Who Is Chris Mccandless In Into The Wild

In the national bestseller Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, the book investigates and observes Chris McCandless and his life-up to the moment of his fascinating, mysterious death. McCandless had died in Alaska in a makeshift cabin out in the middle of the woods, due to consuming a toxic substance that slowly starved him to death. His story was featured in a newspaper article illustrating his life before his deaths, and much criticism was generated towards it. Many thought that McCandless was just another Christopher McCandless was another “one of those crackpots from the lower forty-eight who come north to live out ill-considered Jack London fantasies” (Krakauer 4), and that he wasn’t anyone respectable to look up to. Christopher McCandless, however, was unique in his determination, love of wisdom, and relentless optimism, and should be regarded as an admirable person because of these traits of his.

McCandless was a determined person

He had read many books through his years, and when arriving in Alaska to camp out and survive in the wild, “The heaviest item in McCandless’s half-full backpack was his library: nine or ten paperbound books” (Krakauer 162). He gained much of his knowledge from his books, and depended upon them to develop his philosophy on life itself, often annotating them with lengthy, animated notes. “He had just finished reading Doctor Zhivago, a book that incited him to scribble excited notes in the margins and underline several passages…’HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED’” (Krakauer 189). He was eager in learning about the world around him and how he was connected to it, and finding new ideas and new ways of thinking in his books. It is rare to see a person so invested in the pursuit of knowledge-making Chris McCandless one of a kind. McCandless’ seeking of wisdom should be noted and recognized as another reason for why he should be a figure to look up