There once was a man who was very self-reliant, confident, and very brave. I believe man should be remembered by all across the world for his courage. This man was a person who died following his dream. Even though he might have been overconfident in self ability it is believed that he died happy because he followed his dream. This man’s name was Chris Mccandless. Chris Mccandless led a pretty simple upper middle class life even though he might have experienced some traumatic experiences when he was younger due to the abuse that happened in his family and getting use to a new family. Chris was also known to be very intelligent and good at many things. Although there can be various explanations as to why Chris Mccandless followed his dangerous …show more content…
ambition to live in the wild I believe it was because some of the literary works he read had truly inspired him and he connected with them.
One of the first things that I noticed which led me to believe that Chris was inspired by literary beliefs and ideas was when in Krauker’s “Into the Wild” novel mentioned how Chris talks about books constantly. Mccandless was also known to read classic literature from Dickens, H.G. Wells, and Mark Twain. It was also known that he was very fond of Jack London since his childhood and he was also his favorite author. Such as on page forty two of the book says “Liked to read books by that Alaskan guy, Jack London.” And also when Chris’s body was found, it was discovered that he was holding books with him. Another reason that I believe Chris McCandless was heavily influenced by the pieces of literature that he read is because some of the literary heroes he read also shared similar ideas to him, Such as the author Ralph Waldo Emerson. In Emerson’s “Exerpt From Nature” line twelve and thirteen state “There I feel that nothing in life can befall me, no disgrace nor calamity.” I believe this is related to McCandless’s thoughts because he always felt at peace with nature and he felt as though nothing could bother him (such …show more content…
as society and authority) while he was there. Another piece I think Chris was inspired by is Jack London’s to build a fire. On page two paragraph two the excerpt reads “He plunged in among the big spruce trees. The trail was faint. A foot of snow had fallen since the last sled passed over, and he was glad he was without a sled, travelling light. In fact, he carried nothing but the lunch wrapped in the handkerchief.” Anyone who has read Into the Wild or knows about Chris’s story can see the similarities here. Firstly it was known that Chris McCandless was a very adventurous man and secondly he loved the wild, so while reading London’s excerpt I knew that when Chris was reading it he found this piece very interesting because when he went into the wilderness (just like the excerpt from London’s article) Chris was packed very lightly and he was in a setting very similar to the excerpt. Even though I believed the pieces of literature that Chris read inspired him, many believed it was for other reasons.
Such as the abuse with his family and the rough time he had with his dad’s marriages led him to go on the journey. And they may back it up even saying that Chris’s family made the same argument, but the reason it wouldn’t make much sense is because there was really no hard evidence that Chris was affected by his family later down the line, sure he was independent and some might even argue narcissistic but there was really no signs that he was affected by his family problems when he was a child because if he was he would’ve wrote about it more and he would have had depression, but that wasn’t the case he was not affected heavily enough by his childhood to do such achieve such a dangerous
adventure. In conclusion I believe Chris McCandless was a great man who was full of adventure, interesting ideas and beliefs, and had a different take on society and how life should be lived, and he should be remembered. And although there were various reasons or speculations as to why others may have thought he took his admirable adventure I believe that the main reason of him taking his journey is because he was heavily inspired by the literature that he read during his lifetime.
Chris refused to confront his mother and father and instead repressed his emotions. Krakauer shows his influence with this comment, “Children can be harsh judges when it comes to their parents, disinclined to grant clemency, and this was especially true in Chris’s case” (Krakauer 122). He makes it very clear that Chris is really just a kid, and therefore, liable to make decisions that are rash or immature. Krakauer makes it clear that he thinks Chris’ opinions on his parents might have changed over time, had he lived. Chris was simply a kid who had been wronged by those who were supposed to protect him. All of Chris’ repressed emotions eventually came to the surface, “Chris kept careful score. And over time he worked himself into a choler of self-righteous indignation that was impossible to keep bottles up” (Krakauer 122). Chris eventually lashed out in the way that lots of children do, he ran away. His options were limited, he could either talk to his parents or a therapist about it or flee. His choice of fleeing shows that he really was working through something. By running away Chris broadcasts his youth and also makes the reader curious as to if he might have come back and worked out his issues eventually. The contradictions in Chris’ severe opinions of those around him show his youth, and inspire’s readers to be more
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
Although it may be true that Chris McCandles was stubborn, people should consider that he had family problems, he loved nature and he also had an adventurous spirit. I believe that the motives that led him to the wild were family problems and emotional damage as well as his love of nature and his adventurous spirit. In Chris’s journal it seemed like he had lived for 113 days in that “magic bus” but in his last days he had written that “death looms” and that he was “too weak to walk out”. There are many evidence that connect with family problems as well as his adventurous spirit. As I go on with this essay I will state my theory on why Chris was led into the wild as well as evidence that support my claim.
As Chris McCandless once said, “I now walk into the wild,” a phrase that not only represents a future with unknown mysteries, but a phrase that finishes the puzzle of his and Martin Luther King, Jr’s life. When looking at a historical or inspirational person, you may notice they operated outside the usual bounds of society to achieve a particular purpose. Such is the case for McCandless and King. Although Chris McCandless and Martin Luther King, Jr both shared a fatal death, these men had many similarities and differences between how they reached success, encountered obstacles, and left an impact towards people's lives. Generally speaking, success isn’t just about what you accomplish in life, it’s how you accomplished it and the impact you leave behind.
