Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Essay

Chris McCandless is said to be a stubborn child who went into the Alaskan Bush unprepared for what was to come. Even though he did end up dying we can learn from his traits the different types of dreams people have. He showed many traits that explained who he was. He was courageous, mentally independant, and wholehearted. Having such different wants then what his parents wanted for him he followed his dreams.

Most people have a search for self-identity and the meaning of life but McCandless took it to the extreme. He was so wrapped up in finding himself and his identity that he felt the only way to do just that was to burn all of his money, leave his car in the dessert, and travel all around the country in search of a better place, where the people didn’t place all of their value in material possessions and statuses. Chris even created a fake identity for himself while on his search to find his real one, everyone he met on his journey knew him as Alexander Supertramp as this is the name he chose for himself on his “great Alaskan adventure”. He traveled all over the US and even ended up in Mexico for a couple months but he knew all along that the ultimate destination was the Alaskan wilderness where there was no one because he knew that he

So much is not understood about Chris, from his exact philosophies to how he died. Most of his following comes from the idealization of his life; since so little is known about him people can fill in the gaps of his existence in a way that pleases them. Chris’s time spent in the wilderness is almost completely unknown; much of the events that took place in the movie was from artistic license from the director. The one thing that was right was the brevity of his diary, where many days’ entries were only one word. Author Matthew Power in his essay “The Cult of Chris McCandless” puts it perfectly, “the truth doesn’t always conform to Hollywood ideals.” The only way director Sean Penn could spin this into a movie was if he took the hero route, because having Chris’ life be only end in a comedy of errors would not attract a cult-like following. Also in the essay by Max Power, it says McCandless symbolizes the “human urge to push the limit of experience, to live a life untouched by the trappings of culture and civilization.” While McCandless may represent those ideas, he certainly isn’t the first adventurer to live an unorthodox life in the country pursuing their own dreams. With quite a few others similar to Chris, the question that begs to be asked is what makes him different to fellow explorers? He does have

Chris had good intentions when he went into the Alaskan wilderness. It was not a suicide journey, like many people believe. When Chris was talking to Gaylord Stuckey after he dropped Chris off at the Stampede Trail, Chris told Stuckey “ his intent was to spend summer alone in the bush, living off the land.”(Krakauer 159) Well Chris obviously planned the leave the bush after the summer disproving the thought that he went in suicidal. Some people still think that McCandless was suicidal because in a postcard he referenced that he could die. Although that is true he went out and did very well for himself, even killing a moose Chris just got unlucky and ate poison potato seeds. Chris even have thoughts of starting a family maybe back in North

In Christian’s article of Criticism of McCandless he said, “there was nothing heroic or even mysterious about what Chris McCandless did in April 1992.” This may be true, however as Krakauer believed, Chris wasn’t trying to be heroic, but simply trying to find a life better for himself. As a park ranger, Christian claims to be continually exposed to what he thinks is the “McCandless phenomenon.” Yet everyone that Christian saw go into the wild tried and quickly gave up, whereas McCandless never gave up. While it still may be true that what McCandless did was a bit strange, still all in all he was only trying to find a better way of

Chris McCandless' death was not a "foolish, pointless death (Krakauer 71)." McCandless followed his heart's yearning which is a great feat because not many people chase their dreams and go to great lengths to achieve them. McCandless was one person out of a small percentage to do so. McCandless did lack "the requisite humility" to go out into the wild ( Krakauer 72). McCandless embarked on traveling across the continental United States in search of something to satisfy his hunger for simplicity and living and authentic life. Some of his situations tested his grit and he survived on"five pounds of rice and what marine life he could pull from the sea," that experience later convinced him that he could survive in the Alaskan bush on meager rations

Although he died, Chris wasn’t like the others according to Krakauer. Chris was well educated and could have had all the success; but, because he was fed up with society and materialistic things he decided to go a different path and into the wild. McCandless thought that the only way to experience life was to get away from everything and be in touch with nature so, that's what he did. Krakauer compares Chris to others who have gone through the similar situation of going into the wild. McCandless was “Like Rosellini and Waterman, McCandless was a seeker and had an impractical fascination with the harsh side of nature. Like Waterman and McCunn, he displayed a staggering paucity of common sense. But unlike Waterman, McCandless wasn’t mentally ill. And unlike McCunn, he didn’t go into the bush assuming someone would automatically appear to save his bacon before he came to grief.”(Krakauer). Throughout the story it also seems like Krakauer kind of sees himself through McCandless because it gives himself something to compare

