Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a nonfiction story about the life and adventures of the venturesome Christopher McCandless. Chris McCandless was an intelligent individual who decided to leave his family when he was twenty-two years old seeking the challenge in surviving in Alaska. Even though Chris was unprepared because he only had some rice and few supplies, he still pushed himself to hitchhike all around the world while meeting new people. Unfortunately, Christopher McCandless did not survive long in the harsh environment of Alaska for long. At least he died doing something he loved and wanted to succeed. Christopher McCandless develops an identity which shows how he is separated from society, he bases his interests on famous authors who …show more content…
In society the average person retains simple hobbies and shares a loving family, however; Chris ventures away from his great family to fulfill his lifelong dream, surviving in Alaska. Part of the reason that Chris left to Alaska was because he left to live an adventurous life and he was upset with his parents for trying to buy his respect (Krakauer 121). In the Mojave Desert, Christopher abandoned his old yellow Datsun with all of his hidden identification because the battery died so he could not escape the flash flood. Christopher burns his identification card and one hundred twenty-three dollars and buries his Virginia license plates to his car because he does not want anyone, especially his family to retrieve him from his expedition (Krakauer 29). He formed a new identity by giving up his old life because Chris felt that he never experienced the true meaning of happiness in what he was experiencing before. While he was driving to Atlanta, Chris decided that he was going to start a whole new life as a different person so he changed his name to Alexander Supertramp (Krakauer 23). Chris formed a new identity by changing his name and by living off of intensive quotes from famous …show more content…
Throughout his life, Chris always went against society creating his identity which expressed that he does things the way he wants and won’t accept doing it differently. In high school, Chris, who is very intelligent, received an F on his physics lab for ignoring to complete it in the correct format because he thought it was stupid (Krauker 109). Another example is Chris quitting his job at McDonald’s because the establishment required him to wear socks as he worked (Krauker 40). When Chris meat a new person while hitchhiking and they tried to make suggestions or help them buy better supplies he becomes stubborn and always declines their offer because he was confident in himself. One of Chris’s friends, Wayne Westerberg thought, “What got him into trouble was he did too much thinking,” which resulted to the death of Chris McCandless (Krauker 18). Even though Chris had never been associated with any religion he believed in spirituality and valued the elements of nature. Before Chris died, he had shoot a moose for food, but ended up throwing it out for the wolves because he felt bad for killing the innocent animal (Krauker 169). Chris’ character demonstrated rebellious actions that showed how he opposed rules and also shared a connection with nature by feeling guilt for killing an
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.
Imagine if someone took all the money they had and burned it all. After that you find that you only have twenty- five dollars left. With that you had to try to survive in a new city with just that money and nothing else. Well, two young and brave men gave up everything they owned in order to do an experiment that could change their lives forever. A man named Christopher McCandless’s story is told in John Krakauer’s writings, including an article called “Death of an Innocent’’ and a popular and good book Into the Wild. Another man named Adam Shepard wrote his own book and told his story in the book Scratch Beginnings. Both Adam and Chris had goals set off by different things such as motivation and the impacts on many people along their journeys.
In the novel Into The Wild, the author, Jon Krakauer, writes about Christopher Johnson McCandless, a young male adult who leaves society and vanishes into the wilderness all alone. Chris was an experienced individual and very motivated, but he was also an idealist who acted upon his radical thoughts. I believe Chris was qualified to survive in the wilderness alone. However, Chris also had negative traits which led to his downfall. Chris already had experience living the wild before his Alaskan journey.
The book “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, has brought up different opinions about the main character Christopher Johnson McCandless, also known as “Alex”. Some may believe that Chris McCandless went into the wild to live as his literary influences, but the real reason he left was that he did not like the way his life was going, the way everyone acted, the way everyone was consumed with the consumption of physical possessions. As well as to escape the turmoil with his parents due to his resentment towards his father always trying to buy him things to make up for the fact that he was married to another woman and had cheated on his mother. This resentment could have been what drove him to do the things that he did and cause him to go on these to what would seem to the average person, wild and crazy adventures.