Chapter seven of Into the Wild titled “Carthage”, begins with two epigraphs are by Mark Twain and Anthony Storr. Each highlight a piece of Chris’s childhood life and help explain his personality as an adult and why he acts so strangely to close relationships. The first is from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn which is a character with a similar background as Chris coming from a home with an
McCandless began reading Thoreau’s Walden, a book reflecting simple living in natural surroundings. Henry David Thoreau was an American philosopher and poet, among other things, he was largely involved in the advocacy of and the involvement in the transcendentalist movement. Transcendentalism was a major principle that outlined how Chris ultimately lived the rest of his life after he set out on his adventure to live as one among nature. The chapter in which Chris had a particular admiration of was titled ‘Higher Laws’. “I believe that every man who has ever been earnest to preserve his higher or poetic faculties in the best condition has been particularly inclined to abstain from animal food, and from much food of any kind....” (Excerpt from the book ‘Walden’, written by Henry David Thoreau. Into The Wild, pg. 115). The content of this chapter stuck firmly in Chris’ mind and he became very conscious of food. Further developing Chris’ character into that of someone who lives by philosophical morals and
I agree with the author, John Krakauer, in the notion that Chris McCandless was not crazy or an outcast because he was very likable to others and very determined in his fancies, but he did seem to be lacking common sense and was also unprepared for the wild. He made friends very easily and had a very strong effect on people. Wanting to travel and explore did not make him insane, most people love to embark on adventures, but Chris was somewhat incompetent in being prepared. Chris was very likable as others described him, but he also lived by his own rules. Carine, his sister, stated that, “he was very to himself.
Chris McCandless lived a life in which he disgusted by human civilization, and left it, eventually being led to his death in Alaska. McCandless entered the Alaskan wilderness severely unprepared, a brutal error that cost him his life. In the novel, Into the Wild by John Krakauer, Chris glances into his mindset by they way of his journal, history, and analysis of his life reveals that Chris McCandless as an arrogant and judgemental narcissist, while not mentally unstable, had a condescending attitude towards society and perished not only from his reckless stupidity but also from his unparalleled ego. Chris McCandless was immune to love and had an obsession with nature and society, him showing characteristics that created the appearance of McCandless
McCandless used the idea of escaping society from “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau and tried to mesh it together with the ideas of solitude and isolation to form his own beliefs. McCandless misinterpreted what Thoreau was saying. Thoreau states, “I had not lived there a week…It is true, I fear, that others may have fallen into it, and so helped to keep it open.” (Thoreau 3).Thoreau specifically states in this quote that he does not want others to follow or even go do what he did. He also did build the cabin a few miles away from a town because he knew he would go back one day. Thoreau was a sane person in doing this because crazy people stray too far away from society despite the consequences. He believed that he had other things to do with his life and not spending a minute more in that lifestyle. McCandless still went out into the wilderness away from society against Thoreau’s words. Chris was crazy to shun s...
He went through many obstacles that could have proved fatal. From canoeing in the Colorado River to picking the right berries, he was testing his intelligence. Chris had a true confidence in the land and in himself to set out on a mission so dangerous. “Wilderness appealed to those bored or disgusted with man and his works. It not only offered an escape from society but also was an ideal stage for the Romantic individual to exercise the cult that he frequently made of his own soul. The solitude and total freedom of the wilderness created a perfect setting for either melancholy or exaltation” (Nash; Krakauer 157). Chris longed to escape from society and rely on only mother nature. An innumerable amount of people desire to withdraw from society as Chris did; but they are so comfortable and secure with a normal life they do not dare take such a gutsy
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."
...tic things. He sacrificed so much and put himself in danger to follow what he wanted to do. Chris was a smart cookie, and maybe that was what kept him going was the knowledge flooding through his body and the inspiration that reading gave him.
“The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” (Chris McCandless) This was said by McCandless because he could not find happiness from his family so he went out to go find happiness. The book Into the Wild, by John Krakauer, was a book about a person named Chris McCandless, who could not find happiness from his family because they always provided him with all the materials he needed. This caused him to go out for an adventure or to the wild in Alaska. While on his journey, he had read books finding self- definition and so he used the authors from the book as literary heroes to get him past the journey. He was really inspired by the writers. With the inspiration he was set out to find happiness, and so he went into the wild. It is where he spent the rest of his days until he died because of poisoning. Many of his literary heroes inspired him to do what he did, but one stands out the most. Leo Tolstoy, who is considered to be one of the best novelists, Leo really inspired Chris because they had a life that they could relate. He also appreciated him because he had realistic views of the life. Chris McCandless needed inspiration for his adventure, so he looked up to the literary heroes as his guidance to the wild.
Throughout the novel, Krakauer formulates strategies in his writing through the employment of logos, the appeal to reason. He utilizes this to allow the reader to learn about Chris’s personality throughout his life. “Nuance, strategy, and anything beyond the rudimentaries of technique were wasted on Chris. The only way he cared to tackle a challenge was head-on, right now, applying the full brunt of his extraordinary energy” (111). Chris was a person who would do things first, ask questions later in a sense. His compulsive behavior is accounted for when he decided to take on the adventure to Alaska. Moreover, it also led up to possible parallels between Krakauer himself and Chris within the second half of the novel. “When I decided to go to
Chris McCandless took great inspiration from various authors, whom he admired, on his journey. One of which was Leo Tolstoy, a Russian writer who lived during the nineteenth century. There are many similarities between Tolstoy and Chris, which can explain why Chris was so inspired by him. Tolstoy and Chris both came from well-off families, but traumatic home life led them both to rebelling from their families and pursuing a love for nature. Chris’ selection from Tolstoy’s Family Happiness, sets the scene for Chris’ journey and demonstrates a contrast between Chris’ past and his present.