Into The Wild Rough Draft Essay

Into The Wild Essay:

In 1992 a young man was found dead in the Alaskan mountains. Chris McCandless, the main character of ‘Into the Wild’, was searching for his true self, and died in the process of doing so. Because Chris McCandless wanted, some would say needed, to do something reckless, and his original intent was to survive and return home, his pain which he brought onto his family and friends was and will never be justified.

McCandless wouldn’t agree with the statement that him causing his friends and family emotional pain was justified, maybe the pre-journey Chris, but the Chris who grew during his venture into the wild, the post-journey Chris, wouldn’t. In the story ‘Into The Wild’ there are two Chris McCandless, and the story jumps from the present to the past and back around again, and because of that it is difficult to indentify which McCandless it is referring too. Luckily enough, the Author, Jon Krakauer, gives us a big hint. Chris renames himself several times, one name is his real one, Chris McCandless, one is Alex McCandless, and the last is Alex Supertramp, his alter ego. But along with those names, there is deeper meaning to the change of names. Three names are spread across two egos.

Many people criticized McCandless for not contacting or keeping contact with his parents and family. He did not have to tell his parents anything. He was doing what he wanted, not what other people wanted him to do and he was happy. Again, he didn’t have to do anything. He should have kept contact, or at least not pushed himself as far as he did, and returned before his demise.

Losing a family member is like pain that will never leave. It’s like plastic degrading, it never does, it just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. The pain for McCandless would/will never leave, and his death will never be justified, but he never really wanted to die. He wanted an adventure, and with his family it would never have happen, so he left. Although he doesn’t exactly hint at it until he is on his deathbed, I believe he always thought of returning. Alex/Chris originally set off into the Alaskan mountains after 2 years of adventuring to ‘live off the land’. In his journal he said he wanted to return, but only said this before he died.

Chris McCandless wouldn’t agree with the statement that him causing his friends and family emotional pain was justified, maybe the pre-journey Chris, but the Chris who grew during his venture into the wild, better known as Alex, wouldn’t agree. He probably knew it wouldn’t be, leaving without telling, and next they would hear he was dead.