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Analysis Of Into The Wild, By Jon Krakauer

784 Words4 Pages

In a society where comfort and ease frequently take priority, many people naturally gravitate towards pursuing an easy life. However, in Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild" and the gripping documentary "Free Solo," the inspiring stories of Chris McCandless and Alex Honnold challenge this conventional mindset. These amazing people show that choosing an examined life characterized by contemplation, self-reflection, and tireless pursuit of personal progress may result in a great sense of dignity and fulfillment. From their experiences, the readers explore the life-changing effects of embracing an examined life, leaving behind temptations of comfort, and embarking on a path toward personal fulfillment and self-actualization. One compelling aspect of …show more content…

Krakauer states, "It was the last anyone in Chris's family would ever hear from him" (22). McCandless's conscious choice to cut off contact with his family indicates his faithful dedication to his journey of self-awareness. This aided him tremendously as he can distance himself from social norms and familial restraints and can pave his way and live life more deliberately. Moreover, it is clear that McCandless believes in the significant power of experience, "Just get out and do it. You will be very, very glad that you did" (Krakauer 58). These words show his firm belief that real growth and fulfillment come from direct experience with life's difficulties and uncertainties. McCandless was able to go through situations like these, especially the difficulties that came with his ascetic lifestyle, and believed he could achieve self-actualization by pushing his limits and putting himself through the unknown. Furthermore, McCandless's insightful statement, "In reality, nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future" (57), further supports the claim of seeking an …show more content…

Honnold's approach to extending his comfort zone reveals his continuous pursuit of extending his mental and physical limits. He states, "I try to expand my comfort zone by practicing the moves over and over again. I work through the fear until it's just not scary anymore." This displays that he wants to live deliberately and is always trying to seek growth, push boundaries, and embrace discomfort. He consciously pursues personal growth and works to overcome these constraints by purposefully overcoming fear. Moreover, Honnold recognizes the unique satisfaction of embracing challenges during his adventures. He states, "There's a certain satisfaction to challenge." Honnold wants to show himself and the world that he can overcome seemingly impossible achievements by willingly putting himself through this dangerous activity. The satisfaction he obtains from overcoming these challenges supports the view that fulfillment comes from actively facing life's challenges rather than choosing a comfortable, risk-free lifestyle. In addition, Honnold's thoughts on pleasure and comfort further show the importance of the value of an examined life. He asserts, "Anyone can be happy and cozy. Nothing good happens in the world by being happy and cozy." Honnold knows that a life of comfort and satisfaction may bring temporary joy and

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187 Words | 1 Pages

In his book Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer explores the impossibility of attaining complete self-reliance, revealing how eternally elusive it is. Krakauer suggests to the reader that Chris McCandless is not an independent, young man capable of walking into the wild self-sufficiently, alluding to the idea that in order to reach an autonomous state, McCandless had to rely on other things to get him there. Krakauer supports the suggestion that McCandless was not independent with the notion that when confronted with opportunities, McCandless chose to take what was presented to him rather than work for what he needed. A way in which Krakauer expresses self-reliance as being impractical is when McCandless decides to “take advantage of [the bus’]

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447 Words | 2 Pages

Krakauer’s anecdote illustrates how he was drawn to the story of Mccandless and how Chris’s actions, thoughts, and mental processes came naturally. He informs us of the inevitable accidents that can occur while hiking the wilderness, as well as his own mindset during his similarly troubled, youthful years. Krakauer went through similar mental growth as Chris, but had the fortune of surviving where Chris did not. Unlike McCandless, he didn’t have a single minded focus of living an idealistic life inspired by a great such as Jack London or Thoreau, but Krakauer did yearn for something larger than himself. Both he and Chris shared the desire of personal morality.

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816 Words | 4 Pages

Jon Krakauer’s fascination in a young man’s life turns out to be more than an article of the boy’s adventure and the journey he set out for himself. Krakauer reflects on much larger subjects within the book based on his path while trying to understand Chris McCandless. Chris McCandless, a young man from an East Coast family, abandons everything set for him in his path. Donating twenty-four-thousand-dollar savings account to charity, burning the cash he had, leaving his car and possessions behind were all decisions Chris thought were right for him. His confident yet riskful choices led him to an independent life in the wild.

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1297 Words | 6 Pages

McCandless focuses his life around himself and is egotistical. The reason he may think only of himself is due to his ability to detach himself from society’s norms. He was in a position to do so by returning to nature and leaving cities and industries behind. It was his own choice to become an independent individual and break free from the chains of society. McCandless “tried to follow” his “dream” and realized them (Krakauer 96).

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832 Words | 4 Pages

The Alaskan Wilderness: cold, lonely and, for some people, their final resting place. John Krakauer’s book “Into the Wild” describes the story of Chris McCandless, who was a normal American man on the verge of entering adulthood with a college degree, over $20,000 in savings, and a beloved Datsun car who met his fate in Alaska. One day, he dropped everything to live alone, and eventually die alone, in the middle of nowhere, Alaska. Chris McCandless believed that conformity was too restrictive. He trusted that anyone could find true happiness and passion by leaving everything behind and starting a new lifestyle, which would allow for him to become free and independent.

