There’s lots of interest out there in this story.
-
Recent Posts
-
Recent Comments
Anonymous on Chris McCandless DiDi on Chris McCandless Anonymous on Chris McCandless Pepper on Chris McCandless kayla on Chris McCandless a
Pages
-
Top Posts
-
Top Clicks
-
Blog Stats
- 290,626 hits
-
Chris McCandless was a very intelligent man who took his dreams and actually conquered them. How many of you people who sit on your ass all day watching T.V. can say that you have done what you were meant to do. How many of you have dreams that you just pushed aside because your either to scared to try or your the everyday materialist american who feeds on money. Not everything is about want its about need and once you peole figure that out you will see what a beautiful thing chris has done! but since im guessing most of you people havent you can not talk.
-krsitina alvarez
“one of the many that have been inspired by Christopher Johnson McCandless”
i love what you are say, but these people who have no idea about what they are saying make me mad. Chris did what a person with a heart would do. He ended up realizing that “Happiness is Only Real When Shared.”
i think i might end up gong on the Stampede Trail to see bus 142. Looks like fun!!!
Yeah, fortunately, most of us don’t have to go off and kill ourselves to realize that sharing happiness is a good thing.
“Chris did what a person with a heart would do.”
Die? Because thats what he ended up doing.
good job! I love your post.
“Chris did what a person with a heart would do”?
excuse me?
more like “what a person with a could heart would do”
he left his family…
lies, stories, whatever , that doesnt matter..
he was selfish and insensitive
he hurt just about everybody he had met on the way by just leaving them. I get that he had his journey to finish, but really?
i find that quite cold-hearted
And hes stupid. He completely contradicts himself
“you’re wrong if you think that the joy of life comes principally from human relationships”
then once he realized hes wrong and hes dying he says “happiness is only real when shared”
plus, he was too much of a moron to realize that there was a ranger thing a couple miles from where was.
Chris McCandless was a bright guy but he realized material objects and a poisoned society wasnt for him. he did what his heart told him to do and he was able to find his strength. i believe Chris IS a hero because he was happy. i hate self- minded stupid people that say he was crazy. he knew what he was getting himself into but it didnt matter. he’d rather be happy than be wrapped up in the boring consistency society that we call “life”. At least he got to experience new things. so fuck all of you that want to hate on him. respect that he was himself and accomplished what he wanted. he may have died but reading Into The Wild deffinately impacted me in a positive way. Not by telling myself to go live in the woods but by being myself and not following the crowd. Kinda like stepping out of the same old and starting something new. being original, thats how you suceed.
Yes but in order to come to his realizing of happiness he had to sacrifice his life for it. Others have easily learned of this fact without destroying themselves or hurting others.
no what is really sad is those who have it and refuse to realize it! there is more in life then a woman on the back of your bike! unless its the right woman!(and her dog of corse)
After living for awhile at 9,000 feet in the Rockies in my twenties, I know that even I learned that if you try a survivalist lifestyle in severe places, you have to be prepared to not make it back. In the film he couldn’t return because of the the raging river so he had to turn back to the bus. Nature is unforgiving, as Jack London stories show, and Chris’ sad starvation made the tale even more poignant because he did try to return but couldn’t.
Not a bright person, McCandless was completely unaware that a hand-operated tram crossed the otherwise impassable river 1/4 mile from where he attempted to cross. Had he known this, he could easily have saved his own life but he refused to take a map with him. Living in an idealistic life is no substitute for common sense.
Sorry Kristina,
It’s a beautiful story, and a tragic tale, but to romanticize it as some sort of spiritual journey is as stupid as going out into the wilderness without a map and starving to dealth. Granted, it moved me, and I envy his courage, and I understand his disdain for life as it is. Still, he died because he wasn’t smart enough to find a way back across a river when there was a manual way to cross less than 1/4 a mile downstream. It’s one thing to dream, and another to prepare to do things you need to do to see those dreams fullfilled. Still, I think God was with him and he is at peace now. His adventures will inspire both the brave and the foolhardy for years to come.
