Conflicts In Into The Wild

In the book, “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, I believe the main character,
Christopher Johnson McCandless was struggling with internal conflict. McCandless unfortunately died from the environment he was in, however I believe the cause was internal because he felt the need to escape from reality. Although McCandless strived academically, after graduating from Emory University, he wanted to travel on foot to achieve his dream of making it to Alaska. I believe the author, Jon Krakauer included many clues or foreshadowing on the type of person McCandless was. For example, McCandless leaves his journal with Westerberg, and says goodbye to people as if it was final.
An important quote from Into the Wild was, “McCandless was thrilled to be on his way north, and he was relieved that he had again evaded human intimacy, of friendship, and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it. He had fled the claustrophobic confines of his family.” This passage reflects McCandless’s conflict with intimacy, and his family. During the two years he was gone, McCandless never contacted his sister, whom he was very close with, or his parents. Although McCandless gets to know many people during his journey, he manages to keep a distance so he can painlessly slip out of their lives.
My general view of the book
McCandless was well educated, yet he decided to pursue his dream. Even though it was obviously the much more difficult choice than working in an office, he was so dedicated to reaching his dreams. I believe McCandless had a unique mindset and an abundance of creativity. I believe McCandless was so inspirational because he wasn’t afraid to step out of his comfort zone. He gave up most of his belongings, money, car, watch, map, and family. McCandless was also a very giving person, one night he bought a bag of burgers and handed them to the