Harlem Renaissance Blog 1

Harlem Renaissance blog

• The Harlem Renaissance was the African cultural movement of the 1920s and early 1930s.
• Centered in the Harlem neighbored of New York City
• marked the first time that mainstream publishers and critics took African American literature seriously.
• At frist was a literary movement but soo spread to music, theater, art, and politics.
• In literature, the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar and the fiction of Charles W. Chesnutt in the late 1890s were among the earliest works of African Americans to receive national recognition.
• McKay’s volume of poetry, Harlem Shadows (1922), became one of the first works by a black writer to be published by a mainstream, national publisher (Harcourt, Brace and Company).
• No common literary style or political ideology defined the Harlem Renaissance. What united participants was their sense of taking part in a common endeavor and their commitment to giving artistic expression to the African American experience.
• African American experience in Africa and the American South, and a strong sense of racial pride and desire for social and political equality.
•  But the most characteristic aspect of the Harlem Renaissance was the diversity of its expression
• some 16 black writers published more than 50 volumes of poetry and fiction, while dozens of other African American artists made their mark in painting, music, and theater. 

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

• Paul Laurence Dunbar
• Son of slaves
• First black African writers to receive national recognition
• Published in 1896 Lyrics of a Lowly Life
• Lyrics of a Lowly Life was a collection of poems written in black dialect.

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

• Claude McKay
• Wrote in the 1920s
• Born in Jamaica
• wrote poems and novels depicting black life.
• One of the first writers to attract a large white audience.

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

• Zora Neale Hurston
• Born in America
• Known for her interpretations of African American FolkTales
• Also wrote novels about southern black culture
• Her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God was published in 1937.

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Chris McCandless Character Chart

Characterization Notes on Christopher McCandless

(a.k.a. Alex Supertramp)

