Open response on the Death of an Innocent

The most important factors in Chris’s death is that he was ill prepared and not enough knowledgeable. For instance, Chris went into the Alaskan Bush with only ten pounds of rice and only a little bit of gear. He should have been more prepared bringing more equipment and food with him and then maybe he would have survived. Also, Chris didn’t know anything about the Alaskan Bush nor did he know any survival skills. Chris should have learned how to live in the wild by himself and he should have planned out what he would do if he was in danger. Lack of wisdom and planning, led Chris to his death. 

The Death of an Innocent Approach Paper

Paula Reytblat

Mr. Bailey

Essay Writing 

May 30, 2012

The Death of an Innocent Approach Paper

The Death of an Innocent by Jon Krakauer is the story of a young man, Christopher McCandless, who goes off into the Alaskan Bush with only 10 pounds of rice. James Gallien tries to persuade McCandless  in not going but he doesn’t listen and goes any way. Once he reached the Bush, McCandless realizes that he won’t be able to survive and wants to head back home but the river is frozen so he cannot cross back over it. He finds roots and eats them even though they are poisonous. He gets sick from the berries and ends up dying from starvation. 

Alexander Supertramp: brave, independent, curious, calm

Christopher McCandless: intelligent, smart, nice

James Gallien: nice, helpful, caring, hopeless

Wanye Westerburg: committed, supportive, caring

1. Compare and contrast Christopher McCandless’ life before he went to the Bush and while he was living in the Bush.
2. What three things could McCandless have brought with him to the Bush that would have helped him survive? 
3. Discuss the reason why McCandless wanted to go to the bush.

From Page 1:

Christopher McCandless: “I’m absolutely possitive,” he assured Gallien, “I won’t run into anything I can’t deal with on my own.”

Christopher was sure in himself that he would survive his journey. He wanted no help and he didn’t let anyone persuade him in not going. He was determined in going on his journey and it was his final decision in going. If he decided to not go then he would have survived. When he said: “I won’t run into anything I can’t deal with on my own,” he thought that he was prepared and that it would be easy. 

By the Waters of Babylon

In By the Waters of Babylon by Stephen Vincent Benét, John, a son of a priest, goes on a journey to a forbidden land. His father told him not to go to any of the Dead Places but inside he knew that his son would go either way. John travels by himself in search of the land and while he is traveling he changes as an individual. By going on his journey to The Place of the Gods, John becomes more responsible, intelligent, and less afraid of the world around him. 

John becomes more responsible by going on his journey because he lived and traveled by himself. For instance, John’s father gave him the word to go and travel but as a young boy that John is, it is not that easy to be lonesome. John had to be prepared for the worst environment since he had no shelter in The Place of the Gods but he was confident enough that he could survive. Additionally, John had to be ready to fight for himself just incase he was attacked. Dogs started bombarding, “I had just found a doorI could open when the dogs decided to rush,” but John was ready to win against them, as he did. John matured on his trip to The Land of the Gods. 

On his journey, John becomes more intelligent. For example, John saw what a washing machine, “a washing-place but no water”, was on his journey. He also found out what a stove, “a cooking-place but no wood”, was. In John’s tribe they didn’t have neither washing machines nor stoves so he found out something new which made him know even more. Also, John learned just by traveling to a place that he hasn’t been to before. He saw new ways of life and when he came back home he was excited to share them. John became smarter through his journey because he learned new things everywhere he looked.  

John went to a place that was forbidden to go to, so when he accomplished his journey and returned home safety, he became was braver. For instance, John’s father told him not to go to The Place of the Gods but John did anyways. Since John was on his own it was harder and more stressful but he managed to over come his fears and accomplish his goal. Also, John thought that he was going to die when trying to cross the river. He said, “I said the sayings for the dead and painted my self for death.” Even though he was almost sure that he was going to die, he still took the risk to cross the river. By going on his journey, John became more courageous when he cross the river and then even entered the land of the dead. 