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780 Words | 4 Pages

"The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. " A very inspiring quote of Chris McCandless. Whether he was a drifter,genius, whack work, free soul, revolutionary, or artist, Christopher McCandless was one of a kind among men. At an age when most privileged children start their exhausting move toward turning into the following enormous thing, Christopher McCandless went the other way—he turned into no one important. His two-year drop into the farthest edges of society astounded and fascinated many, including creator Jon Krakauer.

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462 Words | 2 Pages

Chris McCandless was a man who went beyond social norms, by going back to nature to prove he could pave his own way. Jon Krakauer later following Chris’ death explains in his novel, Into the Wild, how Chris’ personal experiences affected his personality and thoughts. Jon then characterizes Chris McCandless as a self-reliant, and inspiring person with many stories of the times he had interacted with people as well as how people had personally felt about him once he had passed. McCandless’ self-reliance is proved by his character and his will to do his best no matter where he is. This is shown by examining his anger over how, “[his parents] think that [Chris would] actually let them pay for [his] law school.”

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898 Words | 4 Pages

He was a person who followed his natural calling and acted on his beliefs. McCandless is often compared to Everett Ruess--a solo traveler like Chris-- who “went out and did the things he dreamed about” (90). Men like McCandless and Ruess are motivating because they actually had the courage to break away from the norms of society and do what it takes to become truly self-reliant. McCandless knew that when he graduated college that he needed to find time and a safe place to understand himself. As an experienced traveler himself, Krakauer described the trek into the wild as, “ a trancelike state settles over your efforts; the climb becomes a clear-eyed dream.

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489 Words | 2 Pages

After reading Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, I wondered to myself why I should even care about Chris McCandless. I can see how some think Chris McCandless was an idiot and he was trying to kill himself. After I dove deeper into this question, I learned that Chris McCandless story teaches us important life lessons. Chris McCandless teaches us to get out of our comfort zone. Ronald Franz was an older man who encountered Chris McCandless and gave him a ride from Salton City California to Grand Junction Colorado In Chris’s last letter to Ronald Franz, he says “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation…

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826 Words | 4 Pages

Christopher Mccandless was a narcissistic person who was self absorbed and had serious delusions of grandeur. In the novel, Christopher McCandless was seen as an individual who was a reckless narcissist that perished out of arrogance and stupidity due to his actions. Krakauer writes a note describing that he will not return home for awhile and to send all the mail he receives back to where it has came from (Krakauer 69). From what McCandless has said, He has had an idea that there is a possibility of him never returning home.

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1015 Words | 5 Pages

Later, Krakauer goes on to describe that he lacked McCandless’s intellect and ‘lofty ideals’ but shared ‘intensity’,’heedlessness’, and “a similar agitation of the soul” (Krakauer

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893 Words | 4 Pages

McCandless sought to escape the constraints of modern society and live a life of complete freedom in the wilderness. Krakauer writes, "It was the last thing on earth he wanted -- to be held down or defined by the trappings of society" (Krakauer 6). However, despite his desire for freedom, McCandless also sought human connection and formed relationships with people he met on his journey. He shared his experiences with them, and they became an important part of his journey. Krakauer notes, "His intense desire for solitude was inextricably bound up with a desire for companionship" (Krakauer

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291 Words | 2 Pages

A journalist by the name of Jon Krakauer wrote the book “Into The Wild”. He used this piece of literature to persuade to the audience that McCandless is inspiring and courageous role model. Going out into the world showed how others can connect to Mccandless and it would withhold judgment. An inspiring person is someone who shows others the urge or ability to do or feel something that may be creative,risk taking and or challenging. Krakauer is proving how McCandlesses adventurous actions proves he had a lot of courage meaning he was not deterred by danger or pain.

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739 Words | 3 Pages

A hard-hitting theme of self-reliance and independence is a take on American society’s ideals. There are many values that people in modern society seem to have forgotten and in the novel Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer puts emphasis on these values; the quest for personal knowledge and happiness, the pursuit to live by one’s own ideals, and the ability to be comfortable in solitude and independence. Initially Growing up, Chris found himself isolating himself from his family.

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554 Words | 3 Pages

The words of many authors, poets, and songwriters can influence certain aspects of a person’s life. One may simply admire the work because of the inspiration or beauty behind the piece, but others take the words to heart and live their lives by it. A fan of many transcendentalism authors Chris McCandless wanted to live his life with the same simplicity they did. After finding the inspiration in the works of Jack London and Henry David Thoreau McCandless ventured out into a two-year-long journey to find happiness in the Alaskan Wilderness. McCandless had the bravery to follow his own dream and was willing to risk his life for true happiness.

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