An obsession can begin with the smallest of events. Ideas, real or fancied, of what one’s life could be like without the ties that bind them, positive or negative, consume the mind and create visions of freedom from the demands of family, government, or even society as a whole. McCandless’s discovery of his parent’s indiscretions was the onset of his obsession; an obsession which grew exponentially over a short period of time that fettered him to the notion that to be truly happy and free, he must rid himself of everyone he had ever known and everything he had ever owned. McCandless became enslaved to his conception of real freedom. His notion of freedom was extreme, to say the least. It involved an elaborate plan to abandon his parents; separate himself from society; erase himself from the governmental grid; to ultimately arrive at the realization that to experience real freedom in happiness it, must be shared. The discovery of McCandless’s parent’s indiscretions set in motion the first step in his plan: freedom from them both. McCandless’s utter repugnance for his parents caused something to snap within him resulting in his desire to remove them from his life, thus becoming free of their demands, judgments, and inquisitions. Krakauer explains; “Children can be harsh judges when it comes to their parents, disinclined to grant clemency, and this was especially true in Chris’s case" (122). The standards some parents set for their children are often unattainable and often come from a place of their own failures and shortcomings. In McCandless’s case, this is exactly what happened. Walt and Billie had demanded so much of Chris physically, academically, and morally, that when he was made aware of their i... ... middle of paper ... ... By the time he realized he, in fact, was able to forgive his parents and desired to have a family, it was too late. McCandless had become eternally fettered to his fancied freedom. Works Cited Krakauer, Jon. "Chapter 12/Annandale." Into the Wild. New York: Anchor, 1997. 122. Print. Krakauer, Jon. "Author's Note." Into the Wild. New York: Anchor, 1997. N. Print. Krakauer, Jon. "Chapter 1/The Alaska Interior." Into the Wild. New York: Anchor, 1997. 3. Print. Krakauer, Jon. "Chapter 1/The Alaska Interior." Into the Wild. New York: Anchor, 1997. 6. Print. Krakauer, Jon. "Chapter 10/Fairbanks." Into the Wild. New York: Anchor, 1997. 101. Print. Krakauer, Jon. "Chapter 18/The Stampede Trail." Into the Wild. New York: Anchor, 1997. 188. Print. Krakauer, Jon. "Chapter 18/The Stampede Trail." Into the Wild. New York: Anchor, 1997. 195. Print.
McMurtry, Larry. 2005. Oh What a Slaughter: Massacres in the American West: 1846-1890. 10th Ed. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
In John Krakauer’s novel Into The Wild, the reader follows the life of a young man who, upon learning of his father’s infidelity and bigamy, seems to go off the deep end, isolating himself by traveling into the wild country of Alaska, unprepared for survival, where he died of starvation at 67 pounds.
Franklin, Benjamin “Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Vol. A. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. 476-80. Print
Jon Krakauer, fascinated by a young man in April 1992 who hitchhiked to Alaska and lived alone in the wild for four months before his decomposed body was discovered, writes the story of Christopher McCandless, in his national bestseller: Into the Wild. McCandless was always a unique and intelligent boy who saw the world differently. Into the Wild explores all aspects of McCandless’s life in order to better understand the reason why a smart, social boy, from an upper class family would put himself in extraordinary peril by living off the land in the Alaskan Bush. McCandless represents the true tragic hero that Aristotle defined. Krakauer depicts McCandless as a tragic hero by detailing his unique and perhaps flawed views on society, his final demise in the Alaskan Bush, and his recognition of the truth, to reveal that pure happiness requires sharing it with others.
Roberts, David. "Jon Krakauer + Sean Penn: Back Into The Wild." National Geographic. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. .
Leone, Bruno. San Diego: Green Haven Press, Inc., 1988. Print. The. Waytz, Adam. A.
Slaughter, Thomas P. Exploring Lewis And Clark Reflections on Men And Wilderness . New York: First Vintage Books Edition, 2003.
In 1992, Christopher McCandless set off on an odyssey into the backcountry of Alaska, an adventure that had proved fatal. After McCandless's corpse was found, Jon Krakauer wrote an article on the story of Chris McCandless, which was released in the January 1993 issue of Outside magazine. The article had received a negative response; several readers criticized McCandless for being foolish and ill-prepared, and showed no sympathy or remorse for his death. McCandless has been referred to as a nut, a kook, and a fool. However, McCandless was not a nonsensical man. In 1996, Jon Krakauer's novel, Into the Wild, was published. The novel uncovers more detail of McCandless's story. Into the Wild rebuts the idea of McCandless being someone who is foolish, and speaks of the many occasions where McCandless has demonstrated great perseverance and determination. The novel also proves the intelligence of McCandless, and brings insight into McCandless's psyche. The following examples will illustrate how McCandless was not a fool, but someone to admire.
Peter. "Chris McCandless from an Alaska Park Ranger's Perspective." Chris McCandless from an Alaska Park Ranger's Perspective. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
Krakauer, Jon. Into the wild. New York: Anchor Books , a division of Random House Inc.,, 1997. Print.
Bloom, Harold. "Road Trip." New York Times Book Review. 15 Nov. 2009: 13. eLibrary. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
“Into The Wild” by John Krakauer is a non-fiction biographical novel which is based on the life of a young man, Christopher McCandless. Many readers view Christopher’s journey as an escape from his family and his old life. The setting of a book often has a significant impact on the story itself. The various settings in the book contribute to the main characters’ actions and to the theme as a whole. This can be proven by examining the impact the setting has on the theme of young manhood, the theme of survival and the theme of independent happiness.
Krakauer, Jon. The. The “Into the Wild”. New York: Anchor Books, 1996. Print.
McCandless was a fearless human being. I think that most of the people’s ideologies and personalities have to do with how they were raised by the parents and everything that was taught to them. When a lack of love exists from a parent towards his child, a hate can be created without knowing it. McCandless could have gone away from society to escape reality or, for being in a place where he could find himself at peace. Either one, we can assume that he obviously had different ideas about civilization; the idea of having a life full of danger and adventure inspired and excited him.
Thompson, William. "Heavy Hands on the Land." National Geographic, November 1988. Volume 174, Issue 5