Chris McCandless' Search For Truth in Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild

Chris McCandless was a very unique individual. In Jon Krakauer’s book, Into the Wild, he tries his best to make sense of McCandless’ journey to the Alaskan wilderness. However, he never really figured out what McCandless’ purpose of the trip was. Looking at McCandless’ life throughout the book, I believe that Chris McCandless went on his journey to find happiness within his own life and did achieve it in the end.

In his novel, Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer establishes young Christopher McCandless as a heroic and brave figure. Krakauer supports his portrayal of Chris by utilizing a narrative form and focusing on the relatable, human aspects of Chris, and by contrasting his story with the cautionary tales that are scattered throughout the history of the Alaskan wilderness. The author’s purpose is to promote his own theories and opinions on the boy’s life and death in order to establish what he believes to be the truth. The author writes in a fond tone for aspiring wilderness explorers and their critics.

In Jon Krakauer's novel Into the Wild, the main character, Chris McCandless, seeks nature so that he can find a sense of belonging and the true meaning of who he is. However, it is the essence of nature that eventually takes his life away from him. At the end of his life, he is discovers his purpose and need of other people. After Chris McCandless death in Alaska, Krakauer wrote Into the Wild to reflect on the journey that McCandless makes. Krakauer protrays McCandless as a young man who is reckless, selfish, and arrogant, but at the same time, intelligent, determined, independent, and charismatic. Along with the irony that occurs in nature, these characteristics are the several factors that contribute to McCandless death.

In Ticknor 2). Some people are too afraid to change how they’re living, even when they don’t like it, they don’t like being confined. Especially, for a man or boy, they’re the ones that generally are more adventurous and bold, keeping people confined or secured doesn’t bring out their inner self and who they are. He even says in his journal he was keeping: “He was right in saying that the only certain happiness in life is to live for others…I have lived through much, and now I think I have found what is needed for happiness. A quiet, secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them” (Qtd. In Ticknor 3). Which is him saying that leaving his home and going into the wild to be independent, he did find himself along with finding happiness. It also says: “Thoreau’s teaches us about the importance of having a vision, of believing in truth, whatever we call that truth, and of seeing our existence as the exploration of multiple possibilities” (Qtd. In Thoreau 4) which is probably where McCandless acquired his idea of going into the wild to find himself, arise from. McCandless knew there were multiple possibilities as well as different things to do in life, he was

Some people find happiness in the things we would not consider. Jon Krakauer’s “Into The Wild” tells a story about a young man, Chris McCandless, who rids himself of all materialistic things and goes off to live in the wilderness. McCandless was different from other individuals. He wanted to isolate himself from society in the pursuit of happiness. Although many defined Chris McCandless as “a nutcase”, “a sociopath”, and even “an outcast”, Krakauer characterized McCandless’s true identity as a pilgrim. I believe that McCandless can be identified as a pilgrim because he went on his journey for the reason of passion, simplicity, and in search for truth.

Chris McCandless was just a victim of his own obsession. The novel "Into The Wild" written by John Krakauer revealed the life of a young bright man named Chris McCandless who turned up dead in Alaska in summer 1992. In the novel, John Krakauer approached carefully McCandless's life without putting too much authorial judgment to the readers. Although Chris McCandless remained an elusive figure throughout the novel, I can see Chris McCandless as a dreamy young idealist who tries to follow his dream but failed because of his innocent mistake which prove to be fatal and irreversible. Still, Chris McCandless's courage and passion was something that we should all be proud of.

The story of Chris McCandless has become a pop culture phenomenon. Many are fascinated by his desire to abandon his family and society and “walk into the wild” (Krakauer 69). Newscasts, magazine articles, movies, and books have tried to define what motivated him to give up everything for his Alaskan odyssey; however, the answers died with McCandless. People make assumptions about him without knowing his entire story. McCandless chose to do the unconventional, making people think he was either foolish or brave and determined, but ultimately he was selfish for doing what he did.

When you see yourself living out your dream, the thought of what you're most passionate about pulls you in. Passions in one's life change based on what had affected that person. Dreams are defined to change. However, the benefits of these thoughts is that they belong to you and only you. Not one person's opinions matter but your own. Chris McCandless simply was living out his own ideal life, the way he wanted; not to the idea of his parents, his friends or of society. McCandless wanted to escape society and civilization which he felt was tying him down, while also trying to discover himself. McCandless is not by any means a wacko. He was simply defying society and its ideal expectation it holds upon us as a whole.

