And he died trying to do something he was totally unprepared for. Reminds me of "Grizzly Man".. I didn't respect what he was doing either.
I agree with Germ and DC on this one. I've read the book and won't bother with the movie. I think his motives were screwed up and I think his methods were screwed up. Would I like to try something like that? Maybe but only after lots and lots of preparation. Quite frankly I think he got what he deserved. I think its rather trajic how he died but I do believe the fault was entirely his own.
I hear where you all are coming from, but maybe in those 112 days spent in the wild, he found what he was looking for...and who are we to judge him? We all go to the grave sooner or later and maybe his soul was at peace when he did.
Guys, I didn't mean to come across the wrong way. I think we have all had dreams of being "Jeremiah Johnson". It's appealing to any outdoorsman with a wonder lust. I just don't personally care for this guy's motives or story.
The real world? I guess we all have our definations of the real world. What about his parents peace? No parent should have to bury their kid. From what I can gather his parents loved him very much. They were far from perfect, but who is these days. He had no business in the bush because he could have put peoples lives in danager, if a search and rescue came about. This is where me and the book disagree, the book was suppose to be about "His Journey" He went out of his way to hurt his parents IMO. The burning of the car, delaying the mail, etc. To me the journey was about sticking it to his parents. Why else would he bring them up so much? If it was to die very slowy and with a lot of pain, he found it.
**** Proenneke is the guy you are talking about. http://www.****proenneke.com/ You will have to replace Richard with the shorter version of that name to get the link to work
No that guy rocked, I love that story. He lived and thrived in the real world!!!! His adventure was about "His Journey". He lived into his 80's at his cabin.
Our existence is not always driven by what others feel and think, parents included. Germ, I do not like it that he left his parents to feel the pain of his death. On the search and rescue note, why go look for a guy who doesn't want to be rescued? He died a painfully slow death just like many people do who suffer from cancer, etc. When I am talking about the "real world" I am talking about how each individual person defines it as such. And his real world was doing what he did and dieing. So our definitions will all be different.
I can only guess but I'm willing to bet while he was suffering that painful death he had regrets and wished he had done things differently. Like I said its only a guess and we'll never know but what I know of human nature tells me no one wants to die alone and in pain.
I agree with you TX on that one. I am just thinking of all of our ancestors, you know the one's who did not have access to all of the current medications that limit pain. I do not envy them as they endured long painful cycles of pain as they neared death. But they dealt with it. That kid in that book is no different than billions of others who have gone before us and suffered. Maybe if he would have made it back after suffering a near death experience he would have felt "reborn" and would have actually done things differently.
Our existence is from our parents, so I tend to believe we owe them a bit more repesct. Than what he gave his parents who for the most part did what we all try to do. What is best for our kids. His attitude and this is soley my belief is what has help break the "family" here in America. This belief that parents "owe" something to their kids. He felt his parents owed him an apology for they way they lived and met. He felt for some reason he was cheated by them. This ruind him so much after paying for his education, place to live and car. He decide to run away and go find himself. He was over 21 years old, be a man and tell your mother what you are doing. All he did is run away, that is it IMO. I think we just disagree and there is nothing wrong with that at all.
I agree Germ with him being selfish in the sense of what you described above. If all we were talking about was a man that struck out on his own to search for his identity, then I stand on what I said. If you factor into the story the accounts of how he treated his parents, I tend to partially agree with what you said. Take care......and I do believe we owe our parents RESPECT, and that means not acting like a selfish baby.
I believe Chris was trying to get home, but I think the river kept him from coming back to civilization...however, as the book states, he wasn't really that far from civilization in either direction, and really close from one direction...like 6 miles?? He wanted the seclusion and the "roughing style life" as a means of defense from having to be attached to something, such as love. This was his way of running away from that, was it wrong, yeh. But I will give him the credit for going to the brink of insanity!! He was quite the adventurer really. Like all the stuff he did before he ever got to Alaska was pretty damn exciting to read about.. it's been a good read, and yes, many of us have at some point, longed to be, well....lost in the wild..
According to anyone who does have any business being in the bush up here, and proved by the fact that it killed him. Darwinism at its finest. Good thing this isn't an Alaskan forum, this one and any topic dealing with Timmie Treadwell get ugly real fast up here.
Loved the book, the movie, and the soundtrack! It fits right into what I'm all about! Follow no-one, live your own life!
