Although Chris McCandless may have lived somewhat of a troubled life, his decision to leave his family, as well as everything he owns, was extremely selfish. It was no doubt that Chris was a very intelligent person, but when he went into the wild with very few necessities, he made a fatal mistake. While his death was tragic, it could have been prevented had he not been he not been so conceited. Most people think of Chris as a hero, but he was actually extremely naive and ignorant to what he was getting himself into.
On April 28, 1992, Chris began his long awaited journey in Fairbanks, Alaska- little did he know that it would be his last. His family went almost two years without seeing him, or even knowing where he is, or if he’s even alive.
When Chris discovered his father had been living two lives, he felt a need to escape a situation that seemed to be toxic to him. His whole life Chris had built up an anger towards his father, due to his father's abusive habits. His father, Walt McCandless, has been signaled as the cause of Chris' decision to adventure out by himself into the wild. Although Chris despised his father, rightfully so, and sometimes his mother his choices were very inconsiderate to his family. Throughout Chris's whole life, he had been very intelligent. He excelled throughout high school and college. By no means could you label Chris as a "stupid" person, but his selfish decisions later in his life definitely could be. Chris was very successful and was given numerous opportunities to pursue a career after high school. It could only be considered foolish that after he had worked hard for his whole life throughout school, that he would just give it all away. His accomplishments were something that people work very hard for, and he should be proud of it. Chris had had an interest in the outdoors his entire life. He has always felt a strong pull to nature since he was born. Being in the wilderness gave Chris a sense of belonging. When he trudged into the Alaskan wilderness with not much besides his stubbornness and his sense of idealism, he should’ve already known what the outcome would be. Only bringing a rifle, a road map, and a mere one pound of rice, it was obvious that Chris was extremely unprepared for his journey. Chris’ poor planning and lack of supplies eventually led to his slow, excruciating death. Many people have labeled Chris as a hero, and some have even idolized him as far as to follow in his steps, giving away their whole lives to live out in the wild. Chris deserves respect for the courage he had to give up his whole life as he knew to try and find himself, but his selfishness is not something that can be admired. Most selfish of all, though, was the way he abruptly left his family and went to extreme lengths to make sure they had no way to know where he was or where he had been. It was also selfish of him to build relationships with the people that he met along his excursion, knowing that he would end up just leaving them shortly. The people that he met genuinely cared for him and helped him out when they didn't have to. It was extremely inconsiderate of Chris to lead them on the way that he did. In conclusion, Chris McCandless went into the Alaskan wilderness in search of himself and he ended up losing his life. There comes a time in everyone’s life when they must realize they do not live for just themselves. Unfortunately, Chris was too selfish to ever come to this realization. He gave up a very hopeful and prosperous future just to ultimately die too young.
Chris McCandless was a young man who did everything in his power to try and represent that freedom he was searching for. McCandless had everything before we went out but he decided to go out and travel by choice. He was considered a selfish man because when someone offered him to help him he rejects it in a nice way since we wants to do things himself. In the book Into the wild he states that,"You don't need to worry about me. I have a college education. I'm not destitute. I'm living like this by choice."
He left and “walked into the wild”, as he said, to escape his problems (Krakauer, 69). He never confronted his dad about his feelings. Carine McCandless talks about this personality trait in Chris saying, “Chris was the sort of person who brooded on things. If something bothered him; he wouldn’t come right out and say it” (Krakauer, 122). He changed his name, He wasn’t trying to take pride in his “adventure”. It was an extra and unnecessary precaution to ensure that his problems would not affect his escape. Chris McCandless changed his name and then continued his life ignoring all of the problems he had ever
Chris was unique compared to others, but he was not insane in any sense of the word. He led a journey to Alaska based on emotional reasons and motivations. Chris went into the wild looking for freedom and answers to his questions. Ultimately, Chris found what he was looking for emotionally and went to leave the wild, but in an unfortunate turn of events and a lack of preparedness, Chris mistimed his departure and was stuck in the wild. Eventually, because of his lack of local knowledge and resources, Chris never left the Alaskan wilderness
Although Chris McCandless' life at home growing up was hounded by his so called "ignorant" father or his "bigot" parents, made the best out of his life whenever he could. He was on the cross country team when he was younger, and they all ran out into the wild almost, purposely getting lost. Being on that team and experiencing that made him happier and started his interest and passion for embracing nature. Chris even found solace and was content with providing food, such as hamburgers, stated by his cross country teammate Eric Hathway, providing company to people less fortunate than him. Taking hikes with his grandfather and doing things as mentioned previously (cross country), eventually influenced him to make his greatest adventure and unbeknownst
He was a very intelligent kid. He graduated from Emory University in Atlanta with a degree in history and anthropology. The day after his graduation, he went on a road trip. He drove all around the country without an itinerary. Chris didn?t tell his parents about this, of course. The only way they found out he was gone was when they went to visit him in Atlanta and his apartment was empty. He even took a new name, Alexander Supertramp.
“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, it’s what’s inside counts” This quote reminds people about how they should not judge other people from the outside but look deep into their true personalities. Looking from the appearance and how Chris lives, everyone would assume that Chris is a crazy, foolish person and does everything without thinking. If people try to know more about Chris, they would have different perspective. Chris is intelligent, determined, independent and follows what he believes. He went into the wilderness to escape from the society that tries to suppress him and look for the meaning of life.
