Chris Mccandless Actions In Into The Wild

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There is a big controversy concerning Chris McCandless, a.k.a. Alexander Supertramp, and his interesting decision to bring his entire life to a halt and leave his material world behind to build a life for himself in the Alaskan wilderness. All of the “hoopla” is over this one basic question about McCandless himself: What was the reason behind Chris’ actions and did he prove to be a hero, or suicidal in his actions? After reading the book about Chris McCandless’s journey called, “Into The Wild” by Jon Krakauer, I believe that Chris was neither a hero, nor suicidal, but in fact is an inspired young man just looking for an exciting adventure in his boring technological lifestyle. I also believe this was a combination of internal and external forces, …show more content…

The external forces, or books, Chris had read included the “Education of a Wandering Man” by Louis L’Amour. This book tells the story of an amazing adventure where the main character leaves his home abruptly and embarks on a life-changing journey. The “Adventures of a Wandering Man” I truly feel stood out and influenced Chris because it describes a man who leaves his quiet home in Jamestown, North Dakota at the young age of fifteen. He traveled all through Texas and eventually ended up in places such as the West Indies and Singapore. This story almost mirrors Chris McCandless’s journey and that is why I believe it was a strong force that drove him to try to endure the Alaskan wilderness. It is also the reason I understand he was drawn to the wilderness. After reading Chris’s story, I believe he pictured himself in the shoes of the main character of the story and felt as if he could go out and survive on his own as well. However, he chose the Alaskan countryside because of its vast amount of uncharted territory to get himself lost in.
The second of the two forces that drove Chris McCandless into the wild is his rebellious youth and risk taking tendencies. After McCandless imagined himself out in the wild, he believed he was “invincible” and could …show more content…

My outlook on his decision is that he wanted to leave the material world behind and experience nature and simplicity that is Alaska. An example to describe just why Alaska was a good place for Chris to go and leave his world behind and why it feels so simple is best explained by this quote from Sam Keith’s “One Man’s Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey.” Keith writes, “this country makes a man younger than his birthdays” (Keith 108). I believe this is why Chris wanted to live in Alaska so bad, the freedom and the simple lifestyle with no one but himself to rely

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