Madness and the Freedom to Live: Into the Wild
Madness and the Freedom to Live: Into The Wild
A young man, living in a comfortable civilized environment leaves society and all the benefits that he had behind him to build a new life. The novel Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer tells the story of a young man, Chris McCandless who had always believed his life ritual was based on mental knowledge. The existential mind of McCandless seemed to prove this statement true. His effort he put into his work was nothing compared to what would lie ahead on this so called “journey” of his. He loved the fact that each day he had the possibility of being exciting, different, or even dangerous. Chris was different in the way he wanted to experience life. He wanted to be alone and took no joy in the various human relationships that he had developed in his travels. Chris showed that he was a loner and did not value these relationships by his disregard for normal society and only took pleasure in challenging himself. To part from all society, one’s mind needs to be set; for once one was there, to come back would be a challenging task.
A quote from the beginning of chapter six states, “No man ever followed his genius till it misled him. Though the result were bodily weakness, yet perhaps no one can say that the consequences were to be regretted, for these were a life in conformity to higher principles” -Henry David Thoreau (Krakauer 47). Any human, man or woman, may see the mental capabilities they have, but never portray them in anything worth dying for. The judgments of anyone could be overrode by something as simple as a thought or pigment of curiosity in one’s mind. McCandless went through this exact same thing during his short-lived life. Once the thought of living without society had crossed his mind, he had been fixed on making it possible. Every little occurrence over the period of time McCandless spent in Alaska began to show it. The little amount of supplies he had ran out quickly and the effect was tragic and fatal.
A young man, living in a comfortable civilized environment leaves society and all the benefits that he had behind him to build a new life. The novel Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer tells the story of a young man, Chris McCandless who had always believed his life ritual was based on mental knowledge. The existential mind of McCandless seemed to prove this statement true. His effort he put into his work was nothing compared to what would lie ahead on this so called “journey” of his. He loved the fact that each day he had the possibility of being exciting, different, or even dangerous. Chris was different in the way he wanted to experience life. He wanted to be alone and took no joy in the various human relationships that he had developed in his travels. Chris showed that he was a loner and did not value these relationships by his disregard for normal society and only took pleasure in challenging himself. To part from all society, one’s mind needs to be set; for once one was there, to come back would be a challenging task.
A quote from the beginning of chapter six states, “No man ever followed his genius till it misled him. Though the result were bodily weakness, yet perhaps no one can say that the consequences were to be regretted, for these were a life in conformity to higher principles” -Henry David Thoreau (Krakauer 47). Any human, man or woman, may see the mental capabilities they have, but never portray them in anything worth dying for. The judgments of anyone could be overrode by something as simple as a thought or pigment of curiosity in one’s mind. McCandless went through this exact same thing during his short-lived life. Once the thought of living without society had crossed his mind, he had been fixed on making it possible. Every little occurrence over the period of time McCandless spent in Alaska began to show it. The little amount of supplies he had ran out quickly and the effect was tragic and fatal.