On his expedition across the United States, Chris McCandless was unprepared for obstacles. In Into the Wild, an observation of McCandless is “His gear seemed exceedingly minimal for the harsh conditions of the interior; which in April still lay buried under the winter snowpack” (Krakauer 5). McCandless planned to live in the Alaskan wilderness for an extended period of time with gear that was insufficient for the weather and terrain. The bitter temperatures, rough terrain, and aggressive wildlife characteristic of Alaska’s backcountry require sufficient preparation and supplies for survival. Additionally, McCandless only brought a basic map with him which he later threw away “Because he has no topographic map, however, he had no way of conceiving
In the national bestseller Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, the book investigates and observes Chris McCandless and his life-up to the moment of his fascinating, mysterious death. McCandless had died in Alaska in a makeshift cabin out in the middle of the woods, due to consuming a toxic substance that slowly starved him to death. His story was featured in a newspaper article illustrating his life before his deaths, and much criticism was generated towards it. Many thought that McCandless was just another Christopher McCandless was another “one of those crackpots from the lower forty-eight who come north to live out ill-considered Jack London fantasies” (Krakauer 4), and that he wasn’t anyone respectable to look up to. Christopher McCandless, however, was unique in his determination, love of wisdom, and relentless optimism, and should be regarded as an admirable person because of these traits of his.
I think that Chris went ‘Into the Wild’ because of family problems, emotional and psychological damage, and philosophical beliefs. Christopher Johnson McCandless was a non materialistic man in a very material demanding society which eventually led him to his death in Alaska. He saw the world differently and had such a different mindset than everyone around him; he did not think the same way. McCandless always had problems with his parents. He especially had a great anger towards his father when he found out that he had another family he kept secret, along with six half siblings.
How can one person be the same but be different at the same time? In the novel, “Into the Wild”, author Jon Krakuaer shares how Chris Mccandless was able to change himself into a man known as Alex Supertramp. After Chris Mccandless graduated from college he made the decision to leave everything behind and travel alone with no money, gear, or responsibility to anyone or anything. Slowly over time Jon Krakuaer reveals characteristics of Mccandless that showed how he became a different man at the end of his life.
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…
Into the Life of Chris McCandless Chris McCandless, a unique man, embarked on the journey of a lifetime. During his adventure, he broke away from the constraints of society and he learned what is important in life. I admire what Chris was trying to accomplish by heading “into the wild”, and I can see parts of my beliefs in his. My experiences are different from McCandless’ experiences in as many ways as they are similar.
In Jon Krakauer’s narrative, Into the Wild, 22 year old Chris leaves his family behind to venture off to unexplored scenes all over the U.S. From start to end, he meets various individuals who take him in and teach him essential life lessons. Chris makes his way through the states to find himself in Alaska, and resides in the wilderness for about 3 months, where he eventually passes away. When the McCandless family receives this information, they mourn and question why Chris would abandon them without reason. Chris McCandless has been perceived as irresponsible and ungrateful for leaving his seemingly perfect family, when in reality, he was damaged from past traumas and naive because of his young age.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a biography that follows Chris McCandless and his journey through the wilderness while finding himself along the way. Chris McCandless died in the August of 1992 after a four month journey through places like Mexico and Alaska. Krakauer investigates his actions and analyzes his identity after his death, trying to find meaning within his seemingly unnecessary expedition. Chris McCandless constructs his personal identity as a man who wanted to be challenged and inspired by his actions and interests with people he met on the road, and his beliefs and values as a stubborn person. Chris McCandless’s actions are unusual in many ways; for one, he graduates college with honors, but instead of pursuing a career,
A common thought among adolescents is the dream to finally leave home and discover who they are; I certainly share this dream. Though the concept is common, the reasons are unique; The differences in character and circumstances define who a person is. What may appear reasonable to some could very well be completely irrational to another. The story of Chris McCandless as reported by Jon Krakauer in the biographic novel Into the Wild is no exception. From the events in his childhood to the conflict with his father, we can see that Chris McCandless, a young man still discovering himself, became disillusioned with the structure of society and desired nothing more than to “no longer be poisoned by civilization” (163).
Into The Wild portrays a man who went on a fatal unforgettable journey through the alaska wilderness. Chris McCandless was a man with great courage and the ability to live on his own made him more of a hero going on his fatal journey. Many would say he was foolish or not thinking right, but that is not the case. The case here is simply a man with courage wanting to fulfill is beliefs through his journey. One may ask what is courage.
Chris McCandless abandoned the modern world and chose the wild because he believed that he could improve himself through living in the wild, and found the true happiness of the life. McCandless abandoned his wealthy family because of his complicated relationship with his father, and he was ashamed with his father’s adultery. Therefore, McCandless believed that human relationship was not the only thing that forms happiness, instead a man’s connection with the nature brings joy as well. He also believed the habitual lifestyle was not what people were meant to do, and people shouldn't have more possessions than what they need. For this reason, McCandless traveled with little effects.
'Into the wild' is the true story about a man discovering his identity by running away to Alaska. The main theme is identity and I think its very relevant in todays world, Because in a world that is diverse and accepting, everyone is more honest with themselves and the people around them. I feel I can relate to this because I'm still young and haven't been alive long enough to know myself fully. Sometimes it scars for me to think weather ill ever figure out who I am. Chris McCandless went into the wild because he wanted to find out who he was.
The adventure of the wilderness is something that is occurring throughout very many different wishes. He just wanted to live the dream he wanted to pursue in the adventure of catching prey and surviving in the wilderness on its own. Applies to McCandless journey in a few ways of his childhood. He then realized how all the factors in different reasoning in the entire prompt and wilderness.
What really drove Chris McCandless into the wild? I believe the top three of the countless reasons that drove McCandless into the wild was the emotional damage from his parents, rebellion of the youth & risk taking tendencies, and his hubris and detestation against authority and/or someone telling him what to do. Some may believe that Chris McCandless went into the wild because of his literary heroes Leo Tolstoy, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau , and Jack London but the real reason he left everything was because of those reasons. In this essay I will elaborate on why I believe those are the reasons that drove McCandless into the wild.
Chris McCandless was a college student with a need for adventure. On April 28, 1992, he left on a journey which would lead to the end of his life. After news of his death had reached public ear, most people came to the same conclusion: Chris McCandless was an uneducated, arrogant boy who went on a journey seeking death. However, in the novel Into the Wild, Jon Krakaur portrays Chris McCandless’ transcendental quest as a journey full of wonder. Throughout the novel, Krakaur defines McCandless as an intelligent, hard working, determined young man.
