Chris Mc Candless In Into The Wild

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Ben Eisenberg AP Language and Composition Set 6 21 December 2012 Pure and Simple “Chris wasn’t some feckless slacker, adrift and confused, raked by existential despair. To the contrary: His life hummed with meaning and purpose.” In Into the Wild John Krakauer assesses Chris McCandless as someone who had his head on straight; his path and purpose in life were as straight as an arrow. However, his life hummed with one other important characteristic: arrogance. Chris acted naïve of the caring people around him and stolid to the directives of his parents. The hollow idealism he stubbornly worshiped ultimately led to his death. Despite Krakauer's praise for Mc Candless, the young man’s thoughtlessness, stubborn idealism, and arrogance. as nothing more than a naïve dreamer. Chris McCandless’s life droned deplorably along, his bright existence destined to abruptly darken. Chris's inconsideration can be seen through the rashness of his actions. Chris was selfish and insensitive towards his family and the “substitute” family members he met along the way. He didn't feel a strong need to stay connected with the people who loved him and often left with goodbyes. Chris believed that "If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason,…show more content…
He does not think McCandless is so naïve or arrogant as many, especially in Alaska, do, but he does see that he was young, and had many of the common misperceptions of the young, and claims that that was really his main flaw. The implication of this passage is that, had McCandless survived, he likely would have ended up maturing—learning to be close to people, to forgive flaws in those he loved, to interact with society and the world in less extreme ways. Because he dies, however—which is certainly not any more deserved than if Krakauer had on Devils Thumb—he will never have that opportunity, and instead is blamed for his ignorance and

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