The Theme Of Self-Reliance In Into The Wild, By Jon Krakauer

The first scene starts off with Gallien driving four miles picking up a hitchhiker that was shivering on the side of the road asking to be taken to to the unmarked wilderness in Alaska. The guy would say his last name as though he was trying to hide something. Gallien impeditilly thought that McCandless was just another delusional visitor to the Alaskan Frontier. When Gallien started talking to Alex McCandless he started to notice that Alex was actually very intelligent and thoughtful.Gallien also realized that Alex had come unprepared for that conditions of the wilderness. He had no food but a 10 bag of rice, his hiking boots weren’t waterproof, and his rifle was so small that it couldn’t be able to kill a big enough animal that he needed to survive.McCandless lacked on having an ax,snowshoes,and a compass to provide direction in the woods.To talk Alex out of goign to the in marked route in the wilderness north of Mount Mckiney. I thought this scene was significant because it Gallen picks up a hitchhiker that plans to get out into the wilderness for a couple months and is totally unprepared to survive.A real hitchhiker would have had a the necessities to survive in the wild.I was surprised that Alex didn 't even seem worried and was confident in what he had when Gallien told him that he might not always be able to have food to hunt.When Alex

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 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.

Transcendentalism is a philosophical and literary movement that has major themes of nature and spirituality while going against society and materialistic things. Christopher McCandless is a Transcendentalist in every sense of the word. The young adventurer, who is the main character in Jon Krakauer's nonfiction text Into the Wild, travels throughout North America, following three main Transcendentalist ideals: the disconnection of society, a minimalist lifestyle, and a reverence for both God and nature.

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.

To say that Krakauer does have a bias towards McCandless is a rather obvious statement and something known to the reader from the author’s note. “My convictions should be apparent soon enough, but I will leave it to the reader to form his or her own opinion.” Yet despite a personal bias Krakauer has towards McCandless he keeps his promise to the reader and serves as an impartial enough biographer to allow the reader to form their own opinions. By interviewing both those who knew Chris or Alexander Supertramp on his journey to the last frontier and Alaskan locals, Krakauer steps to the side and lets others give their thoughts or memories as well as criticisms of the man who met his fate in the Alaskan wilderness. Krakauer does interfere with Chris/Alex’s story at one point in order

Waking up to discover the immense, pristine wilderness of Alaska, listening to the birds chirping their sounds while feeling the tremble of your heart beating through your veins. Trees as far as one can see with rolling hills and distant peaks covered with unblemished snow. The sounds of streams growing larger until they rush over a fall, and into an untainted lake. Pondering the true meaning of life while observing Mother Nature’s true grace. Very few people can relate to this scene of the wild. One of them being Christopher Johnson McCandless, a young pioneer and traveler, who was determined to seek the truth no matter what the cost.

While in these different states he met people along the way that got close to him and wanted to help him on his journey. He believed in self reliance and self trust so whenever people offered him anything he wouldn’t take them. (Krakauer 33). After an extended argument Burress also got McCandless to accept some long underwear and other warm clothing she thought he would need in Alaska. “He eventually took it to shut me up.” said Burres. “But the day after I found most of it in the van.” It is quite obvious that Chris did not want to help of others or rather even hated it. (Krakauer 33). As the novel states Chris “Acted really offended when Burres offered him supplies.” Chris hated when he was offered help most likely because he wanted to be able to prove something that he could do this odessey without anyone’s help. He left the people that he met with the impression that he didn’t want their help although he liked their company. As well as the fact that he was determined to accomplish his goals by all means necessary.

The Alaskan wilderness knows no mercy nor no forgiveness, out there one mistake could cost a person their life. Chris grew up in a strict household where he was given little to no freedom. As a young adult, Chris found this lack of individualism overwhelming so he disentangled himself from society in a rather abrupt manner. He unfortunately met a premature death, which continues to arouse suspicion amongst readers. However Chris McCandless did not have a death wish, he had already made it this far and still had plenty left he wanted to accomplish. In the book Into the Wild, author Jon Krakauer uses the three appeals through various devices to convince his reading audience that Chris McCandless was a determined individual whose justified choices

Much of the human race live their lives in accordance to what society sees as acceptable, but Christopher McCandless disregards societal norms in the novel Into the Wild. Within the novel, Jon Krakauer explores the story of Christopher McCandless’s journey to Alaska and investigates the events leading up to his death. Krakauer tells the story concerning McCandless’s life in a fashion that reveals a truth about nonconformity. Krakauer sends a message to common readers that nonconformity is not possible and the only way to survive the world we live in is to conform to our surroundings. Jon Krakauer express’s his ideals on nonconformity within Into the Wild through his non-chronological organizational structure, the use of logical reasoning,

in Krakauer 70). The way this epigraph can relate to the theme of the story is that the way Chris wanted to live his life was simple compared to others. All Chris wanted to do was get to Alaska and Into the Wild where he can be alone and enjoy the surroundings which was nature, but as other people who lived “normal lives” would want more than what they already have. For example Chris had his Datsun which was a older car that he enjoyed because it was simple, but his parents wanted to get rid of the car and buy Chris a better car for his graduation, he denied their idea simply because he didn’t want or need a different car. Chris’s insights were a bit different than most people’s because any other kid would have most likely accepted that gift from their parents. This also shows why Chris wanted to simply go away and live such a simple life in Alaska, because he wasn’t crazy he just had a simpler insight on life.

“On the northern margin of the Alaska Range, just before the hulking ramparts of Mt. McKinley and its satellites surrender to the low Kantishna plain, a series of lesser ridges, known as the Outer Range, sprawls across the flats like a rumpled blanket on an unmade bed”(Krakauer 9). Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is true story based around Chris Mccandless. Chris ultimilty left normal society and everything he owned to go on a road trip around the country and end up in Alaska. Here in Alaska he meet his end in the harsh winter. In Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless believes that self-reliance is key to survival, while Ralph Waldo Emerson also believes this based on his work “Self-Reliance”.

Why does Alex Honnold free solo? Honnold informs that free solo climbing excites him and it gives him a sense of self-control. The idea of free solo climbing may be terrifying to others, however, it gives him a sense of calmness. Many of his peers identify him as Alex “No Big Deal” Honnold. Why? They elaborated that although they may be scared of falling to their death, Alex Honnold isn’t. Death is not a big deal to him, even though he could lose his life any time that he free solo

After graduating from college, McCandless had left his Datsun, donated all his savings to charity, and burned all the spare cash he has on him, and took off. Leaving Chris McCandless behind, and beginning the life of Alexander Supertramp. Alex had made lots of new friends that he had grown bonds within a short amount of time, such as Franz, Gallien, Westerberg, etc. But Alex had obstacles and messes that he had gotten himself into.

The author’s main purpose for writing Into The Wild was to explain exactly what happened to Chris on his trail and find a motive for why Chris decided to do this. Krakauer also wanted to provide reasoning for McCandless's actions, or at least provide more detail about McCandless's personal life. Also Krakauer wanted to motivate readers to do what makes them happy by providing justification for Chris’s actions. A quote that describes this is, “Make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt." ( Page 56 ) Krakauer also explains “many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation.” (Page 57) This doesn’t mean that you should go out into the wild like Chris, unprepared. The author just wants to identify that going to Alaska isn’t a horrible idea, a person just needs to be well equipped and go along with friends because he doesn’t want nobody to go through what Chris had to go through.