...s was at peace. Chris McCandless died happy and at peace with life because of the all the sights he had seen, all the people he had met, and ultimately the goal he had wanted to achieve was at his fingertips. He did not make it out of the “Great Alaska,” but he died trying. He had survived one hundred plus days. He had walked all over America. He had met some amazing tramps along the way. He had caused heartbreak, but he helped thousands. I believe, based on the fact that he stated he would write a book upon his return, all he wanted to be a legend and have a legacy. He did just that. Chris has died over ten years ago, and here I am in the tenth grade learning about his eventful life. Chris ‘Alexander Supertramp’ McCandless had lived an eventful life in his twenty-four years of living than most do in their one hundred years of life. His legacy will live on forever.
In what could have been Chris McCandless’s last contact with humanity he tells his new comrade, Wayne Westerberg, “If this adventure proves fatal and you don’t hear from me again I want you to know you are a great man. I now walk into the wild” (Krakauer 3). For 112 days Chris lived off the harsh Alaskan land. For anyone who is brave enough to travel on the stampede trail and cross the treacherous Teklanika River you will come across the Fairbanks City Transit System Bus 142. Once a backcountry shelter for hunters, trappers, ranger patrols, and for a short time Chris McCandless, Bus 142 now serves as a memorial for Chris McCandless. Travelers will make the trip to witness the basic resources Chris had at hand and the courage it took to make it as far as he did into his journey. Chris was not unaware of the dangers of the Alaskan wilderness. He was fully informed of the challenges he would face and was confident, maybe even hubristic, that he could overcome them. Non Supporters would argue this makes Chris a fool, reckless, brash, or even border lined unintelligent while in fact it is quite the opposite. Chris was a hero because he knew his differences and embraced them, his ambition and strive for perfection took his life, and he followed his dreams no matter the cost.
...opher McCandless is a unique and talented young man, but his selfish and ultimately complacent attitude towards life and his successes led to his demise. Chris possesses monumental ambitions that had the potential to be harvested into something great, but were not taken advantage of in the correct way. Through the book Krakauer paints a chilling picture of how detrimental choices can be. Had Chris been better prepared for his trip there is a good chance he would have walked out alive. Had Chris lived, he would not be famous, merely criticized for his poor choices and selfish behavior that deeply impacted those close to him. Chris is not a hero, nor should he be regarded as one. His actions were admired by others but spontaneous naive actions do not constitute a hero.
(190). Over the years, more explanations have come up, but there is still no conclusive evidence to show how he actually died. McCandless’ body was found in the abandoned bus by Gordon Samel, an employee at an auto body shop in Anchorage, on September 6, 1992, two and a half weeks after Christopher McCandless passed away. Along with finding McCandless’ body, a couple from Anchorage, Alaska, found a “disquieting note” taped to the door of the bus (12). The note read, “S.O.S. I need your help with this.
As stated above, some critics believe that Chris McCandless was a very admirable person. He was a brave man because he actually went out and followed his dreams instead of leaving them as visions he only saw in his sleep. Most people would never do what McCandless did because it is too risky. He did what he wanted, and did not...
Was he a reckless idiot? That is the big question. This is what people always seem to talk about when they talk about Chris McCandless. There are many people who think that Chris McCandless was a reckless idiot who was mentally ill, or something else was wrong with Chris. It seems that almost everybody that met Chris thought maybe Chris was crazy or had problems. Here are just a few things that people said about Chris and his state of mind. Pg 40 Zarza admits saying, "he was always going on about trees and nature and weird stuff like that. We all thought he was missing a few screws. Pg 42 Charlie said, "seemed like a kid who was looking for something." Pg 45 Burres said "I thought Alex had lost his mind when he told us about his 'great Alaskan odyssey, ' as he called it."
Chris McCandless was still just a young man when he decided to drastically alter his life through the form of a child’s foolishness. However, Chris had not known at the time just how powerful his testimony against his father’s authority, society, or maybe even his own lifestyle was going to be revolutionary throughout not only Alaska,not even the lower 48, but the world. The story of Chris McCandless is a much talked about debate on topics of safety and preparedness in the wild, these things forever associated with the boy who was a little too eager for a death wish. Today, Chris is remember as a fool or a hero. The fool, a boy who allowed himself to be drowned in a fictional world inspired by his readings,dying because he ignored he was just a normal human being or the hero who set out to become something more.
In review McCandless was a man with boyish and romantic ambitions or maybe he was a boy with an intellectual mind stuck in the body of a man, because that theory would certainly exist as plausible in describing his foolish ways. Let us not forget that Chris did have a truly unique idea with good intention and maybe he did accomplish what he set out for, true inner peace with himself and the world around him maybe he did find himself in this whole ordeal. Yes McCandless was a bright soul but, in the end his foolishness or maybe even it was his bravery lead him to his demise, his lonely death in starvation. With all of this said was McCandless brave or was he foolish and stupid, well, for certain he never acted in any stupid way, but he did act in both foolishness and bravery because in many ways it takes quite some foolishness to be brave.
All in all, it is interesting how the trials of life can lead a person into an awakening that inspires millions. Many people believe that walking “into the wild” to live off the land and find himself alone in nature was arrogant, foolish and irresponsible. Chris lacks of knowledge about the wild was a major factor in his death. Chris did not plan how he will survive in the wilderness without proper equipments. He misunderstood that he would have no problem in setting in the wild. Chris immature manner and decisions lead him to starvation and ultimately death. If he planned it out in the beginning he would have saved his life.