Jon Krakauer, an author, wrote a book called ‘Into the Wild’, it portrays Chris McCandless, a young man who went on an adventure into nature, inexperienced and foolishly to find his true identity and dignity. Chris McCandless wants to evade and fled the claustrophobic confines of Society and his family. He has a grudge toward his family, except his sister, which prompted him the desire to vanish. Nature, the wild, is a place where he believes he can find his true self and his proper status in society. Due to McCandless’s complicated personality, some believe he is a brainless person who was too dense and deceived by his pride to recognize that his journey was an end to his life. Others believe he is heroic by showing his bravery, self-direction, and strength, to tear away from social criteria and live the life he needed to live ideally of the one other people expected him to. Although some may see Chris McCandless as a person who died for nothing, he followed what he had believed in and should be admired rather than criticized.
Chris is admirable in his courage for following his dream, but it also means he is free to do whatever he wants as he sees it, he did so by getting rid of all unnecessary items on his journey to Alaska. In chapter twelve, it explains how Chris’s decision to leave “shortly thereafter, he donated the balance of his bank account to OXFAM, loaded up his car, and vanished from their lives” (Krakauer 125). This quote shows Chris’s noble idea to distribute his money because he found he had no need for it. McCandless’ actions made it clear that he cares and helps people on his journey and never asked for anything in return from them. Chris was a hard worker, a loving brother, and a great friend. In the end, Chris fulfilled duties that he wasn't required to fulfill. Also, he became independent at a young age and was open to life on the road. People today see that as more of a failure in life than anything else. Chris saw it as a pure way of living and it made him become a better person.
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Another honorable note is Chris’s courage to not follow the rules by an authority figure. When Chris was working at McDonald’s to earn money, his supervisor told him he has to wear socks because it was a policy to wear appropriate footwear at all times. “Chris would follow the rule, but as soon as his shift was over, bang!- the first thing he would do is take off his socks” (Krakauer 40). Chris did not want to defy the rules or create an uproar, but he would make it known that he did not like to follow them. He did not like being told what to do and when to do it, and this made it difficult for him to lead a normal life in society.
Although Chris McCandless has many actions that someone can admire about him, he still made some judgments that were not all that courageous. In chapter twelve, Chris’s parents explain something about his personality that shows his other side. McCandless was caring and kind to everyone he met. He would be dependable and helps them as much as he could. But McCandless was obsessed with nature and the injustices in the world. They devoured him. As he grew older, he became more conscious of the injustices in the world until he reached his breaking point and left on his trip. “He could be generous and caring to a fault, but he had a darker side as well characterized by monomania, impatience, and unwavering self-absorption, qualities that seemed to intensify through his college years” (Krakauer 120). This quote reveals that Chris might have been courageous but he had self-qualities that would say differently all the time. McCandless was a good person, but he had his faults just like everyone else.
Chris McCandless followed what he had believed while on his journey and people should admire rather than criticize him. Though McCandless may have made some bad judgments calls in his life. But he helped the less fortunate, while many wouldn't. He handed out burgers, donated money to OXFAM, there were many opportunities when people offered to help him, but he persisted in doing it on his own to pursue his personal goal. I think that Chris McCandless accomplished some pretty amazing things, and though he may be called selfish or cruel, he did what made him happy and took a chance most people aren't willing to take. This is why he should be admired.
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