How Did Chris Mccandless Live In The Wild

On April 28, 1992 a young man, going by the name of Alex Supertramp, ventured his way to Fairbanks, Alaska. He was seen carrying little food and equipment, and claiming he wanted to live off the Alaskan wilderness, where he would find solitude far away from civilization. Four months later, a moose hunter discovered his decomposed body in an abandoned Fairbanks City Transit Bus just along the Stampede Trail. The starved remains weighing only 66 pounds, was later identified as Christopher Johnson McCandless. Following his death, many people began to question McCandless's state of mind and purpose of living in the wild. Thus, raising the question of why McCandless's death evokes such strong emotion in people? I believe McCandless serves a symbol of freedom, pureness and the disbelief of the modern American life; however, how can one respect his actions and decisions that can be deemed foolish or dangerous? …show more content…
Many who despised McCandless believed he faced an inevitable death and mainly got what he deserved. These opinions originating mainly from Alaskan residents, as many believed McCandless was tainting the Alaskan image and the respect for nature. Yet, these opinions do not aline with Jon Krakauer's purpose of “Into the Wild” as the book serves as Krakauer's way of understanding McCandless's death. In opposition, people who are sensitive, mournful, or rebellious tend to relate to McCandless, emotionally and spiritually. McCandless serves as a symbol, in which a person is able to disregard society and the social norm in order to achieve godliness. I believe McCandless's death can be viewed as more of a virtue than a tragedy because he ultimately risked his life in order for others to see there is a beautiful world outside of our normal