Many people seek freedom and adventure in nature to free themselves from their problems and the daily routines of their lives. Nature, adventure, and danger helps people feel relieved in a way. All around the world, people strive to find that one thing that will take their minds away from their problems even if it is just for short amount of time. From surfing to skydiving, people around the globe seek that one activity that will have them focusing on anything but their problems or that will give them a new point of view of the world. One popular activity of these is mountain climbing. This can be a normal physical activity to one person, an activity with high levels of fear and anxiety to others, and to others it's an adventure to free themselves …show more content…
from stress and problems away from society. Some mountain climbers might be have a relationship between mountain climbing and psychological distress. The relationship between mounting climbing or any other activity in nature and psychological distress is an issue that has been mentioned to be involved with characters from the novel Into The Wild and its effects have been examined by scientists; the individuals who have experienced this relationship show a sense of accomplishment, confidence, a more positive attitude, and alleviation from their psychological distress. To start with, some of the individuals who have been mentioned in the novel Into The Wild seem to have had a conflict with someone or something and the psychological problems that came with that made them take comfort in nature.
Their drive to go out in the wild and climb a mountain depends on their level of psychological distress the person, their situation and their position of view on the problem. Admittedly , this may not apply to all characters in the book, nor to any person who has mountain climbed or done any similar activity. But there are people who do have the connection with psychological distress, some stronger than others. Christopher McCandless, from the novel Into The Wild, is a perfect example of how some have a stronger connection and a different outlook than others. As Carine points out, “‘Even when we were little,’ says Carine, who was born three years after Chris, ‘he was very to himself. He wasn’t antisocial—he always had friends, and everybody liked him—but he could go off and entertain himself for hours… He could be alone without being lonely’” (Krakauer, 107). Chris seem to be the kind of person at first, when people learn of his situation and all his problems, they will most likely say that he definitely run from home towards the wild and became a person with psychological disorders because of all the things that he went through in his life. But the opposite can be expected, as it is shown throughout the book that he isn’t a depressed person who …show more content…
walks around feeling sorry for himself. To conclude, he was not mentally damaged and his problems did not turn him into a psychologically distressed person. Furthermore, the problems that he faced throughout his life did have a major impact in his thinking and the decisions that led him to Alaska.
One of the biggest problems that influenced some of his decisions was the conflict that went on with his parents. He sent many letters to his sister Carine addressing his rage toward his parents, but he doesn't seem to blame them for all of his actions. The relationship between him and his father and mother seems to the one subject that defined some of his motives for going out into the wilderness. As stated by Chris in a letter to Carine, “Since they won’t take me seriously… I’m going to make let them think that I’m ‘coming around to see their side of things’ and that our relationship is stabilizing. And then… I’m going to completely knock them out of my life…” (McCandless, Letter to Carine; Krakauer, 64). He seems to have some hatred towards them but his reasoning doesn’t all particularly go towards that hatred. He is a person with an intellectual way of reasoning. And as previously stated, his psychological reasoning for doing the things he did don’t just come from the influence of his
problems. Secondly, there is also the concept that the decision to go out on an odyssey in the wilderness is influenced by persons or books that individuals read and research. The authors that stands out within the book are Thoreau, Nietzsche, John Menlove Edwards, and Kerouac. Both McCandless and Krakauer were influence by some of these authors, so authors must give way to this link between their journeys, the readers, and the psychological influence. As Krakauer states, “My reasoning, if one can call it that, was inflamed by the scattershot passion of youth and a literary diet overly rich in works of Nietzsche, Kerouac, and John Menlove Edwards… he climbed not for sport but to find refuge from the inner torment that framed his existence” (Krakauer, 135). He serves as a perfect example that the authors are also part of the influence given to these individuals and that from reading the books they become somewhat psychologically affected. Therefore, their way of thinking changes according to what they read and if these are authors psychologically distressed; there might be the chance that the readers will take their way of thinking as accountable, making it seem that they are psychologically distressed themselves. Also, another reason for deciding to go out into an adventure was that individuals may feel captivated by nature. Krakauer is also one of these individuals that, like McCandless, they felt that nature had some time of charm to them and that this journey was something that would reward them in the end. In the novel we can read about Krakauer’s thoughts before climbing the Devils Thumb and there states, “If something captured my undisciplined imagination, I pursued it with a zeal bordering on obsession… that something was mountain climbing” (Krakauer, 134). In his mind, he must have felt allured by mountain climbing and he must have