Chapter and page #	Description/quote from novel	What impression you get about Chris with this character trait or description?
Chapter 1, page 4	“Five feet seven or eight with a wiry build, he claimed to be 24 years old and said he was from South Dakota.  He explained that he wanted a ride as far as the edge of Denali National Park, where he intended to walk deep into the bush and ‘live off the land for a few month.’”	Chris is not physically fit for walking into such a dangerous environment.  He seems a little crazy.
Chapter 1, page 6	“There was just no way talking the guy out of it, He was determined, real hung go. The word that comes to mind is excited. He couldn’t wait to head out there and get started.” Gallien	You get the idea that McCandless was a very stubborn and determined guy. That almost nothing could possibly stand in his way,
Chapter 2, page 14	“McCandless’s remains weighed 67 pounds.	Since he weighed so little it was easy to tell that he died of simple starvation.
Chapter 2, page 12	Chris’s emergency note, “S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here. I am 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 this evening. Thank you. Chris McCandless, August?”	This emergency note showed how desperate he became because Chris never asks for help from anybody but himself.
Chapter 3, page 16	“McCandless was a smallish with the hard, stringy physique of an itinerant laborer… exotic blood in his heritage-Greek, maybe, or Chippewa and conveyed a vulnerability that made Westerberg want to take the kid under his wing”	Shows a weaker side of Chris and a more vulnerable one. Shows you that maybe Chris does need help from outsiders more often than he’d like.
Chapter 3 page 17	“Exposed a mouthful of hoary teeth. He was nearsighted and wore steal-rimmed glasses. He looked hungry.	McCandless had bad teeth and wore glasses. You could also tell just be looking at him that he wanted food.
Chapter 4 page 30	“He was wearing long shorts and a really stupid hat, he had a book about plants with him and he was using it to pick up berries.”	Jan Burres describes him in this chapter as his appearance as a hitchhiker. He obviously didn’t care about the clothes he was wearing.
Chapter 4 page 36	“He screams and beats the canoe with his oar, the oar breaks. Alex has one spare oar. He calms himself, if he looses the second oar he is dead”	Alex has a very short temper and sometimes that short temper can almost get him killed.
Chapter 5 page 40	“He always wore shoes without socks; he just couldn’t stand to wear socks. Chris would comply with the rule but as soon as his shift was over, bang! The first thing he’d do is peel those socks off.	Chris did not like socks at all. I think socks to him symbolized going with the flow and doing what you were supposed to be doing. Not wearing socks made him feel free.
Chapter 5 page 40	“He was a nice kid and a good worker. Real Dependable.”	Chris is a very hard worker and you can always depend on him
Chapter 6 page 50	“He was polite, friendly, and well groomed.”	Franz describes Chris and u can tell how fond of him he is.
Chapter 6 page 51	“He seemed extremely intelligent, I thought he was too nice a kid to be living by that hot spring with those nudists and drunks and dope smokers.”	Franz again explains how highly he thinks of Chris
Chapter 7 page 62	“McCandless worked hard, doing dirty, tedious jobs that nobody else wanted to tackle.”	Chris was a very hard worker who would do any job even if it meant having to get dirty.
Chapter 7 page	“He was a big eater, Never left food on his plate. Ever”	Gail describes Chris saying how he eats all of his food. This is because he has felt like he was starving so many time’s that he appreciates food and would never throw and leftovers away.
Chapter 10 page 101	“His hair was long and he had a beard. Chris always had short hair and was clean shaven. And the face In this picture was extremely gaunt.”	Chris’s hair grows out and he stops grooming himself. Lets himself go.
Chapter 10 page 99	“Wearing a blue sweatshirt printed with the logo of a Santa Barbara towing company; which when contacted knew nothing about him or how he’d acquired that shirt.”	Chris did not care about fashion and wore whatever clothes he could find for cheap.
Chapter 11 page 107	“He was very to himself. He wasn’t antisocial, he always had friends and everybody liked him.”	Chris would never go out of his way to talk to someone but if you talked to him he could hold a conversation just fine.
Chapter 11 page 107	“He didn’t seem to need toys or friends. He could be alone without being lonely.”	Chris liked to be alone and would never start to miss people. It just wasn’t his “style”.
Chapter 12 page 118	“Chris was good at almost everything he ever tired, which made him supremely overconfident. If you ever tried to talk him out of something he wouldn’t argue, He’d just nod politely and then do exactly what he wanted.”	Chris was very confident and always did what he thought was best.
Chapter 12 page 120	“He didn’t care that it wasn’t a cool thing to do, he made a pole of money.”	He is a hard worker and will do a job even if it is unpopular.
Chapter 13 page 128	“Standing five feet eight inches tall, carine McCandless is the same height as her brother was…, and looks enough like him that people frequently asked if they were twins.”	Chris and his sister closely resemble each other.
Chapter 13 page	“…Chris is energetic and self-assured, a high achiever, quick to state an opinion.”	Chris is an above average student who isn’t afraid to argue his beleifs.
Chapter 16 page 159	“You could tell he came from a nice family, Mostly he talked about his sister. He didn’t get along with his folks to good, I guess.”	Chris acts very polite and you can tell that he loves his sister and misses her very much.
Chapter 16 page 167	“Smoking appears ineffective, Don’t know, looks like a disaster. I now wish I had never shot the moose. One of the greatest Tragedies of my life.”	Chris is in love with nature. When he realizes he is wasting food due to his own arrogance he is very sad.
Chapter 17 page 177	“Not only did McCandless die because he was stupid, the scope of his self-styled adventure was as small as to ring pathetic”	Locals believe that Chris is not as smart as Krakauer lets us think.
Chapter 17 page 179	“It occurs to me, must have been forced to make the belt after growing so thin that his pants wouldn’t stay up without it.”	Chris has become so skinny that his belt can’t keep his pants up.
Chapter 18 page 189	“Happiness, only real when shared.”	Chris says this right before it dies. It shows that he has had an epiphany and realizes that the life of solitude may not be the happiest life.
Chapter  18 page 195	“Day 100, MADE IT, but in weakest condition of my life, death looms as a serious threat. Too weak to walk out, have literally become trapped in the wild.	Chris finally realizes that his actions have consequences and that he will probably never return from his trip into Alaska.

I admire Chris for his courage and noble ideals, I do agree that his death was in vain and if he took time to think of some of the consequences his actions might have he would of changed the way he did things. However Chris was an idealist and lived his life the way he wanted to live it and I admire him for that.

Into the Wild Questions

1.      Chapter 1 Questions

What is the personal history of Chris McCandless?