JBE
Lets wait and see what random strangers have to say about your life when you pass.
couldnt of said it any better! the book is absolutely amazing. We can all learn something from chris mccandless! he had it all! money! an education! but he threw it all away because he didnt want to just exist he wanted to live! man how great would it feel to be butt naked in the wild!!! away from all the conformity of society!!!!! away from paying bills and working the dreading 9 to 5. Chris used his money wisely.
He was a gift from GOD! to show everyone that theirs more to life than being a rich american snob! If chris wouldnt of died nobody would know the true meaning of sacrifice….
one love and god bless
I find it extremely sad that you see all Americans as rich snobs. The conformist society is the way you perceive it, and it doesn’t have to be all “horrible” like some people make it out to be. The TRUE meaning of sacrifice is found in the Bible when Jesus was crucified. Check that out before you say that Chris was the true meaning of sacrifice.
“There’s more to life than being a rich american snob,” types an American named Chris Williams on his macbook. Additionally, if you believe there’s more to life than money and education, why did you say, “he had it all! money! an education!”
“away from all the conformity of society!!!!!” conformity is something you create; peer pressure often causes conformity, but if you refuse to conform, you can avoid it with ease.
“He was a gift from GOD!” Therefore, he had to kill himself.
I find it funny that people are bashing Chris for doing exactly what he intended to do. He made a difference, which is a lot more than many people in this world can say. Look at this post. Almost 1000 individual posts for individual people who were moved one way or another by his story. And there’s so many more sites than this one with posts as long or longer. His life left a legacy, one that will be debated forever by people who wish inside that they could make even a ripple in the ocean of life that Chris made a tidal wave on.
alright read this carefully you useless, mindless, follower pieces of shit dumb bitch. 1. What the fuck have you done lately because apparently all you did was watch the damn movie and believe everything it depicted. 2. Just because one doesn’t go out into the wilderness without any adequate skills and essentially killing oneself doesn’t mean that individual is sitting on his ass all day watching T.V. We strive to be better than who we actually are, we desire education and even through television we learn and become better people. 3. He had a map, and a fucking fishing pole. He was dumb enough to start trying to live in the wild without first learning some skills. If anybody that didnt see the movie read about his true actual story, they would believe that he was trying to die. He tried to eat and preserve an entire moose without learning first how to fucking preserve. WHICH ISNT FUCKING HARD, JUST RUB SALT ALL OVER THE DAMN THING. Apparently emory didn’t teach him common fucking sense. 4. He sent out an SOS for people to help him, he claimed he was injured but in the coroners report, he didn’t have any pre-mortem injuries (In case you’re too dumb of a cunt to understand that, it means before death.) So even if he was trying to prove the point that he doesnt need any modern day benefits to live, he proved another one entirely….the fact that he fucking does need modern day benefits to live. 5. He didn’t consume any poisonous plant, coroners report shows that there were no traces of poison in his bloodstream, he died of starvation in a way in which he was burning too many calories per day to hunt, but the game he catches does not have a high enough fat content or calories to keep him going. In other words, he was a goddamn dumbass, and so are you. I hope you follow in his footsteps and starve your dumb cunt bitch miserable life away, just like his stupid dipshit ass did. The only point he proved is dumbasses will be dumbasses, with or without a college degree.
Sincerely,
Someone who hopes you die in the same way Christopher Johnson McCandless aka Alex Supertramp (Stupid fucking name) did.
P.S. His father also reported that before he went on his little adventure, he has a record of doing stupid ass shit that got him almost killed or injured.
P.P.S. Fuck you
P.P.P.S Fuck you again and go die
P.P.P.P.S How did he share happiness by living alone in alaska. All he did was treat people nicely, something that everyone should be doing.
This spiel is too funny, i think Z.Zhao you need to take a zanex, your anger is clouding your judgement. You say all he did was treat people nicely, something that everyone should do. Is this everyone except you, did you not read what you wrote above “fuck you and die” your an excellent example of the ignorance chris was trying to escape from, people who put other people down to build themselves up.
could not have said it better myself.
