Into the wild affects readers in a spiritual way, when it comes to connecting to nature. Nature heals the soul, and can help when one is finding one’s self. Chris in, Into The Wild, leaves his family to attempt to live his life the way he’s always desired to live it. He goes all across Northern America meeting new people, and having new experiences. Chris, very consciously, never fully lets anyone he meets connect with him, but one thing Chris connects with us the Earth around him. Chris is able to be himself with no judgement when he's in nature. As well as completely lose himself in nature, literally, when he dies among it. Although Chris isn't believed to be alone because he is among all natural living things in the Earth. He died knowing he lived with and off the land. He learned that he needs to respect all living things around him and let them flow naturally. He lived the life he always wanted to live.
The novel Into The Wild effects readers in many ways. However I believe that it effects them spiritually the most. Chris wasn't content with the life he was living and the expectations people had for him. He wanted to challenge his independence and his existence. Chris was raised being given mostly everything to him, he was sheltered and he didn't want to follow his parents path for him. The fact that he donated most of his money to charity, burned the rest, abandoned his values and ventured out into the wild is remarkable. Chris even left and impact on people he barely even knew, because he was so different. His death left a mark on everyone, which, in my opinion, is what he intended to do. I believe Chris set out with a plan in mind on what he was doing, and especially why he was doing it. He wanted to rely completely on himself for once, and while doing that restore some of the values he thought were important, aside from the socially acceptable ones. He wanted to experience personal happiness, and have the ability to be comfortable in solitude. I believe this really effects readers spiritually, because they are forced to question, why would anyone in their right mind do something like this? Chris no longer wanted to conform to society, he wanted to see what else was out there, and within himself.
In the novel “Into The Wild” the reader is affected morally by actions, and behaviors towards family and in other relationships. As a child, Chris McCandless always looked up to and admired his grandfather, his mother’s dad. He received his passion for the wilderness from his grandpa. He still left his entire family, including his grandpa. Leaving his parents was one thing, but being able to completely isolate his role model, was morally unacceptable. Along with his grandpa, he had a very close relationship with his sister, and he was able to completely abandoned her as well. Chris lost relationships with nearly all of his family for what seemed like resentment toward his parents, especially his father. When Chris was young he tried many sports, and his dad always pushed him really hard in all of the activities he tried. Once Chris grew up, his father pushed him through college to receive good grades and to complete all of school. Chris decided to leave his dad out of resentment. He pushed Chris so hard, Chris didn’t want to deal with him anymore. No matter what happens, family is family and a person shouldn’t just leave them no matter how much they can’t stand them. Part of one’s morals are putting up with family through thick and thin. Another very likely reason Chris left his family was because he found out about his father’s affair. He didn’t agree with the decisions his dad made and the fact that his mom didn’t do anything about it. He was so mad that he left. Like stated before, leaving family shouldn’t ever be an option to anyone. This book could really change a reader's morals to the effect of having stronger morals or being influenced to go against one’s beliefs because of built up anger. Chris made a very poor judgement call of leaving his family, no matter how angry, frustrated or bothered he may have been.
Chris McCandless rebelled against the grain and went against societal norms. “Into the Wild” is an interesting read as it forces people to think about how they see the world. Throughout the book readers can see examples of how Chris criticises the way people act. The book says “Chris was very much of the school that you should own nothing except what you could carry on you're back at a dead run.” “Into the Wild” challenges and forces the readers to think about the way they put so much emphasis on materialistic things that have no real meaning nor any importance. Chris McCandless shows this by the ability to leave it all behind and abandon his life and especially the people in his life.
Chris's ability to leave it all behind is a way for him to separate his new found freedom and life from the one given to him by his parents. Chris grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. Seeing as his parents were both fairly successful and wealthy and are able to understand why Chris would want to abandon his life for a simpler more fulfilling life. This is a common theme to this day. Studies have shown that kids with successful parents often find ways to rebel usually in small ways like crashing an expensive car but not abandoning one's own family, disappearing into the woods, and the biggest kind of rebellion, death. Although Chris was able to leave it all behind when it comes to the great life he had he was also able to leave behind the people who brought him into the world, and all the people he met on the road. But relationships are the building blocks of success
Interpersonal communication and connections are crucial to a person’s functionality. Chris’s father had an affair while being married to Chris’s mother. This would be a good reason as to why Chris left everyone behind. Chris’s idea of his perfect family was rocked to the core by this event. He no longer saw his family as a wholesome unit and began to see how his ideals were not connecting with what those around him believed. Becoming aware of information like this would cause anyone to become untrusting and want to separate themselves. This is Chris’s way of showing his ideals to those who were around him. Now the relationship that he had with his family isn't the only relationship that changes. The way he interacts with the people who drive him to Alaska is also something that has been shaped by his ideals. Chris didn't want to get to attached to people as he thought that he would get sucked back into his old ways which is what he wanted to escape. Some of Chris’s most famous words go like this “Now I walk into the wild.” This man was alone. No one could save him, no one knew where he was, he was alone.
As Chris wrote his last correspondence he knew deep down in his sole that his ideals had taken him to this point, and he was okay with that. He was at peace with the idea of being alone, it's what he wanted and he finally had it. Now his ideals may have made sense to him but to his family it broke their hearts. Chris’s idea of being one with nature made sense to him as he was leaving behind the false promises of his old life. But the final note he left us was the idea that ideals whether good or bad are an integral part of what makes a person a person.
The novel “Into The Wild” leaves readers questioning their own ideology after experiencing the sacrifices Chris McCandless gave to try to reach his main goal in life; finding his true self and leaving it all behind. After reading the novel, it highly influences readers to be independent and do what makes them happy, even if it requires sacrifices and getting out of their comfort zone. Chris made the decision of cutting his parents out of his life completely when his parents ideologies began interfering with his main goal. During Chris’s teenage years his relationship with his father Wayne became very turmoil. Chris’s father tried enforcing his own ideology for Chris, however Chris wanted to be independent and live his own life. After going to Sequoia California Chris was informed that his father had an affair on Chris’s mother, which resulted in Chris having a brother he never met. After learning about his father’s surprising secret, Chris lost all respect for his father Wayne and became determined to rebel against him and fulfill his own dreams. This part in the novel left readers questioning the normal ideology that your parents know best and are always right. McCandless ideology wasn't only abnormal in terms of parents, but also in the trust and connections he made with strangers. Chris knew for him to fulfill his goal he had to go out of his comfort zone and give trust in random strangers. He trusted strangers to give him rides and help him with favors. Along the way McCandless realized the amount of friendships he made and began encouraging others to do the same for a happier life. Some examples of these strangers are Jan and Bob Burres, Ron Frank, and Jim Gallien. Although Chris went against the normal “stranger danger” ideology, it showed readers that taking risk and opportunities in life, can help create a happier overall life. In all, Chris McCandless lived far from the normal ideology to reach his life goal of finding his true self and leaving his past life. It is easily inferred in the novel that Chris was happy on the road, and died doing what he loved even if it was premature. Overall the novel “Into The Wild” helps influence readers ideologies to live their own lives and don't be afraid to take risks.
The novel “Into the Wild” affects readers in various ways. The way that is found to be most prominent is ideologically. Under the broad concept of ideology, this book has multiple sub-categories, such as societal norms, “The System”, philosophy, civil disobedience, human behavior, and materialism. The idea of materialism is encapsulating. Although Chris McCandless displays some minor materialism, overall, he is very non-materialistic, which changes the readers’ outlook on being materialistic in their everyday lives. The idea of materialism is defined as “a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.”. Many people today experience intense amounts of materialism. Tons of items fly off of store shelves every day, but proper ideology is lacking. Ideology is defined as “a system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.”. Ideology and morals are very similar in meaning, but morality is more spiritual than ideology. In this book, Chris McCandless is nearly the polar opposite of materialistic. He starts his journey with ditching his car and a majority of his belongings. He then burns the money he has on him and heads on his way. Throughout the entirety of his trip, he carries nothing more than his backpack. When Gallian offers him boots and food, Chris argued and painfully accepted. He never really held on to much of anything. He was comfortable living in the oddest places, like that old trailer, with the homeless by the hot springs, and ultimately in the woods. Even when it came to food, something he needed to survive, he brought very sparse amounts. By being so anti-materialistic, Chris McCandless affects the readers’ outlook on materialistic mentality. I know that personally, I almost felt guilty for being so materialistic and still complaining. Chris had barely anything at all and was completely content with the way his life played out. Up until the very end, Chris was completely content with having absolutely nothing to his name and most of us panic when we lose our phones. The book has the power to make readers reevaluate their materialist ways after they see how Chris just abandons it all and is so content.
The novel "Into the Wild" is a very striking book in multiple ways. The novel in some way shape or form affects the reader either by what McCandless had done or just who he is as a person. McCandless was a very interesting person he was strong in what he believed in. Ideologically Chris was not bothered by the idea of materialism it wasn't something that worried him. Chris went into the wilderness with a very small amount of belongings.He didn't bring what the average person would bring if they were going to survive in the Alaska wilderness. Chris was not emotionally attached to any of the items he had with him, he had no problem leaving them behind. Unlike Chris as a society we have a tendency to hold onto things just because we want too. Peoples garages are stacked to the brim with boxes filled with "stuff". We pay money for more storage to keep our unnecessary stuff that in reality we haven't used in years. We hold onto things because it holds some memory or we think we will use it one day. At most Chris had a backpack with a bag of rice. He didn't rely on a compass or map he just went were ever the land took him and didn't worry about what he did and didn't have. Chris McCandless impacts the readers because of his disregard to items and things that we say we need. He makes the reader realize that we are overly attached to things that can be replaced. He proves that we don't in fact need those items. If Chris was able to go into the wild wilderness and survive with little to nothing we can surely not hold onto things as ferociously as we do.
In today's world it is almost impossible to live independently from money, material items and society. This fact is widely believed among readers which may leave the reader uncomfortable with Chris’s mantra for life. The main character in the book, Into The Wild tries to convince the reader otherwise. It may be possible to achieve this status but most people raised in an urban setting could not imagine or accomplish this. This is something only someone raised in the jungle by apes like Tarzan could truly achieve. I don’t believe the main point was the aspect of material items but living by the mindset of surviving within the bare minimum to truly achieve happiness.
The book Into the Wild subjects many ideals onto the the reader. The most influential of these is the idea of rejection of materialism in search of something more meaningful like the adventure of “nomadic travel”. Chris along with the rest of the character's mentioned follow this ideology. They gained satisfaction from experiencing danger and excitement . This is illustrated when Alex writes to his friend Ron, “Don't settle down and sit in one place. Move around, be nomadic, make each day a new horizon. You are still going to live a long time, Ron, and it would be a shame if you did not take the opportunity to revolutionize your life and move into an entirely new realm of experience”. When one is settled down life tends to be focused on material items this is the only life most readers have experienced. While on the road with nothing more than what's on your back life is more focused around experiences and adventure, this provides new insights to the reader and an insight that is different from his own, leaving the reader to wonder what it would be like to take this journey. Chris brought only a bag of rice and rifle into the wilderness with him, not because he was naive about the dangers of the wild but because bringing more would ruin his quest of being independent from materialistic possessions.
His hatred of materialism is shown first when he donates all of his money to charity and then later burns all of his money and abandons his car. There is a constant battle between Chris’ rejection of money and material items in search of a more pure lifestyle and Chris needing these items to survive. He expresses this ideal when he states; “No, man. Alaska, Alaska. I'm gonna be all the way out there, all the way fucking out there. Just on my own. You know, no fucking watch, no map, no axe, no nothing. No nothing. Just be out there..” This struggle is shared with Chris and the reader, both of us understand the need for money and we all struggle with what is enough money to survive.
Chris’s mindset, desires and goals were so far from the those of the reader. They provide a whole different insight into the world materialism vs minimalism, security vs risk and suburban vs wilderness. This sharp contrast between Chris and the reader gives the book a new perspective to be imposed on to the reader. The reader becomes curious about Chris and what drives his ideology for living life with such minimalism, and we wonder if this is true; “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living.”
Part of Chris’ s ideology was not needing people in his life, something he may have also considered “materialistic”. He was not only constantly gaining and abandoning a source of income he is also repeated the same cycle with friends and family, first his parents then all the people he met on the road. Part of the reason he abandoned his parents was because he hated their materialistic lifestyle. The main focus of their life was to make more money and gain better and nicer “things”. Chris rejected this societal focus on wealth and greed. Most readers would identify with Chris’s parents. Their lives revolved around their job and position in life. They could not even imagine living without a cell phones. While Chris goes as far to give up evan some of his most basic necessities. “At long last he was unencumbered, emancipated from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess, a world in which he felt grievously cut off from the raw throb of existence.”
