Chris Mccandless Goal

In the book Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer explains how Chris was an individual who didn’t have a liking for materialistic things. He was a person who was in it more for the experience and not for the materials he gained from doing things. He wanted to “have an endlessly changing horizon” as he said in his letter to Ron Franz. He thought it would be good to go out and escape the restraints of society and civilization to truly value what life was giving him and what everything else was taking away from him. Many believed that the only reason that Chris wandered off into the wilderness of Alaska was because he was tired of society holding him back and wanted to experience the greatness the world had to offer.

The story of Chris McCandless has become a pop culture phenomenon. Many are fascinated by his desire to abandon his family and society and “walk into the wild” (Krakauer 69). Newscasts, magazine articles, movies, and books have tried to define what motivated him to give up everything for his Alaskan odyssey; however, the answers died with McCandless. People make assumptions about him without knowing his entire story. McCandless chose to do the unconventional, making people think he was either foolish or brave and determined, but ultimately he was selfish for doing what he did.

Chris Mccandless’s motivation was for staying in the woods was for the excitement and rush. Chris is known for many of his specific traits as a person. His stubborn nature or arrogant personality but, one of his very apparent attributes were his self-reliance and his love for nature. He found nature to be an unknown. An unknown that he would turn into a familiar territory. According to Chris, “Tramping is too easy with all of this money. When I was penniless and had to forage around for my next meal.” (Into The Wild 33). Christopher enjoyed the wild because you had to take risks and you always had an adventure every day. Christopher Mccandless stayed in the woods for the excitement and the daily adventure of the woods

In 1992, when Chris McCandless abandoned modern society and fled to Alaska to find himself and, in the long run, lose his life, Americans from all over saw his death as a tragic downfall, and his story as a relatable and moving tale of a young man simply trying to make a difference. On the other hand, others looked at his journey to be an inevitable suicide-trip, considering his lack of supplies and overall experience. However, despite the fact that he was unprepared, McCandless, because of his ideas and motivation for a better world, was justified in shunning society in order to pursue his dream life on the Alaskan frontier.

He took the things he needs with him and got rid of the rest. He lasted a hundred days in the wild, it takes at least twenty eight days to break an old habit. He told his friend Jan Burres where he was, and if he didn’t have common sense he wouldn’t do that. “ In September he hitched down U.S Highway 101 California, then headed east into the desert again. And by early October he had landed in Bullhead City, Arizona.” (pg.39) When Callarman says “ He has no common sense he has no business going to Alaska...” McCandless had every right to go to Alaska. He didn’t want his parents to know where he was going, because he was of age and he doesn’t have to everything by his parents. That's why he changed his name. He wanted to start over by going to Alaska and learning new things along the way. You learn from your mistakes, that's what makes us human. McCandless couldn’t live up to his father expectations anymore. He always saw his father as a liar because he was living a double life with another family. Yes, he did have every right to go to Alaska, a person can only take so much. When it get to a certain point, it drive someone to do something they will either regret or a great feeling. He found what he was looking for freedom and happiness. He was a brilliant person, he wrote things in his letters and journals that was really

Ultimately this may end up being the reason that Chris does not survive his journey, but it does not make him any less of a hero. Chris’s story is a tragic one, but at the same time it is one of triumph and accomplishment. Since Chris believed the only way to go about his journey was to do it alone, it is an admirable thing that he did just that. Chris may not have had a moral gripe with allowing other people to travel with him, but it is because he did not want to spend too much time with other people. Ken Sleight says about McCandless “We like companionship, see, but we can’t stand to be around people for very long. So we go get ourselves lost, come back for a while, then get the hell out again” (85). McCandless made tons of friends along his journey and he positively affected many people’s lives, but at his core McCandless was a lone wanderer. I do not subscribe to the notion that happiness is only real when shared, and I believe the only reason Chris wrote that in his journal is because he was feeling lonely and scared. Chris McCandless lived a full happy life in his short 24 years and everybody could learn something about themselves if they were a little more like Chris

In what could have been Chris McCandless’s last contact with humanity he tells his new comrade, Wayne Westerberg, “If this adventure proves fatal and you don’t hear from me again I want you to know you are a great man. I now walk into the wild” (Krakauer 3). For 112 days Chris lived off the harsh Alaskan land. For anyone who is brave enough to travel on the stampede trail and cross the treacherous Teklanika River you will come across the Fairbanks City Transit System Bus 142. Once a backcountry shelter for hunters, trappers, ranger patrols, and for a short time Chris McCandless, Bus 142 now serves as a memorial for Chris McCandless. Travelers will make the trip to witness the basic resources Chris had at hand and the courage it took to

