you were there. …show more content…
Unlike The Perfect Storm, Into The Wild is another true story about a college kid who chooses to go out across the country into Alaska and was living off the land, surviving for a while by himself.
He too, ended up losing his life, like the crew of the Andrea Gail. Chris McCandless was living in an abandoned bus out in a hunting area of Alaska, and was thought to have died because of something he ate. He was a very smart person and had vast knowledge of the outdoors. This is another controversial book because many people had different opinions on Chris and his family along with the author, John Krakauer. Both Krakauer and Junger were journalists, so they did not make anything up they did not know. They met with family members and people the deceased knew to get their information for the
book. Another book by John Krakauer, Into Thin Air is a mix of the two other books. John Krakauer actually wrote this based on his experience with the group on Mount Everest. John was one of a few people to make it back from Everest alive. The group was behind schedule and running low on resources. Many people wanted to make it to the summit, but there was a storm coming that they would get caught in. Similar to The Perfect Storm, they still went ahead to the summit. There was a hunt for all of the bodies, and because of the similarities of all of the jackets it was hard to distinguish people, making it hard to actually know who was alive and who was not. The three of these books all have survival characteristics to them, but though the people were tough, the obstacles were too great to overcome. The one nonfiction book that did not go along with the survival theme, was Following Atticus by Tom Ryan. This book is like an autobiography for Tom and and biography for his dog. This was a friendship story between a man and his best friend. Atticus, the dog went on a lot of hikes with Tom. Tom was out of shape and overweight before they were hiking and became very fit because they hiked year round. He had to overcome himself physically and also overcome some of the tougher obstacles on his hikes. There is a small survival aspect in this book when they are hiking in blizzards and had to help each other get through it. After the blizzard they felt they could do any hike. They challenged themselves often, such as climbing all of the 4,000 foot mountains near them in the winter. They were both very ambitious, but the book differs from the other three because the survival aspect was much lower than the other books because they encountered some small obstacles. In the other three books the stories were written around one giant obstacle that ended up taking the lives of good, innocent people. In the past, I may have whizzed by the nonfiction section in a library, unless I am reading something about war or wanting to gather information. After reading The Perfect Storm, I see a whole new genre I am enticed in. These books put you in just as much suspense as any fiction book, and it feels more realistic because it is real. This genre is often forgotten because people think it is full of information for research and school projects. They do not think of survival stories, which is unfortunate because you can grasp ahold of a true story and feel emotion at the same time. Nonfiction is such a powerful genre because of it’s ability to entice you with a good read and also fill your mind with information. I am grateful we had the chance to read these non fiction survival books this year and will think of looking at the shelves for nonfiction in the library now.
The Perfect Storm is a novel written by Sebastian Junger, that retells the horrific story of fishermen and sailors who were caught in the eye of the worst storm in history. The book mainly focuses on the Andrea Gail, a swordfishing boat, with a crew of 6 men, who disappeared without a trace deep into the northern atlantic sea. In the year 2000, almost 10 years after the tragic event took place, a motion picture, perfectly titled, The Perfect Storm which was based on the novel was released. There were subtle to few changes in the plot line of the story, however there were many differences among the book and movie. The movie is very intact with the plot and is very based on the real story behind it. I believe the creator of the movie wanted, to whatever extent possible, recreate the events that happened in the storm as factual and according to the book itself. The movie, however, left out a tremendous amount of rich details that were a part of the book , such as varying kinds of information and direct quotes from people who were associated with the storm. The movie instead added more events to the story that weren`t in the book, to add more depth to the movie and to make it more enjoyable.
“McCandless was something else – although precisely what is hard to say.” (pg. 85). Chris was a very different person, but not crazy. He was emotionally motivated at the time and had his mind set on Alaska. In the end, Chris was nowhere near prepared for this journey, but was too caught up in what he was trying to do to realize this. I agree with Krakauer that Chris wasn’t crazy or insane, but in his attempts to survive in Alaska he made several mistakes and ultimately, led an ill-prepared journey to Alaska that killed him.
