To Live The places we visit throughout our lives can sometimes leave a bigger imprint on us than anything else. The novel, Into The Wild, by Jon Krakauer, displays a man, named Chris McCandless, who selfishly goes into the Alaskan Interior alone. The places he visits and the way he connects with the people and places around him before and during the journey help exemplify who he is. The place Chris McCandless died tells us a lot about who he is as a person. Jon Krakauer is telling us how the bus that Chris died in got there, “The project was halted in 1963: some fifty miles of road was eventually built, but no bridges were ever erected over the many rivers it transected, and the route was shortly rendered impassable by thawing permafrost and seasonal floods. Yutan hauled two of the buses back to the highway. The third bus was left about halfway out the trail to serve as a backcountry shelter for hunters and trappers” (Krakauer 10). The bus is located in a place where man tried to put roads and infrastructure, but nature quickly destroyed it. This directly relates to Chris being an intelligent college educated person but was called back to nature after man tried to build ‘infrastructure’ inside him. Jon Krakauer gives us a detailed description of the bus describing it as, “A vintage International Harvester from the 1940’s, the derelict vehicle is located twenty-five miles west of Healy as the raven flies, rusting incongruously in the Fireweed beside the Stampede
Many individuals decide to live their life in solitary; though, only a few choose to live in the wild. The book, Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer vividly paints the adventurous trek Chris McCandless went on. From the friends he made, to the hardships he went through, McCandless is portrayed as a friendly, sociable person despite the fact that he was a vagabond. Other than McCandless, there are even more individuals that have taken the risks to live in the wilderness such as, Jon Krakauer and Everett Ruess. All three of them had both similarities and differences between their own qualities as a person and their journey.
Into The Wild is a nonfiction novel by Jon Krakauer. It is about a young man named Chris McCandless, who leaves his family because he is angry with his parents and wants to prove that he can be independent. He hitchhikes all over western America and meets many interesting people. He eventually goes to the Alaskan wilderness to have a great adventure and dies of starvation. Even though he dies, McCandless is considered a very successful adventurer.
He carried with him only a small bag with limited food. ”He wasn't carrying anywhere near as much food and gear as you'd expect a guy to be carrying for that kind of a trip” (Krakauer 5). This was with the first man he met along his trip, as someone of experience he could tell by the appearance of Chris that he was not someone that had done this before. Chris was blinded by his goals that he was arrogant and didn't think he would even need the proper attire, “He had no ax, no bug dope, no snowshoes, no compass” (Krakauer 5). He was way ahead of himself and didn't know what he was getting into, one of the hardest places to survive as told by
Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, describes the adventure of Christopher McCandless, a young man that ventured into the wilderness of Alaska hoping to find himself and the meaning of life. He undergoes his dangerous journey because he was persuade by of writers like Henry D. Thoreau, who believe it is was best to get farther away from the mainstreams of life. McCandless’ wild adventure was supposed to lead him towards personal growth but instead resulted in his death caused by his unpreparedness towards the atrocity nature.
Chris puts his arrogance, stupidity, and lack of insight on display throughout the novel Into the Wild by Jon Krauker. This non-fiction book tells the journey of Chris McCandless. He was someone who wanted to abandon the materialistic world. His sights were to be on the wild frontier of Alaska, with no help and only his enthusiasm to guide him. The idea driving him to go and be adventurous is how he ends up starving in a bus, ultimately leading to his demise.
John Krakauer writes the non-fiction book Into the Wild and discusses the story of Chris McCandless. Chris McCandless takes on the journey of going into the wilderness that relates to the same journey Krakauer went on. McCandless leaves behind society to look for his soul, but while on his journey, he passes away in Alaska. In the book, Krakauer does a great job talking about Chris’s life because he studied and retraced Chris’s life back. Despite 3 years of writing the book, you can see the detail and care he has for the story.
