Into The Wild American Dream Analysis

As the fourth section progresses we are introduced to a variety of characteristics that define a rebel. My personal take was that you know you are truly rebel when you cannot be easily defined by stereotypes of a rebel. In addition, a rebellious person may rebel against multiple ideals but in rebelling against those ideals they support different ideals. Chris McCandless is a paragon of a rebel seen in his rebellion against societal norms but also his rebellion against characteristics of individuals that rebel against societal norms.

People at some point in their lives have been overly confident about a certain aspect. This confidence has either lead to something desirable or not so desirable. Jon Krakauer in a book he wrote titled Into The Wild writes about a man's adventure into the wild. Chris Mccandless, The main character in this title was born into a friendly family his mom Billie and his dad Walt. Mccandless has three siblings but is very close to his little sister Carine. In Into The wild, Krakauer narrates the last couple of journeys Mccandless had on his adventure to Alaska where he ultimately died. Mccandless Touched many people's lives through all of his journeys. Mccandless went on these journeys because he was confused in life when he figured out his dad had cheated on his mom. This changed Mccandless to the point he began to hate his parents. Mccandless had a lot of confidence in himself so he left on an adventure to find his identity. Mccandless wanted to find

In the beginning, McCandless starts his adventure by cutting himself off from all the human connections he had. He severs all ties from his family, including his sister which whom he was previously very close to. He burns his social security card, changes his name, and decides to travel across the country. Throughout his journey, Christopher often accounts for his parent’s wrongdoings for the reasons why he wanted to run away to Alaska. He subsists with a minimalist lifestyle and is disappointed in his parents’ behaviors and their materialism. In a letter penned to Wayne Westerberg, McCandless writes, “My days were more exciting when I was penniless” (Krakauer 33). He gets a thrill out of not knowing what will come his way each day. Being “penniless” furthers the sense of uncertainty. He even argues that, “Nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future” (Krakauer 40). In a way, everyday is a new adventure for Chris. This is why not only did he

One of Krakauer’s strongest tools in supporting his argument comes from the use of epigraphs. Krakauer begins every chapter with an epigraph; some are brief and concise, while others are an entire page. Nevertheless, each epigraph has a specific location for a specific reason. Quoting various fragments, including “...a person whose principal need was to find some kind of meaning in life, not [entirely or even chiefly] dependent upon relationships.” (61) sounds eerily similar to McCandless’ logic. Furthermore, the epigraph affiliates McCandless with other similar adventurers, as there are countless who share(d) identical desires as McCandless. Various other epigraphs relate to the purpose of McCandless’ journey, and the potential justification

Different people have different goals. Everyone wants to achieve something, whether it’s becoming a surgeon or graduating high school. In the book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, for Chris McCandless it was out of the ordinary. McCandless wanted to go out into the wild alone with nothing besides a few general needs. Some of those needs consisted of a journal, a camera, a large bag of rice, a small cooking utensil, matches, a knife, and some fishing twine with a hook. Most people would think that’s a suicide wish to just go out in the wild, others just thinking it was crazy and wondering who his parents are. Then there are people that find him as an inspiration for going after his goal. McCandless thought it was finally a chance to go on his own and see what’s out in the world. People think that since McCandless died out in the wilderness , he didn’t accomplish his goal. McCandless on the other hand felt the complete opposite. He achieved his goal of seeing parts of Alaska that most people would dream of doing but wouldn’t actually conquer it because they are too scared of what might be out there.

Krakauer wrote Into the Wild with a great deal of respect and privacy in regards to this issue, but years later Carine decided it was time to come clean. Mr. and Mrs. McCandless still claim Krakauer to have written rubbish about their beloved son. Carine commented that she was not surprised by the response because their parents never understood the impact they had on Chris or herself (Holtzclaw). McCandless was about to embark on the unforgettable journey he had waited his entire life for in order to become “King of the Road” but only for the course of two years. “King of the Road” was country singer Roger Miller’s song, published in 1965 that idealized a type of vagabond lifestyle (King of). According to the 20/20 on Chris McCandless this

Chris McCandless was a young man who left society behind entirely to fulfill his dream of the Alaskan adventure and escape the reality of life. After burning the last of his money and changing his name to Alexander Supertramp, McCandless migrated throughout the states and unfortunately was immensely unprepared for his journey; he only carried a ten-pound bag of rice, a small rifle, and a tattered road map. Consequently, McCandless dies due to his overconfidence and unpreparedness, which in turn makes everyone curious as to why he embarked on a journey while being so vulnerable. Arguably, Chris McCandless was a noble idealist who wanted abandonment from the falsehood of society and a feel of what nature could give.