The personal history of Chris McCandless is that he lived in a good East coast Family, graduated with honors in 1990, but threw all this away and started wandering across North America. (First Paged Authors Note)

2.       What themes does Jon Krakauer introduce in the “Author’s Note”?

The grip the wilderness has on the young men and how the simple life is better than the luxurious one. (First Paged Authors Note)

3.       What is the purpose of the quoted material at the start of Chapter One?

The purpose of this quoted material is to help you relate to Alex and to know him on a more personal basis. It also gives a nice view on what happens in the story (page 3).

4.       Who is Alex?

Alex is a young hitchhiker who gets picked up and tells Gallien and he is going to live in the wilderness.

5.       Who is Jim Gallien, and how did he meet McCandless?

Jim Gallien is a union electrician who was driving to business who picked up Alex as a hitch-hiker.

6.       What was Gallien’s assessment of McCandless?

Gallien thought McCandless was a brave young man but was also very reckless for going out in the wilderness with very few supplies and knew that he would more than likely not be coming back alive. He reffered to him as a nutcase.

7.       What kind of advice did Gallien give McCandless?

Gallien told him advice on the area and things to look out for and he probably wouldn’t survive if he didn’t get better gear.

8.       What was McCandless’s response to Gallien’s offer?  Also, what gift did Gallien give to McCandless?

Alex said he was good and didn’t want his gear, but he persuaded him to take a pair of boots and his number and some extra food.

9.       Why did Gallien decide not to alert the authorities about McCandless?

Gallien decided not too because he figured Alex would get hungry and walk back to the highway like any normal person would.

10.   Gallien’s statement that McCandless would “probably get hungry pretty quick and just walk out to the highway.  That’s what any normal person would do,” is an example of the literary device of irony of situation.  What is ironic about the statement?

Because you know that he doesn’t walk out to the highway for food and does die of starvation but Gallien doesn’t know that yet.

Chapter 2 Questions 

11.  Why would Krakauer include a quote from another author such as Jack London as the heading for this chapter?

Krakauer included the quote because it sets the mood about the wilderness. It helps the reader understand the harsh circumstances Alex is up against (page 9).

12.  What is the purpose of the detailed descriptions of Mt. McKinley, Denali, and the Stampede Trail?

The purpose of these detailed explanations is to help paint a picture in your mind as a reader to understand where exactly Alex is going to be living. Krakauer says, “The kantishna plain, a series of lesser ridges, knows as the Outer range, sprawls across the flats like a rumpled blanket on an unmade bed.” This is a very vivid quote (page 9).

13. What was considered to be the cause of Chris McCandless’s death?

The scientists after performing an autopsy said it was hard to tell because the body had rotted so much but he had probably died from starvation.

Chapter 3 Questions

14. Who is Wayne Westerberg and how do Wayne and Chris get along?

Wayne Westerberg is a strong man with a goatee who owns a grain elevator in Carthage. They got along very well because they were both hard workers. Unlike most of the hitchhikers Wayne had given work to he said Alex was the hardest worker and would do nay job until it was done completely (page 18).

15.  Local color is introduced when a writer uses regional or colorful terms to present an image of a distinct area or culture.  The terms “leather tramp” and “rubber tramp” qualify as examples of local color.  What culture do they describe, and what is the difference between rubber tramps and leather tramps?

A rubber tramp is a vagabond who owned a vehicle. A leather tramp was a person who lacked personal transportation and was forced to hitchhike or walk (Page 17). They describe the local culture where Alex was living.

16. Why did the author say that McCandless found a “surrogate family in Westerberg and his employees”?

He says this because it helps you realize that Alex has made a new home for himself in Westerberg and his employees however this on not his real family and his other family is still out there and misses him very much (Page 18).

17.  Why did McCandless leave Carthage?

McCandless left Carthage because Wayne got caught by the FBI for selling illegal satellite unscrambles. As much as Alex loved Carthage he had to leave because with Wayne in jail there was no work (page 19).

18.  How does the reader know that War and Peace was important to McCandless?

War and Peace was important to McCandless because it gave him the ability to keep in touch with Wayne as he roamed the west (page 19).

