How Did Chris Mccandless Get Into The Wild

The Lost and Confused Christopher McCandless

Christopher McCandless, a born hypocrite, was seeking the wilderness’ wild and

untamed freedom to find his true potential. Chris was born in a middle class and loving family.

He had amazing talent and was very bright. His family thought he would have an amazing future,

even when he was a teenager. Yet, Chris abandoned his family and his social life to walk into the

wilderness. Chris searched for a life without the stress of money or government laws. When

Chris went into the wild, he didn’t seem to grasp the freedom or the beauty he was searching for.

McCandless didn’t fit into the society or the wilderness by the way his personality always

contrasted itself, meaning that Chris’s erratic personality

ultimately lead to his tragic death.
McCandless’s personality first started to contract when he was a teenager. “Only once did
he receive a grade lower that B: an F, in high school physics… lab reports had to be written in a
particular format to grading them a manageable proposition. Chris thought it was a stupid rule
and decided to ignore it” (p. 104). Chris is an idealistic, bright kid with a lot of potential. Yet, he
couldn’t follow this one simple task because he thought it was a stupid rule. He spent all the time
doing the lab reports and turning them in, but his pride wouldn't allow five extra minutes to do
the reports in the correct format. “Chris had so much natural talent… but if you tried to coach
him, to polish his skill, to bring out that final ten percent, a wall went up” (p. 111). Chris had
motivation and talent for everything. But, when someone tried to help, he would become
stubborn. He was so prideful with his natural talent that he wouldn’t listen to anybody but his
intuition. “Chris didn’t understand how people could possibly be allowed to go hungry” (p.
113). Chris would spend his teenage years driving to the poorest area and would pass out food to
the homeless. Chris was a Republican, yet most of his social issues are the main social issues that
the Democrats are trying to fix within this country; for example, Chris would complain about
racism, world hunger, and the inequalities of the distribution of wealth in America. McCandless
was a bright , idealistic kid, however, he was also stubborn, selfish, and would express his
opposing party topics.
Even Chris's journey would show how broken his personality is. “London fervent
condemnation of capitalist society, his glorification of the primordial world, his championing of
the great unwashedall
if it mirrored McCandless’s passions… McCandless conveniently
overlooked the fact that London himself had spent just a single winter in the North and that he’d
died by his own hand on his California estate at the age of forty, a fatuous drunk, obese and
pathetic, maintaining a sedentary existence that bore scant resemblance to the ideas he espoused
in print” (p.44) Jack London was a hypocrite; his writings were just works of fictions. Chris
idolized that hypocritical liar and went searching for the ‘truths’ that even Jack London couldn’t
find.

“McCandless gave his parents’ Annandale address when the arresting officer demanded to

know his permanent place or residence” (p.31). McCandless believed that money and the

government was a corrupt, greedy pig commanding people to obey the rules of society. Yet, he

went against those beliefs and submitted to the officer. “The entries in McCandless’s journal

contain few abstractions about wilderness or, for that matter, few ruminations of any kind”

(p.139). Chris, was seeking the wild freedom, yet when he got there, it seemed to have hardly

phased him. He was mostly recording what he ate or what animal he killed. There was barely

anything about the beauty of Alaska. McCandless spent his whole life imagining there were

more offered in the wilderness; however, once he arrived he wouldn’t live the way he wanted to

truly wanted.

Chris’s personality affected everyone around him: his parents, friends, and even

himself. Walt McCandless said, “How is it that a kid with so much compassion could cause his

parents so much pain?” (p.104). Chris had a wonderful family, however he abandoned them

when all they ever wanted to do was to help him. They, Walt, Billie, and Carine, only wanted

Chris to be happy and wished him the best. Chris wrote in a letter to Ronald Franz, “You

are
wrong if you think that Joy emanates only or principally from human relationships… My point is
that you do not need me or anyone else around to bring this kind of light in your life” (p. 57).
Franz finished the letter and drastically changed his life; all because of Chris. Chris thought that
joy comes from everything around him; for example, the outdoors, living on his own, and
wandering freely without restrictions. However, before Chris died he realized the truth,
“Happiness only real when shared” (p.189). Happiness is not found in material things or the
outdoors. Happiness is bringing joy to one’s friends and family, having fun with people, and
growing up surrounded by loved ones. Chris searched for happiness when he had it all around
him but he never realized it.
Chris, was a lost soul. He went out looking for the truth and pleasure in nature's
beauty, yet he never grasped the blissful people that surrounded him; Jan Burrus, Mr.
Westerberg, Ronald Franz, Chris’s parents, and Cairine all loved Chris. People make mistakes
but Chris would be stubborn and wouldn’t forgive them. He, once, was a child filled with
wonder and hope, although, when he grew up he lost that hope and turned against society. Chris
didn’t fit in society or the wilderness; his pride overtook everything he did. He thought he was
smarter and wiser than everyone in high school and college. In the wilderness, he believed he
was prepared for anything that came in his way. In the end, Chris realized that people aren't the
criminals, people bring exilation and great pleasure to one’s life.