The Character of Chris McCandless in Jon Krakauer’s, Into the Wild

1061 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essays written on christopher mccandless

The appeal of being a coward is the opposite of being an adventurous, free-spirited young man; both behaviors contradict each other. Nevertheless, an individual with both characteristics can be identified in Jon Krakauer’s, Into the Wild. Christopher McCandless has a sublime life, until he decides to abandon his standard of living and isolate himself in order to endure a risky life-taking adventure. One may consider McCandless as an adventurer for challenging himself and living off the land, but still others consider him to be a coward for turning his back on his problems. McCandless’ actions cannot be characterized to one specific behavior, due to the fact that throughout his journey he is a well-rounded character.

The relationship between a father and a son is a very important bond that is used to define an individual’s actions; due to an unwavering relationship with his father, personal conflicts will be encountered later in life. In McCandless’ situation, the relationship between himself and his father is not very idealistic, which leads McCandless to isolate himself from the rest of his family. This isolationist behavior is seen when McCandless states, “Once the time is right, with one abrupt, swift action I’m going to completely knock them out of my life. I’m going to divorce them as my parents once and for all and never speak to either of those idiots again as long as I live.” (64) Even though he has a good relationship with his sister, he feels as if he is not a part of the McCandless family. His parents provide him with all they can provide, but McCandless cares little for shallow and materialistic showings of affection. He is appreciative, but not a materialistic person. He feels as if his parents are trying to buy his...

... middle of paper ...

...e. McCandless situation is ironic due to the fact that although he is conservative and tries not to take advantage of nature, nature takes advantage of him and takes his life away.

A young man who is cowardly adventurous and free-spirited, such as McCandless, may have an incomprehensive effect on outsiders. Many individuals have diverse contemplations on his lifestyle and behavioral actions. McCandless may be a simple person; however he is a complex thinker. Although he does not plan ahead, he’s always ready to take on any challenge that he must overcome. Unquestionably, being a coward is the opposite of being an adventurous, free-spirited young man, appallingly, McCandless falls under both behavioral characterizations, making him a well-rounded character.

Works Cited

Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. Anchor Books ed. Villard, NY: Random House, 1997. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Comparing Chris McCandless, Jon Krakauer and Everett Ruess

    1082 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many individuals decide to live their life in solitary; though, only a few choose to live in the wild. The book, Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer vividly paints the adventurous trek Chris McCandless went on. From the friends he made, to the hardships he went through, McCandless is portrayed as a friendly, sociable person despite the fact that he was a vagabond. Other than McCandless, there are even more individuals that have taken the risks to live in the wilderness such as, Jon Krakauer and Everett Ruess. All three of them had both similarities and differences between their own qualities as a person and their journey.

    Read More

  • Christopher McCandless: An Admirable Man

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...elligence to help him last an extended period of time in the Alaskan wilderness. In truth, McCandless was someone who wanted to find himself. He wanted to get away from a life in which he could not find fulfilment, which is something many others would be able to relate to. Although most people would not go to such extremes to find fulfilment, everyone has a different way of finding happiness and going after what their heart truly desires. For McCandless, his desire was to live out in the wild. Unfortunately, this man of great character did not succeed in getting out alive. However, that does not change the fact that he tried. McCandless knew what he wanted for himself and he persisted, regardless of the obstacles he faced. He put an incredible amount of effort into accomplishing his goals and never gave up, and that is why Christopher McCandless is someone to admire.

    Read More

  • Into the Wild: Chris McCandless- Couragous and Noble Idealist

    1373 Words  | 3 Pages

    McCandless was not the 'sit down and take it in stride' kind of person. If he saw something wrong, something he did not agree with, he would try to fix it, or help in any way that he could. He was inherently compassionate, a man of his principles; owned by the rules that he governed himself with. It is apparent that he had always been an idealistic dreamer, and had always believed himself capable of much, because as his friend shared: “He'd say 'Come on,...

