For this particular reason, some see Mishandles as a misguided wacko who caused his own demise, while on the other hand some see him as noble, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Chris Mishandles is indeed noble! He possessed courage and ideals which admired. He was noble for his self- reliance, being intellectual, and that he was not materialistic. One characteristic which show Chris’ nobility is his intellect. Chris was a very bright individual, he went to school and graduated, had a 3. 73 GAP. In his adventure he showed that he was definitely not dumb nor a wacko.
In meeting Ronald Franz, he saw he was not living life to the fullest, so in his departure he leaves Franz with some words of advice. “The very base core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. Don’t settle down and sit in one place… Move around, be nomadic, make each day a new horizon… It would be a shame if you did not take the opportunity to revolutionize your life and move into an entirely new realm of experience”(57). Chris knew of the joys of life and that may be why he set out on his journey in the first place.
After his death they find the words “HAPPINESS IS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED” (189). Chris may not have always known this but he figured it out in the end. This goes to show that he found what he was looking for, he found that meaningfulness. Someone who is a misguided wacko would not come to such conclusions; they wouldn’t be concerned with any sort of happiness. Another characteristic exhibiting his being noble is being self-reliant. Chris had to know what he was getting himself into, or else may be he would’ve taken more assistance from others. “…
Mishandles worked hard, doing dirty, tedious jobs that nobody else wanted to take… ” (62). Chris was willing to do menial jobs in order to get where he was going rather than depend on others and simply borrowing the money. He had good work ethic and he did not wish to bother others with his problems. Like when Westerners offers to pay for his ticket to Alaska if he stays for another week or two, but Chris reluctantly refuses (67). Chris did not burden anyone else with his well being because he chose to abandon his Old life; it was of his own volition.
He did not eave things up to others but rely on himself because he knew that he was in his predicament because of himself. Only someone who was noble would do things in such a manner. A misguided wacko would neither do things themselves nor rely on others but just accept their fate as it is. A third trait showing that Chris Mishandles is noble is him not being materialistic. Chris did not necessarily show the need for material items to get by. Before leaving on his adventure Chris “Donates all his money in his college fund to SOFAS America, a charity dedicated to fighting hunger” (20).
Money was useful at times but it was not of the most importance to Chris. He lived off the land. In another instance he took his car and got rid of it, “At the end of the dry riverbed, in a thicket of saltbush not far from where they parked, a large object was concealed beneath a dun colored tarpaulin. When the rangers pulled off the tarp, they found an old yellow Data’s without license plates… ” (26). For whatever reason Chris abandons his car and sets out on foot, this may be a way for him to get the full extent of his adventure and live he life that he introduced to Ron Franz of.
These actions show he is noble, because no one just gives money away as he did, doesn’t seem realistic, and no one gets rid of a car they once boasted about. He did not intend on getting through his journey the easy way. A misguided wacko would give money away or get rid of a form of transportation, but not for the reasons Chris did. In addition to that a wacko would definitely not donate money to an organization just for the good of it but probably burn it so no one gets it. This shows not only that Chris is not crazy but is noble.
