Textual Evidence: "After a bad race or even a bad time trial during practice, he could be really hard on himself. And he wouldn't want to talk about it. If I tried to console him, he'd act annoyed and brush me off. He internalized the disappointment. He'd go off alone somewhere and beat himself up" (Krakaeur 112).
Topic: Inspiration or fool?
Analysis:
Chris McCandless is a person who is really hard on himself. If he makes a mistake or does something poorly, he will usually punish himself severely even if the mistake or poor performance is minor. For example, Chris McCandless is a distance runner and whenever he performs bad in a race or a time trial, he will beat himself up internally. I think this example is important because it applies to everything he does in life. Chris wants to travel around the world and live in the wilderness. If he makes a wrong turn in the road or an obstacle stops him from continuing his journey, he will become very angry with himself. This anger will force him to keep trying and never give up. Many people would think of Chris McCandless as strange for punishing himself, but I think of him as an extremely inspirational man. I can relate to Chris. I am also a very competitive distance runner. I take the sport seriously just like Chris. Whenever I finish a bad race, I punish myself severely as well. It usually takes me a couple days to recover from a bad race. This also applies to school. When I get a bad grade on a test, I feel extremely depressed and angry with myself. I believe that being hard on yourself is important because it forces you to try harder and strive in life. Chris understands this concept more than anyone.
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