Journey of Self-Discovery: Chris McCandless's Odyssey

622 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on chris mccandless

Into The Wild begins with Chris McCandless hitchhiking in Alaska, meeting a man known as Gallien. As he continues talking with Chris, he notices Chris isn’t just some lunatic trying to kill himself, but a smart individual looking to find himself. He then drops Chris off. The book then goes forward into the future, allowing the audience some dramatic irony as they’ll see Chris’s fate. A group hiking a trail finds the bus Chris is in, but finds him dead. Then the scene shifts to South Dakota, after the finding of Chris’s dead body. This is where we meet Westerberg, he was once given War And Peace by Chris. This is also where Krakauer explains the family situation of Chris. He describes him as if his whole life is set out for him. The scene again shifts to a park manager finding Chris’s Datson in the canyon. They describe how it was repurposed into a working undercover vehicle. We then find out that the family hired a private investigator. Eventually, Chris will go from the Havasu to the Mexican border, finds out he won’t make it the gulf, and changes course. …show more content…

As Chris ventures through the United States and Mexico, he denounces all senses of materialism, as it is what he’s trying to escape while trying to find himself in nature. If possible Chris would attempt to rid himself of what was unnecessary in his journey, such as the time when he was given a small collection of knives that would help him in his journey, but only takes a few. The idea of survival where society wouldn’t agree was also a major theme in the novel. Everyone who he tells on his journey what he’s doing seems to believe that he is crazy; however, they learn that they soon learn that Chris is indeed an intellectual individual. The simple idea is that the society doesn’t accept the life that Chris lives in. While he may get encouragement from people met along the way, the lifestyle is seen as barbaric and wild for many

Show More
Related

  • Book report

    1152 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1776, David McCullough gives a vivid portrayal of the Continental Army from October 1775 through January 1777, with sharp focus on the leadership of America’s greatest hero, George Washington. McCullough’s thesis is that had not the right man (George Washington) been leading the Continental Army in 1776, the American Revolution would have resulted in a vastly different outcome. He supports his argument with a critical analysis of Washington’s leadership during the period from the Siege of Boston, through the disastrous defense of New York City, the desperate yet, well ordered retreat through New Jersey against overwhelming odds, and concludes with the inspiring victories of Trenton and Princeton. By keeping his army intact and persevering through 1776, Washington demonstrated to the British Army that the Continental Army was not simply a gang of rabble, but a viable fighting force. Additionally, Mr. McCullough supports his premise that the key to the survival of the American Revolution was not in the defense of Boston, New York City, or any other vital terrain, but rather the survival of the Continental Army itself. A masterful piece of history, 1776 is not a dry retelling of the Revolutionary War, but a compelling character study of George Washington, as well as his key lieutenants, and his British adversaries, the most powerful Army in the 18th Century world. When I read this book, I went from a casual understanding of the hero George Washington to a more specific understanding of why Washington was quite literally the exact right man at the exact right place and time to enable the birth of the United States.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Chris Mccandless In Into The Wild, By Jon Krakauer

    1449 Words  | 3 Pages

    A good portion of Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, focuses on the characterization of the protagonist, Chris McCandless. Krakauer shares his opinions on Chris frequently throughout the duration of his book. Chris is portrayed through anecdotes told by people who knew him and through Krakauer’s own personal relation to him. Through these two methods the reader is given a very clear image of Chris. Into the Wild, focuses a lot on Chris’s youth and especially how that influenced his decisions. Krakauer compares Chris’ leneincey on his literary heres versus his harsh judgments on his parents. Chris’ tense relationships with his parents are also used to help show how young Chris really is. After Chris’ youth is made apparent to the reader Krakauer

    Read More

  • Analysis of Into the Wild, by John Karkauer

    546 Words  | 2 Pages

    Into the wild is a book about a young man, who leaves society to hitchhike to Alaska and live alone in the wilderness. “Christopher Johnson McCandless graduated from Emory University in May 1990 with a degree in history and anthropology”p.20. “toward the end of June, Chris mailed his parents a copy of his final grade report.”p.21. He was a well educated man. He had many opportunities in life to be successful. “It was the last anyone in chris family would ever hear from him”.p.22. By August, Chris’ parents received his grades in the mail. He asked the post office to delay them mailing his final grades to his family.

    Read More

  • Epigraphs In Into The Wild

    946 Words  | 2 Pages

    The epigraphs presented by Krakauer before each chapter of the memoir Into the Wild dive deep into the life of Chris McCandless before and after his journey into the Alaskan wilderness. They compare him to famous “coming of age characters” and specific ideas written by some of his favorite philosophers. These give the reader a stronger sense of who Chris was and why he made the decision to ultimately walk alone into the wild.

    Read More

  • The Success of Chris McCandless

    545 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout Into the Wild, Krakauer portrays Christopher McCandless as an infallibly eager young man hoping to distance himself from the society he so obviously loathes, to "live off the land," entirely independent of a world which has "conditioned [itself] to a life of security." Chris, contrarily to this depiction, is disparagingly viewed by some as a "reckless idiot" who lacked the sense he needed to survive in the Alaskan wilderness. This derogatory assessment of Chris's mindset is representative of the society he hopes to escape and contains all the ignorance that causes him to feel this way. Nevertheless, he is misjudged by these critics, allowing Krakauer to hold the more accurate interpretation of Chris's character, his goals, and his accomplishments.

