Christopher Johnson McCandless was born on February 7, 1968, and died sometime in August 1992. His surviving family members include his parents, Walt and Billie, his sister, Carine McCandless, and his friend, Westerberg. One of the defining moments in Christopher’s life was when he did a selfless deed by picking up a homeless man and keeping him in his parents’ trailer without them knowing. Christopher was an extremely confident man who always did what he wanted and set high standards for himself. One can say that his extreme confidence and high standards are what enabled him to fall on the path towards death. In April 1992, Christopher embarked on a peregrination in Alaska where he intended to live off of the land for a few months. He was
Twenty-one years ago this month, on September 6, 1992, the decomposed body of Christopher McCandless was discovered by moose hunters just outside the northern boundary of Denali National Park. He had died inside a rusting bus that served as a makeshift shelter for trappers, dog mushers, and other backcountry visitors. Taped to the door was a note scrawled on a page torn from a novel by Nikolai
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
Chris McCandless died doing what he loved, but was it worth all of the pain and uncertainty he caused his family? Chris embarked on a journey through the Alaskan wilderness, which resulted in his demise. He cut ties with his family due to personal differences in opinion and travelled all around the country living off of the land for the most part. People have formed many different opinions of Chris McCandless, but its up to you to decide whether his actions were selfish or purposeful. In this Journal, I will be questioning the motives of McCandless, connecting with him, as well as evaluating the author.
Alexander Supertramp, a nickname used by Chris McCandless, stunned the whole nation with his unique experience. Some people said that he was a hero and he escaped from tarnished and sinful world to a wonderland in Alaska where he could live in harmony with nature. On the other side, some people judged that he was a tactless idiot who paid a price for his recklessness.
Christopher McCandless and his journey into the wilds as he does various things and made friends along the way while that and be a traveler going to Alaska the wild one to live in a magic bus as it is his shelter and his tomb. On September 6, 1992, a hunter who was looking for shelter for the night came upon the converted bus McCandless had been staying in. Upon entering, he smelled what he thought was rotting food and discovered "a lump" in a sleeping bag. The hunter quickly radioed police, who arrived the following day. They found McCandless' decomposing body in the sleeping bag.
Why did the director of Into the wild choose the songs that he chose? In the song Setting Forth, Long Night, and Guaranteed these songs all have to do with the journey that Alex or Chris McCandless took. They are about being free not to look back on the past but just to focus on what is next.
Jon Krakauer, fascinated by a young man in April 1992 who hitchhiked to Alaska and lived alone in the wild for four months before his decomposed body was discovered, writes the story of Christopher McCandless, in his national bestseller: Into the Wild. McCandless was always a unique and intelligent boy who saw the world differently. Into the Wild explores all aspects of McCandless’s life in order to better understand the reason why a smart, social boy, from an upper class family would put himself in extraordinary peril by living off the land in the Alaskan Bush. McCandless represents the true tragic hero that Aristotle defined. Krakauer depicts McCandless as a tragic hero by detailing his unique and perhaps flawed views on society,
In the book Into the Wild the main character, Chris Mccandless, made a rational decision to exclude himself from human society because he believed that going beyond what his parents, and society wanted, he would live a happier life. Chris wanted to leave society and venture into the wilderness to find the true meaning of who he was. Chris Mccandless was neither crazy or ignorant to live off in the wild where there was no people or anything to interact with, but nature. Chris wanted to find his inner self and not only was he a role model for kids all across the country, but he also followed his dream. Even though it was selfish of him leaving his family, Chris Mccandless was not crazy simply because he
There had never been and there would never be someone exactly like Chris McCandless. Chris has a middle class background and stands out from his peers because he believes that society restrains his independence. He leaves his past life and wanders America heading toward the lonely Alaskan wilderness to find who he really is. He discovers ways of moving to Alaska despite leaving behind all of his possessions and social status. Chris’s sincerity and integrity earn the respect of the people he meets. He inspires people leave behind their old life and explore the country by documenting his experiences. Chris loves to challenge himself and after succeeding academically he finds purpose through self deprivation. Chris chooses Alaska because its'
How much should one prepare before venturing into the wild? For Transcendentalists, preparation would likely have been limited to the bare necessities. Transcendentalism was a movement that conquered America during the nineteenth century. A few beliefs from the era were that self-reliance was beneficial, money was a distraction, and truth was found in nature. One person who shared these beliefs at a more recent time in history was Chris McCandless, whose story was described by Jon Krakauer in Into the Wild. McCandless was a young man who traversed America during the early nineties. He had previously attended college and endured the pressure of his parents throughout those years. When he graduated and was finally free, Chris cut off connections with his family and friends, choosing to live a nomadic life on his own. His final journey was into the Alaskan wild; however, it may not have had to be his last adventure. There are a few situations where, if they had unfolded differently, Chris might have survived. Chris McCandless was a fool because he did not tell anyone when he planned to return from his journey, was uneducated about preserving his game, and avoided keeping close relationships.
Going against society is something only very few have done. Not only have they put their name on the line but everything they have done and said. Society is what makes us humans in the modern world. Society says you should go to college and you should raise a family but is it right to do what society tells you ? If what you want is more or less does that make you an awful and ungrateful person. I believe it doesn't we live in the modern age and ethics and values have changed for the most part people today don't do things people would have done 50 years ago.
hundred twenty-three dollars in legal tender was promptly reduced to ashes and smoke” (P. 29). Chris
b) In the beginning of his journey, Chris McCandless is very adventurous and has a positive outlook throughout his journey. “I’ll be fine with what I’ve got.” (Krakauer, 6) This shows he is happy, as he wanted to ‘live off the land’ and is eager to get there. By the end of his journey Chris is in need of help as he is starving in his base camp in Alaska. Although his poor health, and awareness that his death would come soon, he is overall content with his journey and had accepted his death writing in a death note, “I have had a happy life and thank the lord. Goodbye and may god bless all.” (Krakauer, 199) This shows he was in a happy state when he died that day. Chris’ character had not changed much throughout his journey because of who he
Seven billion people in the world, all with unique personalities, on this earth to serve a purpose in their own life, or someone else’s. Chris McCandless was a man with unique qualities, and served to please himself and coincedently others as well. In the book “Into the Wild” the author, Jon Krakauer, explains the adventures and mishaps Chris McCandless went through in his life. Krakauer admired Chris for his personality, and his ability to be determined and hardworking at everything he did. Chris McCandless was an admirable man, with his individual view on life, and the way he could touch a person’s life and impact them forever.
Christopher McCandless was a well-educated graduate from a pristine university, born and raised in a wealthy region of the East Coast. However, he wasn’t content with himself as a person and believed he could obtain a higher state of being within his own existence by making major changes in his life. As a result, he led himself on a romanticized journey to find himself in the Alaskan interior, which concluded in his demise. The world-renowned theoretical physicist Albert Einstein put into words that “two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.” McCandless failed to symbolize a heroic and intelligent state of being and jeopardized his life by prematurely embarking on his journey into the enormity of the Alaskan wild. Chris McCandless might have been a man of academic intelligence, but his insatiable desire for adventure caused him to become reckless and perish in the wild.