In the biography about Chris McCandless, Into The Wild, author Jon Krakauer shows how independent McCandless is in the first three chapters. Krakauer shows how independent McCandless is, or how independent he thinks he is, through his diction and indirect characterization. Krakauer continuously added parts into the book that showed how independent Chris was. When writing a letter to Carin, one of the people he had been living with at the time, he complained, “they will think that they have bought my respect!” (21).
Into the Wild recounts the story of a young man, Chris McCandless, who tries to escape from society in order to find himself. Fascinated by nature, Chris gives up most of his material possessions to hitchhike around the western United States. Interestingly enough, he severs all ties with his family and believes that he can find happiness within himself, yet makes connections with several people along his journal. Fueled by the ideology of writers such as Tolstoy, London, and Thoreau, Chris camps alone in the Alaskan wild to find a purer version of himself until his death. Throughout Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer develops the idea that Chris McCandless’ quest for solitude is essential to obtain true freedom; however, Chris ultimately realizes
The year is 1992, Chris McCandless, age twenty four, has disappeared into the Alaskan forest by himself. He carried with him about ten pounds of rice, a few of his favorite inspirational books, and a gun. Chris ran away from his family in 1990 just after he graduated from Emory University. Over the course of two years he drove, walked, and hitchhiked from Atlanta, Georgia, to Healy, Alaska. Almost four months after being dropped off at the Stampede trail, Chris McCandless' body was found, by a group of a moose hunters, in a bus he was camping in.
Shaun Callarman’s argument about Chris McCandless highlights how McCandless’s lifestyle choices ultimately led to his death. Callarman asserts that McCandless had no business and no common sense in venturing into the Alaskan wilderness. He emphasizes that McCandless, who was unprepared, without family, and without a home, was doomed to fail in such a harsh environment. Callarman characterizes McCandless as arrogant, reckless, and crazy, arguing that these traits were central to his tragic end. In line with and agreeing with Shaun, it’s clear that Chris made terrible choices in his life.
Firstly, Into The Wild written by Jon Krakauer is one of the best book I have read this year. Throughout the novel, I can see Chris McCandless is brave enough to do things that most people will not even think about doing as he is “looking for more adventure and freedom than today’s society gives people” (). From the beginning, even though his parents, Billie and Walt McCandless set him up for an impressive, promising life, Chris gives up this promising, successful future and spins into a journey filled with idealist literature and danger that skews his world view. This is due to the modern society offers that does not appeal to Chris, who just wants a different life that many have themselves. He sees the influences society puts on our lives
John Krakauer’s account of the journey of Chris McCandless has inspired many other people to seek out the beauty of nature. Why would a story with such a tragic ending cause others to do exactly what in the end killed McCandless? Perhaps it’s because Krakauer depicts Chris as a hardworking honest young man, who throughout his journey uncovered many truths about life. Maybe it’s because Krakauer includes so many passages talking about the beauty and simplicity of nature. Possibly this inspiration is contributed to because Krakauer chalks the death of McCandless up to chance.
Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, tells the story of modern-day transcendentalist Chris McCandless was a 24 year old engrossed with living on his own in the Alaskan wilderness. In Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer characterizes Chris McCandless as persistent and naive. McCandless was not shy when it came to his end goal in life; he knew what he wanted and was willing to do absolutely anything to acquire his dream. The first character trait Chris is construed as by Krakauer is his persistence in pursuing his dream. When caught in a flood caused by a vicious storm, “McCandless took to the sea… he wrote fewer than a hundred words over the month that followed.”
Krakauer justifies the actions of the young Chris McCandless, while exploring the many attributes and qualities that much of the audience overlooks in their evaluation of him and his journey into the Alaskan bush. He recognizes in writing the story of Chris McCandless that a majority of society already has a negative perception of McCandless, one built from misinformation and perhaps even fear. As best summarized by Romain Dial at the end of the account, “And I’m sure there are plenty of Alaskans who had a lot in common with McCandless... Which is why they’re so hard on him. Maybe McCandless reminded them too much of their former selves.”
Chris McCandless was a peculiar young man who explored the wilderness of Alaska. Many people would consider him courageous as he died doing what he loved, on the other hand some feel he was foolish and unprepared. Inspired by literature and seeking escape from his rocky relationship with his family, Chris wanted to live off the land in the cold Alaskan winter. Jon Krakauer explores what led to McCandless’s death and explains the actions that led him into the wild. In my opinion, Chris seemed more foolish than courageous, since he was escaping his problems back home and was highly unprepared for what he was tackling.
Chris McCandless was a intelligent, idealistic young man who lived his life alone, in nature. Chris rejected the ideals of society and had a yearning for a nomadic lifestyle. McCandless went into the wild seeking a life without materialism and a life without rules. He does find what he was looking for; but his journey leads to death in the end. Most people wouldn’t have made the journey that Chris made; nevertheless survive as long as he did, with as little as he had.
At his spiritual core, it is extremely noble and honorable that Chris’s stuck to his ideals as a human, and discovered himself and true happiness; no matter how his journey ended. Throughout this book, despite it being told in a non-linear narrative, we see how the ultimate goal for Chris is “... to go to Alaska and embark on an ‘ultimate adventure’” (Krakauer, 51). In a society where so many people compromise their morals, bend their will for society, and commit atrocious actions in the pursuit of wealth, it is refreshing to see someone so committed to going the opposite way in the pursuit of self discovery and what makes one happy.
Chris (Alex) McCandless was born into a fortunate family, financially speaking; the McCandless parents cared tremendously for how their children’s future were going to turn out. All they wanted for their kids was for them to have great jobs, become wealthy and successful for themselves. What these parents see as attentiveness, the children see it as headstrong and abusing their power. Which is what Chris McCandless sees throughout his life growing up in that atmosphere. This frustration causes Chris to blow up and cut all connections with his family and then proceeds to run away from home.
Chris McCandless seeked to find his own truth in life by going into the Alaskan wilderness. Even though Chris’s journey turned fatal, he should be admired for his courage on going into the wilderness and seeking his values, where most other people won’t end up in a wilderness for their beliefs. Chris wanted to find his own truth out in the wilderness. He wanted to be out of society and all of the problems just to be free. “McCandless was thrilled to be on his way north, and he was relieved as well—relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it” (pg 55).
“Into The Wild” by Jon Krakauer is the story of Chris McCandless’s life and journey. In 1992, this young man, Chris, from an average family in the East Coast decided to cut off contact with his family and give up all his possessions so that he could hitchhike into the Alaskan bush. A main reason many believe Chris went into the wilderness was because he was in search of his identity. From reading this book I have come up with my own opinion of what type of person he was. The conclusion I have reached about Chris is that he was a distant and ill-prepared person who had a very strong will.
“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” ―Maya Angelou. Jon Krakauer’s true story titled Into the Wild is about a man who decides to throw away his old life and escape the rules of conventional society. Twenty-two-year-old Chris McCandless came from a well-to-do family in Virginia and, without warning, abandons everything. He changes his name, loses contact with his family, gives away his car and all his money, and begins a two-year long journey hitchhiking to Alaska where he eventually dies of starvation.