Intelligent and adventurous John, changes through out the short story. In the beginning, John was naive and obeyed all his fathers rules. When his father told him about the forbidden lands, John couldn’t get his mind off of wanting to go there. He is a young boy who wants to see the life outside his small little village. John faced many challenges though his journey but at the end he became more mature. By being a rebel and due to not listening to his father, John ends up learning about other peoples lives. He changes as an individual into an even better person than he was before.  

My Great Grandma Natasha

What was the life like in Ukraine back in the olden days? What if you were a hundred years old and still living? My great grandma has gone through a lot. She saw her parents, brother, sister, son, and grandchildren die yet she is still living. She moved many times throughout her life just to support her family. She is a strong and courageous woman who I have a lot of respect for. During my great grandma’s time she has seen the good and the bad in life. 

My great grandma, Natasha, grew up in a very hard environment. At the age of ten, her parents died, leaving her and her sister going to one foster home, and her two younger brothers going to a different foster home. She and her sister lost contact with her brothers but after twenty years they found one of the brothers. She never saw her other brother after her parents death. The kids never found a family to live with because back in the day the foster homes were more of adoption centers with fifty kids but no one would ever get adopted. In fact, there was no such thing as adoption so at the age of eighteen she and her sister went off living on their own. Natasha worked for a truck company and that is where she met her husband, Temafay.

Natasha and Temafay bought a little house on a farm. On the farm they had: cows, goats, pigs, chicken, dogs, cats and every vegetable you can think of. There first son died in a horrible condition. One day, he was crawling around a huge metal pot, fell in, and boiled to death. Natasha and Temafay were devastated but had to move on with their lives. There next son, Viktor and my grandpa, was born. He worked on the farm and was taught by his mother how to be a man. My grandpa also had three younger sisters that cooked, sowed, cleaned, and worked on the farm. Natasha was very strict when it came to raising her children. Temafay did not participate in raising the children because he worked for a tractor company so he was at work all day. 

My great grandma is currently a hundred years old. She still lives on the farm but in a different location than before. Her youngest daughter, Nada, lives with her because she can’t live by herself due to safety reasons. She has twenty four great grandchildren and she remembers everyone's name. She has a great memory and she remembers her childhood as if it were yesterday. My great grandma refuses to use a cell phone and computer because she never had that when she was growing up. She thinks that technology has ruined my generation. She has perfect vision, can hear well, and she doesn’t even use a cane. She has never gone to the doctors and always cures her sickness by herself. Over the summers of me visiting her, nothing changes except for her getting short and shorter. She still  cleans the house, works in the garden and she refuses to listen to anyone that says that she shouldn’t do work. 

My great grandma has gone through a lot and I look up to her for that. She is a brave women who still lives life like when she was little. She has seen horrible events that people should never have to face but it only made her a stronger person in the end. I admire her strength and I hope to be as strong as her when I grow up. I am very proud to say that I have a great grandma that is a hundred years old and on October 23rd she will be a hundred and one years old!

Word Count: 633

By The Waters of Babylon Open Response

In By The Waters of Babylon by Stephen Vincent Benét,  John's tribe, the hill people, reverted to a more primitive way of life because everything was destroyed in the city due to a war. For instance, when the fallen balls hit the city and leave nothing left, the people form tribes and live together. People join together in tribes so that it is easier to survive.  Also, after the war almost everyone was killed, so there wasn't anyone to tell people how to live more advance again. If people weren't killed in the war then they would know how to build up the city again and wouldn't live in tribes. John and the hill people were forced to live a simpler way of life which was harder for everyone but most people didn't complain because they didn't remember how their advanced living style was. Due to a horrible disaster, John and his tribe were forced to live primitively. 