Chris’s mindset, desires and goals were so far from the those of the reader. They provide a whole different insight into the world materialism vs minimalism, security vs risk and suburban vs wilderness. This sharp contrast between Chris and the reader gives the book a new perspective to be imposed on to the reader. The reader becomes curious about Chris and what drives his ideology for living life with such minimalism, and we wonder if this is true; “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living.”
“Make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt.”- John Krakauer (Krakauer)
“Into the Wild”, a book about a man fresh out of college going out into the world unprepared, but determined to explore a world he hasn’t had the luxury of seeing. “Into the Wild” challenges the reader ideologically to question what human behavior is appropriate, what is it to leave everything behind, and what it means to be alone.
Chris McCandless is the main character in “Into the Wild,” and he often crosses the line of what appropriate human behavior is when traveling from Annandale, Virginia to Stampede Trail, Alaska. In August 1990, Chris begins hitchhiking after his car breaks down in the middle of Detrital Wash, Arizona. In May of 1991, Chris takes a break from his hitchhiking adventure and becomes a fry cook at a McDonald’s. His co-workers at McDonald’s often referred to him as a very awkward person and very difficult to hold a conversation with. A month later Chris leaves his job and is picked up by a Wayne Westerburg while hitchhiking. At this point in Chris’s adventure, he decides to live with Wayne, and end his travels temporarily as he makes a life long friend. This shows a desire for human interaction. Chris McCandless’s behavior shows that he is not the most social person, but deep down he values human interaction. Take for example his awkwardness while being employed at McDonald’s. His behavior was appropriate because it was expected considering his situation. He went without human contact for a while and when he finally encountered people at McDonald’s, he had already lost his ability to communicate properly.
Chris was a very privileged individual. He had wealthy parents, he was very well educated and he was the poster child for potential. He had everything laid out for him, but he made the realization that he was not really living if there was an absence of challenge. According to the recollection of the truck driver, Gallien, Chris was very ill prepared for this grueling journey he was about to pursue. Gallien tried to talk some sense into Chris, but the young adolescent feels as if he can handle anything that crosses his path. Before Chris decided to throw is previous life out of the window, his parents provided everything for him. Chris was never truly an independent. This journey would allow Chris to reinvent himself in ways that were impossible if he were to remain living his privileged lifestyle. He abandoned his comfort in order to allow room for growth and self discovery.
“This is the last you shall hear from me Wayne. Arrived here 2 days ago. It was very difficult to catch rides in the Yukon Territory. But I finally got here. Please return all mail I receive to the sender. It might be a very long time before I return South. If this adventure proves fatal and you don't ever hear from me again, I want you to know you're a great man. I now walk in the wild.” A postcard written by Chris McCandless (Krakauer, Jon)
McCandless died alone in the woods with no food, no friends, and no family. In social psychology, solitude has traditionally been defined and measured as being physically alone, or in some cases not engaging with people who are also physically present. Chris was physically alone and lived his final days miles from civilization in the Alaskan wild. “Solitude is not always experienced positively. At times, and for certain people, it can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. In that sense, solitude is a two-sided coin, as is the case with other necessities in life, like food. As with food, we can benefit from being mindful of the quantity and quality of solitude we experience in daily life” (Campbell). Being alone is often referred to living in solitude, but the difference between solitude and loneliness, is solitude implies the choice of being alone whereas loneliness implies there is no choice in being alone. Chris goes into the wild seeking solitude, but when he decides to retreat to civilization he is cut off by a ravaging river, and he is forced into a life of loneliness, leading him towards death.
Christopher Johnson McCandless, better known to the world as Alex Supertramp, was born on February 12, 1968, in El Segundo, California. He was very willful, and often conflicted with his equally obstinate father. After graduating Emory University, in Georgia, he took off, never to be seen by his family again. The novel “Into the Wild” tells the world of who he was, how he acted, and makes the reader question if they are truly living.
Work Cited
Krakauer. "Into the Wild Quotes by Jon Krakauer." Into the Wild Quotes by Jon Krakauer. Goodreads. Web. 29 Sept. 2016. https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3284484-into-the-wild
Tangney, J. P., Stuewig, J., & Mashek, D. J. (2007). Moral emotions and moral behavior. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 345.
Tanggaard, L. (2013). The sociomateriality of creativity in everyday life. (pp. 20-21). Sage Journals. http://cap.sagepub.com/content/19/1/20.full.pdf+html
Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. New York: Random, 1996. Print.
Campbell, Scott. "To Be Alone: Finding Solitude In A Time Of Perpetual Contact." Medical Daily. 31 May 2016. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.
Reading Into the Wild, affects readers in an ideological way by showing a different way of how life should be lived. Chris McCandless had an ideology that was different then most people he grew up with. He could be considered a deviant from society because he did not want to conform and fall automatically into an expected group or category. He felt he did not fit into what was expected of him. Although he did what was expected of him until he graduated and he created his own path based on his own beliefs and ideologies about society, eventually leading to his disappearance in Alaska. When reading this book, readers question McCandless’ decisions and motives based on how they think they would make choices if in the same situations. Some would say he was stupid and ignorant and he got what was coming to him. Others might say he was brave for trying to live off the land and do the unexpected. Chris McCandless viewed himself as a transcendentalist, he wanted to live by his rules and experience life in his own way. Readers can connect to wanting to move around and not be in one place, however most readers will still feel the pressures of responsibilities to provide for their essential needs at minimum. Chris stayed true to his beliefs until the end even when faced with impending doom. McCandless did not falter like most people would. Towards the end of his life Chris was content with knowing he had followed his own path, even though he was dying of starvation. Readers may or may not agree with Chris’s choices but this book will empower readers to find their own paths and adventures.
In the book "Into the Wild," Chris McCandless is effected morally by his actions and the actions of others around him. To begin with, Chris has struggled with relationships in general as see throughout the book. For example, the father-son relationship McCandless is a very dysfunctional relationship. With this a problem arises. The problem between McCandless and his father is his father has different ambitions and plans for Chris, than Chris has for himself. This creates the awkward or dysfunctional dynamic within the relationship. Chris is constantly trying to please his father, and he feels as if his father was never pleased. Chris was angered by this, which contributed to part of the reason McCandless decided to go on this adventure. Chris also had a a very close relationship with his Grandpa, which is the man Chris looked up to. His grandpa was his role model, and wanted to follow in his footsteps. Chris learned to be one with nature, and became really interested in the wilderness stuff like his grandpa. Chris left his family, left his biggest role model, and left everything he had behind. It was a very rash decision that may not have been thought through throughly on Chris' behalf. When Chris made this decision, and followed through with it. It makes you question, did he have morals?
In "Into the Wild", the text affected the readers morally through family relationship and actions. It affected readers by making them appreciate their family, appreciating every moment, and to just hand things to their children. Chris had a lot given to him but he also had some things given to him. Throughout the novel, there were several examples of how his family was important to him. However, he still decided to cut his family out of his life, due to their immoral lifestyle. He always had a strong relationship with his grandpa who he admired and looked up to, which is where he got most of his love for the outdoors. Chris left his family mostly for his passion but also out of resentment. His family always pushed him and he was not okay with it and just wanted to leave to make his point clear. He also had a close relationship with his sister who he also left behind.
“Into the Wild” is a thrilling novel that covers the life of Chris McCandless as he challenges the ideals of human connections with his wild decision of hitchhiking to Alaska. Throughout the entire book there’s a theme of how Chris connects with other people mainly being strangers. “Into the Wild” challenges the ideology of others through his connection with other strangers, the resentment he felt towards his parents, and his odd tendency to leave things behind. In the beginning of the novel are jumped into the discovery of Chris’s death, although very impairing to reading the book, the book also goes into depth of whom Chris has met. At first glance, a hitchhiker, looks more of a hobo and many people are weary of odd looking strangers on the road. But Chris wasn’t the same to certain people. Many, like Jim Gallien (Chapter 1), were surprised to see a young man out stranded on the side of the road. It was Chris’s age that made them think. Wayne Westerberg (Chapter 2) distinctly remembers Chris’s ability to work. Because Wayne is use to giving hitchhikers jobs, he also wasn’t expecting Chris to work as hard; but Chris was the hardest worker he’s seen. This common theme between his appearance and his work ethic struck all the strangers he met which isn’t normal to any standard. Most human behavior today consist of avoiding the strange and scary homeless and hitchhiking adults. However, because most of them are adults,that doesn’t alarm us as much as an 18 year old would. Later on we discover that the relationship Chris has with his parents is fragile and nothing close to loving. His father had meet another woman and had a child with her when he was off on a business trip. Chris discovered this through lurking through his father's belongings. Traditionally people would say that this is normal for a child and their parents will have a period of time of not getting along, but part of the reason Chris left is because of his parents. Chris hated his father for cheating on his mother, but he also hated his mother because even when she found out she did have the strength to leave him. As a disgusted child, Chris took this to heart, showing it when he would refuse or dodge the question of ever contacting his parents. This type of toll enforced Chris’s decision of leaving which is unbelievable because other kids would be devastated to never be with their parents. Last but not least, his ability to leave things easily. McCandless had no attachment to many things or people. Beginning with his parents, he never had an issue about thinking twice when leaving them, he didn’t think. This is another common theme throughout the book as Chris says goodbye with more ease than the strangers that met him within 24 hours. Letting go was a specialty of his. Chris didn’t own many and tangible things in which he held on to; instead, he let go of the people and items, he never grew a certain attachment and even if it seemed like he did, he’s leave before and relationship would go any further.
Chris McCandless is not ideal. He challenged the thought of a relationship with a family by breaking it. He never contacted, or showed any remorse about leaving his parents. He cut the line between what he was given by his parents, threw it away, and started fresh by making a new identity. Along those lines he was closer to any stranger, showing more love for people he had just met rather than people that had raised him. Although he wasn't completely open, he still struck others with his intelligent speech and wild stories making more connections in small places rather than in his home town. He let go of what was important by a moral standpoint and started following his own rules. All for his perfection, Chris abandoned his parents, made great friends with absolute strangers, and then left it all to live in the middle of Alaska, only to end up dead.
The book into the wild had readers take away many things, the big things were morals. Morally hunting is wrong, taking another creature's life is wrong. Except in a survival situation, it’s the same as self defense. If it comes down to it, hopefully it’s not your life you’re losing. In the book, Into the Wild, Chris McCandless shot moose with a .22 without a tag, not only morally wrong but also a federal crime. To some people not only is killing wrong but to take an animal illegally and poach it is another. On the same topic not only did Chris illegally kill and poach an animal but he also wasted the animal and all of the meat from the animal. Hunting is also morally wrong in the sense you take another organism's life, what separates a animals life and a human's, life is life and life is precious.
Diverse individuals had distinctive perspectives on Chris McCandless like he was moronic or courageous. But his beliefs pushed him to be the way he is. Chris' belts took after of individuals who impacted him, for instance, David Thoreau. Chris needed to get away from the limits of society, which is seen to affect his spirit. He additionally trusted that the quest for riches was ruining society. He additionally trusted that a man was intended to live in a quest for self-improvement. Like Thoreau, he wanted to live in the wild to free his brain from society standards. Chris needed to avoid material goods so it didn't consume room from his mental development. His mother and father had a huge effect on his life. Negative things and devastating things happened in his family dynamic. Strangers loved how Chris thought and what beliefs he had. The way he thought was something very unique. He lived being isolated from others. Chris' ideas guided him to ultimate happiness.
The book “Into the Wild” affects reader morally simply because the book is written about a person who did want to follow the norms of society. Part of Chris McCandless not wanting to conform to society has to do with unachievable standards set by his parents. Later in life this led him to want to become his own person, with his own standards. Unlike most “normal” people, McCandless set off to Alaska. Along the way he also went against what most people would see as acceptable.
Most people would not picture packing up and leaving your family without saying goodbye acceptable. In most peoples opinions, that would even be seen as wrong. Although adventures and trips are thought to be normal, dropping everything and leaving your family to go out on a trip that may, and in the end did prove fatal is not an everyday action. McCandless had a reason for doing all of this. He was angry with his parents, but he also had been wanting a trip like this. Eventually he had enough and went out and did it. Although he had been dreaming of this trip, he didn’t plan any of it which in most people's mind isn’t intelligent or common. He didn’t even plan out his transportation, which went against another idea of society.
