Imagine walking into the wild while abandoning everything ever known in life such as family, friends, place of residence, and even daily hobbies and pastimes in an attempt to dissociate from society just to experience freedom, or prove a cause that many find unnecessary and life threatening. Although it may seem like an adrenaline rush for some, there is a very slim chance for survival given the surroundings and circumstances. The author of Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer, reveals Chris McCandless to be an introvert who feels the need to live off the land in Alaska and to escape the fabricated upbringing by his parents. In an effort to show the dangers of living and exploring in the wilderness alone, director Werner Herzog introduces Timothy Treadwell
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Both McCandless and Treadwell were educated, with McCandless having the advantage. McCandless attended and graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia where he’d “been a columnist for , and editor of, the student newspaper, The Emory Wheel”. He graduated with a degree in history and anthropology with a 3.72 grade-point average and was offered membership to Phi Beta Kappa but declined after stating that titles and honors are “irrelevant”. Unlike McCandless, Treadwell did receive a scholarship to attend Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois to swim, but he later dropped out. Although prepared mentally, McCandless was not prepared in any other way for a long isolation. Before leaving, he abandoned everything besides essentials which included some clothes, a miniscule amount of money, and a bag of rice. A major problem for McCandless proved to be his lack of a sufficient amount of food. With the help of a scientific book regarding wild plants, he trained himself to find sources of food in Alaska. Unfortunately, this proved to be fatal due to the fact McCandless had died from eating moldy potato seeds, which were listed as safe to eat in the book. Due to the fact McCandless wanted to live off the land, he didn’t carry supplies or even a necessity such as a map with him into the wilderness because he wanted to create a map for himself in order to become accustomed to his surroundings. Unfortunately, this decision turned fatal because it possibly could have assisted McCandless in crossing the Teklanika River that Summer. Unlike McCandless, Treadwell had the luxury of being dropped off in an airplane with supplies that would last all summer. Being near a grizzly bear is undoubtedly a dangerous feat, especially in the wild without protection. Treadwell would have been alive if he hadn’t decided to extend the duration of his travels. In the extra time, grizzlies foreign to the area and
Both McCandless and Treadwell were educated, with McCandless having the advantage. McCandless attended and graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia where he’d “been a columnist for , and editor of, the student newspaper, The Emory Wheel”. He graduated with a degree in history and anthropology with a 3.72 grade-point average and was offered membership to Phi Beta Kappa but declined after stating that titles and honors are “irrelevant”. Unlike McCandless, Treadwell did receive a scholarship to attend Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois to swim, but he later dropped out. Although prepared mentally, McCandless was not prepared in any other way for a long isolation. Before leaving, he abandoned everything besides essentials which included some clothes, a miniscule amount of money, and a bag of rice. A major problem for McCandless proved to be his lack of a sufficient amount of food. With the help of a scientific book regarding wild plants, he trained himself to find sources of food in Alaska. Unfortunately, this proved to be fatal due to the fact McCandless had died from eating moldy potato seeds, which were listed as safe to eat in the book. Due to the fact McCandless wanted to live off the land, he didn’t carry supplies or even a necessity such as a map with him into the wilderness because he wanted to create a map for himself in order to become accustomed to his surroundings. Unfortunately, this decision turned fatal because it possibly could have assisted McCandless in crossing the Teklanika River that Summer. Unlike McCandless, Treadwell had the luxury of being dropped off in an airplane with supplies that would last all summer. Being near a grizzly bear is undoubtedly a dangerous feat, especially in the wild without protection. Treadwell would have been alive if he hadn’t decided to extend the duration of his travels. In the extra time, grizzlies foreign to the area and