19.  Describe McCandless’s early years and family life.

McCandless’s early years and family life were very good. He grew up in a good family and he was very academic and athletic. He graduated with honors. And the last  contact he had with his parents was a letter with his final grades and a note to his parents (Page 22.)

20.  What clues did McCandless give that he was out of step with the commercialism of contemporary society?

Clues McCandless gave that he was out of step with the commercialism of contemporary society are for instance when his parents wanted to get him a new car. Right now he drives a old yellow Datsun and most kids would love to upgrade to a new car but her refused and got angry and considered that it was his parents trying to buy his respect (Page 21).

21.  What change did McCandless make that symbolized the new life he expected to build after he left Atlanta?

A change he made that symbolized the new life he wanted to build was that he he blocked his mail so nobody would be able to contact him and he said that he wanted a new life “which he would be free to wallow in unfiltered experience.”(page 23.)

Chapter 4+ 5 Questions

22.  The head note to this chapter concludes that people go to the desert “not to escape but to find reality.” How does this statement apply to Chris?

This statement applies to Chris because Chris goes into the wilderness not to escape an average life but in order to find what an average life should be. (page 25)

23.  Who is Jan Burres, and how did she figure into Chris’s travels?

Jan Burres is a “forty one year old rubber tramp who travels around the west selling  knick-knacks at flea markets and swap meets. They gave him a ride and he lived with them for a week and when he left would occasionally keep in touch by sending them postcards (page 30).

24.  Describe the trip that Chris took in the old metal canoe that Chris bought in Topock, Arizona.

The trip Chris took in the old metal canoe was peaceful and naturalistic (page 33). At the end though his journey gets much rougher and he abandons his canoe.

25.  This chapter contains numerous excepts from the journal Chris kept.  What is noticeable about the writing in his account of his Mexican adventure?

Something noticeable in these writings are that his hopes get very high up and then very low repeatable. He also thinks Mexicans are very friendly and nice people and better than Americans (page 35).

26.  Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the individual’s responsibility and free will to direct the course of his/her life.  What existential conclusion does Chris reach when leaving Las Vegas?  (Look at end of chapter 4 for ideas.)

He reaches the conclusion that life is better if you don’t settle down and have a job and he wants to live his life on the road (page 37.)

27.  What kind of life did Chris lead in Bullhead City?

Chris’s life was almost considered normal. He considered even staying there permanently. He had a full time job and even opened up a bank account. He even used his real name and social security code (page 40).

28.  Describe the conditions and the residents of the Slab.  Note some of the local color that makes this community memorable.

The conditions of the slab weren’t to great. It was basically a dirty flee market.The people there though were very interesting and unique and Alex loved them. He even made a girl have a crush on him even though he had no intention of having a girlfriend (Page 44).

29.  What character traits and skills does Jan Burres recount about Chris in chapter 5?

That he is a very hard worker and is very playful. Also that he loves nature (page 45).

30.  What was Jan Burres’s assessment of Chris’s ability to survive in Alaska? (end of chapter 5)

Jan’s assessment was that Chris was that he’d be fine in Alaska. She figured, “ if he could figure out how to paddle a canoe down to mexico… he’d be able to figure out Alaska too. (page 46)

Chapter 6-7 Questions 

31.  Who was Ron Franz, and how did he enter the story?  What does Krakauer think about the relationship between Franz and McCandless?

Franz was a “devout Christian who had spent most his life in the army.” (page 50.) He lived in Salton City wher Chris would go to buy provisions such as more rice to eat. Franz was aslo a skilled leatherworker and tough Chris how to make a belt.

32.  What is Anza-Borrego?

Anza Borrego is a dessert state park (page 48).

33.  What was the tragedy of Ron Franz’s life?

The tradegy of his life is that while he was overseas his wife and son were killed by a drunk driver. After this he became an Alchoholic but sixths months later he was able to stop drinking and started adopting local children. Page 50

34.  How did he feel about Chris and what request did he make of Chris?

Franz really liked chris. They started out kind of rough but eventually warmed up to each other. He requested to adopt Chris and make him his Grandson. Chris did not like this idea and avoided the question. (Page 55) Chris liked to get in and slip out of people lives so he wouldn’t cause that big an impact.

