Chris McCandless, Hero or Fool?

Sydney

Mrs. Zurkowski

English 9 Reds

26 March 2013

Chris McCandless, Hero or Fool?

            Could you picture yourself walking in the Alaskan woods all by yourself for more than three months? McCandless was a man about the age of twenty-three who went on a two year adventure and ending up in Alaska where he died. There are people who believe he was amazing and brave while others think he was foolish and stupid. McCandless was a young boy that wanted freedom society couldn't give him. He was more a hero than a fool because he did things most of us would be too afraid to do.

            McCandless was brave enough to do things most people would not even think about doing. "He was looking for more adventure and freedom than today’s society gives people,” comments one of Chris’s friends" (Krakauer 174). What modern society offers did not appeal to Chris McCandless; he wanted a different life that most people had themselves.  He saw the influences society puts on our lives and decided he did not want to live that way. “No longer would he answer to Chris McCandless; he was now Alexander Supertramp, master of his own destiny" (23). McCandless, now known as Alexander Supertramp, did not want to be held back in any way; to insure he would get full freedom he changed his name so he was able to start fresh. McCandless took charge of his new life and was brave to be able to just leave everything he knew and was comfortable with to start new.

            Whatever makes you happy you should pursue, McCandless did just that even with all the negative people telling him it was a bad idea. People find happiness in multiple ways; through relationships, nature, religion, and many more ways.  In a letter to Franz, Alex writes, “You are wrong if you think joy emanates only or principally from human relationships. God has placed it all around us" (57). McCandless knew that although it is nice to have relationships you can find happiness in nature and that is where he found true happiness. “He is smiling in the picture, and there is no mistaking the look in his eyes: Chris McCandless was at peace, serene as a monk gone to God" (199). Before McCandless’s death he took a picture and in the picture he was at peace and happy even though he was alone and going through the pain of starvation. He was happy because he finally found true happiness.  McCandless found happiness in ways most did not, once he found what made him happy he pursued in no matter what the consequences were.

            People called McCandless foolish for his mistakes but everyone makes mistakes. “Instead of feeling distraught over this turn of events, moreover, McCandless was exhilarated: He saw the flash flood as an opportunity to shed unnecessary baggage" (29). Although he made a mistake of sleeping in an area where there are flash floods and lost his car, he accepted it and used it as a way to get further into his adventure by just living off what he needed. “Chastity and moral purity were qualities McCandless mulled over long and often” (65). Although Chris made fatal mistakes he knew what was right and wrong and would think about it a lot.  McCandless overall had respect and good morals but made fatal mistakes which led to his death.

            People who did not think McCandless was a hero thought he was a young foolish man who caused many pain with his leaving and death. Chris did make mistakes but so do other and that does not mean he is foolish.  He did not want to cause others pain but he needed to start fresh and away from everyone he knew. "Alex is a nut in my book,” wrote a resident of Healy, the hamlet at the head of the Stampede Trail. “The author describes a man who has given away a small fortune, forsaken a living family, abandoned his car, watch and map and burned the last of his money before traipsing off into the 'wilderness' west of Healy"(71). Although McCandless did all of those things, he did it to have a fresh start. He did not want to be held back from anything and in the end it made him happy. A reader of the Outside magazine asked, “Why would any son cause his parents and family such permanent and perplexing pain?”(71) McCandless did not want to cause his loved ones pain but ended up causing them pain since the only way he could find true happiness was to leave everyone he loved. Although some may not be able to see the reasons McCandless left all his opportunities and loved ones behind to go on an adventure that caused him his death, he only did it because that was what made him happy.

            Chris McCandless was a young man that went against society and found happiness in things most people would be afraid to try. He had the bravery it took to go against society to find his happiness and although he made mistakes he did what he enjoyed even if people thought he was foolish. People should not judge others for what they do that makes them happy and being brave enough to do something different than what most do.

Work Cited:

Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. New York: Anchor, 1997. Print.