When McCandless decided to take his small car some of the way but near the end, he hitchhiked and even hopped trains, an idea that in majority is not viewed as tolerable. This moral of society is very obvious. Hitchhiking is not illegal as a whole idea, but there are restrictions on how you can go about doing it. Train hopping on the other hand is illegal. Both of these are not common ways of transportation for a reason. Also, both of these ways of transportation could have been prevented if McCandless had kept his working car and all of his money.
McCandless had a working vehicle and enough money to keep it fueled without having to generate new, safer ways of transportation. Another society norm McCandless went against was by burning his money and ditching his car. Most people don’t like to give money away in the first place, but those who do usually use it to benefit others or themselves in other ways. McCandless was fortunate to have as much money as he did and it could have helped him on his trip to Alaska. Instead, he decided he didn’t need any funding for his journey so he burned it all, which in fact is actually illegal to do. By burning all of his money, McCandless went against a very big norm of society.
In the beginning by leaving everything for his trip, McCandless went against norms. Then along the way by hitchhiking and burning his money he went against more norms expected by society. He shocked everyone he met because he chose not to conform to what society thought he was “supposed to do”. He went out on what he thought he needed to do and chose not to let expectations decide who he would be or what he would do in life.
Gianni Acampora Contemp. Lit. & Comp. Tunink 9-30-16 The Importance of Society and the Implications of Into the Wild On Readers “Society has always to demand a little more from human beings than it will get in practice.” (George Orwell). Society, a group of people with shared laws, traditions and people. Humans have adapted society like another tool. However unlike any stone axe or steel screwdriver, society has a mind of its own. Often societies aid us, by creating a group of minds, allowing for better problem solving, idea creation, and happiness sharing.However, society, though manufactured and encasing its creators, tends to develop certain “quirks”. These quirks may benefits its participant, but in the case they don't’ they can be devastating and harsh. Things like: anger, sadness, debate, hunger, war, pain, and death. This however does not mean that society and eventually conformity is bad. In the end the benefits of conformity are well worth the burden of carefulness. Therefore, Into the Wild demonstrates that for the continuation of the conveniences of society, a certain level of conformity must be encouraged. As seen in Into the Wild, and more broadly, the story of Chris McCandless (Christmas Candles), not participating in society instigates the loss of its privileges. It is important to note that complete conformity to society will always be a bad thing, such examples being Nazi Germany and the Jonestown Massacre. However this does not mean that one should reject society almost completely such as Chris McCandless (Christmas Candles) has done. When analyzing the story of Chris McCandless (Christmas Candles) we notice the fact that Chris does not appreciate society, in fact he tries to escape it numerous times. We also notice that throughout his story the people he meets and the memories he makes are all generated through the participation of society. By reading Into the Wild readers will find that towards the end, Chris’s final moments, that if he simply participated in a small ritual of society, that he would still be alive. Because Chris did not take someone with him, or at least alert someone to his location, he wound up dead. This tends to strike a chord with many readers. Do to Chris’s silly fascination with disobedience and non- conformity, Chris wound up dead. His moral belief system was his downfall. Though some might get away with non- conformity and live to tell about it, to follow Chris’s extremity would also ultimately lead to their own destruction. People need friends. Friends of any degree, are the reason that people are able to complete tasks, make hard decisions, or even be happy. No matter what friends can only be generated through working at the factory that is society. Readers should learn from Chris’s example and understand that society is just another tool, and although it is quite dangerous, proper care will allow you to build great things. Into the Wild articulated the dangerousness of society and how either extreme viewpoint can be equally terrifying.
Throughout Into the Wild , McCandless affected the readers morally by the way he acted towards his parents compared to the people that he met on his adventure. McCandless was never very appreciative of his parents since he did not like to be told what to do from a very young age. When it came to meeting new people around the country, they all said that McCandless was very polite and they new he was intelligent as well. The people who read this book will see that McCandless was not acting in the right behavior towards his parents and it could change their behavior towards theirs. When mcCandless was growing up he was very athletic and his dad liked to teach him how to play many different sports but, as McCandless became better at the sports and his dad started teaching him more he would quit right there. This was because McCandless did not like being told what to do and liked to learn things on his own. The only sport that McCandless took a liking to in high school was cross country, even though he was very good at badminton, McCandless’ dad tried to teach him too much too the point to wear McCandless quit. With cross country he was able to train himself at his own pace and as he became better he got moved to the captain of the team. McCandless really liked this as he would make specific training exercises for the other people and he did not have to listen to anyone try to coach him. These actions that he took during sports were wrong in the way that we see it but to him it was the right thing to do. McCandless was also a very smart kid growing up but he did not want to use his abilities. Most people like him would have loved to go to college and learn more but McCandless only went to college to fulfil his parents dreams of him going to college. During the summer he would go on adventures across the country in his car that he had bought but, during those trips he would hardly be in contact with his parents which was very difficult for them. It would be hard on any parent to not hear from their son for weeks on end but it would also be hard on the kid because his parents were his role models growing up and the kid would have loved them greatly. This also occurred when McCandless came back and started working for his parents rocket company. He wrote a long code that the company still uses to this day but when his dad asked him how he figured it out he would not tell him. This was especially weird because it was his own father that he would not talk to and most people would even tell their boss what they have written. As McCandless was adventuring he met many different people such as Westerberg and when the author talked to him Westerberg said that McCandless was very hard working and polite. This was different from his parents as he was not polite when it came to working. This showed up when the people that he met told McCandless that it might be a good decision to call his parents. When he heard that he immediately dropped the conversation and went on his way. The thing that differed from the people that he met and his parent was that as McCandless traveled he sent letters to the people that he had met along the way yet, he did not make the effort to contact his parents. This is completely opposite from what most people would do as their parents are a huge part in their lives.
Chris McCandless has an ideology that is very different than a lot of others. While reading the book Into the Wild, this ideology impacts readers in a different way than most books would do. It mainly shows and describe how his treats his family, strangers, and lastly how he treats himself.
To start off he treats his family in a very peculiar way. He doesn’t necessarily rebel against his family but he does make life a little harder for them. He is not trying to do this on purpose but in the end he is trying to find his own way. He was told what to do too much and he decided to rebel against his family. Now, this being said, the book is not trying to tell the reader to rebel against family members but it is describing that sometimes the best path may be to disregard what others are encouraging others to do.
When people hitchhike, there is no way to know who you will meet or where you will be taken, which causes some hitchhikers to be standoffish when starting to hitchhike. Chris was standoffish to the drivers at first but then he truly opened up to them and created a bond that most people cannot create in such a short amount of time. For example, the one man that drove who tried to legally adopt Chris as his Grandson, that is not something that typically happens in a short drive. To the reader this expresses his ideology to treat strangers in such a respectful attitude and to do such small things that make such a large difference.
Finally, he treats himself in such a way that many others would rarely consider as a possibility. Most people would not spend the time to drop everything just to see where life takes them. Chris went for months without showering which very few people would be willing to do. This ideology affects the readers because it shows that even though something may be different than the social norm, it is okay to follow whatever the dream may be no matter how unconventional it may be.
So, long story short, Chris McCandless has an ideological viewpoint that seriously differs from others, but in some ways could be beneficial to him or society in certain cases.
When reading Into the Wild, one cannot put the book down and not have thought about why Chris chose to live the way he did. Although Chris had graduated college and would have been able to acquire a job very easily, he threw away money, shelter and basic needs all for a deeper understanding of himself, nature, and human instinct/lifestyle. People who read Into the Wild may not realize how much the book affected their consideration of a moral lifestyle. When reading this book it is nearly impossible to not consider Chris’s lifestyle in one's own habits; his ideology can apply in every human being’s life. This ideology may be more prominent in some peoples’ lives, such as hiking versus backpacking, hunting versus shopping, surviving versus living. This book can lead a person to consider society and the morality of modern lifestyles. Living a comfortable and easy life is often associated with a sense of superiority, ungratefulness, and a lack of contact with nature/human instinct. Whereas living a life similar to Chris’s(at least in his last two years) can heighten a person’s awareness of themselves, nature, and give a dose of unsurpassable humility. A question that often arises when reading Into the Wild would be whether or not the way humans in a modern society approach life with a correct moral thought process, especially regarding lifestyle. As time has progressed, society has become more sophisticated, and with this higher quality of living came a lower quality of happiness. Humans connect to material things in modern society more than they do other people, nature, and instinct. This is demonstrated well in Chris’s story. He lived a life completely liberated from material things, and thus became more in sync with himself, humanity, and the earth. And he lived a life where he was truly happy. He never needed a cell phone or any sort of material attachment. He was a people person that could charm anyone because of his ability to see the flaws in society/humanity and flaws in himself. In one of the letters Chris wrote to Ron Franz, he writes “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future.” Demonstrated in the text written by a person who experienced a life of “security, conformity, and conservation” but realized that that lifestyle is not where true happiness can be upheld, he abandoned that completely and it all began by mere consideration of the morality of society. By living a life without knowing your next meal or place to sleep is strangely liberating in the way that you cannot plan your future but embrace it with welcoming arms because there is no other option. In another quote from Into the Wild regarding McCandless it states “I understood what he was doing, that he had spent four years fulfilling the absurd and tedious duty of graduating from college and now he was emancipated from that world of abstraction, false security, parents, and material excess.” Again in this text it speaks of Chris’s adventure that maybe was more of a lifestyle to free himself from materiality and false security. The thought process leading to a moral lifestyle may not be nearly as extreme as Chris’s, however there is still a very present process taken by the reader that will lead this reader to; at a minimum, consider Chris’s way of living a better and more suitable than that of a conformative or societally accepted way of living.
Into The Wild could strike many emotions in the reader, such as resentment toward Chris for being as unprepared as he was, or possibly respecting Chris for donating all of his money. Throughout the book the idealistic belief of solitude was constant, and I don't mean the solitude as like being in solitary confinement, I mean more of the "on your own path" meaning. Chris walked away from his family, friends, career, and even his name, and decided to go out on his own in the most literal sense. As I had said, the emotions of readers change with the personality of the reader and what he/she believes in. I personally respect Chris for what he did, not because he walked out on his life, but because he wanted change and finding out his father's past flipped that switch of wanting the change. So he takes this incentive of his anger and creates a whole new set of opportunities for him to explore and discover. And sets forth a plan to make it to Alaska and survive in the bush . I do respect him for his want of change, However I do believe there was a certain extent where Chris should have stopped and at least contacted his family once. But I understand he did not want to be found by his family anyway. While Chris wasn't really in solitude most of his trip to Alaska because he had all the people he ran into, however he kept leaving and wanting to be alone, so he started his trip wanting solitude and change, and his trip ended in solitude. That is how I, as a reader of this, was affected by the idealistic belief of solitude.
While reading the book Into the Wild, some may find it hard to comprehend the irrational and questionable ideals that led Chris McCandless to make some poor choices throughout his pursuit of seclusion in the Alaskan bush. It is pretty rare that you come across someone like McCandless in today’s society. Most people I know tend to stick to social norms and behaviors that are considered acceptable. No one ever said this was the right or correct thing to do, but the mass majority of people in most cases determine the outcome of any given scenario. Chris was set on branching out away from the life set out for him. His parents had worked tireless hours and worked hard to make a comfortable life for their family. They wanted badly for Chris to take advantage of their ability to get him to a good education so he didn’t have to go through the struggle their experienced. He was all set to get a high paying job after graduating college and potentially start a life and a family but to his parents’ dismay, these things meant little to him. Chris wanted meaning to his life and he believed he could find this with an adventure trekking through the barren state of Alaska. Chris’s case isn’t that unique in the sense that he chose not to involve his family with his intended whereabouts before he left indefinitely. There are countless cases of teenage rebellion such as this one, kids leaving their parents without so much as a goodbye. However Chris’s destination was quite bold and is what sets him apart. Teenage readers could definitely relate to Chris in the sense of wanting to get away from their parents and do their own thing, but most would get extremely homesick and despite the rocky past between him and his parents it is hard to imagine spending months upon months without contacting them. Everyone has their place in their family, however it might have been hard for Chris to accept this role or successfully fill it given that his ideals were so different from the people he lived with. It is always important to feel accepted, especially in your family. Given the circumstances in addition to Chris being at the age to make his own decisions and pursue the path he wanted for his life, no one can blame him for wanting to branch out. Although Chris’s ideals were not what most would consider intelligent, they were important to him, and that is what matters the most.
