“Readers admired the boy immensely for his courage and noble ideals; others fulminated that he was a reckless idiot”(4). After graduating from a high level college, with honors, he disappeared from his family due to conflicts with his father. After a few months, his corpses were found in a bus inside the Alaskan Bush. After reading the story, I am two minds about Krakauer’s claim that “he wasn’t incompetent - he wouldn’t have lasted 113 days if he were”(85). On one hand, I agree that he wasn’t crazy due to the fact that he lived in the wild for that many days. But on the other hand, I am not fully sure on why someone would waste their life and live off the land with nothing.
Many people would say he is just plain dumb or stupid. Before he departed for his adventure, he graduated from Emory University, a top college, with honors and had planned to leave because of conflicts and diverse ideals from his family. He knew what he was going to go through. “There was just no talking the guy out of it . He was determined. Real Gung-ho. The word that comes to mind is excited. He couldn’t wait to head out there and get started.” This was one of the first people Chris met, Jim Gallien, and how he sought Christ and what he was doing. Although trying to dissuade him, Chris didn’t look like he was going to turn back. Gallien had offered him more items but Chris would only accept some of them. You can’t say Chris wasn’t smart because planning to do something like this needs your brain to know things you are going to encounter.
While in the wild he lived for 113 days, so saying he was incompetent or a nutcase wouldn’t apply to his situation. No one with this knowledge would live for that long. From all the people he met, Wayne Westerberg helped Chris the most. They grew a close relationship together. In the book Westerberg says “the warmth McCandless exhibited in Carthage. Outgoing and extremely personale, when the spirit moved him, he charmed a lot of folks.”(46). This just shows he was a remarkable person and bright. Meeting all these people, he made a big impact on them. He had a smart way of trying to survive in the wild. “Exposing the previous season’s rose hips and lingonberries, which McCandless gathered and ate in great quantity. He also became much more successful at hunting game”(113). Although having minimal knowledge in the wildlife, he was doing things others couldn’t. He was courageous enough to live 113 days with the supplies he brought. But fighting these days, did Chris find what he wanted?
McCandless left the “norm” to be in the wild, where there is no judgement and nothing could tell he couldn’t . “Relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy… He had fled the claustrophobia conflicts of his family”(55). Chris had deep problems with family, especially his father. They had many diversities and Christ was fed up with his father telling him how to live. He wanted to get away from the meaning of life. Chris wanted to forget the all responsibilities in a relation and all the arguments that come with it. To accomplish this, he would live off the land, lonely, with nothing and scarce food. He wanted the full experience of what he thought was living. Running away. Leaving his family and everything back at home. Would you think it was worth it? Did Chris find the meaning of life and what it is like?
Part of me disagrees with his decision to runaway. His career and everything was right in front of him. He just need to take it and pursue an amazing life. “McCandless had been raised in the comfortable upper-middle class environs of Annandale.. Graduated from Emory University… Grade wise thing went pretty well”(16-17). He was still very young and had pretty much everything. All of this down the drain because of him wanting to find life in the wild or off the land. He was inspiring to many and had a great personality, but this decision, to me , was just not a impressive way of going about his conflicts. Just because he doesn’t like the idea of parents or being told all the time, he could’ve done many other things. He could’ve took all the money and pursue a life away from his family and do better things in life.
Truly this was an inspiring story and it makes me want to do something with my life, but running away from big opportunities isn’t one thing. I have two sides about Krakauer’s claim on Chris, but more agreeing than disagreeing with the author. He was smart and a remarkable person, but just needed a bit more thought in his decisions. He did many great things for others and motivated many others to go out and do what you want to do and have no one to tell you, you can’t.
Many people would say he is just plain dumb or stupid. Before he departed for his adventure, he graduated from Emory University, a top college, with honors and had planned to leave because of conflicts and diverse ideals from his family. He knew what he was going to go through. “There was just no talking the guy out of it . He was determined. Real Gung-ho. The word that comes to mind is excited. He couldn’t wait to head out there and get started.” This was one of the first people Chris met, Jim Gallien, and how he sought Christ and what he was doing. Although trying to dissuade him, Chris didn’t look like he was going to turn back. Gallien had offered him more items but Chris would only accept some of them. You can’t say Chris wasn’t smart because planning to do something like this needs your brain to know things you are going to encounter.
While in the wild he lived for 113 days, so saying he was incompetent or a nutcase wouldn’t apply to his situation. No one with this knowledge would live for that long. From all the people he met, Wayne Westerberg helped Chris the most. They grew a close relationship together. In the book Westerberg says “the warmth McCandless exhibited in Carthage. Outgoing and extremely personale, when the spirit moved him, he charmed a lot of folks.”(46). This just shows he was a remarkable person and bright. Meeting all these people, he made a big impact on them. He had a smart way of trying to survive in the wild. “Exposing the previous season’s rose hips and lingonberries, which McCandless gathered and ate in great quantity. He also became much more successful at hunting game”(113). Although having minimal knowledge in the wildlife, he was doing things others couldn’t. He was courageous enough to live 113 days with the supplies he brought. But fighting these days, did Chris find what he wanted?
McCandless left the “norm” to be in the wild, where there is no judgement and nothing could tell he couldn’t . “Relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy… He had fled the claustrophobia conflicts of his family”(55). Chris had deep problems with family, especially his father. They had many diversities and Christ was fed up with his father telling him how to live. He wanted to get away from the meaning of life. Chris wanted to forget the all responsibilities in a relation and all the arguments that come with it. To accomplish this, he would live off the land, lonely, with nothing and scarce food. He wanted the full experience of what he thought was living. Running away. Leaving his family and everything back at home. Would you think it was worth it? Did Chris find the meaning of life and what it is like?
Part of me disagrees with his decision to runaway. His career and everything was right in front of him. He just need to take it and pursue an amazing life. “McCandless had been raised in the comfortable upper-middle class environs of Annandale.. Graduated from Emory University… Grade wise thing went pretty well”(16-17). He was still very young and had pretty much everything. All of this down the drain because of him wanting to find life in the wild or off the land. He was inspiring to many and had a great personality, but this decision, to me , was just not a impressive way of going about his conflicts. Just because he doesn’t like the idea of parents or being told all the time, he could’ve done many other things. He could’ve took all the money and pursue a life away from his family and do better things in life.
Truly this was an inspiring story and it makes me want to do something with my life, but running away from big opportunities isn’t one thing. I have two sides about Krakauer’s claim on Chris, but more agreeing than disagreeing with the author. He was smart and a remarkable person, but just needed a bit more thought in his decisions. He did many great things for others and motivated many others to go out and do what you want to do and have no one to tell you, you can’t.