McCandless set out for this adventure because of his anger, therefore he did not actually sit and rationalize his plan. He did not have food, water, hunting supplies, clothing to keep him warm. His death was an accident of not being prepared for nature’s harshness. Krakauer also explains that McCandless’s death was an unplanned accident. Krakauer compared his young adulthood story to McCandless stating what his suspicions were of his death, his theory is based off of the letters McCandless left behind. Their adventure stories are very similar, they both were caught in a life or death situation, the tragedy is that McCandless’s did not have as happy of an ending as Jon Krakauer. Krakauer explains that it was a matter of chance that McCandless did not survive. He also explains that they were similarly affected by their relationships with their fathers. Their stories are also very similar with their father, they were both
In 1992, Christopher McCandless set off on an odyssey into the backcountry of Alaska, an adventure that had proved fatal. After McCandless's corpse was found, Jon Krakauer wrote an article on the story of Chris McCandless, which was released in the January 1993 issue of Outside magazine. The article had received a negative response; several readers criticized McCandless for being foolish and ill-prepared, and showed no sympathy or remorse for his death. McCandless has been referred to as a nut, a kook, and a fool. However, McCandless was not a nonsensical man. In 1996, Jon Krakauer's novel, Into the Wild, was published. The novel uncovers more detail of McCandless's story. Into the Wild rebuts the idea of McCandless being someone who is foolish, and speaks of the many occasions where McCandless has demonstrated great perseverance and determination. The novel also proves the intelligence of McCandless, and brings insight into McCandless's psyche. The following examples will illustrate how McCandless was not a fool, but someone to admire.
...what was going on and figured that like me, he uses big words in the wrong places sometimes. Krakauer nearly became obsessed with McCandless. He writes about Chris as if he could have done the same thing when he was younger. Both are pretty arrogant and think they can take on the world. He even writes about his own mistakes in the world. It seems like the lives of Chris and Jon are a little bit parallel. They both took a lot of chances in their early twenties. Unlike Chris though, Jon lives through his mistakes and goes on to make lots of money selling books. This is a great story about human nature and what can go wrong if you think you can do too much. It kept me interested the whole time I was reading it. I would recommend this book to anyone who knows how to read.
Chris McCandless lived a life in which he disgusted by human civilization, and left it, eventually being led to his death in Alaska. McCandless entered the Alaskan wilderness severely unprepared, a brutal error that cost him his life. In the novel, Into the Wild by John Krakauer, Chris glances into his mindset by they way of his journal, history, and analysis of his life reveals that Chris McCandless as an arrogant and judgemental narcissist, while not mentally unstable, had a condescending attitude towards society and perished not only from his reckless stupidity but also from his unparalleled ego. Chris McCandless was immune to love and had an obsession with nature and society, him showing characteristics that created the appearance of McCandless
In what could have been Chris McCandless’s last contact with humanity he tells his new comrade, Wayne Westerberg, “If this adventure proves fatal and you don’t hear from me again I want you to know you are a great man. I now walk into the wild” (Krakauer 3). For 112 days Chris lived off the harsh Alaskan land. For anyone who is brave enough to travel on the stampede trail and cross the treacherous Teklanika River you will come across the Fairbanks City Transit System Bus 142. Once a backcountry shelter for hunters, trappers, ranger patrols, and for a short time Chris McCandless, Bus 142 now serves as a memorial for Chris McCandless. Travelers will make the trip to witness the basic resources Chris had at hand and the courage it took to make it as far as he did into his journey. Chris was not unaware of the dangers of the Alaskan wilderness. He was fully informed of the challenges he would face and was confident, maybe even hubristic, that he could overcome them. Non Supporters would argue this makes Chris a fool, reckless, brash, or even border lined unintelligent while in fact it is quite the opposite. Chris was a hero because he knew his differences and embraced them, his ambition and strive for perfection took his life, and he followed his dreams no matter the cost.
...opher McCandless is a unique and talented young man, but his selfish and ultimately complacent attitude towards life and his successes led to his demise. Chris possesses monumental ambitions that had the potential to be harvested into something great, but were not taken advantage of in the correct way. Through the book Krakauer paints a chilling picture of how detrimental choices can be. Had Chris been better prepared for his trip there is a good chance he would have walked out alive. Had Chris lived, he would not be famous, merely criticized for his poor choices and selfish behavior that deeply impacted those close to him. Chris is not a hero, nor should he be regarded as one. His actions were admired by others but spontaneous naive actions do not constitute a hero.
