Christopher Johnson McCandless, a.k.a Alexander Supertramp, “Master of his Own Destiny.” He was an intelligent young man who presented himself as alone but really he was never lonely. However, he believed that life was better lived alone, with nature, so he ventured off throughout western United States before setting off into Alaska’s wild unprepared where he died. Some may say he was naive to go off on such a mission without the proper food and equipment but he was living life the way he wanted to and during his travels he came across three people: Jan Burres, Ronald Franz, and Wayne Westerberg. McCandless befriended these people, it is believed that he made such a strong impression on them that their connection left them with strange feelings after finding out about McCandless’ death.
In the summer of 1990, while looking for edible berries on the highway, McCandless came across a couple, Jan Burres and Bob, who picked up McCandless and took care of him as if he was their own. Soon enough the metaphor became literal. Apparently, Jan Burres had a son who was quite similar to McCandless, who set out to live the world alone with nature, free from society. Burres attempted to mature McCandless by warning him of the dangers of his intentions; which probably was her attempt to keep McCandless as her own. Burres later on confessed to McCandless that he reminded her of her son which is why McCandless left a strong impression on Jan Burres.
Some believe that Walter, McCandless’ dad, affair is what drove McCandless to his journey to the wild but during his journey he met a man who represented a father figure but was the opposite of his actual father. This man was Wayne Westerberg, grain elevator operator. Westerberg gave McCa...
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...because he left a strong impression but possibly because they’re mourning the loss of a friend who was warned not to go off into the wild. Krakauer may have included these characters into, Into the Wild to show readers how McCandless had the opportunity to survive, and the opportunity to start over again but his desire to live free from society, alone and with the wild overcame his reason to stay with people who grew to care for him.
Given these points, it seems that McCandless really did leave a strong impression on each of these individuals; all in deep and different ways. Although Jan Burres, Ronald Franz, and Wayne Westerberg had only a limited amount of time with McCandless it was obvious that they all felt a connection with this intelligent and young hitchhiker. He inspired them, leaving them with his interesting personality and different outlook on life.
Many individuals decide to live their life in solitary; though, only a few choose to live in the wild. The book, Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer vividly paints the adventurous trek Chris McCandless went on. From the friends he made, to the hardships he went through, McCandless is portrayed as a friendly, sociable person despite the fact that he was a vagabond. Other than McCandless, there are even more individuals that have taken the risks to live in the wilderness such as, Jon Krakauer and Everett Ruess. All three of them had both similarities and differences between their own qualities as a person and their journey.
Christopher “Alexander Supertramp” McCandless was a dreamer. However, unlike most of us nowadays, Christopher turned his desire for adventure into reality. Similar to Buddha, he gave up his wealth, family, home, and most possessions except the ones he carried before embarking on his journey. He traveled by various methods, mostly on foot, to eventually reach his desired goal in the Alaskan wilderness. Unfortunately, due to various mistakes, Christopher ultimately passed and his body was found in a neglected Fairbank City Transit Bus. His motivation to achieve his goal was based on the many aspects of his life. Chris’s dysfunctional family weighed heavily on him, one prime reason for driving him onto the road of freedom.
...fe for oneself. McCandless primary tragic flaw being his unwillingness to form long-term relations brought him both to the happiest moment of his life, but also to his demise. McCandless never had a problem with people, but rather with the status quo of society, the idea that a man or a woman has to live inside of a coordinate plane. McCandless left home and went on his adventure simply for his own well being, he achieved both what he wanted to accomplish while learning a valuable lesson along the way. He learned that happiness must be shared, and while everyone has his or her flaws, it is important to let these go. Christopher McCandless should teach people the importance of following your dreams, and the importance of enjoying the natural serenity of life.
McCandless made a huge impression on people because he was very different from others. He was a very hardworking man, as it states when he started a job he would finish it no matter the difficulties he encountered. McCandless was a passionate in what he did. He avoided society not
Christopher Johnson McCandless came from a well-to-do family, he was considered intelligent and even graduated from Emory University in 1990. He had everything going for him in life, he probably would have had a bright future as well, but it seems like McCandless wanted more in life than just money and materialistic possessions. He did not long for relationships or companionship like most people do, his main goal was traveling to Alaska and living there in the wild.