    Read More

  • American Imagination In Into The Wild By Jon Krakauer

    400 Words  | 1 Pages

    Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer revolves around the wilderness’ role on the American imagination. Chris McCandless, is a young man who experiences the things that pulls people toward the wilderness. The wilderness being very vast has many roles in the american imagination and plays multiple parts in people’s minds.Wilderness’s role in the American imagination is to beckon people towards its peace and excitement.

    Read More

  • 'Why The Teen Brain Is Drawn To Risk'

    702 Words  | 2 Pages

    Chris McCandless died because he was blind to see the truth behind his own limits. Into The Wild starts at a young age, Chris showed behavior that would soon be his downfall that led him into Alaska. If it was not for these actions he might be alive, telling his survival story. Some may believe that Chris went into the wilderness to find answers for himself, but the real reason is that his selfishness and determination brought him to his inevitable demise. The actions he propelled out gave him this insurmountable belief that he could survive all alone without any assistance.

    Read More

  • Into The Wild: Chris Mccandless

    582 Words  | 2 Pages

    Chris McCandless was someone who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. Because of this, he died sometime in August 1992. McCandless, who graduated college in 1990, spent the better part of two years traveling the country in preparation for his ultimate goal, surviving in the Alaskan Bush. Now, however, he is the main character in Into the Wild, where he merely represents overconfidence and ignorance. Chris McCandless was ignoble because he continuously ignored the advice given from others, and was too overzealous in achieving his goal, leaving him unprepared for the harsh conditions of the Alaskan Bush.

    Read More

  • Differences Between Into The Wild Book And Movie

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    So many books or pieces of literature have been made into films. At times the films can mirror exactly what the author wrote and hoped to convey, but often films can either create this sense of enhancement of the book or distort it completely due to more or less background information and a change the perspective of the main character. The book Into the Wild, written by John Krakauer was one of those movies that was recreated into film by director Sean Penn. This is a story of a young man who is unsettled with the poisoned ways of society. He goes on to destroy his previous identity and creates a new one, he abandons his home, car, life-savings, and family life to live on the road and in the wilderness of Alaska. It was mentioned he was trying to escape society as a whole and find himself and happiness. Both the book and the film follow a pretty consistent plot that correlate with each other, both making it evident that Chris was a polarizing subject. So, why does the book portray Chis McCandles as a charismatic, outgoing, well-educated nice kid, as where the movie portrays him more as foolish, immature, unprepared boy biting off more than he can chew? It all depends on your interpretation of both sources within the given information. The following comparison will address the book versus film version of Into the Wild and raise the issue of the amount of background information given in the book versus the film and the change in perspective of the main character Christoper Johnson McCandles.

    Read More

  • Into The Wild Identity Analysis

    888 Words  | 2 Pages

    Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer is a realistic fiction novel about a man named Christopher Johnson McCandless who leaves society behind and goes on an adventure, eventually to die in his dream destination, Alaska. Chris McCandless abandoned his family, donated all of his savings to charity, only took a few possessions and walked into the wild. He met many influential people and went to different places that shaped him along the way. When he eventually made it to the place he had been planning to go, Alaska, he eventually died of starvation. Chris McCandless’s identity throughout the novel Into the Wild was shown through his actions, was shaped by his interests, and was also affected by his values and beliefs, though he often did not live up to them.

    Read More

  • Book report

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    This book has taught me a lot about Alexander Hamilton. Most of it was a surprise to me. This book includes where he was born, how he moved to the United States, what he had done to contribute to the country, and his wife and kids. This book has plenty of insight on one of our greatest leaders.

    Read More

  • Call of the wild report

    763 Words  | 2 Pages

    like a real wolf, and he even would be strong enough to beat a wolf at

    Read More

  • The Legacy of Chris McCandless of Into The Wild, by Jon Krakauer

    887 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ultimate freedom is an odyssey everyone, at least once in their lifetime, tries to conquer. Chris McCandless did everything in his power to try and capture that freedom he was searching for. He ultimately gave up his own life during that quest. Did he find what he was searching for? We may never know. Very many people have diverse opinions on this character. Chris McCandless was not selfish. He was a young, well-educated boy. His parents handed him everything on a silver platter; he wanted to prove not only to himself but to everyone else he could do things on his own. His possessions did not define who he was as a person. He thought towards everyone else he was just another brick in the wall, a pretty rich boy, and that did not “fly” with him. He had to prove his worth.

    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

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

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer explores the human fascination with the purpose of life and nature. Krakauer documents the life and death of Chris McCandless, a young man that embarked on an Odyssey in the Alaskan wilderness. Like many people, McCandless believed that he could give his life meaning by pursuing a relationship with nature. He also believed that rejecting human relationships, abandoning his materialistic ways, and purchasing a book about wildlife would strengthen his relationship with nature. However, after spending several months enduring the extreme conditions of the Alaskan wilderness, McCandless’ beliefs begin to work against him. He then accepts that he needs humans, cannot escape materialism, and can never fully understand how nature functions. Most importantly, he realizes that human relationships are more valuable than infinite solitude. McCandless’ gradual change of heart demonstrates that exploring the wilderness is a transformative experience. Krakauer uses the life and death of Chris McCandless to convey that humans need to explore nature in order to discover the meaning of life.

    Read More

More about Journey of Self-Discovery: Chris McCandless's Odyssey

Open Document