Alaskan Neverland
Peter Pan, the high flying fairy tale character, and Chris McCandless, the subject of Jon Krakauer’s book Into the Wild, seem completely different. However, the two protagonists are very similar in many ways. Chris and Peter may seem like conflicting characters yet they share many similarities such as, both have an alter ego, both experience issues with family and both embrace the idea of ultimate freedom. These traits reveal that one cannot attempt to stay young forever. Throughout Into the Wild Chris McCandless, also known as Alex Supertramp, journeys into Alaska with the intent to survive on minimal supplies. Unfortunately he fails, meeting his demise after a series of poor decisions and bad judgement calls. To …show more content…
In Chris’ case, freedom meant escaping the restraints of society and his family. Many who knew Alex McCandless, not Chris, knew him as hardworking, intelligent, and determined. Most of all, the interviewees in Krakauer’s book describe Alex’s eagerness to begin his journey in the wilderness, and his determination to do it ‘his way.’ Wayne Westerberg [the owner of a grain elevator in South Dakota] an employer and friend of Alex McCandless recalls Alex telling him, “I want to hitch north. Flying would be cheating. It would wreck the whole trip” (Qtd. in Krakauer 67). In this quote, Alex is expressing his reasons for hitchhiking to Alaska instead of flying in a plane. He does not want the convenience and laziness of society to interfere with his adventure. By journeying across the country, Chris was attempting to escape the constraints of civilization, much like Peter Pan does when he flies. Like McCandless, Peter dislikes society and the corruption of man. He flies away from civilization to the utopian island Neverland, a place completely untouched by modern technology, hunger and pain. In retrospect, Neverland, would be the perfect place for Chris McCandless. In Neverland, Chris could obtain absolute deliverance and freedom, much like Pan does in his stories, and like he did in Alaska before meeting his
Peter Pan, the high flying fairy tale character, and Chris McCandless, the subject of Jon Krakauer’s book Into the Wild, seem completely different. However, the two protagonists are very similar in many ways. Chris and Peter may seem like conflicting characters yet they share many similarities such as, both have an alter ego, both experience issues with family and both embrace the idea of ultimate freedom. These traits reveal that one cannot attempt to stay young forever. Throughout Into the Wild Chris McCandless, also known as Alex Supertramp, journeys into Alaska with the intent to survive on minimal supplies. Unfortunately he fails, meeting his demise after a series of poor decisions and bad judgement calls. To …show more content…
In Chris’ case, freedom meant escaping the restraints of society and his family. Many who knew Alex McCandless, not Chris, knew him as hardworking, intelligent, and determined. Most of all, the interviewees in Krakauer’s book describe Alex’s eagerness to begin his journey in the wilderness, and his determination to do it ‘his way.’ Wayne Westerberg [the owner of a grain elevator in South Dakota] an employer and friend of Alex McCandless recalls Alex telling him, “I want to hitch north. Flying would be cheating. It would wreck the whole trip” (Qtd. in Krakauer 67). In this quote, Alex is expressing his reasons for hitchhiking to Alaska instead of flying in a plane. He does not want the convenience and laziness of society to interfere with his adventure. By journeying across the country, Chris was attempting to escape the constraints of civilization, much like Peter Pan does when he flies. Like McCandless, Peter dislikes society and the corruption of man. He flies away from civilization to the utopian island Neverland, a place completely untouched by modern technology, hunger and pain. In retrospect, Neverland, would be the perfect place for Chris McCandless. In Neverland, Chris could obtain absolute deliverance and freedom, much like Pan does in his stories, and like he did in Alaska before meeting his