Chris Mccandless Identity In Into The Wild

Chris McCandless, the subject of Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, was an idealistic young man who displayed self-reliance very nearly to the point of self-absorption. It was not until after he dropped off of the face of the earth following his college graduation that the people close to him realized the intensity of his independence. In order to fully assert his independence, McCandless took drastic measures, that many call insane, to discover values that have been lost unto society. Utilizing the intelligence and genuine nature that separates his spiritual crusade from the common adventurer, McCandless purposefully left all preparation behind and set out into the wild. As Alexander Supertramp, Chris was able to exist within a completely different reality than the one that he had previously been forced to suffer in. By obtaining this new identity he was

He did not allow himself to become close to anybody that he came into contact with on his journey, although they all would have preferred if he had. When Krakauer spoke with people who had known him, even for the shortest amount of time, it was obvious that people were naturally draw to him. “He was a really good kid. We thought the world of him.” (30-31) “There was something fascinating about him” (67) Just two examples of people’s opinions of him after less than seventy-two hours. McCandless made such impacting impressions on people lives, unintentionally. One of that most impactful impressions was, perhaps, the one he left on Franz, “When Alex left for Alaska, I prayed. I asked God to keep his finger on the shoulder of that one; I told him that boy was special. But he let Alex die. So on December 26, when I learned what happened, I renounced the Lord. I withdrew my church membership and became an atheist. I decided I couldn’t believe in a God who would let something so terrible happen to a boy like Alex.”