Chris was lucky to have found the bus, it allowed him to survive for as long as he did. Unlike Krakauer and the explorers, Chris did not have a map and struggled to cross the river. In addition, Chris spent long hours struggling to survive alone. Krakauer had only an idea of what it was like for Chris. The explorers and several other people thought that Chris was crazy for what
Into the Wild, by John Krakauer, was an authentic, inspirational story about a young man named Chris McCandless on a adventure to Alaska. From the beginning we as a reader know that Chris does not survive. Although in the beginning of his adventure, Chris seemed to be flourishing with excellent health until he reached the Alaskan wilderness. Meeting new people, having them house him, feed him, give him work, all this aided him on his journey to Alaska. Though Chris’s intelligence was surprisingly exceptional, it demonstrated weakness in the wilderness, moreover, his own common sense was not up to high status either. Chris McCandless knew what he needed to survive, but he also refused to take the supplies that was offered to him, he also enjoyed
The book “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer is a story about a man by the name of Chris McCandless. He is a man who grew up in a DC suburb, graduated college and decides to change the ways of his life. He journeys across the country, and finds his way to Alaska. His means are to leave the material lifestyle and become at one with nature. During Chris’s adventure he seems to neglect all communication with his family and over look the fact that they care about his health and future.
The gripping tale of a young man who leaves all that he has and goes to live amidst the natural world, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer showcases the two years Christopher McCandless had spent journeying throughout the United States before his unfortunate death. After graduating from Emory University in 1990, McCandless disconnected with all of his past relations and abandoned the majority of his possessions. McCandless’ decisions either seem extremely unwise or extremely courageous. He had a comfortable life with few worries yet he still chose to toss it all away and venture into unknown territories. What many wonder is why he would do such an irrational thing. Maybe, McCandless’ was simply trying to run away from his perception of reality.
Throughout history, people encounter a stage in their lives where they feel the necessity to assert their independence and challenge their abilities and self-worth. In the book, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, the author shares his understanding and kinship with the main character, Chris McCandless, a young man who thrusts himself into a life of solitude and a harsh environment during his search for meaning to his life. Krakauer depicts himself and McCandless as modern day transcendentalists with an abundance of competency, resourcefulness and skills as naturalists. Although McCandless chose to experience a life of solitude and face the hazards that nature presents, his lack of preparedness prevented him from completing his endeavor successfully.
It is often noted that one can never truly understand the beauty of life until they go and experience it. This idea parallels with getting to know who they really are and figuring out what their purpose in life genuinely is, which not many people cannot comprehend. Everyone has different fears, desires, and feelings, but not until you live a life of new experiences do you harness your true self. Growing through experiences and connecting with nature allows someone to more deeply reflect on their individual purpose on Earth and discover their own definition of happiness. Henry David Thoreau comments on this even further by proposing that the disconnection from a society in which we are comfortable is the only way to cultivate an understanding of ourselves. Chris McCandless sets out on an adventure in a life absent of routine to push his boundaries and prove that he could make it on his own, finding the meaning of life in the process. Henry David Thoreau’s statement “Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves”, is correct, as evidenced by Jon Krakauer’s novel Into the Wild.
For someone to be on the road, people usually assume that they have lost hope in life, or that they were not that determine to maintain a place in our social class.Those who decided to live on the road do it for a different reason, reason that are either a push or pull factor. Someone who has helicopter parents, or having a difficult time trying to fit into society can find a reason to venture out and find self. Someone who felt like they no longer have a purpose in life, can find it by going on the road, because no one know you better than yourself. When writing a story of your life, do not let anyone else hold the pen. Just like the north star, which helped slaves find their way from slavery and captivity. In order to find true self, risk must be taken. While life on the road can seem like an act of avoidance of reality and problems, it can help someone find a purpose for life and their true self, therefore I believe that life on the road, is helpfully for those who are struggling with problems.
In what could have been Chris McCandless’s last contact with humanity he tells his new comrade, Wayne Westerberg, “If this adventure proves fatal and you don’t hear from me again I want you to know you are a great man. I now walk into the wild” (Krakauer 3). For 112 days Chris lived off the harsh Alaskan land. For anyone who is brave enough to travel on the stampede trail and cross the treacherous Teklanika River you will come across the Fairbanks City Transit System Bus 142. Once a backcountry shelter for hunters, trappers, ranger patrols, and for a short time Chris McCandless, Bus 142 now serves as a memorial for Chris McCandless. Travelers will make the trip to witness the basic resources Chris had at hand and the courage it took to
People are often bounded by the curiosity of what is out in the world. That is why people travel to different parts of the world and explore. In an unique non-fiction book titled Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer writes a fascinating biography about a man named Christopher McCandless. Throughout his journey, Christopher has many accomplishments, but in the end, he does not survive his final trip to Alaska. However, there are also many people who strive to try and survive in the wild. Unfortunately, the life on road is not meant for everyone because people are too dependent on society and technology.