Z. Zhao……sounds like a motherfucking ka-chink name. get the fuck out of my god damn country. what you got karate? over here we have something called a gun. no not your chinese shit. american quality. dumb fucking chink
@ White American…why don’t you shut your hole…you can shove that ”gun” up in your ass you fucking racist bitch. Just because most americans are white it doesn’t mean that anybody that is not white is not american…”get the fuck out of my god damn country” did you know that the land you’re living in was not first inhabited by whites… and who the fuck you think you are? you’re nothing but a fucking racist bitch who threats people with guns… i have something to tell you… grab that gun you have and shoot yourself
His dream was to starve to death in a rusted out bus?
I don’t think so Kristina. His SOS note for help shows us that.
k y dont u and go wat the dumb ass chris did and prove us wrong
What a spoiled, rich idiot. It’s easy to be an idealist when you grow up having everything and never having to work for it. Good for him for trying to live an unorthodox life that was true to what he wanted to be, but his high-handed criticisms of other people came off as smug and obnoxious. He was arrogant and payed for it.
Oh yes Chris did a beautiful thing. A selfish beautiful thing. Come on, get over the mystique of unbridled idealism and realize that this guy wandered out into the middle of nowhere woefully unprepared for the adventure. It was also selfish, he didn’t set out to change the world or to help others, he ditched out of society and left some poor traveller (who by the way was prepared for the adventure) to find his body. If you are truly inspired by Chris then you really need to get out more and find a someone worthy of it, not some dead silly idealist who couldn’t even be bothered to buy a map.
you obviously didn’t read the book. he went out without anything for a purpose. its been printed in every article that was written on this topic….chirs was offered a chance to get more supplies and he refused. this was about being away from everything, and away from what he believed to be a sick and twisted society. you don’t have to agree with him. i sure don’t, but you have to appreciate someone with this much passion. passion to do what they want no matter how unconventional it may be.
I also respect Chris for sticking to his ideals and trying to embody those ideals, but he was also a selfish fool who took off into the wilderness with a cocky smile on his face, and a bag that was filled with rice and a couple of books. And he died for it. I am aware that he knew he was severely under supplied, but that does not make any less foolish, in fact it makes it even more foolish. Also the fact that he just left his family without a word and never communicated with them again until his death is selfish and sick. No ideal is worth making other people suffer like his family did.
Regis C., Are you serious? Read the book, then comment. His parents did not abuse each other and neither he nor his sister had to “choose sides” THe author, Jon Krakauer had some parental issues, as did some of the people he referenced, but he did so to illustrate that McCandless had none of these issues and that he gave his life in vain…wow…you have no clue…
Well said, I couldn’t agree more.
How do you think he felt when he lived with his parents? The pain he had to go through, watching them abuse each other. Making him and his sister choose sides? I don’t blame him at all for leaving. I do feel sorry for the sister, but that was a sacrifice he had to make.
Sorry Chris for your tough childhood. We all have tough times in life! But to do what you did to your family is horrid. Your poor sister who did nothing to you but be your loving sister, what a jerk you were. Selfish , inconsiderate, spoiled brat. You took what GOD gave you and pissed it down the drain by running.
It proved nothing at all. I am sorry you were so miserable.
Yo could have at least sent letters home but no,, you had to be the big rebel and hurt. Too bad, you could have done so much more. Maybe those who have benefitted from your tail of woe can put the money to good use,,, you certainly didn’t.
At least you got some clarity before you did.
I was also angered at the cruel callousness displayed by this kid toward his family. They gave him a good education but were guilty of being imperfect . He had 12 years of school but he never learned to count his blessings……….. stupid kid.
He made a choice. He couldnt go out and experience the travel without leaving his family behind. And it made it easy as his family “tortured” him during his childhood. Of course, you can argue with his decision to never call up his sister, but in the end – she accepted it. In case you can’t remember, she praised him for what he did after the news of his death came out.
And also, taken for consideration – his sister also stood close to their family.
Now, for him to make contact with his sister, would probably cause it all to go to waste. His sister could not have had contact with him and also bypass this secret for their family. That does not work, it’s far too complicated psychology for such a young mistress to handle.
So that probably leaves you with the argument; “why did he have to leave them all in the first place, isn’t that cruel?”
