Hey Team,
I need help with my essay. It scored 41/60 but not sure how to improve, Any advice??
Both Tracks and Into The Wild explore the idea of a quest. DiscussBoth Tracks, by Robyn Davidson, and Into The Wild (2007) by Sean Penn, explore the notion of a journey in isolation and the challenges the protagonists succumb to during their quests opting growth. While Tracks conveys Robyn’s endeavor to extend her boundaries and gain a deeper understanding of the land and it’s inhabitants as a result of such a quest, Into the wild espouses Chris’ attempts to isolate himself from societal limitations and familial struggles which obscure his freedom and thus, truth. During such endeavors, having a oneness with the land contrasts the protagonists to their respective fates, where Robyn traverses the continent alongside human relationships, and McCandless discovers this truth alas, too late.
Both protagonists yearn for a sense of freedom during their quests, where Robyn desires to set free the limitations that bind her to gender and class, and Chris’ pursuit to refute familial bondage. Chris describes himself as an ‘aesthetic voyager’ whereby his quest for ‘ultimate freedom’ includes the removal of ‘money, power [...] sick society’ and ‘parents. Hypocrites’. This is symbolised in the burning of his money, where Penn frames chris’ disadence with materialism and consumerism, the very fabric and foundation society and his parents are built on. Here, Chris demonstrates the fragility and the insignificance of money which yield to nature's element, fire, whereby chris wants to be apart of ‘the wild’. In light of this quest, Robyn seeks an alternative for the ‘female syndrome’ that places limitations on her sense of freedom. Her endeavor is symbolised through her war with ‘the kurts of this world’ who try to circumvent her ability to partake in such a trek which she ‘guarded like a jewel’.. Furthermore, the fact that she partakes in a quest where there is ‘no loved ones to care for’, which includes her sister who epitomises the traditional ‘female’ stereotype, being ‘married with four children’, mirrors her ultimate desire to withstand such boundaries that also pinned McCandless to ‘a lie of everyday's truth’. Thus both texts display a longing for truths and freedom, where familial struggles ‘struck at the core of Chris’ identity” and Robyn's endurance of the quest suggest the strength of her class and gender.
The quest for an affinity with the land is depicted in both texts whereby Robyn succeeds in understanding her environment and surroundings, Chris’ realisation of his lack of knowledge of the land leads to his ultimate demise. Robyn romanticizes her love for the land; ‘i love you sky...camels...desert, desert, desert’. She describes herself as a nomad with ‘no home’, which she rectifies she could be ‘queen’ in the desert. The fact that she chooses the role of a ‘queen’ demonstrates her desire to be in oneness with the land rather than a king, symbolising dominance and authoritarianism over the land. In stark contrast, McCandless’ ignorance, attempting to tread the land with ‘no boots’, ‘no watch, no maps’ highlight his estranged knowledge of the Icy Alaskan Landscape whereby identifying artifacts by its ‘right name’ becomes obsolete, impacting upon his life. Penns reconstruction depicts the vastness of the environment, where the frame pans out from Chris into an extrude of a panoramic view, depicting Chris’ loneliness and insignificance in the face of the Alaskan environment. Moreover, his failed attempt at the river crossing further highlights the detrimental impacts of a lack of knowledge of the land, delivering Robyn to a safe haven and McCandless to his death.
Human relationships, although the notion of escapism as the substance of both quests, is explored in both texts as the core truths both McCandless and Davidson come to accept. Robyn’s endeavor to relieve herself of social relationships and the ‘comfort in it’ is initially her goal throughout the quest. Rick’s appearance spurs Robyn’s discontent at the beginning of the journey whereby she concludes him a ‘parasite’ and a ‘connection’ to the outside world. Although she achieves an intimate relationship with Rick, Davidson reiterates her desire for ‘complete isolation’ and regards such a relationship as a ‘silly mistake’. Although the crux of her quest is achieved to a degree of isolation, her true turning point occurs at the presence of the ‘aboriginal elder’ Mr Eddie. Through their bond, Davidson describes herself as ‘invincible’ and having ‘limitless power’ as such a relationship allowed her to know the ‘nets and webs’ of the environment. She realises that ‘[she] wanted [relationships]’ and ‘needed them’ which fuelled her trek alongside Rick. While Robyn expresses her feeling at the appearance of Eddie, McCandless withholds any connections throughout his interactions. His suggestion of father-figure Ron to be ‘an old man’, ‘sitting on [his] but’ ignores the profound impact that such a father-son relationship can bring to an individual. Chris’ rejection of allowing Ron to ‘adopt [him]’ further suggests his compulsion to stray towards loneliness and isolation, which is reflected in his rejection of the ‘rubber tramps’, a future surrogate family. However Penn draws upon Chris’ moment of realisation in the ‘magic bus’ where, during his final hours of solitude, ‘the light of god’ shines, reflecting Chris’ forgiveness of his family in the motif of sunlight. His joy of human relationships at the thump of each diegetic sound heightens and is reflected in his final statement: ‘God bless all!’. The fact that he concludes with his real name, ‘Christopher McCandless’ rather than ‘Alexander Supertramp’, suggests that he, during his quest for truth, has come to the realisation of the importance of familial and human relationships, alongside Robyn where her journey of complete isolation has ended with the support of human relationships.
That the pursuit of a quest through isolation relinquishes familial and societal boundaries obscuring freedom, polluting the importance of truth and human relationships and thus opting growth, both Tracks and Into The Wild explore the effects a journey into nature can have for individuals who attempt such treks.
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