This downright describes what Chris McCandless set out for. He has a strong passion to set out for the adventure into the wilderness of Western America. To discover life outside of his ordinary daily routine that he desperately wants to break free from. Chris is exhausted of the constant pressure to pursue something his heart isn’t truly in, and most likely never will be. For Chris to take the initiative by himself to go out on his own with little to nothing is unimaginable, and should be seen as an inspirational action. I truly believe Chris died as a happy man due to his outstanding accomplishment that not many can accomplish in their lifetime. His actions are something that most people would never consider in a million years because it’s

No matter who or where you are, never go into the wilderness without the proper supplies. In April 1992, Christopher McCandless did one thing that would cost him his life. He set off into the wilderness of the Denali National Park declining any help and without the proper supplies, never to return back home. There are many different views about Christopher McCandless; some believe he was a hero for what he had done, and others believe he was idiot and just wanted to go die in the wilderness. Christopher McCandless was an American hiker who left his family after he graduated from Emory University.

They might think that he was a dumb, reckless idiot, whose unpreparedness got himself killed. Even Jon Krakauer acknowledges that, “He lacked certain pieces of equipment deemed essential by many Alaskans”(Krakauer 180), but McCandless knew exactly what he was doing. Chris was actually a pretty smart guy, and he did in fact graduate from college. When Krakauer was interviewing people about what Chris and what they thought of him, they all said that McCandless was pretty smart and intelligent. He actually knew what he was doing. The reason for being so ill-prepared was because he wanted to live off wildlife as much as possible. If he had gone back into society to get more gear, than he would’ve broken his own beliefs. He wanted adventure and to live to its fullest and if it meant dying, then so be it.

Chris McCandless leaves everything he knows to pursue a dream of escaping society and being one with the wild. His actions show a sense of transcendentalism and minimalism. Chris finds confidence and self reliance, he avoids all materialistic items and finds a way to live each and every moment to a new extent. He always expressed such confidence and bravery in everything he did. I don’t see his life and death as a mistake, I consider it one of the best decisions of his life.

Many individuals that Chris encounters on his journey see him as a mature, and hardworking man who is living the life he truly wants without looking back. And others see him as an inspiring individual who worked hard for what he wanted without giving up no matter what is put in front of him. And some select few see him as a man who just wandered into the wilderness entirely unprepared just to stay in a remote area surrounded by only himself and nature. In reality, Chris works hard to fend for himself and survive under all the circumstances put upon him. He walks countless, and almost seemingly endless miles across the Western United States, finding food on his own due to his lack of money. What Chris McCandless did was in no way easy, and even

It seems as though that McCandless’ adventure into the wild has not been meaningless in any way possible. Chris set out on his journey in order to reveal his pure inner self that’s he has failed to find for years. Chris wants to be someone who isn’t confined inside the safe walls of society. He wants to witness as well as discover something new and different, and to do so he ventures out on his journey to across the Western United States, and Alaskan wilderness to live off of nothing except the wilderness surrounding him. While doing so, Chris begins to test his limits when his body takes a fatal toll from starvations and malnutrition, but his spirit was livelier than ever before despite all of that. I personally would consider this a great

McCandless’ Adventure in America: Conflicting Ideas of Isolation and Sharing in Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer There are many aspects of the American dream, one of which is being an individual. Sharing his experiences did not interest Chris McCandless. It interested him so little that he devalued the importance of the people around him and went to Alaska to live in solitude. The realization that he needed to spend more time with the people he loved did not come until he stared death in the face. McCandless found the American dream by changing his opinion on sharing his happiness.

Chris McCandless died doing what he loved, but was it worth all of the pain and uncertainty he caused his family? Chris embarked on a journey through the Alaskan wilderness, which resulted in his demise. He cut ties with his family due to personal differences in opinion and travelled all around the country living off of the land for the most part. People have formed many different opinions of Chris McCandless, but its up to you to decide whether his actions were selfish or purposeful. In this Journal, I will be questioning the motives of McCandless, connecting with him, as well as evaluating the author.