In Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild," the police learned Chris McCandless's real last name through a missing person report filed by his parents. When Chris's parents had not heard from him for an extended period of time, they became concerned and filed a missing person report with the police.
As part of the investigation into his disappearance, the police found Chris's abandoned Datsun in the parking lot of a trailhead in Alaska. Inside the car, they found several personal items, including Chris's driver's license, which revealed his real last name to be McCandless.
The police then contacted Chris's parents and informed them of their son's whereabouts. However, by the time they found the car, Chris had already set out on foot into the wilderness
In the biography Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer holds Chris McCandless in high esteem and shows this admiration by including narrative that shows what makes Chris Special. In the story, whenever Krakauer records people's experiences with Chris he always makes sure Chris is seen in a good light. When Chris was hitchhiking and picked up by a man named Jim Gallien, Jim thought that Chris was an idiot for not packing enough equipment and trying to go live in the woods. However, during the ride Chris peppers Jim with sensible questions making Jim realizes that Chris is not as much, “as a nutcase” as he thought. (Krakauer 5) Krakauer included how Chris was thinking on how to survive.
Survival: “He had a book about plants with him, and was using it to pick berries... Said he’d been surviving on edible plants he identified from the book.” (Krakauer 30) McCandless successfully provided the necessity of a sufficient amount of nutrients to fulfill his dietary needs. It is acknowledged that McCandless survived by foraging from the wilderness, essentially allowing him to consume meals without distress.
McCandless went to the wild thinking he could find himself and happiness because he thought happiness comes from loneliness which he should be admired for. McCandless find happiness by being on road on his own which makes him feel independent. On this trip he encounter many people whom he get along very well, but he leaves all of those people. As a matter of fact McCandless could have stayed with Jan Burres if he just wants to be on road, but he didn’t because that’s not that he wants. He wants to be independent which he thinks can happen by being alone.
In the novel Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless travels from Vermont all the way to Alaska into Denali national park. The way he decided to go through with his travels is considered to be unjust by most. Although his actions were not ideal he was happy with them and this was how he decided to go through with his plans. He gave away all of his money and material items just so that he could get rid of the thought of his family and, in a way, start his own. Chris McCandless was in fact just in his actions because of his legal rights of freedom of speech and he never stayed with anyone long enough for them to persuade him to not go to Alaska.
I believe we have a choice in this world, on whether to be remembered or to be forgotten. Chris McCandless was definitely remembered. Many people argue that Chris was either psycho, selfish, or a naturalist. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I believe that Chris was an outcast. From when he was younger, until his death, everyone questioned his actions.
Miller states in his article “Tragedy and the Common Man” that to be a tragic hero, one must fit into certain criteria. One of them includes the hero’s primary struggle to search for their sense of dignity and identity. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a book about Chris McCandless who abandons his current life to explore the world in search of his real self but dies in the process. He fits this particular criteria about being a tragic hero because he abandoned everything he had som he could go find himself. McCandless did not think this decision through because he had no idea what he was getting himself into and as miller says the protagonist cannot be stupid, insensitive, or incapable of overcoming obstacles.
Sometimes, life can be hectic and stressful, but nature can help soothe away the pain and problems. Chris Mccandless would most likely agree to this statement, because he lived his life in the moment. The book, Into The Wild, written by Jon Krakauer helps one understand that Chris Mccandless was at peace and that he truly lived life. Mccandless grew up in a financially stable lifestyle, so he was provided with a higher education, but was not materialistic. Chris had trouble having a good relationship with his parents; once they fought, he felt misunderstood, frustrated, and unloved.
Right before Chris entered the Stampede Trail, right outside Fairbanks, Alaska, he got a ride from a man named Jim Gallien, a trucker who happened to be passing through the area. Gallien was very concerned about Chris’s well-being and asked if anyone was coming with him or was part of this adventure. Chris recalls, “When Gallien asked [if] his parents or a friend knew what he was up to… [he] calmly answered that nobody knew” (6). This shocking piece of information proved that Chris had nobody that knew of his plan to disappear into the wilderness.
McCandless is a caring and modest person while he was been thoughtless about his trek as Krakauer reveals throughout the book. Krakauer portrays Chris McCandless as a person in the world who did not wish to ally with society and wanted to flee from people to become unrestricted of rules of society. Also, he did not feel attached to his community and people so he decided to escape from public as much as he could. Therefore, McCandless can be called as unintelligent, but his journey proves how humble and warm- hearted he is as a person. Can it be said that McCandless found himself before his death?
Realist: This means to have an understanding of what can be accomplished. By using this word, Krakauer was able to let the readers know that he viewed McCandless as more of a realist than an idealist. Being a realist is a noble trait, due to its denotation meaning of the word which implies that one knows their own limit and weakness and knows how to set forth and complete a goal. Ambivalent about killing animals: The meaning of the phrase is having mixed or contradictory feelings or ideas about killing animals.
Chris McCandless from the book “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer is a character who is extremely well liked by all. His smarts give him the ability to hold conversations with a variety of different people. Chris does not use his knowledge in a negative way that causes people to think that he is arrogant, it just comes out of him naturally, leaving many people impressed by the young boy. Through his character, I learned how much intelligence can truly add to one's personality. Chris is subconsciously phenomenal at speaking with new people due to his wide range of knowledge.
Into The Wild portrays a man who went on a fatal unforgettable journey through the alaska wilderness. Chris McCandless was a man with great courage and the ability to live on his own made him more of a hero going on his fatal journey. Many would say he was foolish or not thinking right, but that is not the case. The case here is simply a man with courage wanting to fulfill is beliefs through his journey. One may ask what is courage.
Throughout the Non-Fiction book “Into the Wild” the author Jon Krakauer traces young McCandless footsteps as he changed from Chris McCandless to Alex. More specially, Krakauer unfolds mysteries as to why McCandless abounded his previous life including his past identity. Young McCandless cuts off all connections with his family and goes into a journey to Alaska, where he encounters various obstacles. Krakauer anecdotes asserts McCandless as an individual lost trying to re-create himself.
“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” ―Maya Angelou. Jon Krakauer’s true story titled Into the Wild is about a man who decides to throw away his old life and escape the rules of conventional society. Twenty-two-year-old Chris McCandless came from a well-to-do family in Virginia and, without warning, abandons everything. He changes his name, loses contact with his family, gives away his car and all his money, and begins a two-year long journey hitchhiking to Alaska where he eventually dies of starvation.
Chris McCandless was a college student with a need for adventure. On April 28, 1992, he left on a journey which would lead to the end of his life. After news of his death had reached public ear, most people came to the same conclusion: Chris McCandless was an uneducated, arrogant boy who went on a journey seeking death. However, in the novel Into the Wild, Jon Krakaur portrays Chris McCandless’ transcendental quest as a journey full of wonder. Throughout the novel, Krakaur defines McCandless as an intelligent, hard working, determined young man.