Chris McCandless abandoned the modern world and chose the wild because he believed that he could improve himself through living in the wild, and found the true happiness of the life. McCandless abandoned his wealthy family because of his complicated relationship with his father, and he was ashamed with his father’s adultery. Therefore, McCandless believed that human relationship was not the only thing that forms happiness, instead a man’s connection with the nature brings joy as well. He also believed the habitual lifestyle was not what people were meant to do, and people shouldn't have more possessions than what they need. For this reason, McCandless traveled with little effects. In addition, McCandless thought he could found the solution to his frustration with the adultery of his father, and found the true happiness for his life through escaping into the wild.

The Oxford Dictionary defines the “American dream” as, “the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative”. The American dream hasn’t evolved since the coining of the idea; the dream is still to have a steady job, a nice house, and a pleasant family. However, that dream does not appeal to everyone. Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild looks back upon the incredible journey of Chris McCandless. The story of a well-to-do young man who after graduating from a high-ranking university, donates all of savings to charity, burns the cash in his wallet, abandons all of his material possessions, and cuts ties with all of his family and friends to embark on his own personal odesseye in nature to carry out an adventure living in

In the article, “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” by Brandon King, he defines the American dream today as “the potential to work for an honest, secure way of life, and save for the future” (611). The origin of the term, “American Dream” dates back to the time of the Great Depression when James Adams created the phrase. His description of the American Dream depicts the scenario were “… life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone… regardless of social class or circumstance of birth” (610-611). King explains in his article how the American Dream differs from its original source and how it is the key to success in America today. He expands on this by discussing how behaviors of Americans have changed with sustainability in mind rather than

“Nature’s first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; but only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, so dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay” Robert Frost. The words of many authors, poets, and songwriters can influence certain aspects of a person’s life. One may simply admire the work because of the inspiration or beauty behind the piece, but others take the words to heart and live their lives by it. A fan of many transcendentalism authors Chris McCandless wanted to live his life with the same simplicity they did. After finding the inspiration in the works of Jack London and Henry David Thoreau McCandless ventured out into a two-year-long journey to find happiness in the Alaskan Wilderness. McCandless had the bravery to follow his own dream and was willing to risk his life for true happiness. McCandless is admirable because of his generosity, positivity, and courage to follow his own dream.

You can read, you can sit for hours and think about what is the meaning of life what is my purpose of living. But you’ll never experience it if you don’t understand the beauty of life until you experience it yourself.

Everyone has a dream. Although these dreams aren’t the ones you have while sleeping, they are the ones that drive you, challenge you and keep you fighting for the reality that they will become true. They are the dreams that you will work hard for. Martin Luther King Jr. even died while fighting for his dream to become a reality. They are the ones you hope will one day become a reality. They are the dreams of a better education, better wages, better living conditions, equality, and they are the dreams of a better life. So then what exactly does the “American Dream” mean to people, how are these dreams achieved by those who are not native to our country, why do some people make it while others fail and who does the “The American Dream” really belong to?

Based on a real story, Into the Wild can make us think from different perspectives about what the main character Christopher McCandless did. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a dramatic but also remarkable story from a young, newly graduated, college student that escaped for a long wild journey but never came back. As time passes throughout the book, the reader may notice how the main character interacts with society and nature, finally McCandless dies in the wild but even though he was struggling for survival he died happy.

“Requiem for the American Dream,” a documentary arranged by Peter D. Hutchison, Kelly Nyks, and Jared P. Scott, features an MIT professor of linguistics, Noam Chomsky, who narrates the film on the topic of inequality, democratization, solidarity, and unjust systems of today’s economy. Noam Chomsky intends to convince American citizens that the economy and democratic systems have negatively changed over the 20th century and into the 21st century. Additionally, Chomsky emphasizes that a shift in the economy from manufacturing to financial institutions is the result of the concentration of wealth and the Republican agenda for reformation. Due to the changes in the economy and the unjust vicious cycle, Chomsky is passionate and persistent in informing American citizens of the problematic economic shifts, spurring from the ideologies of recent presidents. Furthermore, Chomsky informs the public about how these illusory changes, implemented by the government, are negatively impacting the unaware lower class. The effectiveness of Chomsky’s argument is based upon his reasoning, explanation, use of historical documents and footage, and the tone development of the film.