Chris McCandless Article

Alena Stoots

Mrs. Zurkowski

Greens

4/11/11

Chris McCandless: Man in search of his own soul.

Alena N. Stoots

            “He was smart. He’d figured out how to paddle a canoe down to Mexico, how to hop freight trains, how to score a bed at inner-city missions. He figured all of that out on his own, and I felt sure he’d figure out Alaska too.” (Krakauer, 46). Giving every last dime of money you have to a charity would be a life decision that most people wouldn’t think of risking! For Christopher McCandless, giving to charity was one of the easiest things he’s ever done. In the story, “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, a young man named Chris from Annandale, Virginia, embarks on a life journey after graduating college at 22 years old. Traveling far and wide to the beautiful landscape of Alaska, Chris risked it all. His mother, Billie, and his father, Walt McCandless, weren’t aware of his journey or ware abouts, until they received a letter from him a couple months after he left. Chris never told his parent where he was going, so neither of them could stop him from following his dreams. Christopher McCandless’s determined and positive attitude clearly inspires me and so many more people who were touched by his story.

            Chris’s courage is 100% inspiring; he had a dream, a life goal, and he went out to achieve it. Most people never reach their dreams, because they don’t set their mind to it, but that’s exactly what McCandless did. He was determined to live on his own and travel through the wild with the least amount of supplies. He was brave until the very end, and never gave up. Chris’s father Walt, "Chris was fearless even when he was little...he didn't think the odds applied to him. We were always trying to pull him back from the edge." (109)

            Chris knew what he wanted. Even though he was young, he was determined. He could have completed his trip in a breeze with all the money he had, but instead, he knew someone could benefit more out of it then he could. Chris McCandless left everything, his home, his family, his education, and his big shot at life. Chris had a great future in school, and had his next step at life ready for him. Giving up everything to go out into the nature and live a free life, was a huge decision. The fact that Chris gave all of his money to charity shows that he is truly a caring and thoughtful person. “He would be generous and caring to a fault, but he had a darker side as well, characterized by monomania, impatience, and unwavering self-absorption, quantities that seemed to intensify through his college years,” (120). Chris’s personality varied often, but he always stuck to his own opinions, never let anyone boss him around, and he did what he wanted. 

            “I won’t run into anything I can’t deal with on my own,” (6). Chris McCandless knew he could handle this adventure. He didn’t want anyone to tell him he couldn’t, so he didn’t tell anyone where he was going. When Chris was growing up, he didn’t have a great amount of friends, but people always loved him. He was really good at first impressions, so when people met him on the road they immediately liked him and didn’t think he should continue on his journey. Chris’s sister, Carine, says “Even when we were little, he was very to himself. He wasn’t antisocial, he always had friends, and everybody liked him-but he could go off and entertain himself for hours. He didn’t seem to need toys or friends. He could be alone without being lonely” (107).This quote states that Chris didn’t need other people around him to make him happy; he could be alone in the wild and not be lonely. The main reason why McCandless left home to travel to Alaska was because he wanted to be free. Chris and his parents never really had a good relationship after he found out that his father, Walt, was married to another woman before Chris’s mom, and had a child with her. Some people say this may be one of the reasons why Chris left home, but only he knows the real reason why he left.

            Many people believe that Chris was an amateur and a fool, because they never thought to realize that Chris did what they could never do. Chris’s journey wasn’t all about the nature; it was about him finding himself and who he was. He was considered a hero all along to his family and friends and the majority of people who knew him and his story. The other half of the audience, doesn’t agree. Chris didn’t have any money, food, or shelter. “Entering the wilderness purposefully ill-prepared, and surviving a near-death experience does not make you a better human, it makes you damn lucky.” (71) Clearly, people were harsh about the way they felt towards Chris, especially the Alaskans. However, I strongly believe that Chris was a brave man and a wonderful person.

            As you can see I support Chris’s journey and search for him-self, even though half of the people who know his story don’t. Chris achieved his dreams, gave all of his money to charity, and left everything he had. To me, Chris is an absolute hero. He was brave and courageous until the moment he died. Shortly after Chris spent his 100^th day in the wild, he ate a moldy potato seed. Because the seed had mold on it, it poisoned Chris’s body didn’t have enough nutrition in it to tolerate the potato root. A couple months after Chris died his parents came up to the bus to see where he had been living before he passed. Everyone missed him deeply and supported his trip. I am truly inspired by Chris McCandless’s story and more people should learn to respect him and appreciate how courageous he really was.