Chris McCandless’s unpreparedness and unawareness of what he is about to face is one of the main reasons for his death. As McCandless is picked up hitchhiking by Jim, an accomplished and experienced hunter, Jim immediately notices, …show more content…
When park rangers find an abandoned car, they, “pulled off the tarp, they found an old yellow Datsun without license plates. . . the Datsun, of course belonged to Chris McCandless” (38). From this point on, McCandless is at an extremely vulnerable point. He has no means of transportation, and has to rely solely on hitchhiking. This can be very dangerous and tiresome, and has the possibility to be fatal. As McCandless finally makes his way to the Alaskan wild, lacking shelter he, “moved into the abandoned bus on the Stampede Trail” (51). The fact that McCandless’s only protection is a bus, is extremely dangerous and makes him more than vulnerable. He does not have a place to stay warm during the brutal winters which can easily kill a person. He also has limited protection against a bear or any other animal that may challenge him. His lack of shelter reflects his vulnerability, exposing himself to the elements, to wildlife, and eventually is one of the reasons he died. When McCandless is found dead, the troopers find, “a diary- written across the last two pages of a field guide to edible plants” (26). This is the only reference book McCandless brings on his adventure. The book highlights only some of the plants he may not be able to eat. McCandless is extremely vulnerable here because he decides to eat a potato, unknown to him to be poisonous, which caused his …show more content…
Everyone is responsible for their own actions, even if the idea seems out of the ordinary or irrational. If people do not fully understand their actions, and how they affect others and themselves, the consequences may be catastrophic. Following a dream or taking a risk may seem flawless at first, but being unprepared, taking risks, and increasing one’s vulnerability, is a recipe for