Analysis Of Chris Mccandless In Into The Wild, By Jon Krakauer

Edward Grylls, also known as Bear Gryls, once said “You only get one chance at life and you have to grab it boldly” and how one interprets that is up to each individual. Bear Grylls is a British adventurer and writer who is widely known for the television series Man vs Wild where Bear survives outdoors in the harshest environments. Like Bear, John Krakauer, author of the nonfiction novel Into the Wild, shares with readers the last months of adventure seeker Chris McCandless, also known as Alexander Supertramp, who dies on his Alaskan Adventure in search for his own meaning of life. Chris McCandless was a fearless, driven and stubborn person who sought to follow his dreams even if those dreams were dangerous and nonconformist.

The term Fearless

Early on Chris McCandless was not afraid of the consequences that may result from an action. For example, in the novel, Into The Wild, John Krakauer includes a story told by Walt, Chris’s father, about their trip to climb Longs Peak in Colorado. During this trip Walt and Chris reached a notch called the Keyhole. At this point Walt decided to turn around due to the dangerous view ahead. But Chris thought differently. Chris, being an adventurous 12 year old, was intrigued and wanted to continue on. Walt had stated that if Chris were older he would have just let him go on alone. Even when he was little Walt said that Chris “didn’t think the odds applied to him. We were always trying to pull him back from the edge” (Krakauer 109). Early on Chris was apprehensive and wasn’t afraid of the dangers. Fearlessness and confidence are related. It is natural that confidence comes from lack of fear. One will walk taller and have more successes in life. And as one would assume this didn’t stop when he got older. Chris was very clever and intelligent in school but when something seemed wrong or illogical he would simply do what he thought was right. One time in school, Chris’ teacher assigned a project that had to be done in a certain way by the end of the

Their relationship came with many conflicts. For example it was clear that “both father and son were stubborn and high strung. Given Walt’s need to exert control and Chris’s extravagantly independent nature, polarization was inevitable” (Krakauer 64). Chris never let his father tell him what he should or shouldn’t do. Throughout this time Chris was having a battle in his mind. He didn’t want to continue on this boring and predictable life, although Chris did go all through high school and college despite his beliefs. But once he was able to do what he wanted, he took the opportunity by the reins and ran with it. Quite literally in fact. He even went as far to trick his parents into thinking he was seeing their ways when he was in fact knocking them out of his life completely because they would not see nor accept his views. Throughout his whole life he only did what he thought was right, Never taking advice or guidance from anyone even if it would inevitably help him in the future. Years before Chris and his adventure, Everett Ruess, another explorer who went solo into the Sierra, had similar views as Chris. Both adventurers were determined to do their own thing, “damning the stereotypes of civilization, chanting [their] barbaric adolescent yawp into the teeth of the world” (Krakauer 91). Chris would never please others if it compromised his moral compass. He was not influenced by the pressure of