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

In the document that states the American Ideal, Thomas Jefferson says, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (The Constitution). Chris McCandless, the heart of the book Into the Wild by John Krakauer, in pursuing his unalienable right of happiness, thought it was necessary to “Kill the false being within” to find his true self. While he has every right to try to achieve happiness, he also deeply hurt those around him by his mysterious ways and self-centeredness. It is an evident truth that one can do no positive to another while it itself is not positive. This truth

One example of how his actions and flare for the dramatics is the letter he wrote to Jan and Bob Burres, his friends whom he hitchhiked. He wrote to them, “This is the last communication you will receive from me. I now walk out to live amongst the wild. Take care, it was great knowing you” (Krakauer 69). This quotation displays his self-centered ways by writing a letter explaining how he will likely die, to two people who care very deeply for him. When he wrote this letter, he thought only of himself and his excitement to become one with the wild. McCandless never considered that his bluntness and un-attachment could potentially harm others. While one could argue that Chris was simply to the point in his letters, something his friends valued in him, and that he never meant to hurt the Burres’ family, there is no denying his purposeful harm of his family. Chris went as far as to say, ““ . . . with one abrupt, swift action I’m going to completely knock them out of my life. I’m going to divorce them as my parents for once and for all and never speak to either of those idiots again as long as I live” (Krakauer 64). While it is Chris’ given right to do whatever it takes to be truly happy, is it his moral right to achieve this happiness while denying it of others? Chris’ family had to deal with initially a runaway, then a missing child, and then a

This pattern is also apparent with the way he conceals his plans for travel to his family, but is uncharacteristically open towards his friends, and even newly met acquaintances met and random get together thrown by his Hodge-Podge crew of misfits. For example, he told his parents he was going back to school in the fall to continue his education, but he rather, “ . . . loaded up his car, and vanished from their lives. From then on he scrupulously avoided contacting either of his parents or Carnie . . .” (Krakauer 125). Although his family knew him well enough to conclude that he had run off to search for an adventure, they still had absolutely no idea of his location, or even plans for a location. On the reverse side, Chris would usually open conversations with others about his plans for traveling northwest, up to Alaska. Even Charlie, who Chris openly did not like and preferred to spend no time with, understood the importance of Alaska to Chris. When asked about Chris years after spending a few weeks with him, Charlie said, “ . . .Alaska-yeah, he talked about going to Alaska. Maybe to find whatever it was he was looking for” (Krakauer 42). If this man, who spent hardly any time with Chris, new about his obsession with Alaska, would his family also not likely know as much also? Just how much did Chris hide from his