How does the novel “Into the Wild” affect readers ideologically?
Before one could ever begin to analyze the impact of Christopher McCandless on the reader ideologically, a few concessions must be made of course. We must know that Chris was the product of the life challenges he faced and his decisions he made were based on the merit of past events.Whether it be his father’s cheating ways or overwhelming expectation for greatness, Chris’s final fate was long decided before he ever even left home The actions Chris made along his journey are oftentimes disagreed with as evidenced by our discussions in class, and thus leaves us to ask; why does the story of Christopher McCandless affect us as the reader so deeply? Us as the reader are obligated to feel a sense of empathy in order to understand Christopher. Otherwise we are simply an observer to his life, on the outside looking in but never truly knowing what it's like inside. Personally, I have never faced the same upheavals that Chris faced in his brief lifetime, which makes it difficult for me to understand his reasons to leave, and his disregardment of the social norms. It is only until I placed myself in the shoes of the super tramp that things became clear. His adventure is in defiance of the system and parents that failed him as a child, which lead to the severe mistrust of others as a young adult. For most of his life, Chris never put himself in the situations he faced, but much rather was involuntarily pushed to his limits. His parents and others failed consistently to provide Chris a crutch to pursue his own passions which only resulted in Chris’s greater drive to change things for himself. This drive of course led to the ideology that readers of “Into the Wild” find so hard to identify with.
Through the adaptation of the events in his life, Christopher McCandless presents one with an ideology of mistrust and independence from the bigger picture - the system. He proved to himself and others that he doesn't need the systems that our society has grown so reliant on. He burns his money and escapes to nature, which Chris knowingly accepted was going to take a toll on his life but went along anyways. For it was never about life or death, acceptance or rejection in society, it was about sending a message to others that we don't need to conform to the expectations of others. Christopher McCandless is only so relevant now for his ideology contradicts what we are expected to believe in. Through his moderate success we see throughout the story Christopher proves that one doesn't need to live a life of filling in for others and much rather mistrust anyone but yourself. McCandless’s story is not meant to end in sorrow from his death but questioning from the reader. Chris may have made his journey to spite his parents, and spite society for his personal ego, but perhaps he built a bigger movement out of his spite. We look at Christopher and say that we would not make the same mistakes he made if we followed in his path or disagree with his independence from society he demonstrates. But in the reader’s disagreement a level of empathy is finally achieved. One cannot argue with Chris without knowing Chris’s reasons, which justify his actions in the end. Once the argument is achieved however, the story of Christopher McCandless has now come full circle, for now he has made you question yourself, the system, and others, but above all of that Christopher McCandless’s story makes the reader question their own ideology.
Into the Wild affects readers in terms of diverse morals that can act on people's beliefs and family motives. For example most families in wealthy areas in the world most parents want their children to go to some type of schooling after High School. Chris McCandless followed his family morals and went to college even with knowledge of his destiny, Fairbanks Alaska. I would say that is very spontaneous after college to go immediately to the wanderers lifestyle, jumping trains, hitchhiking, and canoing. There wasn't much preparation before he decided to ditch his old life for the new one. Thinking about the reader and his or her family beliefs. My family would like all of my siblings to go and further their education at college and then continue on to getting a good job. Chris McCandless instead of follow the path to the job he decided to go rouge and live of the land. It affects readers morally because thinking about how privileged kids always will have a meal on their table by the end of the night and with Chris he struggled and fought for as long as he could until he eventually died by not being prepared on the subject of food. With all of the education he couldn't learn by not going to college, he might of tried to learn about some outdoor education things in order to prepare for his great Alaskan Odessey that he could of prepared for longer by taking the road down education. All families have different morals with different members of the family that believe in different thoughts and beliefs. Chris chose the less walken path which is something the reader usually dosent follow. But it ended up leading Chris to his ultimate solitude and independence.
The book Into the Wild affects readers morally, spiritually, and ideologically throughout its chapters. However, I saw more of an effect in the moral aspect of this book. Chris McCandless is affected morally by his actions and behaviors in his family, friends, and other relationships. Chris gave up relationships with almost all of his family for a trip that went against the social norms. The main disconnect we see in his home life is between him and his father. Right before Chris left he found out about his father’s affair, explaining this gap that we see between the two. Another speculation to the nature of their relationship is seeing how the two had completely different plans and goals for Chris and his future. The biggest difference being that his father wanted him to go college and be successful whereas Chris wanted to go into the wild and be one with nature. In the book we see that Chris didn’t see his father as someone to look up to. His main role model was his grandfather on his mother’s side. His grandfather taught him about the wilderness and how to love nature. Having someone in his life that understood what he wanted, unlike his father, caused him to grow further apart from those who didn’t. Chris left behind a lot of people that he had relationships with, thus destroying those bonds.
Caleb Smith Contemporary Literature Tunink 30 September 2016 Into the Wild The novel “Into the Wild” has a moral effect on readers. Chris McCandless decided to head off to Alaska with no experience and filled with bad judgement, thinking that everything would work out. Chris’s naivety caused him to fail to preserve meat, not attempt to save his own life, and to eat moldy potato seeds, which all ultimately led to his death. Chris McCandless believed that he could waltz into the Alaskan wilderness and survive without any preparation. Chris did not pack enough food to sustain him for his whole trip because he believed that he would be able to hunt or gather enough food to survive. However, this backfired on him when he decided to display very bad judgement and kill a moose for food. Chris was so naive that he did not bother to learn how to preserve meat in Alaska because he assumed he could figure it out on his own. This lack of experience caused the majority of the moose to go to waste because he did not figure out a way to preserve the meat before it became infested with vermin. Chris’s inexperience in the Alaskan wilderness and his bad judgement caused him to kill a poor animal for nothing. When Chris finally decided he was ready to leave and head back towards civilization, his naivety struck again and extend his stay. McCandless needed to cross a river in order to get back to civilization but when he saw that the water level was too high to cross where he had first crossed to get to his home on Bus 142, he decided to stay longer. Chris poorly judged the situation because if he went either up or down the river, he would have found a safe haven. One of these safe havens being a cabin with food and the other being a decommissioned government made building that would have allowed him to cross the river. If Chris was smart enough to bring a topographic map or experienced enough to know the nature in Alaska, he would still be alive today. Chris’s lack of experience and poor judgment put him into bad circumstances, but it also led to his death. Chris died due to mold on wild potato seeds that he kept in a sealable bag. At first glance, it seems logical to store food in a bag but the bag was damp, so when he sealed it, the lack of air and presence of water in the bag caused mold to grow on the seeds. Chris was not experienced with preserving food in the wild and his idea to put the seeds into a damp bag was foolish enough to kill him. Throughout the book, especially during Chris’s time in Alaska, he showed many examples of being inexperienced and having bad judgment, which led to his death in Alaska. The novel affected readers morally because from an outsider's perspective it is clear to see what would have changed in Chris's life if he was less naive.
Chris McCandless was a man who was different than most. He had his own set of ideals that weren’t influenced by anyone but himself. When Chris left, he left without any type of warning to anyone and he left everything he had behind, he donated all of his money to charity and burned his wallet, taking nothing with him on his exploration. McCandless changed his name to Alex Supertramp before his journey into the wilderness, however the last note he wrote was signed with his real name, Chris McCandless. Chris describes what he was looking for as “ultimate freedom”, freedom from other people's rules and authority over him. McCandless was one who put his principles over people. He did not preach that his parents are too materialistic but instead he lives by his anti-materialistic, giving away most of his money and burning the rest while hardly living off of the bare minimum. McCandless never got a hunting license because he didn’t think the government needed to control what he ate or didn’t eat. A big thing McCandless was trying to accomplish was man against nature, which allowed him to feel that he really knows what he’s capable of, he doesn’t have to rely on others or society to survive. McCandless had created his own idealistic world in which this idea of freedom is to live completely alone in a world where the only laws he feels he would follow were those of nature. This level of freedom required total isolation, from everyone and everything. He was living only for his own best interest by living according to his own thought rules and those of nature. McCandless saw the wilderness as a place free of evils from the modern day society where someone like him could find what he truly is made of. Before McCandless went to do that he changed his name to Alex Supertramp. In order to really discover who he truly was he needed to give himself a new name, he couldn’t go into the wilderness knowing that “Chris McCandless” left everything behind. He changed his name for himself so he could start fresh and uncover his true self. McCandless had to have found some answers out in the wilderness, even if they weren’t the exact ones he was searching for. In the very last note McCandless wrote he signed it with Chris McCandless and not as Alex Supertramp. He knew he was going to die and signing that note with his real name was a big deal because at that moment he was no longer Alex Supertramp on this journey into the wilderness, he was then, and always will be Chris McCandless. McCandless’s own ideology of his character and culture was one that possibly some people could relate too but also some people could not agree with. His ideology makes people think about what their own ideals are. Just knowing of Chris McCandless's story, morals and ideals made Krakaure write a whole book about his adventure.
Into the wild has proven many times that it has a couple of large themes. One of the largest these themes is the idea of ideology. Throughout the book Chris McCandless is shown many times with his many different ideologies. However one that seemed more predominant than the rest was materialism. Chris is shown being one to not feel as if materialistic valuables have much value at all. He went as far as to burn most of his possessions when first embarking on his journey. Although some will feel like this may be him trying to create a “new beginning”, and he is almost burning away his old life. I believe that is him making it so he is forced to live off the land with little to no materialistic items. This book is in no way a man's journey to become the richest or most successful man. Rather a story about how Chris finds more value in other things. This is greatly due to the fact of his nomadic nature. If someone is stuck in one place for to long they start to look at the things they have. Rather than living life to the fullest. The book completely revolves around Chris McCandless, and Chris’ non materialistic nature makes this book's ideology on material a main theme. This really makes the reader look over their life, and evaluate if they are truly doing everything in their power to make it as rich as possible.
The story of Christopher McCandless as portrayed in the novel Into The Wild is one meant to affect the reader at the ideological level. This is reinforced throughout the book as Chris explains his reasoning for taking his adventure, especially as he justifies himself to the Franz. Chris seemed to believe that the monotony of everyday life within societal norms was unbearable. Chris's philosophy seemed to be nearly acetic, he shunned most of his worldly possessions and comforts. Chris burned his pocket money and abandoned his wealthy family and eventually everything but the clothes on his back. Chris's ideology did not stop there though. Chris decided that the only experiences he needed were not reliant on wealth or status. Anything he needed for his adventures was either borrowed or bought with funds provided by odd jobs around the country. He even found the means to canoe rapids! Hitching rides across the country and into Canada it seemed that his only motivation was the raw experience of seeing the world. Chris took his ideals to the grave so it's impossible to know his exact motivations but the free spirited nature of it is evident.
"Into the Wild" affects people ideologically through many ways. Chris McCandless is shown through the book to most readers as a reckless unprepared kid who didn't like society and his parents. He went to die up in Alaska. To those that look a tiny little bit deeper they saw that he was a smart kid that just wanted to be like the people he looked up to which happened to be writers that wrote books about peoples adventures and he want to be like that. He used the reason of hating his parents as fuel to go on this trip and made sure he wasn't completely prepared so that he could figure out things there and live off the land. Too the people that see this some start to think about the people they look up to and change to be like them a little more.
Into the wild may affect readers morally or spiritually, but the most potent topic that this book sheds light on is the ideology behind Chris and his actions. Why he chose to isolate himself in the Alaska wilderness and leave almost all of the people in his life behind. However, there are several parts throughout the book that ask the reader to question their ideology, such as the time when Chris was staying with Westerberg and he got very close with them on his last night. When I was reading that part, It was making me have second thoughts on my ideology as far as family is concerned, for people to grow so close to a person that they just stumbled upon one day, really changed my views on the meaning of the word "family"
Into the wild affects readers in a spiritual way, when it comes to connecting to nature. Nature heals the soul, and can help when one is finding one’s self. Chris in, Into The Wild, leaves his family to attempt to live his life the way he’s always desired to live it. He goes all across Northern America meeting new people, and having new experiences. Chris, very consciously, never fully lets anyone he meets connect with him, but one thing Chris connects with us the Earth around him. Chris is able to be himself with no judgement when he's in nature. As well as completely lose himself in nature, literally, when he dies among it. Although Chris isn't believed to be alone because he is among all natural living things in the Earth. He died knowing he lived with and off the land. He learned that he needs to respect all living things around him and let them flow naturally. He lived the life he always wanted to live.
