Christopher Mccandless Essay

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Long Vo English 102 Instructor: Sean McFarland A young man named Christopher McCandless who was a great student and athlete. He had many accomplishments in his life, yet had a great desire to one day live out on his own in the Alaskan wilderness. This desire later on led to his death. Jon Krakauer, the author of Into The Wild, created a story about McCandless, about his unique journey from the day graduated high school, until his death in the woods of Alaska. From achieving in academics to walking with the homeless, he lived his life the way he wanted to, following no rules and doing whatever he liked on his own. Many bad moments were in his life, yet he overcame the downsides, and never seemed to have regretted the decision made. His life was a thrill ride, with so many adventures. The dream he longed for was satisfied. Krakauer compares himself with McCandless, but the true difference between them is, Chris did not survive. The allure of danger and high-risk activities is central to Into The Wild. This allure may not be significant to everyone, but it certainly is to a specific kind of young man-one who is intense, passionate, driven and ambitious, but not satisfied with the opportunities or challenges society presents to him. These young men also always seem to have some kind of demon driving them, whether it is a troubled relationship with their fathers, as with McCandless and Krakauer. In the two chapters Four and Five, we can see clearly how rare of the way he manages the risk is, and how deeply influenced by literature. Tolstoy and Jack London are two of his favorite authors, whom he pushes on whoever he thinks has the right mindset for them, and whose philosophies and morals he tries to live by. “London’s fervent condemnation of capitalist society, his glorification of the primordial world, his championing of the great unwashed-all of it mirrored
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