The seventh and eighth chapters of Into the Wild focus on the similarities and differences of Chris McCandless and several other individuals who also embarked on similar journeys, including a man named Everett Ruess. Much like Chris, Everett Ruess adopted new names. He went from Everett Ruess to Lan Rameau to Evert Rulan and finally, to Nemo. Both McCandless and Reuss were romantics and pursued experiences they had dreamed about. They loved freedom and being alone, but also enjoyed the occasional accompaniment of others. They differ in the goals they wish to attain while on their adventures. McCandless' main goal is to completely reject society and start anew. Ruess, on the other hand, has a burning desire to be surrounded by beauty. They both, however, strive to be a "lone wanderer of the wilderness" (Krakauer, 91) McCandless and Ruess' journeys eventually
...en writing a book based on ethos, logos and pathos, it is very challenging for an author to stay completely objective. In Krakauer’s case, his bias comes out strongly in certain chapters, sometimes detracting from his argument. Some faults exist in his credibility and logic, but his use of emotional appeal makes up for what those areas lack. Krakauer does an excellent job developing the character of Chris McCandless. The author brings him back to life with his descriptions and is able to make him tangible to the reader. The discussion over what McCandless's thoughts were when he went on his fatal trek will continue as long as his memory lasts. Ultimately, the readers of Into the Wild are left to form their opinion of McCandless, with Krakauer nudging them along the way.
Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, describes the adventure of Christopher McCandless, a young man that ventured into the wilderness of Alaska hoping to find himself and the meaning of life. He undergoes his dangerous journey because he was persuade by of writers like Henry D. Thoreau, who believe it is was best to get farther away from the mainstreams of life. McCandless’ wild adventure was supposed to lead him towards personal growth but instead resulted in his death caused by his unpreparedness towards the atrocity nature.
McCandless was not the 'sit down and take it in stride' kind of person. If he saw something wrong, something he did not agree with, he would try to fix it, or help in any way that he could. He was inherently compassionate, a man of his principles; owned by the rules that he governed himself with. It is apparent that he had always been an idealistic dreamer, and had always believed himself capable of much, because as his friend shared: “He'd say 'Come on,...
...elligence to help him last an extended period of time in the Alaskan wilderness. In truth, McCandless was someone who wanted to find himself. He wanted to get away from a life in which he could not find fulfilment, which is something many others would be able to relate to. Although most people would not go to such extremes to find fulfilment, everyone has a different way of finding happiness and going after what their heart truly desires. For McCandless, his desire was to live out in the wild. Unfortunately, this man of great character did not succeed in getting out alive. However, that does not change the fact that he tried. McCandless knew what he wanted for himself and he persisted, regardless of the obstacles he faced. He put an incredible amount of effort into accomplishing his goals and never gave up, and that is why Christopher McCandless is someone to admire.
Chris McCandless is regarded as being something as a spiritual figure almost as a cult hero, some call him a disillusioned fool, some call him a great adventurer, and the debate still continues. As Matthew Power calls in his article, an article where he tells the story of McCandless,“The debate falls into two camps: Krakauer's visionary seeker, the tragic hero who dared to live the unmediated life he had dreamed of and died trying; or, as many Alaskans see it, the unprepared fool, a greenhorn who had fundamentally misjudged the wilderness he'd wanted so desperately to commune with.” Like so many stories covering Christopher McCandless’ death, both ends of the argument are discussed in an unfavored manner in the hopes to help develop an opinion on the McCandless story. This open ended question can only be answered open-endedly based on what the readers base for themselves as covered stories intend. Like Power has done, ...
Krakauer states, “McCandless was thrilled to be on his way north, and he was relieved as well-relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it” (55). This had also occurred a few months prior in Niland Slabs, where he met Burres and Tracy. He had made friends there, and Tracy had developed feelings for him, but he rebuffed any of her advancements; he didn’t want to get involved with others, not after having left home for his journey. To him, having had friends and family that he left behind, he loved people, but he didn’t want to be close to them in any way other than purely being around them. Growing up with a difficult family relationship, such as McCandles’s, which caused him to push people away; it’s easy to relate to him in that aspect.
Out of all the people Chris McCandless met on his trip, there were only three that he truly inspired and left a great impact on. Since Chris was always going to different places, he met different people everywhere he went. Jan Burres, Wayne Westerberg, and Ron Franz were among the few that Chris deeply affected. These were the people that Chris could confide in. He spent a great amount of time with them and they accepted Chris as their own.
...can be a life-changing experience. McCandless entered the wild as an overly confident hitchhiker and left as a self-accepting and humble man. He thought that human relationships were futile, he was impervious to materialism, and that he could understand nature on a scientific level. However, McCandless left the wild with a newfound appreciation for humanity, some clarity on his purpose in life, and the ability to create his own legacy. Many people finish reading Into the Wild and form negative opinions about McCandless’ reckless behavior. However, it is important to focus on how being in the wild brought McCandless closer to understanding himself. Into the Wild should motivate humans to participate in explore the wilderness to discover the true meaning of life.
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.