Idealism In Into The Wild

Upon first glance, Into the Wild looks as if it were about another idealistic man turning insane, by simply separating himself from the rest of humanity. However, upon further inspection, the novel is truly an intricately-woven metaphor symbolizing the inescapable order of the world and the possibility to choose one’s path in life, so long as one is determined enough to make that happen (Krakauer, 146). Furthermore, the film The Falling Man, directed by Henry Singer, explores a very similar concept: How can one control the final moments of their life? Singer uses 9/11, an infamous terrorist attack on the World Trade Center Towers in New York, as a medium to express himself and his desire to discover and delve into the amount of control humans

This is shown many times throughout history, most notably through a man named Chris McCandless (Krakauer, 203). In fact, sometimes one is even allowed to choose how they die, and while to most that is to be feared, to others, it is a beautiful thing to be able to choose to die painlessly (Singer). While most people will not interpret making choices to mean running away and living in the wild with little to no supplies, that is how both Chris McCandless and Jon Krakauer interpreted it to be (Krakauer, 143). However, on the other side of the spectrum, there is the concept of choosing how to die (Singer). On the fateful day of September 11th, 2001, hundreds of people had to make an impossible choice: be burned alive in the growing fire, or fly for a few seconds, and meet their end painlessly on the ground (Singer). While it is certainly a horrifying and gruesome way to die, when there is no other options left, most find it a necessary choice to make (Singer). Being human means having self control and the ability to resist blind acceptance of outside influences. Singer explores this concept through interviews with the spouses of those who passed in the North Tower, and creates an atmosphere that truly questions the decisions made by those souls on 9/11. One man stated that he thought his wife experienced a sensation akin to flying, and hoped she died knowing her family loved her