The Determination of Chris McCandless as Demonstrated in Jon Krakauer’s Book, Into the Wild

A New Life

There have been thousands of inspirational characters who have left their life behind and venture off into the outside world in order to find a purpose or goal in their life. Carl McCunn and John Waterman were examples of a few of many hikers who have ventured off to their goal. Carl McCunn was an explorer who loved to photograph the wildlife. He then later committed suicide after realizing he was trapped ar Brooks Range as mentioned in the book, “Into The Wild.

” Waterman was an mentally unbalanced hiker who died attempting to hike the mountains of Denali. Another example, is the main guy, Chris McCandless. He is a man who is somewhat between Waterman and McCunn. McCandless was stable and did not expect anyone to save him during his tragedies in the wild. McCandless sets out to the Alaska depth to find his purpose of life and free himself way from society. With the hearings of his rigorous ideas and his goals in life that led him to explore, he helps people accept the fact that life isn’t always based on luxuries or things that are materialistic but based on the things that make you happy, for you.

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He believes that people should handle life on their own hands and with their own brain. People's’ spirits are developed by experiences according to McCandless. Based on his beliefs and ideas, this shows that Chris McCandless was a modern inspirational philosopher who want to find the purpose to his life.

In the book, “Into The Wild,” Jon Krakauer, the author of the book, expresses that, “Driving west out of atlanta, he intended to invent an utterly new life for himself, are in which he would be free to wallow in unfiltered experiences. To symbolize the complete severance from his previous life, he even adopted a new name. No longer would he answer to Chris McCandless; he was now Alexander SuperTramp, master of his own destiny.” (Krakauer 23) has convinced me to believe that based on the claim, Chris may not have known what he was looking for but has known what he has escaped from, a life away from the suburbs and the people who leaves bad environment on him. An example would be his parents. He wants to live life on his own terms and not to focus on materialistic things. Chris eventual new goal was to live in alone in the wilderness in Alaska, which he did for months. With evidence, he wasn’t as prepared as he should since going to his journey. However, he has realized that the fact came onto him and decided to attempt going him, but discovered that his route to going back to the suburbs is blocked. He then turns back and meets his fate.

Chris McCandless, in my opinion was considered a devoted modern-like inspirational philosopher based on his beliefs. An example to my claim is that when McCandless encountered a river in which he had to cross. Knowing his fear of the river, he had the courage to cross through the river because he believed that it is important to, “measure yourself at least once, to find yourself once in the most ancient of human condition. Facing the blind death stone with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head.” (McCandless 44). In a sense, McCandless lived and met with quite some people. They claim that Chris had given them some meaningful ideas that have led them to keep those words Chris had said to them, in their hearts. When Chris was away, he wrote a letter to Ron Franze with the line, “You are wrong if you think Joy emanates only of principally from human relationships. God has placed it all around us. It is in everything and anything we might experience. We just have to have the courage to form against our habitual lifestyle and engage in unconventional thing.” (57) to whom Chris think Franz as a father figure. Having told Ron Franz to go somewhere else and enjoy life while he can, I believe that this shows how much of a caring and inspirational person Chris McCandless is.