Characteristics Of Chris Mccandless In Into The Wild

Chris McCandless was a loner, a fierce believer in the spiritual revolution, and a hopeless dreamer, traits that, combined with his dislike of society, ultimately led to his “climactic battle to kill the false being within” in the harsh Alaskan wilderness. Until his “great adventure,” Chris increasingly compared himself and the society around him according to a strict moral code. As a result, he was disheartened by the realization that the majority of people he encountered were not taking initiative to improve the quality of life for themselves and for others. Along with his own efforts to rid himself of the pretenses and prejudices of society, McCandless continually encouraged

Jim offered to “drive Alex (Chris) all the way to Anchorage, buy him some decent gear, and then drive him back to wherever he wanted to go” (Krakauer 6). Chris repeatedly refused Jim’s help and insisted that he would be fine with what he already had. He only carried a ten-pound bag of rice for food, minimal gear, and a.22 caliber rifle. His narcissistic behavior drastically reduced his chances of survival. Subsequently, Chris’ lack of sympathy resulted in tremendous pain for his friends and family.

Food and gear are very important factors to survive on a trip like his, due to his lack of preparation and impulsivity he will have a much harder time than necessary. Not only was Chris unprepared, he was also inexperienced. For instance, “...the easiest way to preserve meat in the bush is to slice it into thin strips and then air-dry it on a makeshift rack. But McCandless and his naivete, relied on the advice of hunters he consulted in South Dakota” (Krakauer 166). Chris lacked knowledge that was very important, he assumed things would go the same way as before, but he was in a completely different area.

In John Krakauer's novel, Into The Wild, the reader is presented with a captivating character named Chris McCandless, or Alex Supertramp. Krakauer noted that if McCandless “wasn’t incompetent-he wouldn’t have last 113 days.” Although one could agree with Krakauer when stating that McCandless is not crazy, or an outcast, one could also argue that he is still incompetent in some ways, which is seen in how he interacts with nature, rather than with people. McCandless had a unique charisma and charm to him that made him get friends easily and as a result had a strong effect on people. The quote, “the more they talked, the less Alex struck Gallien as a nutcase,” shows how other people perceived him.

Because he displays the qualities of being religious and loving, Chris McCandless is a solid example of a grad at grad. Chris is more like a grad at grad than Holden Caulfield because he exemplifies more of the grad at grad qualities than Holden does. This essay will discuss how Chris McCandless utilizes being religious and loving during his journey in “Into the Wild.” However, it will not discuss the qualities of being committed to doing justice, open to growth, and intellectually competent because neither McCandless nor Holden displayed these qualities. Neither of then mention service to others, which proves that it wasn’t a large part of either of their lives. Neither of them were open to growth either. They were both self centered and didn’t do anything for anyone but themselves. Holden called everyone a phony and Chris ran away from his life to go into the wild. Although both Holden and Chris seem to be intellectually competent, Holden failing

Chris uses his issues with his family as a excuse to do what he wants and to disconnect with people. Another bad trate that Chris has is his disrespect for laws meant to keep people safe, and the environment safe. At the start of chris journey, he had a yellow car that he drove in to a flash flood

Chris was very intelligent receiving a degree from Emory University, graduating with a double major in history and anthropology. Chris had high honors and was on course to get into Harvard. After graduating he decided to move travel across the country and up into Alaska. Many people are stuck thinking he was not prepared for this journey but it is widely believed that “he was sufficiently skilled to last for sixteen weeks on little more than his wits and ten pounds of rice. And he was fully aware when he entered the bush that he had given himself do previously slim margin for error. He knew precisely what was at stake.” (182) Chris lasted a very long time with very little. He did what many people couldn't and that is to survive in

Chris McCandless’s personality traits can described many different ways, and his actions of going into the wild can not always be interpreted. Why did go into the wild, what was he seeking is a question for many. I believe that McCandless went into the wild to start a new life. After reading the novel, “Into the Wild” I strongly believe that Chris McCandless is adventurous, rebellious, and overconfident.

Chris McCandless thought that he was prepared for his Alaskan odyssey. It turned out he was very ill prepared which is what caused his death. He did not pack enough food because he compared the amount of food he would need to his southern adventures. He also didn’t have the

Another characteristic of Chris was that he was very emotional. The reason why he left off traveling to Alaska at the time he did without telling his family, was because he wanted to escape his family, specifically his Father. Chris found out that his Father had cheated on his Mother with his ex-wife. He was mad at both of them because he felt like his father betrayed the family and that his Mother was too weak to divorce his Father. That was the fuel for

Furthermore, Chris has a problem with staying with people. Chris is constantly alone or want to be alone. Franz explains Chris’ excitement, "McCandless was thrilled to be on his way north, and he was relieved as well—relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it. He had fled the claustrophobic confines of his family. He’d successfully kept Jan Burres and Wayne Westerberg at arm’s length, flitting out of their lives before anything was expected of him. And now he’d slipped painlessly out of Ron Franz’s life as well." Basically, Chris has a constant want to be alone. He would leave Jan and Wayne, leaving Chris alone, and now Ron, a figure who he looked up to. This fulfills the last requirement of being a western

Christopher Johnson McCandless is a respectable man in so many ways but, yet such a foolish man in many others. Chris McCandless possessed a seemingly ever-lasting bravery that constantly shined through his unique and matchless character. He was very righteous in himself to the point in which he kept himself from any sin or evil, committing his life to what seemed like an idea of celibacy, not just in refraining from any desire of flesh but also in all lusts of life with his diligent power of will that constantly shined through his exterior. Onto the contrary of his good characteristics, McCandless remained to be very foolish in his decisions and under takings, whether it be by his arrogance of sheer narrow mindedness.

Life is never easy, no matter how hard we try to short cut and escape the inevitable difficulties. After College is when life sets in, when work becomes a necessity and we all begin to find a place to settle down. People respond differently to different situations. Some of us embrace the freedom and the ability to earn money and spend money indiscriminately. Others crumple under the social pressures placed on us. Christopher McCandless is a perfect example. Settling down and raising a family, providing for that family and creating a sustainable lifestyle are important and high stress things that we all must deal with if we are to enjoy the finer things in life. Chris totally abandoned that, he gave away all of his possessions; even

Some say that Chris was an idiot for going out into the Alaskan wilderness unprepared and without any knowledge of nature. “Why would anyone intending to live off the land for a few months forget boy scout rule number one: Be prepared” (krakauer, 71). This was a complaint sent in by a Alaskan hunter, and there were many more that followed that. The people writing the negative comments all believed that Chris either wanted attention, was stupid, or went out on a suicide mission. However, Chris was none of those things, he wouldn’t have been able to survive 113 days off

If you attempted to talk him out of something, he wouldn’t argue. He would just nod politely and then do exactly what he wanted” (Krakauer 182). Chris did exactly as Carine stated he would when someone tried to stop his trip to Alaska. Chris understood what the trip to Alaska would entail but decided to continue anyway. He was confident in his abilities and constantly felt the need to challenge those abilities. According to Jon Krakauer, “He had a need to test himself in ways, as he was fond of saying ‘that mattered’. He possessed grand- some would say grandiose- spiritual ambitions” (Krakauer 182). Although Chris’s ambition is surely admirable it also could be credited as his tragic flaw. Chris strived for perfection in everything he set his mind to. He refused to listen to individuals who were trying to help him when saying he was ill prepared; instead he ignored their efforts and went into the wild. Chris’s unpreparedness could later be identified as the cause of his death but in his mind, his supporters would like to believe, it did not matter. Chris died doing what he loved, living in isolation with nature being his only companion.