Analysis Of Chris Mccandless In Into The Wild, By Jon Krakauer

Want to walk Into the Wild? Well, Chris McCandless did, young smart boy, just out of college could get any job he wants. Instead he decides to throw all that away to take an adventure to the Alaskan wilderness. Throughout Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer characterizes Chris McCandless as unafraid and unprepared.

After hearing his story, people are quick to conclude that Christopher McCandless was egotistical and overconfident. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer tells the story of Chris, who was on the search for greater meaning in life. He spanned all across the west coast Although, he walked into the wilderness with limited supplies, he was able to survive for a substantial amount of time before he died. People also blame is inexperience in the Alaskan wild. Additionally, he died due to the mistake he made of eating potato seeds instead of his confidence. From the evidence presented in the book, the reader is able to conclude that Chris’s confidence did not ultimately end his life.

Chris McCandless believed that he was better off without human companionship and he felt claustrophobic in the presence of others. At the relatively early stages of his journey, McCandless took a canoe into Mexico down the river and eventually through the Gulf of California. By the end of his trek into Mexico when he decided to turn around, he had “not seen or talked to another soul in thirty-six days” (26). After having to talk with people for so long, McCandless finally got the chance to abandon all human interaction for over an entire month. Krakauer is hoping to reveal McCandless’s strong intent to isolate himself from the outside world to explore nature on his own. Furthermore, even in the presence of people McCandless still tried to isolate

2. A person like Chris McCandless would indeed like to hitchhike and reside out in the wilderness. “You could tell right away that Alex was intelligent” (Krakauer 18). Chris is very intelligent person because he is one that finds pleasure in seeking adventure. This unique quality in Chris shows how he is able to have a wide open mind to accept great adventure in his life. Krakauer would include this detail to try and persuade the reader that McCandless has the ability to survive in the wild.

The first reason why McCandless was ignorant was because he didn’t follow any of the rules in Alaska. On page 7 paragraph 2 it states that he didn’t pay for a license in hunting or fishing. They were options to get a $5 license for non-residents. He told the last person to see him alive that he really hated the government and he thinks that the rules are stupid. This clearly shows that he didn’t care about the rest of society which is ignorant.

On page 64, “A big tractor-semitrailer rig was idling out front; Rod Wolf, one of Westerberg’s employees, -- and had agreed to drive McCandless to Interstate 94.” McCandless chooses to drive in a tractor and then get dropped off in the middle of the North Dakotan Interstate. On page 68, “Arrived in Whitefish this morning on a freight train.” McCandless does in fact live by his own words. He got to Alaska by jumping trains and hitchhiking

Into the Wild is a book by Jon Krakauer that tells the tale of Chris McCandless. Even a young age Chris retained a strong individuality. During his childhood years there were several instances of Chris rebelling against all things that repressed his ambitious character. Chapter 11 tells of how Chris’s father Walt takes the family to climb Longs Peak in Colorado. “I’d had it, OK,” Walt explains, “but Chris wanted to keep going to the top. I told him no way. He was only twelve then, so all he could do was complain. If he’d been fourteen or fifteen, he would have simply gone on without me” (Krakauer 109). Krakauer shows his audience that even at age 12 Chris is not like most kids. A normal 12 year old would have likely gotten tired of hiking and wanted to turn back but there was something that always drove chris to keep going. Chris’s ambition and rebellion only developed further as he aged and so did the gap between him and society. Further on in chapter 11 we get a glimpse at Chris’s unique perspective on life. A close friend

He develops thoughts that he should stay away from people, even if he enjoyed their company, he was trying to show that he was independent, but when you come from a well put off family and suddenly drops all of it, it is hard to not be so reliant on people to help

In the wilderness of Alaska, temperatures can drop down to thirty degrees below zero. Christopher McCandless lived in these conditions for four months after traveling through North America for almost two years. It can be seen in the novel, Into the Wild, that during his journey he had many brushes with death and burned bridges with people who deeply cared for him. For those reasons and many more, people assert Chris McCandless was unprepared, careless, and selfish on his personal journey across the United States, culminating in his death in Alaska.

In the novel, Into the Wild, John Krakauer discusses several important characters. The first character is Chris Mccandless, a intelligent, hard working,young man. Walt Mccandless, a father to Chris and Carine. Carine Mccandless, a sister to Chris. Billie, Chris and Carines mother, Walts wife. The novel was given its title, because the last thing Chris sent to someone was “I now walk into the wild.”(69). This is the last anyone ever had contact with Chris. An important theme from Into the Wild, is that a family may look perfect, but in reality it is corrupt.

Jack London was the primary reason he left to go to the “Northland Wild.” Alaska became a place that called him after reading things from Jack London. London describes “the Wild” with such grace and intensity that it must have just hit home for McCandless. He was obviously inspired by something Jack London said or he probably wouldn't have decided to give up everything he had to live like a homeless man.

How can what one sacrifices define who they are? For most, sacrificing junk food or In the novel Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless sacrifices intimate relationships and his own life in order to achieve ultimate freedom.

He took the things he needs with him and got rid of the rest. He lasted a hundred days in the wild, it takes at least twenty eight days to break an old habit. He told his friend Jan Burres where he was, and if he didn’t have common sense he wouldn’t do that. “ In September he hitched down U.S Highway 101 California, then headed east into the desert again. And by early October he had landed in Bullhead City, Arizona.” (pg.39) When Callarman says “ He has no common sense he has no business going to Alaska...” McCandless had every right to go to Alaska. He didn’t want his parents to know where he was going, because he was of age and he doesn’t have to everything by his parents. That's why he changed his name. He wanted to start over by going to Alaska and learning new things along the way. You learn from your mistakes, that's what makes us human. McCandless couldn’t live up to his father expectations anymore. He always saw his father as a liar because he was living a double life with another family. Yes, he did have every right to go to Alaska, a person can only take so much. When it get to a certain point, it drive someone to do something they will either regret or a great feeling. He found what he was looking for freedom and happiness. He was a brilliant person, he wrote things in his letters and journals that was really

That made him change a lot because he didn't feel wanted in the society. Why didn't he just man up and talk about the problems face to face with his dad? He wasn't that type of person. He didn't feel wanted from family and society that is why he ran away and didn't care if anyone missed him since he would've thought that it was fake love all along like from his father.

Chris McCandless, a complex-minded young man with a bright future ahead of him, isolated himself from the other students at Emory, his friends, and his family. In doing so, he departed into the wilderness in hopes of finding self-realization and freedom from the evils of modern society. However, at one point in the story, the once so independent guy pleaded for his mom to help him. This goes to show that nobody wants to be truly alone. Isolation isn’t ideal nor is it healthy. For someone who needed his family, he sure had a weird way of showing it. His behaviors included severing all relations with people, being free of possessions, and purposely living in the harshest of conditions.