Allen Primack
Mr. Devinney
American Lit 1st Hour
Outside Novel Essay Option #2::
5/4/2016
Christopher McCandless an adventurous, curious, unsettled, isolated, and unheard of young man, who is very deserving of reader’s sympathy Imagine being separated from society and the outside world, left along soul searching in the wilderness, with limited resources and constantly living upon uncharted territories. A similar experience actually occurred in real life , and hence a fantastic novel was born by the story of a young man with a seemingly bright future, who soon endured the journey of a lifetime. The well known novel “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer is based on the true story of Christopher
McCandless, a young man from a wealthy family in the Eastern United States, who, after graduating from Emory University, donated all his available money to charity and embarked on a trip through the American West under the surname "Alexander Supertramp". Two years later,
McCandless was found dead in the desolation of Alaska. This discovery triggered a spectacular piece of investigative journalism that is analyzed in American Literature classes throughout the country. Krakauer, the author of the novel, begins telling the tale of how a group of wandering explorers found dead a boy on a bus in the wilderness. As the book progresses, the story of Christopher
McCandless, the young man who decided to leave society and civilization, to embark on what must have been the adventure of a lifetime, is
In Krakauer’s own experiences, he asserts, “For two days I slogged steadily up the valley of ice. The weather was good, the route obvious and without major obstacles. Because I was alone, however, even the mundane seemed charged with meaning. The ice looked colder and more mysterious, the sky a cleaner shade of blue” (138). Having also travelled throughout the country, Krakauer used his own perspective on the sights of America when telling McCandless’s story. He was also heavily inspired by Henry David Thoreau and other naturalist writers which contributed to his memorable writing style. With that, vivid imagery is evident to show that Into the Wild is full of descriptive symbolism. Learning from this, one should ultimately see that McCandless and Krakauer saw what they believed in and seized their chances to make something of it. Goal setting can go a long way when trying to strive for something great. It is probably wise to set a goal where you make it out alive
-- In this quote Eric Hathaway reveals that McCandless was more than just his criticizing persona, He was a caring person who defies the pressures of society, which can be supported with his trips to the underdeveloped parts of town. He is a self-reliant individual who stands for individualism.
In the novel McCandless was trying to find himself by going out into the wilderness. In one of the secondary texts, Into the Wild, it says how there was another
Chris McCandless, who lived in a white collar family, grew tiresome from the conformism of modern society, so he left on a mission to go his own way, and to live on his own pace away from people and closer to nature. (28) “He took as gospel the essay “on the
McCandless set off on an adventure that nobody can quite explain. “He was unheeded, happy, and near to the
Not only was he running away from a foolish society and unfair world, but also was running away from the banality his life had presented to him. Christopher McCandless was a young man who had just graduated from university and was faced with the distressing reality of living a mundane life. Rather than succumb to the safe route of attaining a stable job and
McCandless was trapped in a society that created an illusion of his own fake happiness while he was looking to discover himself. He possessed a desperate need to find the true meaning that only he could answer. McCandless quotes “I'm going to paraphrase Thoreau here... rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness... give me
Christopher McCandless was a unique individual, and the trials that he had went through in
Into the Wild, written by John Krakauer tells of a young man named Chris McCandless who 1deserted his college degree and all his worldly possessions in favor of a primitive transient life in the wilderness. Krakauer first told the story of Chris in an article in Outside Magazine, but went on to write a thorough book, which encompasses his life in the hopes to explain what caused him to venture off alone into the wild. McCandless’ story soon became a national phenomenon, and had many people questioning why a “young man from a well-to-do East Coast family [would] hitchhike to Alaska” (Krakauer i). Chris comes from an affluent household and has parents that strived to create a desirable life for him and his sister. As Chris grows up, he
Chris McCandless was a person who wanted to get away from everything in his life.He is still talked about today for no reason. Many people want to hear and see his story in real life but nobody knows what was so special about a guy who went on a journey that he wasn’t prepared for. In Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer characterizes Christopher McCandless as a proud and self-reliant.
In particular McCandless began the glorious adventure in the state of Georgia. Starting his dreams, becoming an independant man no longer in college and off to discover himself. McCandless was a free man leaving his belongings with the U.S. postal service which were later turn over to his parents. As a result the reader views first hand the goals of Chris McCandless. In effect McCandless showed determination turning down a career his parents would offer as well as a brand new car. As can be seen the goals he set out for were self reliance and live by the code of nature turning down a guaranteed career showed an example of his goals, turning down his parents support and making a man for himself.
McCandless’s arrogance and his idea of self-reliance is what gets him killed and ends his journey. He believed that if a person’s environment could affect the way a person is shaped, then he shouldn’t be living a life where he feels he is negatively being controlled by his parents. “It is easy, when you are young, to believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough, it is your God-given right to have it. ”(155) McCandless assumed that it would be best for him to leave his whole life behind, which in the end, proved to be wrong.
McCandless’s ambition came from the writing of Tolstoy. He cherished the fact that Tolstoy abandoned his life of riches and privilege. When McCandless started his journey he left behind his parents and sister. He also donated the rest of his money,
McCandless gave up all he had, traveled the country, and in doing so he found how to live life his way. The genius of McCandless is not subtle with most believing he was an idiot for his actions but with his experiences and his courage it appears that McCandless was a genius. There are several instances in where individuals who knew him referred to him as smart and some praised his way of living. Throughout his journey McCandless showed he was more than capable of surviving in the wilderness, changed lives, and showed a level of determination that is admirable.
Christopher McCandless encounters several people on his journeys. He meets most by tramping through the states. Many were just a way of transportation. However, there happened to be a few that he left great impressions on. These few are the people that will remember the young man long after his death.