Well, I dont have to say anything about that. Just read all the other comments I felt worthy reading.
If you still find arguments against him in your mind, I would say you’re ignorant. This was his life. His parents focused on everything else but himself and his thoughts, and this had to happend. This story has touched millions of thoughts, and has been praised by all sorts of people. Do yourself a favor and explore yourself. Find out why this troubles you. I bet it will do you good someday, if you do.
The f**king blessing you talk of is poison of the society which is ruining this world. Wake up you sick f**ks. F**king blind guides. Don’t you understand it makes you greedy bastards?
Sym·pa·thy: the fact or power of sharing the feelings of another, esp. in sorrow or trouble; fellow feeling, compassion, or commiseration.
I sit beyond admiration. Avid in my travels – a military man, war veteran and self proclaimed backcountry enthusiast. I can’t sit unwavering and say that our “hero” the “supertramp” was right or wrong – mistaken, mislead, unrealistic, idealistic, selfish, dreamweaver, inspiring, loathing – all words that may in fact break the surface of man none of us knew, but have some how been effected by. Be it a book, a movie or a chance reading of an article.
By virtue we’ve all learned something from his tragedy. Those of us that feel the need to bash Christopher McCandless should pear back at his life with more insight. Something inspired you to bash his adventurous spirit – his heart filled glances and his misguided ways. Maybe, just maybe, he had something we all need and want – maybe, just maybe in his search to find “London”, he took it too far, but for a moment I think he wrapped his cold hands around it and it got away.
Let us not forget the beauty that risk can bring. Maybe we should just “hop over the fence with a loaf of bread and a pound of tea”.
McCandless went on this journey to get away from the people like you. He wanted to escape from all of the corrupt, and foul living wretches you are so proud of being. He wanted to find truth in himself, truth in the world. And those of you who call Alaska YOUR state, and are piss tired of all of those “hippies” coming into Alaska, stop and think, they have more respect for YOUR land than you do. You pollute the grounds you speak so highly of, and what did Chris do? He cherished it, he loved it, he helped it. You ruin your land with your modern technologies he wanted nothing to do with. And you ignorant people who claim he was ill-prepared need to do some research. He didn’t want to be prepared, he wanted to be completely independent, and he didn’t want a map because he wanted to explore for himself. Yes, it is a tragedy that he didn’t make it out, and yes maybe he didn’t clearly think things through, but that doesn’t mean he was a fool, or he had a death-wish. I am clearly jealous of this man because he did what so many of us dream to do, but are too afraid. He lived his dream, and he died happily. He fulfilled his life and he became something he loved and understood, while the remaining of us sit at home on our ass and watch awe-spiring movies like “into the wild”, or read books about other people and go on mind trips about how amazing it would be to do the things we always dreamed about. But, how many actually do this? Very few. He was clearly something amazing, and most of us are just parasites.
So, in short, you’re a coward and anyone who doesn’t agree with your perception that this guy is a hero….is what? A parasite and a coward? Anyone who has to put aside their dreams to say, fulfill responsibilities to such things as…raising a family or living up to your word or NOT abandoning your friends and family, is a coward?
So open mindedness, toleration and individuality are not qualities you respect then? It’s either, fall in line and agree with me or you’re a coward and a parasite?
It takes much more courage to not abandon the people around you. It takes more courage to try and make a difference then to run off alone and run away from everything you disagree with.
Since when did giving up or running away become a hero quality?
And I just love the fact that you all respect this man’s individuality, but you see anyone with a differing opinion on this story as a fool.
Lol…you people are such hypocrites.
you say he wanted nothing to do with modern technologies, to be completely independent…why then did he take a rifle,fishing pole, knives and whatever”modern” stuff he thought he may need….why live in a bus that “modern man” put there???