35.  What role did leather making take in their relationship?

Leather making helped them bond and they became very close friends. It also showed Franz some of the pasts of Chris that he inscribed on the belt. (Page 52)

36.  The author gives a brief character analysis of McCandless after recounting that Franz dropped him off in Colorado.  What does the author say about McCandless?

Jon says that Chris hate feeling claustrophobic around family. He left people like Jan and Franz so that they wouldn’t get to attached to him. However he didn’t realize how attached they got, especially Franz. (page 55)

37.  When Chris sent Franz a letter from Carthage, what advice did Chris give to Franz and how did Franz respond to this letter?

Chris tells Franz that he should sell all his possessions. That he should live off the land like he did. He said that the less money you spend the happier you will be. Franz responded by doing exactly what Chris told him and he put his furniture in storage and went up to his old campsite and lived of the land (Page 58).

38.  How did Ron Franz learn that McCandless had died and how did this death change Franz’s life?

He is shown pictures of Chris’ Alaskan adventures and then at the end he sees pictures of the bus and then when he picks up some hitchhiker they tell him about an article they read and Franz was really upset. He dropped of the hitchikers, became and athesiest and went into the dessert with whiskey hoping to drink himself to death (page 60).

39.  Why was Wayne Westerberg annoyed at the beginning of chapter Seven?

Wayne Westerberg was annoyed because he had been working very hard on the farm, eighteen hour days, and was disappointed that Chris had not showed up to help them (Page 62).

40.  What is the author’s analysis of the relationship between McCandless and his father?  How did Chris feel about his sister Carine?

Chris and his father did not have a very good relationship. Walter was a very controlling parent and Chris was very adventurous. Chris dealed with his dad till college until he ran away and started his new life. His sister Carine and him were very close and he misses her a lot and apologized for leaving her (page 64).\


Chapter 8 + 9

41.  What is the purpose of including the full story of Gene Rossellini?

The purpose of this story was to show that Alex was not one f a kind. There were actually many people doing this. It also showed that he could of possibly made the wrong decision by leaving his house and Family. This shows that whenever you try to live of the land things will become very hard for you (page 75).

42.  What motivated Krakauer to include the story of John Waterman?

Krakauer was motivated to include this story because it showed you that a life of wilderness and solitude can have a very negative outcome in the end. It also show you that Chris is not as insane as people say he is.

43.  Finally, what is the purpose of including the story of Chris McCunn in the narrative?

The point of including the Story of Chris is to let you know that is it in early impossible to survive in the wilderness on your own and that help doesn’t magically come for you and you can’t take situations like being in the wilderness alone lightly. (Page 85)

44.  Summarize the story of Everett Ruess and his fascination with the American West and natural beauty.
Everett was born in Oakland. He tramped the Southwest and California; he took his first solo trip when he was 16. Ruess disappeared in the Davis Gulch and his body was never recovered. Many believe that he fell to his death but others believe he was either murdered or drowned.

45.  What Ken Sleight’s conclusion about Ruess and McCandless?

Sleights conclusion was the Ruess died while crossing the river. He found a carving of his name and knew that if he were to off made it o the other side he would of wrote his name on that side too so he never got out of the river.

Quoatations from Into the Wild

"I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger..." by Leo Tolstoy from Family Happiness" (Page 15).
This quote connects to Chris because Chris doesn't want a calm life and he does want excitement and danger. Chris would get this quote because it relates to his lifestyle.

"No man ever followed his genius till is misled him." by Henry David Thoreau in Walden, or life in the woods. (Page 47).
This relates to Chris because he was living on his own and wan't really listening to his conscious until he starved to death in a bus. Chris wouldn't really get this quote because he doesn't agree with a person listening to what people say the right thing is to do.

"To the dessert go prophets and hermits; through the dessert goes  pilgrims and exiles. Here the leaders of the great religions have sought the theraputic and spiritual values of retreat., not to escape but find reality." Paul Shepard, Man in the Landscape, (Page 25).
This post relates to Chris because when Chris retreats to the Wilderness it is ot because he is escaping the reality of modern day life but he is finding what reality really is. Chris would be able o understand this Quote very much so.