felt the need to accomplish this task to feel stronger and more confident. And this could be the reason as to why he felt so obsessed with climbing the Devils Thumb. In brief, individuals sometimes are compelled into these actions just by the allure and influence that nature has on them. Thirdly, in the novel by Krakauer there are also others who have some issues that might are involved with the reasons for their departure from society. Somewhat similar to McCandless’s situation, John Waterman also had some family issues that might have influenced his decision to go out on his own expedition. As mentioned by a friend of John, “His parents, Guy and Emily Waterman, divorced when he was a teen, and Guy, according to a source close to the family, ‘essentially abandoned his sons following the divorce. He would have nothing more to do with the boys, and it crippled John badly…’” (Krakauer, 76). With this, one can infer that any decision would be influenced by the pain that he was going through and he must have decided that going on an expedition would be a great way to forget all of his problems for some time. Unquestionably, it appears that like McCandless, John also is swayed by his problems. Lastly, some research has shown how mountain climbing affects the climbers minds and with this it can be concluded that the activity gives climbers aide to alleviate their problems. The research is based on the altitude and the effects of it on climbers. The research is trying to prove how the climbers minds work at different elevations and at different circumstances. As stated in the article “Psychological and Psychophysiological Effects of a High-Mountain Expedition to Tibet”, “In the reported Cho Oyu Expedition, the results relating to anxiety, showed that most of the subjects had the highest anxiety scores before the onset of the expedition” (Stück, 18). The climbers experience relaxation and anxiety relief with the continuation of the journey as they have no time to think about their problems and are instead fascinated by their surroundings. Therefore, the climbers achieve to reach a lower level of anxiety and this explains why people decide to go out activities that alleviates them from their worries. All in all, there are many people who seek to activities that take people to a level of comfort and that assist many with their personal issues. Some activities are linked to psychological distress within climbers, these issue has been mentioned in novels and it has been researched to find if climbers use this activity to accomplish a certain level of relaxation and how the mind is affected by this activity. Also, the reason as to why these people chose to undertake this expeditions might not always all come to this link with psychological distress but only because they seek the thrill and danger of nature. In other words, it is up to the person's decision and psychological status to determine their particular reasons for going out in an odyssey.
Chris McCandless, the young man that Jon Krakauer writes about in Into The Wild, made the decision to drop everything and walk out of civilization. That is one of the big question here, was Chris a reckless idiot For dropping everything and only relying on what nature offered. This is what a lot of people 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. “Zarza admits saying, "he was always going on about trees and nature and
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
In the novel Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer can be described as an adventure to the end. One example of how Chris was a thrill seeker by being adventurous through the world is when he went out on his own to Alaska. This character can also be described as arrogant , especially when he wouldn’t let anyone help him. Finally, this character can also be considered courageous when he wants to go out and live his life to the fullest how he wants. In the biggest decisions in people's lives they have to think about it before acting or they will never succeed, not everyone can do it on their own and need at least some
Throughout Into the Wild, Krakauer portrays Christopher McCandless as an infallibly eager young man hoping to distance himself from the society he so obviously loathes, to "live off the land," entirely independent of a world which has "conditioned [itself] to a life of security." Chris, contrarily to this depiction, is disparagingly viewed by some as a "reckless idiot" who lacked the sense he needed to survive in the Alaskan wilderness. This derogatory assessment of Chris's mindset is representative of the society he hopes to escape and contains all the ignorance that causes him to feel this way. Nevertheless, he is misjudged by these critics, allowing Krakauer to hold the more accurate interpretation of Chris's character, his goals, and his accomplishments.
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.
In the book Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer wrote about Christopher McCandless, a nature lover in search for independence, in a mysterious and hopeful experience. Even though Krakauer tells us McCandless was going to die from the beginning, he still gave him a chance for survival. As a reader I wanted McCandless to survive. In Into the Wild, Krakauer gave McCandless a unique perspective. He was a smart and unique person that wanted to be completely free from society. Krakauer included comments from people that said McCandless was crazy, and his death was his own mistake. However, Krakauer is able to make him seem like a brave person. The connections between other hikers and himself helped in the explanation of McCandless’s rational actions. Krakauer is able to make McCandless look like a normal person, but unique from this generation. In order for Krakauer to make Christopher McCandless not look like a crazy person, but a special person, I will analyze the persuading style that Krakauer used in Into the Wild that made us believe McCandless was a regular young adult.
