Chris Mccandless Responsibility

Since the release of Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless has been arguably one of the most controversial characters in American non-fiction. To some, his journey into Alaska’s arctic tundra was reckless and selfish. To others, he is an idol, embodying the spirit of what it means to be a modern day explorer. Both perspectives have reasonable claims. However, it does not matter whether McCandless made a selfish or admirable decision, he did not have any other choice as he owed it to himself to finish his journey to fulfill his life.

As I stand here in front of you, I know what most of you are thinking: Why should I care about Chris McCandless? Well, here’s what I have to say. If you asked me right now what my goal in life is, I would

Growing up in suburban Virginia, McCandless had a nice life: nice house, nice family, nice grades. To an onlooker, he was just an average American boy. But to anyone who truly knew him, McCandless was so much more. He was restrained by the confines of his so called ‘nice’ life. Growing up in a small town, he never really fit in with his environment, and always felt as if there was something more in life. He always wanted to get out of his hometown, and “As soon as high school was over, Chris declared, he was going to get behind the wheel of his new car and spend the summer driving across the country” (?). Chris’ feelings of wanderlust also translated into his social beliefs. Krakauer explains that “McCandless took life’s inequities to heart.” (?) He would find a social/political issue, and he would pour all of his passion into it. Eric Hathaway, a friend from high school, says that “Chris didn’t like going through channels, working within the system, waiting his turn. He’d say….It’s just a matter of deciding to do it’” (?). He became so deeply invested in his beliefs that he needed to solve the problems he found in the world. This also became an escape for him from his ‘nice’ world. “when his high school pals were attending “keg-gers”...McCandless would wander, chatting with prostitutes and homeless people, buying them meals, earnestly suggesting ways they might improve their lives. (?). Chris lived every aspect

“The only way he cared to tackle a challenge was head-on, right now, applying the full brunt of his extraordinary energy. And he was often frustrated as a result of it. “(?) Chris was so passionate that it became an issue. He hated to fail. When faced with a challenge, as shown by the quote, he had to give it everything he had. However, because he held himself to such high standards, he would be overly disappointed when he did not completely meet his own standards, even if he exceeded everyone else’s. Because of this, Chris McCandless was never satisfied with his life. Almost everyone, including myself, has trouble accepting criticism, but Chris brought this to a whole new level. He needed to win: he needed to be the best. He saw criticism from others as his own failure, and once someone pointed out his flaws, he would shut down. Chris was a skilled athlete, but “...if you tried to coach him, to polish his skill, to bring out that final ten percent, a wall went up. He resisted instruction of any kind.”(?) Because Chris built up these walls, he was never able to achieve the standards he strived for, causing him to have more anger towards himself. This need to succeed played a large part in why Chris went to Alaska. He saw it as the ‘ultimate adventure’ (?). To Chris, if he could succeed in his voyage, then he would be able to meet his own standards. He owed this to himself because if had completed his