<div> </div>
<div>keely et. al.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I hesitate to judge how "effectively" (by whose standards, yours, mine, Chief Joseph, the Dalia Lama, or Edward Abby, author of "Desert Solitaire?") McCandless lived his beliefs in this story. It was his life to live as he wished.
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>However, the evidence suggests he was quite "effective" in making decisive decisions on certain beliefs he took seriously. It almost seems like a violation of something sacred to be profiting off this life (a book, now a film)...a life lived with profound convictions and the will to act on them, with full foreknowledge of the risks, risks assumed with courage and joy, to a degree that puts many pretenders to shame. I'll limit what I reveal here, for those who may see the film, but mountain climbers, sailors, or pilots, just to mention a few risk takers, push the boundaries of exploration, whether it be in the world of Nature, of the human soul, or in McCandless's case, a combination of both. We do not always dismiss these risks as assumed due to immaturity. In fact it is understood that without the risk, the challenge to face certain basic realities in life, and overcome them, would be absent.
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Anyway, perhaps I do not understand what you mean about McCandless's "immaturity." And I hesitate to go into details about his life, again because the film is on the big screen locally...</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Ted Moffett<br><br> </div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 11/5/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">keely emerinemix</b> <<a href="mailto:kjajmix1@msn.com">kjajmix1@msn.com</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">
<div>"Twit" was probably gratuitously dismissive, Ted. I do think, though, that his depth of passion for his beliefs, when coupled with shocking immaturity, made him, in the book and in the movie, much less effective in living them out.
<br><br>keely<br><br><br><br><br>
<blockquote>
<hr>
Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2007 02:44:18 -0800<br>From: <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:starbliss@gmail.com" target="_blank">starbliss@gmail.com</a><br>To: <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:suehovey@moscow.com" target="_blank">
suehovey@moscow.com</a><span class="q"><br>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] "Into The Wild"<br></span>CC: <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:kjajmix1@msn.com" target="_blank">kjajmix1@msn.com
</a>; <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com" target="_blank">vision2020@moscow.com</a>
<div><span class="e" id="q_116107574be93844_3"><br><br>
<div> </div>
<div>All-</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I don't think "twit" describes McCandless, the protagonist of the book and film "Into The Wild," unless taking a cynical view of his Weltanschauung. At least not the "real" McCandless, as opposed to whatever portrayal occurs in the film:
</div>
<div> </div>
<div><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/twit" target="_blank">http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/twit</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div>twit - noun informal:</div>
<div> </div>
<div>An insignificant or bothersome person. </div>
<div>-------</div>
<div>This account at the web site below, written by Jon Krakauer, the author of the book "Into The Wild," reveals McCandless to be more "Tolstoy" in inspiration. Don't open this web link if planning to see the film, unless you want the plot revealed. This film is probably of the sort best viewed not knowing anything about the story. It can be sliced and diced after viewing:
</div>
<div> </div>
<div><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://outside.away.com/magazine/0193/9301fdea.html" target="_blank">http://outside.away.com/magazine/0193/9301fdea.html</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div>Ted Moffett</div>
<div> </div>
<div><span>On 11/4/07, <b>Sue Hovey</b> <<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:suehovey@moscow.com" target="_blank">suehovey@moscow.com</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid">
<div>
<div><font face="Arial">Wellllll I would say you aren't a twit...</font></div><span>
<div><font face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div><font face="Arial">Sue </font></div></span>
<blockquote style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(0,0,0) 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<div><span>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">----- Original Message ----- </div>
<div style="BACKGROUND: rgb(228,228,228) 0% 50%; FONT: 10pt arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"><b>From:</b> <a title="kjajmix1@msn.com" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:kjajmix1@msn.com" target="_blank">
keely emerinemix</a> </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"><b>To:</b> <a title="vision2020@moscow.com" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com" target="_blank">
vision2020@moscow.com</a> </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, November 04, 2007 8:54 PM</div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"><b>Subject:</b> [Vision2020] "Into The Wild"</div>
<div><br> </div><br>Visionaires --<br><br>Jeff and I went to see "Into The Wild," the Sean Penn film based on Jon Krakauer's book by the same name, and I would urge all of you to see it. An astonishingly well-made movie about a very difficult subject -- the protagonist is an idealistic Thoreau/Jack London devotee' who is alternately engaging and annoying, and I found myself entirely caught up in the film even though I had read the book and knew the plot.
<br><br>Christopher McCandless, the young man portrayed in the movie by Emile Hirsch, was an imperious, stubborn and intractably arrogant twit fond of pontificating at length to anyone who would listen; he was also bright, engaging, kindhearted and funny. The book was very good, and the film outstanding.
<br><br>(Note to my friends: Of course I see the similarities. I used to be an imperious, stubborn and intractably arrogant twit, too. Only Dale thinks I still am!)<br><br>keely<br><br><br>
<hr>
Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare! <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews" target="_blank">
Try now!</a> </span></div><br>
<hr>
<span><br>=======================================================<br> List services made available by First Step Internet, <br> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <br> <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.fsr.net/" target="_blank">
http://www.fsr.net</a> <br> mailto:<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com" target="_blank">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>=======================================================
</span><br></blockquote></div><br>=======================================================<br> List services made available by First Step Internet,<br> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br> <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.fsr.net/" target="_blank">
http://www.fsr.net</a><br> mailto:<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com" target="_blank">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>=======================================================
<br></blockquote></div><br></span></div></blockquote><br>
<hr>
Climb to the top of the charts! Play Star Shuffle: the word scramble challenge with star power. <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://club.live.com/star_shuffle.aspx?icid=starshuffle_wlmailtextlink_oct" target="_blank">
Play Now!</a></div></blockquote></div><br>