Who Is Chris Mccandless In Into The Wild

In Into the Wild, The main character Chris McCandless is not someone who might be considered to be a “typical” young adult. Although he has some traits commonly seen in young adults, he cannot be mistaken for someone else. During his journey going into the wild, the reader can see what makes Chris abnormal compared to other people his age. There are three main components that prove this. First, Chris did not have materialistics desires, something that drives our society. Second, Chris did not try to fit in socially with other people. This is something most people hope to accomplish, especially at Chris’s age. Lastly, Chris left his family without intention of coming back or “grounding” himself to a specific place or purpose, something that most typical young adults end up doing in their life. Chris McCandless was not a typical young adult …show more content…
Chris did not fit in or conform into a “carbon-copy” of every young college student; bright, ambitious, and searching for a place in society. Chris was intelligent, but oddly, was not driven by grades although his were near perfect. This almost contradicts itself. A bright, young student, who did not care about his fantastic grades. During his travels, Chris had obtained a gun and large knife and “insisted on taking the big knife and the gun with him” (Krakauer 119). According to Chris’s father, he thought that Chris’s roommate's parents “were going to have a stroke on the spot” (Krakauer 119). Chris’s actions did not match those which society would consider acceptable; especially for someone with his abilities. Chris was not a typical young adult and did not want to become what society expects him to become; a “cookie-cutter” version of what every bright college student is expected to be. This is another reason why Chris was not a typical young adult and did not fit into society. Still, some may consider Chris’s to be a typical young