Chris Mccandless In Jon Krakauer's 'Into The Wild'

Chapters 1-3
In the beginning, we learn that Chris McCandless is not like anyone else. Chris planned to “live off the land for a few months” (Krakauer 4). My initial thought was that Chris planned to die at his destination, after exploring the beauty of the area. I say this because Chris brought a minimum supply of food and gear for a great adventure. The author, Jon Kraukauer, ended the first chapter with Jim Gallien, a friend of Chris, saying, “I figured he'd be OK…I thought he'd probably get hungry pretty quick and just walk out to the highway. That's what any normal person would do" (Krakauer 7). By ending the chapter with this quote, Kraukauer gave me an ominous feeling because we know that Chris is not just any ordinary or normal person;

he is extraordinary and different. I was shocked and overwhelmed that Chris’s death was incorporated into the story by the second chapter. As a result, Kraukauer was able to capture my attention. This made me wonder how such a horrible fate occurred to Chris. The story fluctuates from Chris’s journey, to his past, and then to the aftermath of his tragic death. Chris was a smart individual, graduating with high honors from Emory University. Instead of furthering his education, he donated the money from his college fund to charity, so that he could focus on his journey to Alaska. Chris was against materialistic items. This is shown when his parent offered to buy him a new car, but Chris was adamant in keeping his beloved 1982 Datsun B210. “I've told them a million times that I have the best car in the world, a car that has spanned the continent from Miami to Alaska, a car that has in all those thousands of miles not given me a single problem, a car that I will never trade in, a car that I am very strongly attached to—yet they ignore what I say and think I'd actually accept a new car from them!” (Krakauer 21). The car is a symbol of materialism which Chris believes is a corruption to society. Chris had a rocky relationship with his parents, which is why I believe he changed his name to Alexander “Alex” Supertramp. Chris left his family without giving them a proper goodbye or keeping them updated on his whereabouts, leaving Walt and Billie McCandless both worried and sick. None of that mattered because Chris was long gone, for he is the “master of his own destiny” (Krakauer 23).

Chapters 4-6
Chris would not let anything stand in his way to prevent him from accomplishing his dreams. This is shown he was unwilling to let his car ruin his journey. After he could not get the car to work, he decided to leave it. This action displays many meanings. One meaning is that Chris freeing himself from the materialistic world. Chris saw this as “an opportunity to shed unnecessary baggage” (Krakauer 29). Anything materialistic, Chris viewed as unnecessary. Another meaning is that Chris is officially letting go a reminder of his former life. On one hand I was shocked since Chris’s car is valuable and it is hard to live without it. On the other hand, I was impressed because Chris was deeply attached to his car, yet he manages to leave it to pursue his simple lifestyle. Chris continues to keep in touch with people who kindly helped him to show his gratitude toward them. This shows that Chris has established an authentic friendship with people who were once strangers. Starvation and the length of the journey has affected Chris physically, leaving him weak. “Over 25 pounds lost. But his spirit is soaring,” (Krakauer 37). This shows that Chris was excited and more importantly, determined to accomplish his goal. I felt comforted when Chris got a job at McDonald’s because that let me know that he was safe for a time being. Even Kraukauer felt the same way. I noticed the optimism in Krakauer’s tone. Unfortunately, Chris ended up quitting his job because his coworkers would shower him soap and other hygienic materials. I feel that Chris would have been able to live longer if his coworkers did not embarrass and irritate him. Chris could have worked longer, perhaps long enough for the couple to read his S.O.S. and come to his aid. Chris was infatuated with Jack London and his writings, which lead him to disregard London’s inappropriate lifestyle and his tragic fate. Throughout all of this, Krakauer was able to vividly describe Chris’s story by using the literary tool of imagery. “…he arranged all his paper currency in a pile on the sand—a pathetic little stack of ones and fives and twenties—and put a match to it. One hundred twenty-three dollars in legal tender was promptly reduced to ash and smoke” (Krakauer 29). The usage of imagery appeals to the reader’s senses as if they were in Chris’s shoes. Chris was seen as an inspirational figure as he was able to persuade eighty-one-year-old Ron Franz that it is never too late to start an adventure. Although Chris’s adventure was dangerous, he was able to illustrate that one must live life to his or her fullest.
Chapters 7-9
At this point, we learn that Chris is under the employment of his friend, Wayne Westerberg. Krakauer utilizes the opportunity to provide the reader with flashbacks as soon as he describes Chris’s friendship with Wayne Westerberg’s girlfriend, Gail Borah. Chris feels as though Gail is trustworthy enough, so he confides in her. We learn that Chris was not able to get along with his parents, especially his father, Walt McCandless. “Both father and son were stubborn and high-strung. Given Walt's need to exert control and Chris's extravagantly independent nature, polarization was inevitable” (Krakauer 64). As a reader, I understand that Walt is just trying to do his job so he must have some control over his kids and protect them, just like any other parent. However, Chris is no ordinary child. Chris wanted to be free and the closer he became with them, the more he loathed them. Abandoning his family, specifically his sister who he deeply loved, was a selfish move on Chris’s part. However, Walt should have been more lenient because strict parents cause their kids to be rebellious. Krakauer uses irony when he talks about Chris “punishing” his parents by ceasing all contact with them. However, it is Chris who gets punished. I could not help feeling sorrowful when Westerberg casually talks about times where Chris mentioned about having a family. It made me sad, knowing that he never had that opportunity. Though Chris’s parents pretty bad opinion of him, others had a different opinion of him. Wayne’s mother, Mary Westerberg, wanted to meet Chris because he was unique with his sweet personality. If Chris was nice to others, then he should have made an attempt to rekindle his relationship with the closest people to him, his family. Krakauer compares Chris to John Waterman, a mountain climber, who, like Chris, did not have the best relationship with his father. Chris was also compared to Everett Ruess, who, like Chris, had the tendency to change his name. Krakauer’s tone is formal. Unfortunately, like McCandless, both Waterman and Ruess had their lives ended by the harsh nature.

