The story of Chris McCandless continues to capture people, and will persistently bring up a plethora of statements augmenting why or why not Chris was wrong for what he did. Yes, walking into the wild like Chris did without being properly prepared does sound a bit illogical, but the way Chris experienced life was different from many. In the essay, Self-Reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson writes, “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principle.” Chris McCandless greatly disliked society and the rules that came with it. With the way Chris thought and pursued life, depending on the wild for a way of living was the best way he could fulfill his ongoing dreams. Chris McCandless lived deliberately, and …show more content…
In a letter Chris wrote to Ronald Franz, he talks about how we have to have the courage to turn against our habitual lifestyle and engage in an out of the ordinary lifestyle, just like Chris did. So yes, Chris did bring himself peace, and he did live up to Emerson’s standards. Many believe that Chris was ignorant and was a fool for stepping into the Alaskan wilderness unprepared. Yes, Chris may have been unprepared, and some believe that it cost him his life. You can’t argue the fact that Chris was unprepared, but you can argue the fact that he was happy. Towards the very end of Chris’s life, he took a picture of himself. The picture revealed McCandless giving a sincere smile, waving, and holding up a sign reading that he had had a happy life. Not many people on the verge of death would be seen smiling the way Chris was. In order to be like that, you would have had to live life in a way you were proud of. You had to live deliberately. I do believe that Chris was proud of himself in a way, and that he was happy with the way he lived. He lived a life not many can understand. Leaving your family to live off of nothing but the