Chris McCandless died, starving and alone in the Alaskan wilderness. His death sent shockwaves through the country, inspiring the book Into The Wild, by Jon Krakauer. Readers of Krakauer’s stirring novel have raised the question: was Chris McCandless unprepared for his escapade or did he merely suffer a cruel hand of fate? When the romance and mythology is removed from his story, it becomes clear that McCandless was in over his head from day one. Though he had enough confidence for 10 people and had survived on his own for months, McCandless’s lack of experience and extreme pride would be his downfall. McCandless spent months preparing for his Alaskan adventure, and once he embarked, he was able to survive for over 100 days. How then can
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The real question is why was he so unaware of the challenges he would face? From the outside, Chris appeared to be the perfect candidate for surviving in the wild; he was bold, astute, and independent. Yet with bravery came impulsivity; with intelligence, pride; with independence, contempt. His audacious character led the way for decisions that would ultimately lead to his death. Rather than keep a map for backup, Chris craved the unknown so much that he discarded his only map. He lost knowledge of shallower tendrils of the Teklanika River, mere miles from his bus, as well as a cable car that spanned the width of the tide that could have granted him his salvation. He acted carelessly because his courage blindsided him to the real dangers he faced. One would think that the college graduate would have been smart enough to know better than to wander into the wilderness without any backup plan; nonetheless, his wit was matched only by his intense pride. “He tried to live entirely off the country- and he tried to do it without bothering to master beforehand the full repertoire of crucial skills” (82). Simply wanting to survive would not be enough in the wild. Whether he liked it or not, McCandless was not experienced enough to live in the Alaskan wilderness without first mastering all of the necessary skills. He was unwilling to admit this to himself, ultimately leading to his
The real question is why was he so unaware of the challenges he would face? From the outside, Chris appeared to be the perfect candidate for surviving in the wild; he was bold, astute, and independent. Yet with bravery came impulsivity; with intelligence, pride; with independence, contempt. His audacious character led the way for decisions that would ultimately lead to his death. Rather than keep a map for backup, Chris craved the unknown so much that he discarded his only map. He lost knowledge of shallower tendrils of the Teklanika River, mere miles from his bus, as well as a cable car that spanned the width of the tide that could have granted him his salvation. He acted carelessly because his courage blindsided him to the real dangers he faced. One would think that the college graduate would have been smart enough to know better than to wander into the wilderness without any backup plan; nonetheless, his wit was matched only by his intense pride. “He tried to live entirely off the country- and he tried to do it without bothering to master beforehand the full repertoire of crucial skills” (82). Simply wanting to survive would not be enough in the wild. Whether he liked it or not, McCandless was not experienced enough to live in the Alaskan wilderness without first mastering all of the necessary skills. He was unwilling to admit this to himself, ultimately leading to his