Chapters 11 & 12
Chris’s decision to leave his family was very selfish, and as a result, his family has to come to terms with Chris’s fate.

"How is it," he [Walt] wonders aloud as he gazes blankly across Chesapeake Bay, "that a kid with so much compassion could cause his parents so much pain?” (Krakauer 104). The worst part is that Walt and Billie never got the chance to reconcile with their son. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been for the McCandless family to move on. Regardless, they must find a way to cope with Chris’s death. Otherwise, they will not be able to survive. Krakauer adopts a more serious but pitiful tone as he talks about Chris’s childhood. Sadly, Chris’s childhood was not easy. Walt and Billie were always working. “In addition to the financial strain of exchanging a steady paycheck for the vagaries of self-employment, Walt's separation from his first wife left him with two families to support” (Krakauer 107). The fact that Chris was able to get along with at least two of his family members reassures the readers that Chris’s early years were somewhat enjoyable. These two people were Billie’s father, Loren Johnson, and Carnie McCandless. Loren was just as stubborn and dreamy as Chris, causing Chris to adore his grandfather. Carine and Chris were always close. “They'd been best friends from an early age, spending hours together building forts out of cushions and blankets in their Annandale living room” (Krakauer 110). Carine understood Chris the best because she also had to endure a tough childhood. Walt took Chris to his first overnight backpacking trip when he was eight years old. Chris was able to make the summit. In doing so, I believe that this is what made Chris feel that he can accomplish anything, as long as he sets his mind to it. At this point, Krakauer’s tone sounds admirable of Chris. This tone continues when Krakauer talks about Chris’s talents in running. Chris was also understanding and accepting. It did not matter to him that one of his

closest friends was black; he liked her for her true colors. He also demonstrated his kindness when he wanted to help the homeless and others less fortunate than him. There was a note of optimism in the tone of the passage when Krakauer talked about how one time Walt and Chris were able to set aside their differences and be accepting of one another. Chris was also enjoying college, something he was against earlier. But that happiness ended. Chris began to distance himself from his parents once again, after he found out that he was born from his parents’ affair while Walt was still with his first wife, Marcia. Though he was angry at his parents, he was still with them. Little did Walt, Billie, and Carine know that it would be only a matter of time before Chris would leave them forever.
Chapters 14 & 15 Krakauer states that Chris’s death was not intentional, but it was an accident. Krakauer comes to this conclusion based on his personal life. In these chapters, we discover that Jon Krakauer is not unlike Chris McCandless. Like McCandless, Krakauer was also dreamy and adventurous. “If something captured my undisciplined imagination, I pursued it with a zeal bordering on obsession, and from the age of seventeen until my late twenties that something was mountain climbing” (GGGJDHFDFJ). At the age of twenty-three, Krakauer quit his job, like Chris, and made the decision to embark on a journey of a lifetime; he planned to climb the Devil’s Thumb. This risky adventure involved getting through steep and rugged with extreme harsh conditions. Krakauer uses a great deal of imagery when he describes the harshness of climbing the mountain. “Unlike Chris, Krakauer was prepared. At a point when all hope was thought to be lost, a plane came and dropped supplies for Krakauer. Prior to the journey, Krakauer paid to have a plane drop six cardboard cartons of supplies since Krakauer could not carry them by himself while climbing. At times. Krakauer was on the verge of giving up, but his determination and desire to prove himself won him over. Krakauer had finally reached the summit of the Devil’s Thumb. Krakauer conquered Devil’s Thumb, a feat that is very hard to achieve. “The climb was over. The only place to go was down” (fgdfjgdfgjjdgkjdgkdjfgkjfgkdjgjdf). I was thrilled that Krakauer was able to accomplish and survive his goal.