Chris Mccandless Argument Essay

A Wild Decision One man’s logic is another man’s senselessness. One man’s routine is another man’s torture. Chris McCandless is not far from this analogy. In the novel, Into the Wild by John Krakauer, the eccentric story of a man who was living the American dream abandons society and takes off on a wild adventure, traveling America with nothing more than cheap hiking boots, a small riffle, and a ten pound bag of rice. But if McCandless had such an ideal life, why would he desert it? Perhaps there was an underlining issue that ate at his soul each day he followed society’s rules and his parent’s extraordinary expectations. When McCandless decided to “live off the land”, he was also deciding to disassociate himself from his parents; more specifically, his father Walter. When Chris discovered his father’s double life, he was “smoldering anger… harboring his resentment, letting bad feelings build and build” (Krakauer 122). His entire life, his father set high
Along his trip across the country as a new man, he met a woman named Jan Burres. They grew a special bond; one that is unlike anyone else he had encountered up to the point of their acquaintance. He could relate to her free spirit. After picking up McCandless, Jan explains, “He was a really good kid. We thought the world of him… he made a point of staying in touch. For the next two years Alex sent us a postcard every month or two” (Krakauer 31). Over the course of Chris’ travels, he met hundreds of people, but he made it a point to keep in touch with Jan. She filled the parental void that was missing in McCandless’s life. Because of her maternal instincts, she cared for him, fed him, and provided a place to sleep. Chris may not have ever admitted that he missed the company of his mother, but by maintaining a relationship with complete stranger, it is clear that he used Jan to fill the void in his