According to others, Chris McCandless was inherently selfish. Please, let’s beg to differ, for goodness sake, he was a grown man! It was his life and he was living it the way he wanted to. Chris gave his sister fair warning. He bid to her, “Since they won’t ever take me seriously, for a few months after graduation I’m going to let them think they are right, I’m going to let them think that I’m “coming around to see their sides of things” and that our relationship is stabilizing. And then, once the time is right, with one abrupt, swift action I’m going to completely knock them out of my life...” (Krakauer 64) He knew what he had to do. He had to show his parents how they had made him feel his whole life. As a graduation present they offered him a new car, his old Datsun apparently was to their standards. Chris became infuriated. That was his pride and joy, how dare them try and take that away! They ignored what he was saying, as he did many times before, he o...
... every aspect of his life whether it be his education, physical endurance, or making it through the Alaskan wilderness with nothing more than a rifle, a backpack, and a road map. Chris was aware of his differences and that he did not fit into society. He fully embraced that and and chose to lead his own path. Chris led a happy life according to one of his last journal entries he wrote, “I have had a happy life and thank the lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!” (Krakauer 199). Chris was willing to risk everything to gain that happiness. His ambition to enter the wilderness, in the end, took his life but that did not stop him. He would have rather died a happy man than lived a miserable one. Chris ventured out into the wilderness and found himself; a tragic story for a tragic hero.
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
According to what McCandless was trying to say, “It is easy, when you are young, to believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough, it is your God-given right to have it” (Krakauer 155). Similarly, Krakauer stated that, “When I decided to go to Alaska that April, like Chris McCandless, I was a raw youth who mistook passion for an insight and acted according to an obscure, gap-ridden logic” (155). He presumed that if he climbed the Devils Thumb, then it would fix everything that was wrong with his life. Krakauer said that, “In the end, of course, it changed almost nothing. But I came to appreciate that mountains make poor receptacles for dreams. And I lived to tell my tale” (155). However, McCandless did not come to that realization and unfortunately did not live to tell his
Through journal entries, highlighted passages, stories of people’s encounters, and personal experiences, author Jon Krakauer attempts to reconstruct the life of a young transcendentalist man named Chris Johnson McCandless in the biographical novel Into the Wild. McCandless was a 24-year-old young man who completely severed his connection to the world, his family, and all of his tangible possessions in hope to survive off the land in Alaska. In the two years that led to his Alaskan Odyssey McCandless created a new life for himself and lived by the name Alexander Supertramp, in hope to leave his old life behind. Krakauer starts his novel “Into the Wild” by bluntly revealing to the audience that he had only survived 113 days and his remains were found two weeks after preceding his death. Rather than focusing on McCandless death, Krakauer focused on his life. Although Krakauer is biased, he proves to be a credible biographer and proves the assertions he made in his authors note.
As evidenced by Into the Wild, Krakauer admires Chris for his ideals and attempt to live off the land. Krakauer makes it clear that Chris wasn’t mentally ill or narcissistic, but instead courageous. In fact, he praises Chris for choosing a life outside the confines of society. Krakauer flat out states, “...[Chris] wasn’t quite as reckless or incompetent as he has been made out to be” (Krakauer 194). No matter the mistake that others hold Chris accountable for making, he offers a rebuttal in support of McCandless. Even though it’s a known fact that when Chris walked into the wilderness he was ill prepared in the sense of lacking necessary provisions such as a map and large caliber rifle, Krakauer asserts, “It is hardly unusual for a young
Sometimes a character may be pushed over the edge by our materialistic society to discover his/her true roots, which can only be found by going back to nature where monetary status was not important. Chris McCandless leaves all his possessions and begins a trek across the Western United States, which eventually brings him to the place of his demise-Alaska. Jon Krakauer makes you feel like you are with Chris on his journey and uses exerts from various authors such as Thoreau, London, and Tolstoy, as well as flashbacks and narrative pace and even is able to parallel the adventures of Chris to his own life as a young man in his novel Into the Wild. Krakauer educates himself of McCandless’ story by talking to the people that knew Chris the best. These people were not only his family but the people he met on the roads of his travels- they are the ones who became his road family.
In Source #1 it states, “the human spirit is a questing force, determined to conquer heights, depths, and remote unknowns. To deny this outlet―even to the few who are ready and willing to avail themselves of it―would be a cruel restraint,” (Source #1). Restraining others from seeking adventure is a distressing feeling that might cause trauma to those that enjoy the adrenaline rush But even though the climb inflicts a strenuous test of resources, planning ability, and a mental and physical