An Intentional Death

An Intentional Death

Although everyone must explore and be adventurous to find who they are, they should do it in a rational way. In my point of view Chris McCandless was suicidal when he decided to enter the wild. John Krakauer, the author of Into the Wild, led us to believe through the shaved clean cut pictures of Chris that he was going to come home. However, I believe Chris did not intend to come home because of his unreasonable thinking and his unwillingness to prepare himself for the wild.

In order to survive in the wild you must be prepared for any hardships and problems which occur. Some of these hardships are the drastic changes in weather and surviving in them. Chris McCandless did not prepare for these drastic changes in weather, such as, layering his clothes or wearing insulated boots that can withstand the cold. Gallien said, “His gear seemed exceedingly minimal for the harsh conditions of the interior, which in April still lay buried under the winter snowpack” (Krakauer 5). Also, Chris McCandless did not have enough knowledge about training on how to survive in the wild because he lived a civilized life. Although he did have a gun, it was not suitable for killing animals for food. For instance, Gallien said, “ His rifle was only .22 caliber, a bore too small to rely on if he expected to kill large animals like moose and caribou, which he would have to eat if he hoped to remain very long in the country” (Krakauer 5). This is one reason why I believe Chris entered the wild to perish.

Another reason I feel strongly to believe Chris McCandless was suicidal for going into the wild was because of his unreasonable thinking. Chris McCandless did not rationally think about this journey he was about to endure on and the people he would

leave behind. He did not notify anyone not even his parents, which in my opinion was cruel and immature on his part. For instance, “ ‘ We were all worried when we didn’t hear from him,’” says Carine, “ ‘and I think my parents’ worry was mixed with hurt and anger’” (Krakauer 125). Chris made it to seem if he was also escaping his parents in order to do what he wanted to. Also, even though Chris felt he did not need money, he did because this adventure was a trip, which he was supposed to come back from.