It seems as though that McCandless’ adventure into the wild has not been meaningless in any way possible. Chris set out on his journey in order to reveal his pure inner self that’s he has failed to find for years. Chris wants to be someone who isn’t confined inside the safe walls of society. He wants to witness as well as discover something new and different, and to do so he ventures out on his journey to across the Western United States, and Alaskan wilderness to live off of nothing except the wilderness surrounding him. While doing so, Chris begins to test his limits when his body takes a fatal toll from starvations and malnutrition, but his spirit was livelier than ever before despite all of that. I personally would consider this a great

Christopher McCandless was born on February 12th, 1968 in a little town called El Segundo, California. Chris was a young 24-year-old man who embarked on a fatal journey into the Alaskan wilderness, a journey that not many people including myself have ever been on before. A lot of people claim they know Chris. But do these people really know who Chris was? There are a lot of stories out there that depict Chris's strange life. It is very hard to get a perception on what kind of character Chris really had. Chris McCandless in my opinion was a very confusing person. Chris McCandless is unprepared, however also very narcissistic person.

In, Into the Wild, a non fiction book written by, Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless, the main character directs the reader to think about his controversial decision making throughout the story. Many of the readers think how admirable McCandless was for his courage and noble ideas but don't realize how he is a reckless narcissist who perished out of arrogance and stupidity. McCandless’s ideas and actions which were pursued throughout the story were reckless and selfish putting many of his loved ones in difficult situations.

The book “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer explains how McCandless has several characteristics such as being: reliable, idiotic, and being on his own such as being an individual. Jon Krakauer explains how each characteristic relates to Chris McCandless was throughout the book. Krakauer gave us a good perspective of the type of person McCandless was from the time he was a little kid till the time he passed away.

So what was Chris McCandless’s problem? In “Into the Wild” we find out that his father had a mistress and another son and was very abusive to Chris’s mom. Because of this Chris is constantly searching for truth and isolation from those who can hurt him. First off, Chris had little knowledge about how to survive where he was going. He basically showed up to a gunfight with no bullets meaning that he had little chance to survive.

Into the Wild is a book by Jon Krakauer. The premise of the book is about a man named Chris McCandless. After graduating from Emory University, he leaves behind his possessions, gives all of his money from his bank account to charity and cuts off communication from his parents. He adopts a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and embarks onto a new life. His goal was to go to Alaska and to live in the wilderness.

During high school Christopher informed his parents that he would no longer accept any gifts from them because they might begin to believe they bought his respect (Krakauer 21). Christopher had a strong dislike for wealth, but not wealth itself, what wealth did to people. He believed that it gave people a false sense of power and security. These people with wealth would then try to buy control, happiness, and truth. In Christopher’s eyes the concept of wealth having any power was distorted. Another manifestation of McCandless search for empowerment was his experience of mental and physical hardships. During high school the training for cross-country was very strenuous, not only did Chris view it as physical exercise, but spiritual as well(website .info). Also, the summer before freshman year Christopher decided to take a rode trip. When Chris eventually returned home, he revealed that he had just about died from dehydration in the Mojave Desert (Sexton cliffsnotes). Although his parents tried to prohibit him from attempting a trip like this again, it failed. Chris viewed himself to be invincible, just like a teenager that feels indomitable. Together with Christophers other expeditions, he buys a second-hand canoe in Topock, Arizona. His plan was to follow the Colorado River into Mexico then into the Gulf of California and finally the Pacific Ocean

Oscar Wilde, an Irish writer and poet, once said, “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all” (Wilde). Chris McCandless merely lived his life the best he knew how: fearlessly. He was not one to just exist; he craved danger and excitement. Many people became critics after hearing of McCandless’s tragic story, claiming that his rebellion and recklessness terminated him. Nonetheless, his impulses were driven by a dreamer mindset. Yes, he was rebellious; however, his grievous ending was caused by more than ill-preparation or Transcendental actions, but by rebellion, insurrection, and the need for true happiness.