Summary Of On Isolation By Mark Conliffe

Everyone has been isolated at some point in their lives. Whether we physically isolate ourselves or psychologically isolate ourselves, we all need to experience it. According to Mark Conliffe in his essay “On Isolation,” he states that we look for isolation for different reasons, to think, heal, rest, recover, consider actions, and prepare for the future (116). In the book Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer retells the events of a man named Chris McCandless. Chris had a very promising life ahead of him. He could have gone to college for law and gotten a car from his parents but he gave all of that up to leave his family and isolate himself from his past.
Chris McCandless eventually made his way up to Alaska. It is here that his story came to an end. McCandless didn’t inform anyone where he was located thereby isolating himself further from help. By isolating himself he wasn’t able to get help when he needed it. …show more content…
Isolation doesn’t mean you are away from everything. McCandless disowning his own family was a form of isolation just like his trip to Alaska was isolation. According to Conliffe isolation is a “position separate from the whole” (116). Conliffe says isolation can be separated into two categories, passive isolation and active isolation. A passive isolation is when an individual becomes isolated by a force they can’t control, an outside force, while active isolation is when the individual wants to be isolated and goes out to become isolated (116-117). Chris McCandless experiences both types in his adventures. McCandless wants to isolate himself and does so by leaving for Alaska to be alone. This demonstrates the active isolation experienced by McCandless. Passive isolation is also demonstrated when McCandless can’t escape the wilderness when he is trapped between the unthawed