ReplyDeleteThe novel Into The Wild effects readers in many ways. However I believe that it effects them spiritually the most. Chris wasn't content with the life he was living and the expectations people had for him. He wanted to challenge his independence and his existence. Chris was raised being given mostly everything to him, he was sheltered and he didn't want to follow his parents path for him. The fact that he donated most of his money to charity, burned the rest, abandoned his values and ventured out into the wild is remarkable. Chris even left and impact on people he barely even knew, because he was so different. His death left a mark on everyone, which, in my opinion, is what he intended to do. I believe Chris set out with a plan in mind on what he was doing, and especially why he was doing it. He wanted to rely completely on himself for once, and while doing that restore some of the values he thought were important, aside from the socially acceptable ones. He wanted to experience personal happiness, and have the ability to be comfortable in solitude. I believe this really effects readers spiritually, because they are forced to question, why would anyone in their right mind do something like this? Chris no longer wanted to conform to society, he wanted to see what else was out there, and within himself.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel “Into The Wild” the reader is affected morally by actions, and behaviors towards family and in other relationships. As a child, Chris McCandless always looked up to and admired his grandfather, his mother’s dad. He received his passion for the wilderness from his grandpa. He still left his entire family, including his grandpa. Leaving his parents was one thing, but being able to completely isolate his role model, was morally unacceptable. Along with his grandpa, he had a very close relationship with his sister, and he was able to completely abandoned her as well. Chris lost relationships with nearly all of his family for what seemed like resentment toward his parents, especially his father. When Chris was young he tried many sports, and his dad always pushed him really hard in all of the activities he tried. Once Chris grew up, his father pushed him through college to receive good grades and to complete all of school. Chris decided to leave his dad out of resentment. He pushed Chris so hard, Chris didn’t want to deal with him anymore. No matter what happens, family is family and a person shouldn’t just leave them no matter how much they can’t stand them. Part of one’s morals are putting up with family through thick and thin. Another very likely reason Chris left his family was because he found out about his father’s affair. He didn’t agree with the decisions his dad made and the fact that his mom didn’t do anything about it. He was so mad that he left. Like stated before, leaving family shouldn’t ever be an option to anyone. This book could really change a reader's morals to the effect of having stronger morals or being influenced to go against one’s beliefs because of built up anger. Chris made a very poor judgement call of leaving his family, no matter how angry, frustrated or bothered he may have been.
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ReplyDeleteChris McCandless rebelled against the grain and went against societal norms. “Into the Wild” is an interesting read as it forces people to think about how they see the world. Throughout the book readers can see examples of how Chris criticises the way people act. The book says “Chris was very much of the school that you should own nothing except what you could carry on you're back at a dead run.” “Into the Wild” challenges and forces the readers to think about the way they put so much emphasis on materialistic things that have no real meaning nor any importance. Chris McCandless shows this by the ability to leave it all behind and abandon his life and especially the people in his life.
Chris's ability to leave it all behind is a way for him to separate his new found freedom and life from the one given to him by his parents. Chris grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. Seeing as his parents were both fairly successful and wealthy and are able to understand why Chris would want to abandon his life for a simpler more fulfilling life. This is a common theme to this day. Studies have shown that kids with successful parents often find ways to rebel usually in small ways like crashing an expensive car but not abandoning one's own family, disappearing into the woods, and the biggest kind of rebellion, death. Although Chris was able to leave it all behind when it comes to the great life he had he was also able to leave behind the people who brought him into the world, and all the people he met on the road. But relationships are the building blocks of success
Interpersonal communication and connections are crucial to a person’s functionality. Chris’s father had an affair while being married to Chris’s mother. This would be a good reason as to why Chris left everyone behind. Chris’s idea of his perfect family was rocked to the core by this event. He no longer saw his family as a wholesome unit and began to see how his ideals were not connecting with what those around him believed. Becoming aware of information like this would cause anyone to become untrusting and want to separate themselves. This is Chris’s way of showing his ideals to those who were around him. Now the relationship that he had with his family isn't the only relationship that changes. The way he interacts with the people who drive him to Alaska is also something that has been shaped by his ideals. Chris didn't want to get to attached to people as he thought that he would get sucked back into his old ways which is what he wanted to escape. Some of Chris’s most famous words go like this “Now I walk into the wild.” This man was alone. No one could save him, no one knew where he was, he was alone.
As Chris wrote his last correspondence he knew deep down in his sole that his ideals had taken him to this point, and he was okay with that. He was at peace with the idea of being alone, it's what he wanted and he finally had it. Now his ideals may have made sense to him but to his family it broke their hearts. Chris’s idea of being one with nature made sense to him as he was leaving behind the false promises of his old life. But the final note he left us was the idea that ideals whether good or bad are an integral part of what makes a person a person.
The novel “Into The Wild” leaves readers questioning their own ideology after experiencing the sacrifices Chris McCandless gave to try to reach his main goal in life; finding his true self and leaving it all behind. After reading the novel, it highly influences readers to be independent and do what makes them happy, even if it requires sacrifices and getting out of their comfort zone. Chris made the decision of cutting his parents out of his life completely when his parents ideologies began interfering with his main goal.
ReplyDeleteDuring Chris’s teenage years his relationship with his father Wayne became very turmoil. Chris’s father tried enforcing his own ideology for Chris, however Chris wanted to be independent and live his own life. After going to Sequoia California Chris was informed that his father had an affair on Chris’s mother, which resulted in Chris having a brother he never met. After learning about his father’s surprising secret, Chris lost all respect for his father Wayne and became determined to rebel against him and fulfill his own dreams. This part in the novel left readers questioning the normal ideology that your parents know best and are always right.
McCandless ideology wasn't only abnormal in terms of parents, but also in the trust and connections he made with strangers. Chris knew for him to fulfill his goal he had to go out of his comfort zone and give trust in random strangers. He trusted strangers to give him rides and help him with favors. Along the way McCandless realized the amount of friendships he made and began encouraging others to do the same for a happier life. Some examples of these strangers are Jan and Bob Burres, Ron Frank, and Jim Gallien. Although Chris went against the normal “stranger danger” ideology, it showed readers that taking risk and opportunities in life, can help create a happier overall life.
In all, Chris McCandless lived far from the normal ideology to reach his life goal of finding his true self and leaving his past life. It is easily inferred in the novel that Chris was happy on the road, and died doing what he loved even if it was premature. Overall the novel “Into The Wild” helps influence readers ideologies to live their own lives and don't be afraid to take risks.
The novel “Into the Wild” affects readers in various ways. The way that is found to be most prominent is ideologically. Under the broad concept of ideology, this book has multiple sub-categories, such as societal norms, “The System”, philosophy, civil disobedience, human behavior, and materialism. The idea of materialism is encapsulating. Although Chris McCandless displays some minor materialism, overall, he is very non-materialistic, which changes the readers’ outlook on being materialistic in their everyday lives.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of materialism is defined as “a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.”. Many people today experience intense amounts of materialism. Tons of items fly off of store shelves every day, but proper ideology is lacking. Ideology is defined as “a system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.”. Ideology and morals are very similar in meaning, but morality is more spiritual than ideology.
In this book, Chris McCandless is nearly the polar opposite of materialistic. He starts his journey with ditching his car and a majority of his belongings. He then burns the money he has on him and heads on his way. Throughout the entirety of his trip, he carries nothing more than his backpack. When Gallian offers him boots and food, Chris argued and painfully accepted. He never really held on to much of anything. He was comfortable living in the oddest places, like that old trailer, with the homeless by the hot springs, and ultimately in the woods. Even when it came to food, something he needed to survive, he brought very sparse amounts.
By being so anti-materialistic, Chris McCandless affects the readers’ outlook on materialistic mentality. I know that personally, I almost felt guilty for being so materialistic and still complaining. Chris had barely anything at all and was completely content with the way his life played out. Up until the very end, Chris was completely content with having absolutely nothing to his name and most of us panic when we lose our phones. The book has the power to make readers reevaluate their materialist ways after they see how Chris just abandons it all and is so content.
The novel "Into the Wild" is a very striking book in multiple ways. The novel in some way shape or form affects the reader either by what McCandless had done or just who he is as a person. McCandless was a very interesting person he was strong in what he believed in.
ReplyDeleteIdeologically Chris was not bothered by the idea of materialism it wasn't something that worried him. Chris went into the wilderness with a very small amount of belongings.He didn't bring what the average person would bring if they were going to survive in the Alaska wilderness. Chris was not emotionally attached to any of the items he had with him, he had no problem leaving them behind. Unlike Chris as a society we have a tendency to hold onto things just because we want too. Peoples garages are stacked to the brim with boxes filled with "stuff". We pay money for more storage to keep our unnecessary stuff that in reality we haven't used in years. We hold onto things because it holds some memory or we think we will use it one day. At most Chris had a backpack with a bag of rice. He didn't rely on a compass or map he just went were ever the land took him and didn't worry about what he did and didn't have.
Chris McCandless impacts the readers because of his disregard to items and things that we say we need. He makes the reader realize that we are overly attached to things that can be replaced. He proves that we don't in fact need those items. If Chris was able to go into the wild wilderness and survive with little to nothing we can surely not hold onto things as ferociously as we do.
ReplyDeletepart 1
In today's world it is almost impossible to live independently from money, material items and society. This fact is widely believed among readers which may leave the reader uncomfortable with Chris’s mantra for life. The main character in the book, Into The Wild tries to convince the reader otherwise. It may be possible to achieve this status but most people raised in an urban setting could not imagine or accomplish this. This is something only someone raised in the jungle by apes like Tarzan could truly achieve. I don’t believe the main point was the aspect of material items but living by the mindset of surviving within the bare minimum to truly achieve happiness.
The book Into the Wild subjects many ideals onto the the reader. The most influential of these is the idea of rejection of materialism in search of something more meaningful like the adventure of “nomadic travel”. Chris along with the rest of the character's mentioned follow this ideology. They gained satisfaction from experiencing danger and excitement . This is illustrated when Alex writes to his friend Ron, “Don't settle down and sit in one place. Move around, be nomadic, make each day a new horizon. You are still going to live a long time, Ron, and it would be a shame if you did not take the opportunity to revolutionize your life and move into an entirely new realm of experience”. When one is settled down life tends to be focused on material items this is the only life most readers have experienced. While on the road with nothing more than what's on your back life is more focused around experiences and adventure, this provides new insights to the reader and an insight that is different from his own, leaving the reader to wonder what it would be like to take this journey. Chris brought only a bag of rice and rifle into the wilderness with him, not because he was naive about the dangers of the wild but because bringing more would ruin his quest of being independent from materialistic possessions.
His hatred of materialism is shown first when he donates all of his money to charity and then later burns all of his money and abandons his car. There is a constant battle between Chris’ rejection of money and material items in search of a more pure lifestyle and Chris needing these items to survive. He expresses this ideal when he states; “No, man. Alaska, Alaska. I'm gonna be all the way out there, all the way fucking out there. Just on my own. You know, no fucking watch, no map, no axe, no nothing. No nothing. Just be out there..” This struggle is shared with Chris and the reader, both of us understand the need for money and we all struggle with what is enough money to survive.
Chris’s mindset, desires and goals were so far from the those of the reader. They provide a whole different insight into the world materialism vs minimalism, security vs risk and suburban vs wilderness. This sharp contrast between Chris and the reader gives the book a new perspective to be imposed on to the reader. The reader becomes curious about Chris and what drives his ideology for living life with such minimalism, and we wonder if this is true; “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living.”
part 2
ReplyDeletePart of Chris’ s ideology was not needing people in his life, something he may have also considered “materialistic”. He was not only constantly gaining and abandoning a source of income he is
also repeated the same cycle with friends and family, first his parents then all the people he met on the road. Part of the reason he abandoned his parents was because he hated their materialistic lifestyle. The main focus of their life was to make more money and gain better and nicer “things”. Chris rejected this societal focus on wealth and greed. Most readers would identify with Chris’s parents. Their lives revolved around their job and position in life. They could not even imagine living without a cell phones. While Chris goes as far to give up evan some of his most basic necessities. “At long last he was unencumbered, emancipated from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess, a world in which he felt grievously cut off from the raw throb of existence.”