Theme of The Interlopes

    The theme of The Interlopes is that it is better to have friends than have enemies. In the short story, Georg and Ulrich have been enemies from the start because they are fighting over who actually owns the land. They come upon each other in the woods while they are hunting. A beach tree falls on them and they can't get up. They fight over whose men will come first to save them and they tell each other that the other person will kill them first when they get out from under the tree. Later Ulrich realized that if they want to be saved then they have to work together so he offered to be friends with Georg. Georg agreed and they were then fighting over who would free the other friend first. Excitement hit their body because they thought that someones men were coming to save them but then they realized that it was actually wolves. If they had been friends before then they wouldn't have been under the tree and they may have had time to come up with a plan to save themselves before the wolves came. 

A World of Difference

Are all kids the same? Does location and society change a person? Traveling between Ukraine and America I get a taste of how differently people live. I have friends in both places and their lives are very different. Whenever I go to either of the countries I have to adapt to how I am around my friends. It is like I enter a different world because my friends personalities, life style, education, and knowledge are all different. 

In Ukraine, kids are more prepared for future life. Girls are taught in school how to cook, sew, and be a house wife. My friends cook dinners at home so when their parents come home from work food is already on the table. They do the laundry at home, clean the house, vacuum, and wash the dishes. There’s no such thing as laziness and they don’t do all the house work for money. American kids do some of the house work but it’s because they are chores and its usually just to take out the trash or wash the dishes. They get paid for it too so it isn’t that bad either. American school systems do not teach kids how to do any of this unless you go to a school specially made for that kind of learning.  Boys also learn in school how to do yard work and how to be a handy man although in America they aren’t taught any of this. In Ukraine, the kids are expected to do all of the house work and they do not complain. Ukrainian kids are more hands on than American kids. 

  Kids in Ukraine are more appreciative of what they have than American kids. In America, all kids have cell phones. Even fourth graders now a days have cell phones and lap tops. Every house in America has at least a computer and all my friends have to have the newest IPhone, IPad, and Macbook. They ask their parents for everything and do not feel guilty. Kids have cell phones in Ukraine as well but it’s the plainest one that is used just for calling. If they scratch it or in worst case lose it then they cry because they can’t just go and get a new one. My friends in Ukraine care more about what they have and don’t ask their parents for everything. They are aware of their financial situations and try to help out, by balancing school and a job. In America kids have jobs too but they keep the money while kids in Ukraine give it to their parents. After college kids return back home because neither they nor their parents have enough money to buy or rent an apartment and the kids understand that. 

Even simply just hanging out with friends is different. American kids go to their friends house to hang out, or on the weekends they will go to the mall or the movies. In Ukraine, you don’t go to your friends house because they live in an apartment and it is too small. In Ukraine, kids usually hang out in the yard that apartments share. Apartments are set up in the shape of the border of a rectangle or square, and kids climb trees, play tag, and play hide and go, seek with in the yard. Kids make up games and have creative ideas. In America, kids are on their electronic devices and go to the park. All their games are right in front of them so they don’t use their imagination to be creative. In Ukraine, kids know all their neighbors and the latest news. Everyone is very open and truthful. When I walk on the streets, I always end up bumping into someone I know and we talk for hours. Everyone knows everything about everyone in the town while in America people only know a few neighbors and family. Kids in Ukraine have a different social life than kids in America. 

In Ukraine, kids care about what they look like. They won’t go to the store if they aren’t showered or if they aren’t wearing nice clothes. They always try to look their best and would never go to the store or school in pajama pants. In America, kids also dress up but sometimes you see kids in sweat pants and even pajama pants. Going to someones house in America you ask if you should take your shoes off or not but usually you don’t take them off. In Ukraine you would never ask someone that and just always take them off. In fact, if you don’t take your shoes off upon entering someones house then it is looked at as disrespect. 

Not all kids are the same. It depends on where they grow up and the environment they are growing up in. Different countries have different social lives and that impacts the kids life. Kids everywhere are similar because they have the same dreams: to be successful, healthy and happy. But other than that kids from different countries are very different because they have different customs and cultures. 

