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Analysis Of Chris Mccandless In Into The Wild, By Jon Krakauer

689 Words3 Pages

Nature has always provided man-kind with a sense of self-reliance and inner-peace. Many people have tried to conquer the untamed wilderness throughout history. Some have lived to tell the tale, while others were not so fortunate. In the novel Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless leaves all material possessions behind, and embarks on a quest to find himself and test his endurance. On his journey he encounters many challenges, from surviving two months lost at sea, to traversing Alaska alone. He left his family, friends, and name behind in favor of an entirely new persona. By doing this he is able to live free of the restraints of society, and his obligations to his parents. Nature provides the perfect beacon, or the deadliest …show more content…

In his journey Chris discovered that, while beautiful, nature also had a deadly side. Chris was one of the unfortunate souls to end up dead on his quest of self-reliance. His death sparked a debate on whether what he did was incredibly brave, or completely idiotic. Although in the end he found peace stating in his journal “ ‘I have had a happy life and thank the Lord and may God bless all’”. (199) Throughout his many adventures, Chris was able to find in Nature what he could not find in humanity. Even though the call of Nature ended up overpowering him in the end, Chris McCandless proved that there is something to be found in the …show more content…

Some people venture into the wild to conquer not only a pit of emptiness in themselves, but the natural challenges that the Earth has provided. One of the most sought after challenge in nature is that of mountain climbing. The author of Into the Wild also sought out the thrill of mountain climbing. Jon Krakauer was able to write Into the Wild, mainly because of how much he saw himself in Chris. Krakauer stated that, “As a youth, I am told, I was willful, self-absorbed, intermittently reckless, moody. I disappointed my father in the usual ways. Like McCandless, figures of male authority aroused in me a confusing medley of corked fury and hunger to please. If something captured my undisciplined imagination, I pursued it with a zeal bordering on obsession, and from the age of seventeen until my late twenties that something was mountain climbing”. (134) Jon Krakauer aimed to forge a new path up the north side of the Devil’s Thumb in Alaska. He craved the thrill of danger. Krakauer quit his job, packed up his belongings, and headed towards Alaska. Although he never completed his goal, Krakauer did climb the frequently climbed part of the Devil’s Thumb, proving some things in life are

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