Chris Mccandless Selfish

Overall, Chris McCandless is a reckless and ill-prepared explorer because he made careless decisions, lacked personal closeness and connection with those he knew, and could not accept criticism.

Chris McCandless was a callow adventurer who decided to walk into the wilderness of Alaska and make careless decisions. Just before Chris left his home to embark on a cross-country adventure, he made a questionable decision with all his money. The novel Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, quoted that “He would shortly donate all his money [$24,000] to OXFAM America, a charity dedicated to fighting hunger” (20). Chris opted to leave all the money behind in hopes of starting his journey on his own. He did not want the money given to him by his parents.

Chris, not only did not buy anything to help him on his vast outdoor trek, but he also incessantly refused to be helped or given clothing that would have kept him warm. While traveling, Chris met a couple named Jan and Bob Burres. They were very concerned about Chris maintaining warmth in the cold, snowy, and treacherous Alaskan winters. They generously offered to give him some layers to insulate, and he accepted them at first. Though later, Jan recounts that “he pulled [the warm clothes] out of his pack when we weren't looking and hid it up under the seat”(46). It was careless and unthought-through for Chris to refuse the warm jacket and pants. If Chris had accepted offers similar to this one, his likelihood of survival would have been much higher. At one point, Krakauer says, “McCandless, in his naivete, relied on the advice of hunters he’d consulted in South Dakota” (166). The quote demonstrates that McCandless was mindful about learning skills to do with surviving in the outdoors and purposefully decided to make himself knowledgeable on the subject. But, this plan was faulty. McCandless was using skills he learned about hunting and surviving in South Dakota, which was

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. Chris had not talked to his family in years, and what others may have referred to as friendships were merely considered acquaintances by Chris. Chris had one person he was close to, and that was Wayne Westerberg. Wayne was a grain elevator operator that McCandless met while passing through Montana. Less than a day before entering the Stampede Trail, Chris sent a letter to Westerberg saying, “If my adventure proves fatal… I want you to know you're a great man”(69). This one so-called friendship that got established was not very personal and did not impact Chris strongly. The message sent in this brief note was that Chris already had the mindset that his time in the Alaskan wilderness may be his last. Any meaningful and impactful relationship between two people would