    Read More

  • Courga in Colin McDougall´s The Firing Squad and George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    A characters courage is not measured by how an action will be accepted by others, but by how their actions stay true to themselves even in the face of a pressured surrounding. Colin McDougall’s The Firing Squad a story about a young soldiers attempt at redemption and George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant an essay about Orwell’s days in a British colony where he was called to handle the situation with an aggressive elephant are two pieces of literature that demonstrate the effects of courage. Courage takes many forms and in these two great pieces of literature it can be measured by looking at the characters and how they use courage and lack of courage as a driving factor in different ways throughout their story’s.

    Read More

  • Use of Literary Techniques in Into The Wild, by John Krakauer

    1067 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the most important literary devices Jon Krakauer use in his novel is irony. By using this device, he depicts the breathtaking and heart-wrenching story of Christopher McCandless. On the first page of the authors note, Krakauer gives a synopsis of his novel. He writes, “In April 1992, a young man from a well-to-do East Coast family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. Four months later his decomposed body was found by a party of moose hunters” (Krakauer, ANI). However, McCandless himself is unaware that the fate of his excursion will prove to be abominable. He believes that his own physical competence and superior intellect will guarantee his survival in the Alaskan taiga. The fact that the reader knows Chris is dead within the first few sentences of the book but the character is portrayed as believing he is going to live is an example of situational irony. . This gripping introduction entrances the reader adding ...

    Read More

  • Chris McCandless is NOT a Hero

    1228 Words  | 3 Pages

    Into the Wild, written by John Krakauer tells of a young man named Chris McCandless who 1deserted his college degree and all his worldly possessions in favor of a primitive transient life in the wilderness. Krakauer first told the story of Chris in an article in Outside Magazine, but went on to write a thorough book, which encompasses his life in the hopes to explain what caused him to venture off alone into the wild. McCandless’ story soon became a national phenomenon, and had many people questioning why a “young man from a well-to-do East Coast family [would] hitchhike to Alaska” (Krakauer i). Chris comes from an affluent household and has parents that strived to create a desirable life for him and his sister. As Chris grows up, he becomes more and more disturbed by society’s ideals and the control they have on everyday life. He made a point of spiting his parents and the lifestyle they lived. This sense of unhappiness continues to build until after Chris has graduated college and decided to leave everything behind for the Alaskan wilderness. Knowing very little about how to survive in the wild, Chris ventures off on his adventure in a state of naïveté. It is obvious that he possessed monumental potential that was wasted on romanticized ideals and a lack of wisdom. Christopher McCandless is a unique and talented young man, but his selfish and ultimately complacent attitude towards life and his successes led to his demise.

    Read More

  • Chris McCandless Was a Fool

    617 Words  | 2 Pages

    Chris McCandless, a young man with a self reliant, entrepreneurial spirit, was born in El Segundo, California, moved at age 8 with his parents across country to Virginia, and then later learned at 18 years of age of his father’s first family and six other half siblings. He discovered his father was raising another family at the same time, unknown to anyone, and cuts off any communication with his parents. Chris McCandless’ attitude of self reliance turned out to be his undoing. In fact most of his life he seems to show arrogance and examples of “winging it”, creating a domino effect resulting in his death - simply from not wanting to be advised. He was book smart, but chose not to take good advice, chose not to listen to others.

    Read More

  • Christopher McCandless' Misunderstanding of Transcendentalism

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    Christopher Johnson McCandless was not justified for shunning society and social norms in favor of individualism. McCandless misinterpreted “Walden”, was crazy to shun society, misunderstood “Self Reliance”, and committed actions that contradicted themselves. McCandless was misguided, insane, and had no idea what he was trying to accomplish because he got two simple things like solitude and isolation mixed up.

    Read More

  • Into the Wild: Chris McCandless is a Tragic Hero

    1654 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...fe for oneself. McCandless primary tragic flaw being his unwillingness to form long-term relations brought him both to the happiest moment of his life, but also to his demise. McCandless never had a problem with people, but rather with the status quo of society, the idea that a man or a woman has to live inside of a coordinate plane. McCandless left home and went on his adventure simply for his own well being, he achieved both what he wanted to accomplish while learning a valuable lesson along the way. He learned that happiness must be shared, and while everyone has his or her flaws, it is important to let these go. Christopher McCandless should teach people the importance of following your dreams, and the importance of enjoying the natural serenity of life.