In April 1992, a young man hitchhiked to Alaska and walked into the wilderness alone. His decomposed body was found by moose hunters 4 months later. The novel, Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer tells the story of the rebellious man, who lived a very abstract life. After Chris graduated high school he developed ideas of philosophy from authors, Thoreau and Jack London. Chris took his philosophic beliefs and abandoned society and his family to find the true meaning of life and happiness. Going into the wilderness he took nothing but a ten pound bag of rice and a backpack. But, little did he know that his “romantic silliness” would lead him to his death.
Chris McCandless once said, “Tramping is too easy with all this money. My days were more exciting when I was penniless and had to forage along for my next meal. The freedom and simple beauty of it is just too good to pass up”. In Jon Krakauer’s novel, Into The Wild, views of whether someone needed money in life or not differed throughout the book. Jan Burres, who was a rubber tramp that picked Chris up off the side of the road.
Chris McCandless was a young man who walked into the wild alone to fulfil his lifelong journey of being at peace with nature. However, this journey was cut short when the harsh realities of the wild led McCandless to his demise. There are many speculations as to why McCandless did what he did and what truly led him to the wild. One speculations many people believe was the cause of Chris McCandless going into the wild was because of his young arrogance and stubbornness. However, the real reason McCandless went into the wild was due to his literary influences and family complications.
If there is one thing in the world everyone is searching for; it’s happiness. Happiness is different for everybody, and comes in many different ways. It defines people, people with similar joys become friends, and sometimes people with different joys become enemies. Finding happiness is a struggle for some people, but it’s important to keep looking no matter how hard it is. In the book based on a true story, Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, the main character, Chris McCandless is on a journey to find happiness.
Chris was brave enough to escape an undesired life. He stated in a letter to Franz “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit” (Krakauer 57). Chris took the initiative to change, he was
Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer that tells the story of a young man who's been in his 20s, went into Alaska alone and died, however their are more about him that we did not think about. That he makes us understand the real Chris McCandless, from a bibliographic point a view. The people he met, his actions, and Chris own ideas to have one reason to go to Alaska. Chris McCandless is a humble person, he went into the wilderness to test himself the feeling of his own belief about taking a break from socially, to journey without the help of friends that to offer him help to make his journey easier. Furthermore he, does not want them and his family to be part of his odyssey journey for the sake of a test for him to survive alone without having
Most people go into the wilderness to go camping for a week or less and then leave. Some people stay for more than a week. Chris McCandless was in the wild for at least one hundred days.“ I’ve decided to live this life for some time to come. The freedom and the beauty of it is too good to pass up.”(pg.92) He went into the wilderness to experience adventure and to find things he was searching for nature, the path to happiness and freedom. Chris’ determination, self will, pursuit of happiness and the urge to break free are all explored. He did everything he could to make so people would be able to find him. Changing his name to Alex Supertramp, eliminating everything
Chris McCandless to me was a very intelligent but stubborn man. He didn’t care about how his family felt. All along his quest to the stampede trail Chris was kind to strangers and others but neglected the fact that his family back home worried about him. In the end Chris became at one with nature but realized that his surroundings (meaning family
Throughout Chris’s adolescent years, there was something inside of him that drew him to the wilderness. A desire to leave behind his past perhaps, or just a passion that could only be satisfied through nature. As a young boy, his family would take camping trips every year. This was one of Chris’s favorite memories with his family. Walt, Chris’s father, reminisces and explains, “Chris loved those trips, the longer the better” (108). Everyone recognized his fascination with the wild. A yearly camping trip however, couldn’t fulfill his need to be in the wild. As Chris ventured into the Alaska wilderness, he discovered the happiness he was looking for his entire life. The happiness he was longing for was finally achieved.
Chris is a charismatic young man, but takes extensive measures to ensure he does not become too close with anyone. By going out into the wild without so much as a letter to his parents,
Peace is defined as freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility. This is what many people experience in their final moments on Earth while they are surrounded by their loved ones. But is it possible for someone to die in peace by themselves in the middle of the Alaskan bush? Chris McCandless brought forth this question when he died of starvation on the Stampede Trail in Alaska. His death creates this question because of the fact that he died alone, but was he happy with his surroundings. Chris died at peace because his life had a purpose and he will forever be away from society in the wild.