Into The Wild: Chris Mccandless

Chris McCandless was someone who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. Because of this, he died sometime in August 1992. McCandless, who graduated college in 1990, spent the better part of two years traveling the country in preparation for his ultimate goal, surviving in the Alaskan Bush. Now, however, he is the main character in Into the Wild, where he merely represents overconfidence and ignorance. Chris McCandless was ignoble because he continuously ignored the advice given from others, and was too overzealous in achieving his goal, leaving him unprepared for the harsh conditions of the Alaskan Bush.

Chris McCandless, like many young people, thought that nothing could stop him. On his journey, he constantly rejected the advice given from

others and seemed excessively brash in his ability to survive the conditions of the Alaskan Interior. When McCandless was receiving a ride from Jim Gallien to his final destination, the Stampede Trail, McCandless took no notice to the warnings and advice given by Gallien. For example, Gallien offered to bring McCandless to Anchorage to buy him better gear, but McCandless denies, “There was just no talking the guy out of it,” (Krakauer 6) Gallien recalls. It is very clear here that McCandless thought that he was very competent on the conditions of the Alaskan Bush because he denies an offer to receive better gear from Gallien, an accomplished hunter. Also, McCandless ignores Gallien’s warnings that, “a twenty-two probably wouldn’t do anything to a grizzly except make him mad,” (Krakauer 6) and McCandless responds by saying “I’ll climb a tree.” (Krakauer 6) McCandless’ stubbornness is exceedingly clear as he ignores Gallien and makes a cheap excuse for his inability to kill the game he would need to survive, it is obvious that McCandless loathed admitting that he was wrong. McCandless’ neglection of Gallien’s offerings and advice, ultimately can be traced to his death and is a clear example of his idiocy and brimming overconfidence.
Chris McCandless wanted to live in Alaska to escape modern day society and follow his dreams of living a secluded, undisturbed life.

His goals are well summarized by Henry David Thoreau, “... to live the life which he has imagined,” and to “meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” These dreams hindered reality for McCandless, as he found himself vulnerable to the conditions of the Alaskan Bush. McCandless had only brought with him: a ten-pound bag of rice, exceedingly minimal gear, cheap leather hiking boots, and a .22 caliber rifle, a strikingly inefficient amount of gear according to almost every accomplished hunter and resident Alaskan. While some could argue that McCandless’ previous two-year long road trip on minimal resources prepared him for the circumstances of the Alaskan Bush, they oversee the fact that the conditions were considerably different than those of the places McCandless previously inhabited. So one could say that McCandless’ under preparedness for the Alaskan Bush could be attributed to his overzealous dreams obstructing reality.

Chris McCandless was dishonorable because he neglected the advice given from others, and because he let his dreams impede his preparation for his Alaska adventure. His ignorance, and his outrageous disrespect for the people he encountered, as well as for the wild, lead to his negligence in packing a sufficient amount of equipment and should deter others from following in his footsteps. Overall, Chris McCandless was ignoble

because he did not consider other people's opinions and because he was underprepared for his expedition, which led to his failure and ultimately his death.