    Read More

  • Chris McCandless: A True Hero

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    Chris McCandless was still just a young man when he decided to drastically alter his life through the form of a child’s foolishness. However, Chris had not known at the time just how powerful his testimony against his father’s authority, society, or maybe even his own lifestyle was going to be revolutionary throughout not only Alaska,not even the lower 48, but the world. The story of Chris McCandless is a much talked about debate on topics of safety and preparedness in the wild, these things forever associated with the boy who was a little too eager for a death wish. Today, Chris is remember as a fool or a hero. The fool, a boy who allowed himself to be drowned in a fictional world inspired by his readings,dying because he ignored he was just a normal human being or the hero who set out to become something more.

    Read More

  • Theme and Setting of Into The Wild, by Jon Krakauer

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Into The Wild” by John Krakauer is a non-fiction biographical novel which is based on the life of a young man, Christopher McCandless. Many readers view Christopher’s journey as an escape from his family and his old life. The setting of a book often has a significant impact on the story itself. The various settings in the book contribute to the main characters’ actions and to the theme as a whole. This can be proven by examining the impact the setting has on the theme of young manhood, the theme of survival and the theme of independent happiness.

    Read More

  • Into the Wild: Comparing the Book and Movie

    755 Words  | 2 Pages

    Into the Wild, a novel written by Jon Krakauer, as well as a film directed by Sean Penn, talks about Chris McCandless, a young individual who sets out on a journey throughout the Western United States, isolating himself from society, and more importantly, his family. During his travels, he meets a lot of different people, that in a way, change his ways about how he sees the world. There are many characteristics to describe McCandless, such as “nave”, “adventurous”, and “independent”. In the book, Krakauer described McCandless as “intelligent”, using parts in his book that show McCandless being “intelligent”. While Krakauer thinks of McCandless as being “intelligent”, Penn thinks of McCandless as a more “saint” type of person.

    Read More

  • Our Relationship With Nature Explored in Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...can be a life-changing experience. McCandless entered the wild as an overly confident hitchhiker and left as a self-accepting and humble man. He thought that human relationships were futile, he was impervious to materialism, and that he could understand nature on a scientific level. However, McCandless left the wild with a newfound appreciation for humanity, some clarity on his purpose in life, and the ability to create his own legacy. Many people finish reading Into the Wild and form negative opinions about McCandless’ reckless behavior. However, it is important to focus on how being in the wild brought McCandless closer to understanding himself. Into the Wild should motivate humans to participate in explore the wilderness to discover the true meaning of life.

    Read More

  • The Importance of Determination in the Lives of Benjamin Franklin and Christopher McCandless

    601 Words  | 2 Pages

    “There was just no talking the guy out of it,” Gallien recalls. “He was determined. He couldn’t wait to head out there and get started.” This precisely characterizes Christopher McCandless determination in Into the Wild because he says there was nothing he could not handle by himself. McCandless was not forced to live his life the way he did. He chose to abandon his nice life with all of his money as well as everyone and everything he had. He faced challenges every day that were much more difficult than the ones an average person would face on a daily basis. However, he still chose to stay fully committed to the way he was living his life.

    Read More

  • Personal Reflection on Into The Wild, by Jon Krakauer

    740 Words  | 2 Pages

    McCandless was a fearless human being. I think that most of the people’s ideologies and personalities have to do with how they were raised by the parents and everything that was taught to them. When a lack of love exists from a parent towards his child, a hate can be created without knowing it. McCandless could have gone away from society to escape reality or, for being in a place where he could find himself at peace. Either one, we can assume that he obviously had different ideas about civilization; the idea of having a life full of danger and adventure inspired and excited him.

    Read More

More about The Character of Chris McCandless in Jon Krakauer’s, Into the Wild

Open Document