In The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger, and The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski, the respective authors address contrasting themes. The Perfect Storm, a work of nonfiction, explores the question of what happened to the crew of the Andrea Gail, a commercial deep sea fishing boat that sunk off the coast of New England in 1991. In contrast, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, a novel, is about a young boy who suspects his uncle of killing his father. Accordingly, Wroblewski uses the literary features of plot, character and foreshadowing to express his theme of isolation; while Junger employs the literary features of nonfiction as well as those of fiction, such as anecdotes, description, and dramatic structure, to communicate his theme of
Chris McCandless is regarded as being something as a spiritual figure almost as a cult hero, some call him a disillusioned fool, some call him a great adventurer, and the debate still continues. As Matthew Power calls in his article, an article where he tells the story of McCandless,“The debate falls into two camps: Krakauer's visionary seeker, the tragic hero who dared to live the unmediated life he had dreamed of and died trying; or, as many Alaskans see it, the unprepared fool, a greenhorn who had fundamentally misjudged the wilderness he'd wanted so desperately to commune with.” Like so many stories covering Christopher McCandless’ death, both ends of the argument are discussed in an unfavored manner in the hopes to help develop an opinion on the McCandless story. This open ended question can only be answered open-endedly based on what the readers base for themselves as covered stories intend. Like Power has done, ...
The book, Into the wild, takes us into the world of a young man named Christopher Johnson McCandless. He travelled across the western United States from 1990 to 1992, and on April 28, 1992, he started his last adventure and walked into the wilds of Alaska. About 112 days later, he died of starvation. Unsurprisingly, public opinion polarized on his behavior. Some may admire his courage and noble ideals, though some regard him as an idiotic and arrogant narcissist. Although he died on his way to find the truth and back to nature, I believe that Chris McCandless should be considered as a hero, but I cannot completely approve of all his behaviors.
Many people have different views on the death of Chris McCandless and the actions he did that lead to his death. Some say McCandless is a legend as a result of people are still talking about him today. Others look at the whole McCandless story and just think, wow this kid must have been stupid. There are many people who countless views about McCandless, going out into the Alaskan Frontier ill prepared wouldn’t be my idea of a good time.
McCandless is a very independent person, a person with high hopes, that has a lot of courage, and is a very brave man for going out by himself in the wild of Alaska of the Stampede Trail. Chris McCandless had a lot of courage on going to Alaska by himself at a young age. While Chris was at any city or anybody’s house, he was ready to go to Alaska. But while he was there, close to the end of his life, he left a note on the back of the bus saying, “S.O.S I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here i am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of god, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return by evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August?” Chris McCandless was by himself at the time. He shows his courage because while by himself, he went back out even though he was near death. He went out for food. Food for his health. That shows how much courage he had for his trip. Chris McCandless encouraged many young men to ...
The setting in this story creates the perfect scenario for an adulterous affair. Most likely occurring in the late 1900s according to the way the characters talk, and the description of the actions they do with their clothes after the storm passed. There is also the probability that the story takes place in a South region, during the summer season, because areas with wet seasons and more probabilities of storms are dispersed across portions of the tropics and sub tropic 's areas. The presence of the storm is not just coincidental. The storm is an important key behind the story and the affair. As the storm begins and ends, so the climax of sexual tension between two of the characters.
Hurricane Sandy, nicknamed “Superstorm Sandy,” struck the New Jersey area on October 29, 2012. Over 1,000 miles in diameter, the hurricane was the largest Atlantic tropical storm in history, and the second costliest hurricane in United States history, following Hurricane Katrina. In preparation for the hurricane, Federal, State and City authorities moved into emergency mode as the storm approached. On Sunday, October 28, 2012 President Obama declared a state of emergency in several states across the east cost, including New Jersey. This allowed federal support to become available, allowing FEMA to provide resources directly to state and local governments, as well as allowing states to request funding for actions before Sandy’s landfall. The National Guard positioned more than 61,000 personnel along the east coast, FEMA positioned more than 1,500 personnel, and the American Red Cross provided disaster response workers and shelters in communities. Amtrak canceled certain branches and services for October 29 and 30th, and more than 13,000 flights were cancelled on October 29th. To avoid casualties, Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency in New Jersey, ordered evacuations of NJ barrier islands from Sandy Hook South to Cape May by Sunday, October 28th at 4pm as well as closing all state offices for that Monday. On October 28, Mayor of Hoboken Dawn Zimmer ordered residents of basement and street level residence units to evacuate due to possible flooding. On October 29 residents of Logan Township were ordered to evacuate as well.