Jon Krakauer Gives Too Much Credit to McCandless
By Emma Minnis
What is your opinion on Chris McCandless? Into the Wild was written by Jon Krakauer. The book is about Chris McCandless, who deviates from wealthy suburb life and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wild. Chris McCandless was a stupid kid, who received too much praise for fatal mistakes.
McCandless is selfish for abandoning his family. Billie would often worry about Chris. Billie confessed to Krakauer, “Night was the worst, especially when it was cold and stormy. You’d wonder, Where is he? Is he warm? Is he hurt? Is he lonely? Is he OK?” (Krakauer 125) She even had a nightmare that she heard his voice calling for her help. I don’t think it is fair that Chris left his favorite sister without even telling her where he was going. He did not think his family cared for him, but it turns out they didn’t know how to feel with him gone. I do not know why people think so highly of a man, who leaves his family worried about him.
Chris McCandless tried to be independent but could not survive without the people that helped him out. After he set out for the wild, he burned all his cash. He then ends up using Jan Burres money to buy a canoe that helped him very much. That just seems very stupid to me. He also wouldn’t have gotten to Alaska without Gaylord Stuckey. Stuckey says, “Alex, I've driven you a thousand miles. I've fed you and fed you for three straight days." (160) Chris’ odyssey
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could have never been an independent accomplishment if he hadn’t used the people he met along the way.
McCandless was also unbelievably unprepared. Even Jon Krakauer often points out situations where Chris could have used tools to help him along the way. For example, “If McCandless had possessed a U.S. Geological Survey topographic map, it would have alerted him to the existence of a Park Service cabin on the upper Sushana River, six miles due south of the bus, a distance he might have been able to cover even in his severely weakened state." (196) A lot of Alaskans agree that Chris was stupid for coming to Alaska unprepared. I think Chris would have made it out of the bush if he was well equipped.
A lot of people like Chris McCandless because he lived on the edge. In the article “The Cult of Chris McCandless”, a the people that look up to Chris say, “he found severity of spirit that most die without.” I don’t agree with this statement because once he is near death he realizes that you need to be with people in society to be happy. Chris was immature and unfortunately had to perish due to his actions.
I do believe that Jon Krakauer gave too much credit to Chris McCandless’ accomplishments. As you already know, I think he was ungrateful and selfish, extremely dependent, and stupid for being unprepared. I do hope that you relax with your family and enjoy the people in your life—do the opposite of Chris McCandless.
Works Cited
Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. Villard Books. 1996.
Power, Matthew. "Cult of Chris McCandless." Cult of Chris McCandless (2007).