Into the Wild is a novel about Chris McCandless who left everything, and everyone he knew after college and essentially disappeared into the wild. A commonly asked question at the end of Into The wild is why did Chris McCandless do this, why did he abandon his college education and everyone he knew. Many have tried to figure out just this question but with the help of the memoir Walden, a book that heavily inspired McCandless, it is easy to see why McCandless left his conventional life. These reasons are that He wanted to be more like nature, to go with the flow and not let every little thing throw him off, Chris took this to the extreme and literally joined nature to get a better understand of it. He also wanted to live a simpler life, Chris again took this to the extreme by leaving everything that was extra or unneeded in his life. The final reason is that he wanted to see what reality and real life must offer, he didn’t want to see and live with the reality that other people imposed on things.

Another one of the reasons Chris left was to pursue a life of adventure. Chris liked the wilderness he probably thought that it was peaceful and a spiritual enlightenment just a quiet place to reflect on life and think or not think at all. Life of adventure was where he can live life differently and explore the wilderness. This adventure made McCandless think about life in a different perspective and when he was in the woods he lived more traditionally, with no gadgets, no making his life simpler. “McCandless was thrilled to be on his way north, and he was relieved as

Not only did Chris McCandless sacrifice so much for the future that he wanted, but he remained focus on his goal and he never ever regretted a minute of it. Even close to his death he was always smiling in the pictures he took and he never looked for a way out. He came into the wild and learned to be one with it. He respected it and learned from it all while staying at his peak of happiness. Chris McCandless’ did not necessarily have a bad life, but it was clear that he was not always happy. When he was truly happiest, he was alone. His disapproval of modern day society is evident throughout the book; “I told him ‘Man, you gotta have money to get along in this world’ but he wouldn’t take it” (46). He realized he needed to be separated from these people and live on his own. He decided to change his course for the future into an isolated lifestyle all without notice to the people that loved him. He was set up for a great life, but he ended it all to follow his dreams and fulfill his purpose. Not

He insisted on living in the harshest conditions with as little help as possible. Surrounding hunters often tried to help prepare McCandless for his dangerous trek into Alaska but all of the tips went in one ear and out the other. His supplies were severely inadequate and useless. The heaviest item in his pack was his “library: nine or ten paperbound books.” (162) All handouts were politely declined because he wanted to do everything alone. For example, Jan Burres gave Chris warm clothes for Alaska to which he pretended to accept, only to later find them discarded under her car seat. His fixed reservation left others pretty skeptical and confused, but before they could even mention anything about it, he was already far too

Throughout he was offered multiple opportunities to improve his situation and gear but he refused. Whether it was offers of improved gear from Jim Gallien in Alaska or money and knives at the Slabs McCandless simply couldn’t accept any help from others. The only form of help he somewhat accepted were people offers of rides that would set him on the path of where he needs to go. Others may argue that he was just trying to do it his way and survive within his own means. While this is a valid point his attempt to survive within his own means ultimately cost him his life. As many Alaskan’s pointed out he had entered the wilderness entirely ill-prepared just to survive nearly dying for a bit “does not make you a better human, it makes you damn lucky.”. Others pointed out how he had forgotten the first Boy Scout rule of being prepared (71). If he was able to accept the help of other, especially gear improval, he would almost certainly had a much better chance of surviving his time in the Alaskan

Being selfish is a common human trait. The freedom many people want has now become a basic need. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer showed that Chris McCandless was selfish to look for the experience of ultimate freedom. In the search for freedom, Chris coldly broke many bonds with friends. He broke the hearts of his family and made them worry to an intolerable extent. McCandless did not want to be found and he wanted to be a nobody. Chris McCandless’ trip to Alaska was selfish because he did not care about who he abandoned or hurt in the search of freedom.

McCandless can be described as a Caterpillar breaking through the unbreakable cocoon and spreading his wings to fly. He loved the life he lived and for him it went from all negative to positive by leaving home. The reasons why McCandless left home were exceptionally justified. McCandless became tired of being around self centered rich people whom only cared about their possessions in life. He grew tired of being around people who were not connected to nature and the real world. This is evident when Billie says, “Chris started