Arguably McCandless represents the mainly American character through his absolute independence from society and his parents. He also displays some general characteristics such as being a hard-worker, continually optimistic, educated, friendly, frank, and non-family-oriented. Above all the individuality of McCandless, stubbornness, and ability to take risks is most representative idealistically of being an American. We value being different from others, believe in risking our lives, money, and honor for our beliefs, and commitment to our beliefs despite overwhelming odds and common sense. He falls short on being an American because although American culture usually praises taking risks they usually expect the risk to come with reward – not death. …show more content…
It is based entirely on opinion that whether McCandless in any way represents what is wrong or right about American character and as an American and growing up in America I am undoubtedly biased. Overall I believe his characteristics of being a hard-worker, optimism, friendliness, frankness, stubbornness, riskiness, and individuality are good, but the abandonment of his family and stubbornness to the extreme are bad. Because McCandless was American this journey and death became a representation of American culture however it wasn’t American values that McCandless felt the drive to do his Alaskan Odyssey but rather arguably it was human nature. There are people of different countries who journey into the wilderness alone recklessly or solo climb mountains without any gear, but we only take McCandless and use him to represent American