Words: 848 

Irony Open Response for Junk Food Heaven

The irony shown by Bryson is that he thinks he wants to eat and live junk food but when he finally gets it, he regrets buying all of it. He was convincing his wife to buy junk food because he is living in America and he wants to try all the junk food while she was buying only healthy food. He was too excited when he saw all the junk food in the store and all he thought about was junk food. He got so much of it and his wife insisted that he could only buy it if he ate every last bit of it. He wanted all the junk food and when he got it, he realized that he didn't want it anymore. 

Changing Your Eyes

Historian and feminist Miriam Beard once said “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” Traveling across the world, people see different ways of life. My experience of spending many summers in Ukraine has made me aware that Americans have very different ways of life from other countries. My grandparents have demonstrated the vast differences between the haves and the have-nots. My unique relationship with my grandparents has largely been shaped on their farm in Ukraine.

When I was little, I looked at the farm as a fun place to go to pet animals, but over time, I realized that there are a lot of responsibilities. Before my grandparents had me pick raspberries and feed chickens, I thought that’s all they had to do there. Now I have more chores: sweep the driveway, pull out the dead plants, go fishing, cook, and go to the store. You would think that it is all easy, but even the simplest things are harder on the farm. Americans go to the store to buy a broom, but on the farm I make it out of twigs. By the time I’m done sweeping, my back is sore and I can barely stand up. It makes me feel joyful when I know I did a job well done. For cooking, I have to go out in the garden and find food or see if my grandparents have killed any animals or caught any fish. The food is much fresher, but it’s sad to see the animals gone. However, I’ve learned that doing the right thing isn’t the easiest to do. To go to the store I have to walk for forty minutes and my hands are very weak at the end when I finally walk up the long dusty hill. 

Seeing my grandparents living such a hard life made me become closer to them. I respect them more because I see them living on the farm. For my fourteenth birthday my grandparents bought me twelve little chickens. They were three days old so I had to watch them every second of the day. I hadn’t had any experience raising chickens so my grandparents had to help me along the way. My grandpa found a big box for the chickens to live in until they got bigger and then my grandma put food and water in the box. Every day we would take the chicks outside and have them roam around in the tall green grass. My grandparents taught me how to care for them. They told me how much I need to feed them, how much water to give them, and when they need to go outside for fresh air. When we took the chicks outside, my grandparents would tell me stories about when I was little. I loved hearing them tell me about my childhood because it made me feel more attached to them since they raised me. It was amazing to hear them tell me about how happy they were to see me smile. I slept in a crib right next to their bed, and every morning they would go over to the crib and I would start smiling which shows me even now that I loved them from the day I was born. Since I have so much time in the summer to be with my grandparents, it has made our bond stronger and stronger over the years.

My relationship with my grandparents has taught me to appreciate what’s truly important. The problems my friends complain about in America aren’t nearly as bad in Ukraine. On the farm, my friends worry about the crops burning out and not having enough food. In America, my friends worry about makeup and not looking ‘good’. Americas all dress the same way and teens are forced to buy the expensive clothing to fit in. Teens feel extremely pressured to have the same clothes as their friends. On the farm, people don’t care what they look like as long as it is comfortable to move in. Makeup is last on their minds because they get dirt on their faces either way. Ukrainians on the farm don’t feel pressured to dress the same way as their friends because no one cares. They look at how the person is on the inside and not by their looks. Living with my grandparents on the farm has showed me that how I and other people dress and look shouldn’t matter and it certainly shouldn’t change you as a person.

My grandparents’ farm has a special meaning to me because it has shaped our relationship. I spend days and nights on the farm with my grandparents and it’s the perfect time to learn from them. My grandparents have taught me the most important aspects of life. When I will be a mother and a grandma, I hope to share the same lessons and stories that my grandparents taught me with my children and grandchildren. Going to the farm my eyes have opened up on how different life can be in different places. I am very thankful that I have seen different ways of life and that I shared the time with my grandparents.