Chris’s mindset, desires and goals were so far from the those of the reader. They provide a whole different insight into the world materialism vs minimalism, security vs risk and suburban vs wilderness. This sharp contrast between Chris and the reader gives the book a new perspective to be imposed on to the reader. The reader becomes curious about Chris and what drives his ideology for living life with such minimalism, and we wonder if this is true; “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living.”
“Make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt.”- John Krakauer (Krakauer)
ReplyDelete“Into the Wild”, a book about a man fresh out of college going out into the world unprepared, but determined to explore a world he hasn’t had the luxury of seeing. “Into the Wild” challenges the reader ideologically to question what human behavior is appropriate, what is it to leave everything behind, and what it means to be alone.
Chris McCandless is the main character in “Into the Wild,” and he often crosses the line of what appropriate human behavior is when traveling from Annandale, Virginia to Stampede Trail, Alaska. In August 1990, Chris begins hitchhiking after his car breaks down in the middle of Detrital Wash, Arizona. In May of 1991, Chris takes a break from his hitchhiking adventure and becomes a fry cook at a McDonald’s. His co-workers at McDonald’s often referred to him as a very awkward person and very difficult to hold a conversation with. A month later Chris leaves his job and is picked up by a Wayne Westerburg while hitchhiking. At this point in Chris’s adventure, he decides to live with Wayne, and end his travels temporarily as he makes a life long friend. This shows a desire for human interaction. Chris McCandless’s behavior shows that he is not the most social person, but deep down he values human interaction. Take for example his awkwardness while being employed at McDonald’s. His behavior was appropriate because it was expected considering his situation. He went without human contact for a while and when he finally encountered people at McDonald’s, he had already lost his ability to communicate properly.
Chris was a very privileged individual. He had wealthy parents, he was very well educated and he was the poster child for potential. He had everything laid out for him, but he made the realization that he was not really living if there was an absence of challenge. According to the recollection of the truck driver, Gallien, Chris was very ill prepared for this grueling journey he was about to pursue. Gallien tried to talk some sense into Chris, but the young adolescent feels as if he can handle anything that crosses his path. Before Chris decided to throw is previous life out of the window, his parents provided everything for him. Chris was never truly an independent. This journey would allow Chris to reinvent himself in ways that were impossible if he were to remain living his privileged lifestyle. He abandoned his comfort in order to allow room for growth and self discovery.
“This is the last you shall hear from me Wayne. Arrived here 2 days ago. It was very difficult to catch rides in the Yukon Territory. But I finally got here.
DeletePlease return all mail I receive to the sender. It might be a very long time before I return South. If this adventure proves fatal and you don't ever hear from me again, I want you to know you're a great man. I now walk in the wild.” A postcard written by Chris McCandless (Krakauer, Jon)
McCandless died alone in the woods with no food, no friends, and no family. In social psychology, solitude has traditionally been defined and measured as being physically alone, or in some cases not engaging with people who are also physically present. Chris was physically alone and lived his final days miles from civilization in the Alaskan wild. “Solitude is not always experienced positively. At times, and for certain people, it can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. In that sense, solitude is a two-sided coin, as is the case with other necessities in life, like food. As with food, we can benefit from being mindful of the quantity and quality of solitude we experience in daily life” (Campbell). Being alone is often referred to living in solitude, but the difference between solitude and loneliness, is solitude implies the choice of being alone whereas loneliness implies there is no choice in being alone. Chris goes into the wild seeking solitude, but when he decides to retreat to civilization he is cut off by a ravaging river, and he is forced into a life of loneliness, leading him towards death.
Christopher Johnson McCandless, better known to the world as Alex Supertramp, was born on February 12, 1968, in El Segundo, California. He was very willful, and often conflicted with his equally obstinate father. After graduating Emory University, in Georgia, he took off, never to be seen by his family again. The novel “Into the Wild” tells the world of who he was, how he acted, and makes the reader question if they are truly living.
Work Cited
Krakauer. "Into the Wild Quotes by Jon Krakauer." Into the Wild Quotes by Jon Krakauer. Goodreads. Web. 29 Sept. 2016. https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3284484-into-the-wild
Tangney, J. P., Stuewig, J., & Mashek, D. J. (2007). Moral emotions and moral behavior. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 345.
Tanggaard, L. (2013). The sociomateriality of creativity in everyday life. (pp. 20-21). Sage Journals. http://cap.sagepub.com/content/19/1/20.full.pdf+html
Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. New York: Random, 1996. Print.
Campbell, Scott. "To Be Alone: Finding Solitude In A Time Of Perpetual Contact." Medical Daily. 31 May 2016. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.
Reading Into the Wild, affects readers in an ideological way by showing a different way of how life should be lived. Chris McCandless had an ideology that was different then most people he grew up with. He could be considered a deviant from society because he did not want to conform and fall automatically into an expected group or category. He felt he did not fit into what was expected of him. Although he did what was expected of him until he graduated and he created his own path based on his own beliefs and ideologies about society, eventually leading to his disappearance in Alaska. When reading this book, readers question McCandless’ decisions and motives based on how they think they would make choices if in the same situations. Some would say he was stupid and ignorant and he got what was coming to him. Others might say he was brave for trying to live off the land and do the unexpected. Chris McCandless viewed himself as a transcendentalist, he wanted to live by his rules and experience life in his own way. Readers can connect to wanting to move around and not be in one place, however most readers will still feel the pressures of responsibilities to provide for their essential needs at minimum. Chris stayed true to his beliefs until the end even when faced with impending doom. McCandless did not falter like most people would. Towards the end of his life Chris was content with knowing he had followed his own path, even though he was dying of starvation. Readers may or may not agree with Chris’s choices but this book will empower readers to find their own paths and adventures.
ReplyDeleteIn the book "Into the Wild," Chris McCandless is effected morally by his actions and the actions of others around him. To begin with, Chris has struggled with relationships in general as see throughout the book. For example, the father-son relationship McCandless is a very dysfunctional relationship. With this a problem arises. The problem between McCandless and his father is his father has different ambitions and plans for Chris, than Chris has for himself. This creates the awkward or dysfunctional dynamic within the relationship. Chris is constantly trying to please his father, and he feels as if his father was never pleased. Chris was angered by this, which contributed to part of the reason McCandless decided to go on this adventure. Chris also had a a very close relationship with his Grandpa, which is the man Chris looked up to. His grandpa was his role model, and wanted to follow in his footsteps. Chris learned to be one with nature, and became really interested in the wilderness stuff like his grandpa. Chris left his family, left his biggest role model, and left everything he had behind. It was a very rash decision that may not have been thought through throughly on Chris' behalf. When Chris made this decision, and followed through with it. It makes you question, did he have morals?
ReplyDeleteIn "Into the Wild", the text affected the readers morally through family relationship and actions. It affected readers by making them appreciate their family, appreciating every moment, and to just hand things to their children. Chris had a lot given to him but he also had some things given to him. Throughout the novel, there were several examples of how his family was important to him. However, he still decided to cut his family out of his life, due to their immoral lifestyle. He always had a strong relationship with his grandpa who he admired and looked up to, which is where he got most of his love for the outdoors. Chris left his family mostly for his passion but also out of resentment. His family always pushed him and he was not okay with it and just wanted to leave to make his point clear. He also had a close relationship with his sister who he also left behind.
ReplyDeleteEmma Elfring
ReplyDeleteTunink
September 29
Core: 1
“Into the Wild” is a thrilling novel that covers the life of Chris McCandless as he challenges the ideals of human connections with his wild decision of hitchhiking to Alaska. Throughout the entire book there’s a theme of how Chris connects with other people mainly being strangers. “Into the Wild” challenges the ideology of others through his connection with other strangers, the resentment he felt towards his parents, and his odd tendency to leave things behind.
In the beginning of the novel are jumped into the discovery of Chris’s death, although very impairing to reading the book, the book also goes into depth of whom Chris has met. At first glance, a hitchhiker, looks more of a hobo and many people are weary of odd looking strangers on the road. But Chris wasn’t the same to certain people. Many, like Jim Gallien (Chapter 1), were surprised to see a young man out stranded on the side of the road. It was Chris’s age that made them think. Wayne Westerberg (Chapter 2) distinctly remembers Chris’s ability to work. Because Wayne is use to giving hitchhikers jobs, he also wasn’t expecting Chris to work as hard; but Chris was the hardest worker he’s seen. This common theme between his appearance and his work ethic struck all the strangers he met which isn’t normal to any standard. Most human behavior today consist of avoiding the strange and scary homeless and hitchhiking adults. However, because most of them are adults,that doesn’t alarm us as much as an 18 year old would.
Later on we discover that the relationship Chris has with his parents is fragile and nothing close to loving. His father had meet another woman and had a child with her when he was off on a business trip. Chris discovered this through lurking through his father's belongings. Traditionally people would say that this is normal for a child and their parents will have a period of time of not getting along, but part of the reason Chris left is because of his parents. Chris hated his father for cheating on his mother, but he also hated his mother because even when she found out she did have the strength to leave him. As a disgusted child, Chris took this to heart, showing it when he would refuse or dodge the question of ever contacting his parents. This type of toll enforced Chris’s decision of leaving which is unbelievable because other kids would be devastated to never be with their parents.
Last but not least, his ability to leave things easily. McCandless had no attachment to many things or people. Beginning with his parents, he never had an issue about thinking twice when leaving them, he didn’t think. This is another common theme throughout the book as Chris says goodbye with more ease than the strangers that met him within 24 hours. Letting go was a specialty of his. Chris didn’t own many and tangible things in which he held on to; instead, he let go of the people and items, he never grew a certain attachment and even if it seemed like he did, he’s leave before and relationship would go any further.
Chris McCandless is not ideal. He challenged the thought of a relationship with a family by breaking it. He never contacted, or showed any remorse about leaving his parents. He cut the line between what he was given by his parents, threw it away, and started fresh by making a new identity. Along those lines he was closer to any stranger, showing more love for people he had just met rather than people that had raised him. Although he wasn't completely open, he still struck others with his intelligent speech and wild stories making more connections in small places rather than in his home town. He let go of what was important by a moral standpoint and started following his own rules. All for his perfection, Chris abandoned his parents, made great friends with absolute strangers, and then left it all to live in the middle of Alaska, only to end up dead.
Trevor Bachman
ReplyDeleteNatalie Tunink
Core.2
The book into the wild had readers take away many things, the big things were morals. Morally hunting is wrong, taking another creature's life is wrong. Except in a survival situation, it’s the same as self defense. If it comes down to it, hopefully it’s not your life you’re losing. In the book, Into the Wild, Chris McCandless shot moose with a .22 without a tag, not only morally wrong but also a federal crime. To some people not only is killing wrong but to take an animal illegally and poach it is another. On the same topic not only did Chris illegally kill and poach an animal but he also wasted the animal and all of the meat from the animal. Hunting is also morally wrong in the sense you take another organism's life, what separates a animals life and a human's, life is life and life is precious.
Diverse individuals had distinctive perspectives on Chris McCandless like he was moronic or courageous. But his beliefs pushed him to be the way he is. Chris' belts took after of individuals who impacted him, for instance, David Thoreau. Chris needed to get away from the limits of society, which is seen to affect his spirit. He additionally trusted that the quest for riches was ruining society. He additionally trusted that a man was intended to live in a quest for self-improvement. Like Thoreau, he wanted to live in the wild to free his brain from society standards. Chris needed to avoid material goods so it didn't consume room from his mental development. His mother and father had a huge effect on his life. Negative things and devastating things happened in his family dynamic. Strangers loved how Chris thought and what beliefs he had. The way he thought was something very unique. He lived being isolated from others. Chris' ideas guided him to ultimate happiness.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe book “Into the Wild” affects reader morally simply because the book is written about a person who did want to follow the norms of society. Part of Chris McCandless not wanting to conform to society has to do with unachievable standards set by his parents. Later in life this led him to want to become his own person, with his own standards. Unlike most “normal” people, McCandless set off to Alaska. Along the way he also went against what most people would see as acceptable.
ReplyDeleteMost people would not picture packing up and leaving your family without saying goodbye acceptable. In most peoples opinions, that would even be seen as wrong. Although adventures and trips are thought to be normal, dropping everything and leaving your family to go out on a trip that may, and in the end did prove fatal is not an everyday action. McCandless had a reason for doing all of this. He was angry with his parents, but he also had been wanting a trip like this. Eventually he had enough and went out and did it. Although he had been dreaming of this trip, he didn’t plan any of it which in most people's mind isn’t intelligent or common. He didn’t even plan out his transportation, which went against another idea of society.
