Into The Wild By John Krakauer - 1735 Words

Into the Wild Analysis John Krakauer’s depiction of the tragic life of Chris McCandless in the award winning novel â€Å"Into the Wild† creates different schools of thought that brew a perfect storm for debate. Krakauer’s polarizing style is what makes it so special, because no two people will feel the same way as they experience the journey of McCandless. One of the highly discussed topics of the novel relates to the idea that Chris’ journey of self-discovery in his quest for â€Å"ultimate freedom† is inherently selfish or nobel. McCandless’ quest is noble in many ways. The first of which is his desire to leave behind the modern materialistic world and isolate himself to find peace. He also has this deep seated desire to fill a void, a missing†¦show more content†¦One hundred and twenty-three dollars in legal tender was promptly reduced to ash and smoke†(pg.29). The act of burning all of his cash in this manner speaks to McCa ndless’ mindset. He truly believes he doesn t need money to make him happy and that he can survive without relying on riches to get him by. Relieving himself of money takes place on a consistent bases in the novel because Chris doesn’t want the attachment to hold him back, or make his journey to easy. Another example of the simplistic life Chris-Alex Supertramp-McCandless is attempting to live can be obtained from the first interaction in the book. When Jim Gallien picks up Alex on the side of the road and drives him to the start of the Alaskan Wilderness, it says â€Å"Alex admitted that the only food in his pack was a ten-pound bag of rice. His gear seemed exceedingly minimal for the harsh conditions of the interior, which in April still lay buried under the winter snowpack...Alex insisted on giving Gallien his watch, his comb, and what he said was all his money†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (pg.5-7). Even with almost nothing on him, Alex/Chris still attempts to rid himself of mater ialistic items like his watch, and again, his money. He wants nothing to hold him back so he can achieve the true reward of his journey, spiritual enlightenment. A big influence on Chris in the book is his fascination with literary artists and philosophers. The main four that inspireShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Into The Wild By John Krakauer1015 Words   |  5 Pagesbreath of the wild for the brave few is enough to free the spirit from the bonds of society. One such freed spirit, author John Krakauer, wrote in his work Into the Wild about the accounts of men quite like himself. John Krakauer, in contrast to the adventurous men he writes about, is a survivor of his own ventures. Throughout his writing, he parallels the nature of a select few zealous adventurers with his own nature as well as the nature of his primary focus, Christopher McCandless. Krakauer draws connectionsRead MoreJohn Krakauer s Into The Wild847 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Krakauer’s novel Into The Wild, tells the story of a young man who intends to disappear from society, and contains numerous relatable themes. Although difficult for many to understand his reasoning in doing so, Krakauer intends to demonstrate to readers the positives and negatives of such an experience. Upon thorough examination of this piece of writing, it is possible to truly gain a vast amount of self-knowledge in relation to the text. A tale full of invitations to face ourselves, John Krakauer’sRead MoreAnalysis Of Into The Wild By John Krakauer1309 Words   |  6 PagesIn the book Into the Wild written by John Krakauer, Chris McCandless plans to abandon his life and live off the land, traveling from South Dakota all the way to Las Vegas and many other remote locations in the U.S. There was something inside of Chris that drew him into the wilderness. In May of 1990, Chris took off, abandoning everything and everyone and set off into the wild, where he had big plans for his next two years. In the summer of 1992, Chris McCandless turned up dead in Alaska. A seriesRead MoreAnalysis Of Into The Wild By John Krakauer769 Words   |  4 Pagessold his apartment, and pac ked his remaining possessions to live on the road, travelling across the United States. The young 24 year old man was found dead in the wilderness of Alaska in September of 1992 after his long journey. Into The Wild, written by John Krakauer, is the story of a man’s journey soley based on pursuing a life of non conformity. There are many who believe that McCandless was crazy for what he did and that it was his ignorance that killed him. Throughout the whole book he shuts manyRead More Into The Wild By John Krakauer Essay example557 Words   |  3 Pages Obligation to Family The book â€Å"Into the Wild† by Jon Krakauer is a story about a man by the name of Chris McCandless. He is a man who grew up in a DC suburb, graduated college and decides to change the ways of his life. He journeys across the country, and finds his way to Alaska. His means are to leave the material lifestyle and become at one with nature. During Chris’s adventure he seems to neglect all communication with his family and over look the fact that they care about his health and futureRead MoreThe Search For Truth in Into the Wild by John Krakauer1983 Words   |  8 PagesMcCandless was born February 12, 1968 in El Segundi, California. Later on, due to Walt McCandless, Christophers father, success as an aerospace engineer [Christopher] was raised in the comfortable upper middle class environs of Annandale, Virginia(Krakauer 14). Similarly to many people today, Walt McCandless made injurious decisions; during the birth of Christopher and his sister, Carine, Walt was still m arried. In turn, this leaves them to be bastard children. Christopher was an intellectual thatRead MoreUse of Literary Techniques in Into The Wild, by John Krakauer1073 Words   |  5 Pagesto a man on an extraordinary path that led to his eventual demise and truthfully telling the somber story of Christopher McCandless. Krakauer enhances the story by using irony to establish Chris’s unique personality. The author also uses Characterization the give details about Chris’s lifestyle and his choices that affect his journey. Another literary element Krakauer uses is theme. The many themes in the story attract a diverse audience. Krakauer’s telling is world famous for being the truest, andRead More Chris McCandless is NOT a Hero in the Book, Into the Wild by John Krakauer507 Words   |  2 PagesMany people have read the story â€Å"Into the Wild† By Jon Krakauer, when mentioning the name Chris McCandless he is either viewed as hero or as a dumb man. The peo ple who view him as a hero tend to believe that he was determined enough to want to do something. Others view him as an idiot who just wanted attention. Him being unprepared and not knowing much about how to survive in the wild made McCandless an idiot, the dumb jerk. Also causing him to be a poor role model to multiple people causing themRead MoreEssay about The Call of the Wild Versus Into the Wild1246 Words   |  5 PagesChris McCandless and Buck serve as examples of the archetype of the wild through their experiences of leaving where they feel most comfortable and answering the call of the wild. They show that each experience is inimitable because the wild is unique to every individual. For Buck, the wild is a place outside of civilization and his dependence on man, where the external threats of nature exist and he must prove himself as a true animal with instincts for survival. In McCandless case, the placeRead MoreAnalysis Of Jon Krakauer s Into The Wild1555 Words   |  7 PagesERWC Cagley December 9, 2014 Life on the Road? In Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, A young man named Chris McCandless decides to escape the annoyance of his current life and live on the road, he pursues an incredible journey of adventure, danger and companionship. McCandless is a narcissist and believes that he can overcome any challenges that he faces because he is independent and is smarter than the average person. Krakauer emphasizes that arrogance will lead to failure in life; Just like McCandless