Examples Of Identity In Into The Wild

One’s identity is closely related to who they are and what they believe in. Identity is the self expression of a person. Be it their cultural identity or their own moral beliefs and values, identity is an expression of character. Identity is often built upon as more information is gained and one begins to understand themselves better. Throughout Into the Wild, “Survivor Type”, and Self Reliance, the protagonist’s and author’s all build upon their identity to emulate who they are to the reader.

Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer is a telling account of the journey of Chris McCandless who traversed the western side of the United States until he perished from starvation in the Alaskan Wilderness. McCandless was a very free soul. Between college he would always take trips away from his home in Virginia to explore what was the unthinkable. Once he had finished his education at Emory with stellar grades, he disappeared. Dropping contact with his family was common, so many saw no immediate trouble

Chris was the type to always value the beauty of nature and solitude. He had friends, but he could always entertain himself for hours. As a child he grew close to his mother’s father who taught McCandless about the wilderness. Besides his love for the outdoors, Chris also had a strange detachment from society's rules. Both Thoreau and London spoke wonders to Chris. One of his favorite reads was “Civil Disobedience.” Many people saw this quirk within McCandless. All throughout his high school career, Chris only received one bad grade. That grade was only because he refused to write in the format presented to him. His father connected it with how he played racquetball. Chris never took any direction in his play style. Chris McCandless’ identity was in tune with his rebellious personality and his intense connection with the outdoors. Between hitchhiking from one state to the next, living off the land for months at