When McCandless decided to take his small car some of the way but near the end, he hitchhiked and even hopped trains, an idea that in majority is not viewed as tolerable. This moral of society is very obvious. Hitchhiking is not illegal as a whole idea, but there are restrictions on how you can go about doing it. Train hopping on the other hand is illegal. Both of these are not common ways of transportation for a reason. Also, both of these ways of transportation could have been prevented if McCandless had kept his working car and all of his money.
McCandless had a working vehicle and enough money to keep it fueled without having to generate new, safer ways of transportation. Another society norm McCandless went against was by burning his money and ditching his car. Most people don’t like to give money away in the first place, but those who do usually use it to benefit others or themselves in other ways. McCandless was fortunate to have as much money as he did and it could have helped him on his trip to Alaska. Instead, he decided he didn’t need any funding for his journey so he burned it all, which in fact is actually illegal to do. By burning all of his money, McCandless went against a very big norm of society.
In the beginning by leaving everything for his trip, McCandless went against norms. Then along the way by hitchhiking and burning his money he went against more norms expected by society. He shocked everyone he met because he chose not to conform to what society thought he was “supposed to do”. He went out on what he thought he needed to do and chose not to let expectations decide who he would be or what he would do in life.
Gianni Acampora
ReplyDeleteContemp. Lit. & Comp.
Tunink
9-30-16
The Importance of Society and the Implications of Into the Wild On Readers
“Society has always to demand a little more from human beings than it will get in practice.” (George Orwell). Society, a group of people with shared laws, traditions and people. Humans have adapted society like another tool. However unlike any stone axe or steel screwdriver, society has a mind of its own. Often societies aid us, by creating a group of minds, allowing for better problem solving, idea creation, and happiness sharing.However, society, though manufactured and encasing its creators, tends to develop certain “quirks”. These quirks may benefits its participant, but in the case they don't’ they can be devastating and harsh. Things like: anger, sadness, debate, hunger, war, pain, and death. This however does not mean that society and eventually conformity is bad. In the end the benefits of conformity are well worth the burden of carefulness. Therefore, Into the Wild demonstrates that for the continuation of the conveniences of society, a certain level of conformity must be encouraged. As seen in Into the Wild, and more broadly, the story of Chris McCandless (Christmas Candles), not participating in society instigates the loss of its privileges.
It is important to note that complete conformity to society will always be a bad thing, such examples being Nazi Germany and the Jonestown Massacre. However this does not mean that one should reject society almost completely such as Chris McCandless (Christmas Candles) has done. When analyzing the story of Chris McCandless (Christmas Candles) we notice the fact that Chris does not appreciate society, in fact he tries to escape it numerous times. We also notice that throughout his story the people he meets and the memories he makes are all generated through the participation of society. By reading Into the Wild readers will find that towards the end, Chris’s final moments, that if he simply participated in a small ritual of society, that he would still be alive. Because Chris did not take someone with him, or at least alert someone to his location, he wound up dead. This tends to strike a chord with many readers. Do to Chris’s silly fascination with disobedience and non- conformity, Chris wound up dead. His moral belief system was his downfall. Though some might get away with non- conformity and live to tell about it, to follow Chris’s extremity would also ultimately lead to their own destruction.
People need friends. Friends of any degree, are the reason that people are able to complete tasks, make hard decisions, or even be happy. No matter what friends can only be generated through working at the factory that is society. Readers should learn from Chris’s example and understand that society is just another tool, and although it is quite dangerous, proper care will allow you to build great things. Into the Wild articulated the dangerousness of society and how either extreme viewpoint can be equally terrifying.
Throughout Into the Wild , McCandless affected the readers morally by the way he acted towards his parents compared to the people that he met on his adventure. McCandless was never very appreciative of his parents since he did not like to be told what to do from a very young age. When it came to meeting new people around the country, they all said that McCandless was very polite and they new he was intelligent as well. The people who read this book will see that McCandless was not acting in the right behavior towards his parents and it could change their behavior towards theirs.
ReplyDeleteWhen mcCandless was growing up he was very athletic and his dad liked to teach him how to play many different sports but, as McCandless became better at the sports and his dad started teaching him more he would quit right there. This was because McCandless did not like being told what to do and liked to learn things on his own. The only sport that McCandless took a liking to in high school was cross country, even though he was very good at badminton, McCandless’ dad tried to teach him too much too the point to wear McCandless quit. With cross country he was able to train himself at his own pace and as he became better he got moved to the captain of the team. McCandless really liked this as he would make specific training exercises for the other people and he did not have to listen to anyone try to coach him. These actions that he took during sports were wrong in the way that we see it but to him it was the right thing to do.
McCandless was also a very smart kid growing up but he did not want to use his abilities. Most people like him would have loved to go to college and learn more but McCandless only went to college to fulfil his parents dreams of him going to college. During the summer he would go on adventures across the country in his car that he had bought but, during those trips he would hardly be in contact with his parents which was very difficult for them. It would be hard on any parent to not hear from their son for weeks on end but it would also be hard on the kid because his parents were his role models growing up and the kid would have loved them greatly. This also occurred when McCandless came back and started working for his parents rocket company. He wrote a long code that the company still uses to this day but when his dad asked him how he figured it out he would not tell him. This was especially weird because it was his own father that he would not talk to and most people would even tell their boss what they have written.
As McCandless was adventuring he met many different people such as Westerberg and when the author talked to him Westerberg said that McCandless was very hard working and polite. This was different from his parents as he was not polite when it came to working. This showed up when the people that he met told McCandless that it might be a good decision to call his parents. When he heard that he immediately dropped the conversation and went on his way. The thing that differed from the people that he met and his parent was that as McCandless traveled he sent letters to the people that he had met along the way yet, he did not make the effort to contact his parents. This is completely opposite from what most people would do as their parents are a huge part in their lives.
Chris McCandless has an ideology that is very different than a lot of others. While reading the book Into the Wild, this ideology impacts readers in a different way than most books would do. It mainly shows and describe how his treats his family, strangers, and lastly how he treats himself.
ReplyDeleteTo start off he treats his family in a very peculiar way. He doesn’t necessarily rebel against his family but he does make life a little harder for them. He is not trying to do this on purpose but in the end he is trying to find his own way. He was told what to do too much and he decided to rebel against his family. Now, this being said, the book is not trying to tell the reader to rebel against family members but it is describing that sometimes the best path may be to disregard what others are encouraging others to do.
When people hitchhike, there is no way to know who you will meet or where you will be taken, which causes some hitchhikers to be standoffish when starting to hitchhike. Chris was standoffish to the drivers at first but then he truly opened up to them and created a bond that most people cannot create in such a short amount of time. For example, the one man that drove who tried to legally adopt Chris as his Grandson, that is not something that typically happens in a short drive. To the reader this expresses his ideology to treat strangers in such a respectful attitude and to do such small things that make such a large difference.
Finally, he treats himself in such a way that many others would rarely consider as a possibility. Most people would not spend the time to drop everything just to see where life takes them. Chris went for months without showering which very few people would be willing to do. This ideology affects the readers because it shows that even though something may be different than the social norm, it is okay to follow whatever the dream may be no matter how unconventional it may be.
So, long story short, Chris McCandless has an ideological viewpoint that seriously differs from others, but in some ways could be beneficial to him or society in certain cases.
When reading Into the Wild, one cannot put the book down and not have thought about why Chris chose to live the way he did. Although Chris had graduated college and would have been able to acquire a job very easily, he threw away money,
ReplyDeleteshelter and basic needs all for a deeper understanding of himself, nature, and human instinct/lifestyle.
People who read Into the Wild may not realize how much the book affected their consideration of a moral lifestyle. When reading this book it is nearly impossible to not consider Chris’s lifestyle in one's own habits; his ideology can apply in every human being’s life. This ideology may be more prominent in some peoples’ lives, such as hiking versus backpacking, hunting versus shopping, surviving versus living. This book can lead a person to consider society and the morality of modern lifestyles. Living a comfortable and easy life is often associated with a sense of superiority, ungratefulness, and a lack of contact with nature/human instinct. Whereas living a life similar to Chris’s(at least in his last two years) can heighten a person’s awareness of themselves, nature, and give a dose of unsurpassable humility. A question that often arises when reading Into the Wild would be whether or not the way humans in a modern society approach life with a correct moral thought process, especially regarding lifestyle. As time has progressed, society has become more sophisticated, and with this higher quality of living came a lower quality of happiness. Humans connect to material things in modern society more than they do other people, nature, and instinct. This is demonstrated well in Chris’s story. He lived a life completely liberated from material things, and thus became more in sync with himself, humanity, and the earth. And he lived a life where he was truly happy. He never needed a cell phone or any sort of material attachment. He was a people person that could charm anyone because of his ability to see the flaws in society/humanity and flaws in himself.
In one of the letters Chris wrote to Ron Franz, he writes “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future.” Demonstrated in the text written by a person who experienced a life of “security, conformity, and conservation” but realized that that lifestyle is not where true happiness can be upheld, he abandoned that completely and it all began by mere consideration of the morality of society. By living a life without knowing your next meal or place to sleep is strangely liberating in the way that you cannot plan your future but embrace it with welcoming arms because there is no other option.
In another quote from Into the Wild regarding McCandless it states “I understood what he was doing, that he had spent four years fulfilling the absurd and tedious duty of graduating from college and now he was emancipated from that world of abstraction, false security, parents, and material excess.” Again in this text it speaks of Chris’s adventure that maybe was more of a lifestyle to free himself from materiality and false security.
The thought process leading to a moral lifestyle may not be nearly as extreme as Chris’s, however there is still a very present process taken by the reader that will lead this reader to; at a minimum, consider Chris’s way of living a better and more suitable than that of a conformative or societally accepted way of living.
Into The Wild could strike many emotions in the reader, such as resentment toward Chris for being as unprepared as he was, or possibly respecting Chris for donating all of his money. Throughout the book the idealistic belief of solitude was constant, and I don't mean the solitude as like being in solitary confinement, I mean more of the "on your own path" meaning. Chris walked away from his family, friends, career, and even his name, and decided to go out on his own in the most literal sense. As I had said, the emotions of readers change with the personality of the reader and what he/she believes in. I personally respect Chris for what he did, not because he walked out on his life, but because he wanted change and finding out his father's past flipped that switch of wanting the change. So he takes this incentive of his anger and creates a whole new set of opportunities for him to explore and discover. And sets forth a plan to make it to Alaska and survive in the bush . I do respect him for his want of change, However I do believe there was a certain extent where Chris should have stopped and at least contacted his family once. But I understand he did not want to be found by his family anyway. While Chris wasn't really in solitude most of his trip to Alaska because he had all the people he ran into, however he kept leaving and wanting to be alone, so he started his trip wanting solitude and change, and his trip ended in solitude.
ReplyDeleteThat is how I, as a reader of this, was affected by the idealistic belief of solitude.
While reading the book Into the Wild, some may find it hard to comprehend the irrational and questionable ideals that led Chris McCandless to make some poor choices throughout his pursuit of seclusion in the Alaskan bush. It is pretty rare that you come across someone like McCandless in today’s society. Most people I know tend to stick to social norms and behaviors that are considered acceptable. No one ever said this was the right or correct thing to do, but the mass majority of people in most cases determine the outcome of any given scenario.
ReplyDeleteChris was set on branching out away from the life set out for him. His parents had worked tireless hours and worked hard to make a comfortable life for their family. They wanted badly for Chris to take advantage of their ability to get him to a good education so he didn’t have to go through the struggle their experienced. He was all set to get a high paying job after graduating college and potentially start a life and a family but to his parents’ dismay, these things meant little to him. Chris wanted meaning to his life and he believed he could find this with an adventure trekking through the barren state of Alaska.
Chris’s case isn’t that unique in the sense that he chose not to involve his family with his intended whereabouts before he left indefinitely. There are countless cases of teenage rebellion such as this one, kids leaving their parents without so much as a goodbye. However Chris’s destination was quite bold and is what sets him apart. Teenage readers could definitely relate to Chris in the sense of wanting to get away from their parents and do their own thing, but most would get extremely homesick and despite the rocky past between him and his parents it is hard to imagine spending months upon months without contacting them.
Everyone has their place in their family, however it might have been hard for Chris to accept this role or successfully fill it given that his ideals were so different from the people he lived with. It is always important to feel accepted, especially in your family. Given the circumstances in addition to Chris being at the age to make his own decisions and pursue the path he wanted for his life, no one can blame him for wanting to branch out. Although Chris’s ideals were not what most would consider intelligent, they were important to him, and that is what matters the most.
Ryan Brink
ReplyDeleteHow does the novel “Into the Wild” affect readers ideologically?
Before one could ever begin to analyze the impact of Christopher McCandless on the reader ideologically, a few concessions must be made of course. We must know that Chris was the product of the life challenges he faced and his decisions he made were based on the merit of past events.Whether it be his father’s cheating ways or overwhelming expectation for greatness, Chris’s final fate was long decided before he ever even left home The actions Chris made along his journey are oftentimes disagreed with as evidenced by our discussions in class, and thus leaves us to ask; why does the story of Christopher McCandless affect us as the reader so deeply?
Us as the reader are obligated to feel a sense of empathy in order to understand Christopher. Otherwise we are simply an observer to his life, on the outside looking in but never truly knowing what it's like inside. Personally, I have never faced the same upheavals that Chris faced in his brief lifetime, which makes it difficult for me to understand his reasons to leave, and his disregardment of the social norms. It is only until I placed myself in the shoes of the super tramp that things became clear. His adventure is in defiance of the system and parents that failed him as a child, which lead to the severe mistrust of others as a young adult. For most of his life, Chris never put himself in the situations he faced, but much rather was involuntarily pushed to his limits. His parents and others failed consistently to provide Chris a crutch to pursue his own passions which only resulted in Chris’s greater drive to change things for himself. This drive of course led to the ideology that readers of “Into the Wild” find so hard to identify with.
Through the adaptation of the events in his life, Christopher McCandless presents one with an ideology of mistrust and independence from the bigger picture - the system. He proved to himself and others that he doesn't need the systems that our society has grown so reliant on. He burns his money and escapes to nature, which Chris knowingly accepted was going to take a toll on his life but went along anyways. For it was never about life or death, acceptance or rejection in society, it was about sending a message to others that we don't need to conform to the expectations of others. Christopher McCandless is only so relevant now for his ideology contradicts what we are expected to believe in. Through his moderate success we see throughout the story Christopher proves that one doesn't need to live a life of filling in for others and much rather mistrust anyone but yourself.
DeleteMcCandless’s story is not meant to end in sorrow from his death but questioning from the reader. Chris may have made his journey to spite his parents, and spite society for his personal ego, but perhaps he built a bigger movement out of his spite. We look at Christopher and say that we would not make the same mistakes he made if we followed in his path or disagree with his independence from society he demonstrates. But in the reader’s disagreement a level of empathy is finally achieved. One cannot argue with Chris without knowing Chris’s reasons, which justify his actions in the end. Once the argument is achieved however, the story of Christopher McCandless has now come full circle, for now he has made you question yourself, the system, and others, but above all of that Christopher McCandless’s story makes the reader question their own ideology.
Into the Wild affects readers in terms of diverse morals that can act on people's beliefs and family motives. For example most families in wealthy areas in the world most parents want their children to go to some type of schooling after High School. Chris McCandless followed his family morals and went to college even with knowledge of his destiny, Fairbanks Alaska. I would say that is very spontaneous after college to go immediately to the wanderers lifestyle, jumping trains, hitchhiking, and canoing. There wasn't much preparation before he decided to ditch his old life for the new one. Thinking about the reader and his or her family beliefs. My family would like all of my siblings to go and further their education at college and then continue on to getting a good job. Chris McCandless instead of follow the path to the job he decided to go rouge and live of the land. It affects readers morally because thinking about how privileged kids always will have a meal on their table by the end of the night and with Chris he struggled and fought for as long as he could until he eventually died by not being prepared on the subject of food. With all of the education he couldn't learn by not going to college, he might of tried to learn about some outdoor education things in order to prepare for his great Alaskan Odessey that he could of prepared for longer by taking the road down education. All families have different morals with different members of the family that believe in different thoughts and beliefs. Chris chose the less walken path which is something the reader usually dosent follow. But it ended up leading Chris to his ultimate solitude and independence.
ReplyDeleteThe book Into the Wild affects readers morally, spiritually, and ideologically throughout its chapters. However, I saw more of an effect in the moral aspect of this book. Chris McCandless is affected morally by his actions and behaviors in his family, friends, and other relationships. Chris gave up relationships with almost all of his family for a trip that went against the social norms. The main disconnect we see in his home life is between him and his father. Right before Chris left he found out about his father’s affair, explaining this gap that we see between the two. Another speculation to the nature of their relationship is seeing how the two had completely different plans and goals for Chris and his future. The biggest difference being that his father wanted him to go college and be successful whereas Chris wanted to go into the wild and be one with nature. In the book we see that Chris didn’t see his father as someone to look up to. His main role model was his grandfather on his mother’s side. His grandfather taught him about the wilderness and how to love nature. Having someone in his life that understood what he wanted, unlike his father, caused him to grow further apart from those who didn’t. Chris left behind a lot of people that he had relationships with, thus destroying those bonds.
ReplyDeleteCaleb Smith
ReplyDeleteContemporary Literature
Tunink
30 September 2016
Into the Wild
The novel “Into the Wild” has a moral effect on readers. Chris McCandless decided to head off to Alaska with no experience and filled with bad judgement, thinking that everything would work out. Chris’s naivety caused him to fail to preserve meat, not attempt to save his own life, and to eat moldy potato seeds, which all ultimately led to his death.
Chris McCandless believed that he could waltz into the Alaskan wilderness and survive without any preparation. Chris did not pack enough food to sustain him for his whole trip because he believed that he would be able to hunt or gather enough food to survive. However, this backfired on him when he decided to display very bad judgement and kill a moose for food. Chris was so naive that he did not bother to learn how to preserve meat in Alaska because he assumed he could figure it out on his own. This lack of experience caused the majority of the moose to go to waste because he did not figure out a way to preserve the meat before it became infested with vermin. Chris’s inexperience in the Alaskan wilderness and his bad judgement caused him to kill a poor animal for nothing.
When Chris finally decided he was ready to leave and head back towards civilization, his naivety struck again and extend his stay. McCandless needed to cross a river in order to get back to civilization but when he saw that the water level was too high to cross where he had first crossed to get to his home on Bus 142, he decided to stay longer. Chris poorly judged the situation because if he went either up or down the river, he would have found a safe haven. One of these safe havens being a cabin with food and the other being a decommissioned government made building that would have allowed him to cross the river. If Chris was smart enough to bring a topographic map or experienced enough to know the nature in Alaska, he would still be alive today.
Chris’s lack of experience and poor judgment put him into bad circumstances, but it also led to his death. Chris died due to mold on wild potato seeds that he kept in a sealable bag. At first glance, it seems logical to store food in a bag but the bag was damp, so when he sealed it, the lack of air and presence of water in the bag caused mold to grow on the seeds. Chris was not experienced with preserving food in the wild and his idea to put the seeds into a damp bag was foolish enough to kill him.
Throughout the book, especially during Chris’s time in Alaska, he showed many examples of being inexperienced and having bad judgment, which led to his death in Alaska. The novel affected readers morally because from an outsider's perspective it is clear to see what would have changed in Chris's life if he was less naive.
Chris McCandless was a man who was different than most. He had his own set of ideals that weren’t influenced by anyone but himself. When Chris left, he left without any type of warning to anyone and he left everything he had behind, he donated all of his money to charity and burned his wallet, taking nothing with him on his exploration. McCandless changed his name to Alex Supertramp before his journey into the wilderness, however the last note he wrote was signed with his real name, Chris McCandless. Chris describes what he was looking for as “ultimate freedom”, freedom from other people's rules and authority over him.
ReplyDeleteMcCandless was one who put his principles over people. He did not preach that his parents are too materialistic but instead he lives by his anti-materialistic, giving away most of his money and burning the rest while hardly living off of the bare minimum. McCandless never got a hunting license because he didn’t think the government needed to control what he ate or didn’t eat. A big thing McCandless was trying to accomplish was man against nature, which allowed him to feel that he really knows what he’s capable of, he doesn’t have to rely on others or society to survive.
McCandless had created his own idealistic world in which this idea of freedom is to live completely alone in a world where the only laws he feels he would follow were those of nature. This level of freedom required total isolation, from everyone and everything. He was living only for his own best interest by living according to his own thought rules and those of nature. McCandless saw the wilderness as a place free of evils from the modern day society where someone like him could find what he truly is made of. Before McCandless went to do that he changed his name to Alex Supertramp. In order to really discover who he truly was he needed to give himself a new name, he couldn’t go into the wilderness knowing that “Chris McCandless” left everything behind. He changed his name for himself so he could start fresh and uncover his true self. McCandless had to have found some answers out in the wilderness, even if they weren’t the exact ones he was searching for. In the very last note McCandless wrote he signed it with Chris McCandless and not as Alex Supertramp. He knew he was going to die and signing that note with his real name was a big deal because at that moment he was no longer Alex Supertramp on this journey into the wilderness, he was then, and always will be Chris McCandless. McCandless’s own ideology of his character and culture was one that possibly some people could relate too but also some people could not agree with. His ideology makes people think about what their own ideals are. Just knowing of Chris McCandless's story, morals and ideals made Krakaure write a whole book about his adventure.
Into the wild has proven many times that it has a couple of large themes. One of the largest these themes is the idea of ideology. Throughout the book Chris McCandless is shown many times with his many different ideologies. However one that seemed more predominant than the rest was materialism. Chris is shown being one to not feel as if materialistic valuables have much value at all. He went as far as to burn most of his possessions when first embarking on his journey. Although some will feel like this may be him trying to create a “new beginning”, and he is almost burning away his old life. I believe that is him making it so he is forced to live off the land with little to no materialistic items. This book is in no way a man's journey to become the richest or most successful man. Rather a story about how Chris finds more value in other things. This is greatly due to the fact of his nomadic nature. If someone is stuck in one place for to long they start to look at the things they have. Rather than living life to the fullest. The book completely revolves around Chris McCandless, and Chris’ non materialistic nature makes this book's ideology on material a main theme. This really makes the reader look over their life, and evaluate if they are truly doing everything in their power to make it as rich as possible.
ReplyDeleteThe story of Christopher McCandless as portrayed in the novel Into The Wild is one meant to affect the reader at the ideological level. This is reinforced throughout the book as Chris explains his reasoning for taking his adventure, especially as he justifies himself to the Franz. Chris seemed to believe that the monotony of everyday life within societal norms was unbearable.
ReplyDeleteChris's philosophy seemed to be nearly acetic, he shunned most of his worldly possessions and comforts. Chris burned his pocket money and abandoned his wealthy family and eventually everything but the clothes on his back. Chris's ideology did not stop there though.
Chris decided that the only experiences he needed were not reliant on wealth or status. Anything he needed for his adventures was either borrowed or bought with funds provided by odd jobs around the country. He even found the means to canoe rapids! Hitching rides across the country and into Canada it seemed that his only motivation was the raw experience of seeing the world. Chris took his ideals to the grave so it's impossible to know his exact motivations but the free spirited nature of it is evident.
"Into the Wild" affects people ideologically through many ways. Chris McCandless is shown through the book to most readers as a reckless unprepared kid who didn't like society and his parents. He went to die up in Alaska. To those that look a tiny little bit deeper they saw that he was a smart kid that just wanted to be like the people he looked up to which happened to be writers that wrote books about peoples adventures and he want to be like that. He used the reason of hating his parents as fuel to go on this trip and made sure he wasn't completely prepared so that he could figure out things there and live off the land. Too the people that see this some start to think about the people they look up to and change to be like them a little more.
ReplyDeleteInto the wild may affect readers morally or spiritually, but the most potent topic that this book sheds light on is the ideology behind Chris and his actions. Why he chose to isolate himself in the Alaska wilderness and leave almost all of the people in his life behind. However, there are several parts throughout the book that ask the reader to question their ideology, such as the time when Chris was staying with Westerberg and he got very close with them on his last night. When I was reading that part, It was making me have second thoughts on my ideology as far as family is concerned, for people to grow so close to a person that they just stumbled upon one day, really changed my views on the meaning of the word "family"
ReplyDelete