Your kidding right? He wanted to be completely independent? He lived off others, avoiding earlier bouts of starvation in his travels by taking handouts and relying on the charity of others. Does the fact that he didn’t actually pay for something (but someone else does), equate to indepedence? He had great respect for the land? He drove his car through, and then abandoned it, in a roadless watershed area. He used a rifle and poached what he could. How was he respectful of the land? During his travels, he sponged off others for food, shelter, and support, and at one point took a job at a McDonalds in AZ. He was hardly independent of society. He may have been a good person. But being unprepared and intentionally ignorant of basic survival skills, to the point of being foolhardy, does at some point become a death wish. Unlike his travels in the lower 48, while in Alaska, he was not able to fall back on someone else when he came to the point of starving – although he had hoped he could, when he left a note seeking help. I know Cub Scouts (i.e. young kids who are not even Boy Scouts yet) who are better prepared to survive in the wilderness than McCandless was.
If you want an inspiration for intelligent, independent Alaska living and respect for the wilderness, read up on Richard “Dick” Proenneke.
AMEN BLACKHAWK!
very well put
In May of 1993 – I left NY City with only a pack on my back (the same age as Chris Mccandless) – I made it cross country via train and took the ferry up the inside passage. I ultimately ended up in Denali, where I worked, explored and loved. That summer I had heard of Chris and his death. I ventured to the bus and felt the remains of a broken spirit. I envy and can certainly relate to Chris’ mindset. I cant help but think, however, that somewhere along the way he lost his will to live….to love.
I went back to Denali for 6 more summers, yet now the place has changed. Alaska itself is in fact still untamed, but I have seen the sad nuances of corporate infusion and Denali will forever be different because of it.
At least the 6 million acres in the park still hold strigent access and use codes. I will forever love that place and will go back at least for a couple of weeks every year for the rest of my life.
Billy, I spent two weeks traveling around Alaska and know exactly what you mean. It’s good for the soul. I’m ready to go back.
Im a mountain climber. Here’s the lesson I choose to take away from this story – for now
Analogy;
When you climb a mountain it’s not enough to “make the summit.” Not good enough to live your dream, it’s not enough to realize your biggest ideals. What I mean is when you get there, you can’t lay down at the top and just enjoy the view. When you’re still young, and inexperienced, all you think about is your ideals -some of us at different points are younger or more dreamy than others, and some even become obsessed with these big ideals for a while. But to do it right, to be complete, to see the trees AS WELL AS the forest, to “finish the job” etc, is to *PLAN* to come back down from the ideal – to balance the ideal with the practical, not to choose one and discard the other.
Getting to the top is not practical, its a dream, an ideal. It gets you exited and it provides a nice view, and as every climber knows, its the easy part. But in and of itself, it’s a useless thing really -especially nowadays- and only half the endeavor. It only means something when you incorporate the experience into the totality of your being. You can only do that if you live long enough to do that. Only then can you call it a lesson and perhaps even pass it on to others. It just doesn’t matter until you can do as much. To die on a summit, or to die in a wilderness without having prepared to the best of ones ability for the practical, the necessary but less romantic ideal of surviving, of returning, is nothing more or less than a failure. Chris McCandless (and some others) failed in that way. Coarse, maybe in the end we all do. And, keep in mind just how young Chris was when he ventured out, when he died.
In my mind though, he doesn’t deserve the harsh ridicule nor the heroic praise that he has often gotten. His death -as sad as it was- was a warning to those with the big ideals, with big dreams about the world and about their place in it: Do what adventuring you must, seek what you need, live your dream, but most importantly, plan and prepare to live, plan to return and teach. Come back down, and put the dream into practice. Life is too precious to throw away – even on an adventure. As strange as it sounds, Im guess Im a little pissed at Chris for not recognizing that much.
A well known mountain guide service near my place has the motto something like “Live your Dreams”. There are 2 parts to this motto, one is the “dreaming” part, but the other is the “living” part. Its really about balance. With every passing moment we leave a legacy of our dreams and our acts. In a way, we always teach by our example. Its not enough that you’re a dreamer, you are -or will be- a teacher as well. Hard to teach when you’re dead, unless your death becomes the lesson.
My point is of coarse not that death is avoidable, I applaud Chris’s dreams and his courage, I condemn his impracticality, beyond that, who am I to judge him?
From some of his last writings, in the last days of his life, it seems that Chris himself realized something along these lines. He wrote something like “happiness is only meaningful when shared”. So maybe he did convey the lesson after all. Its just too damned bad he didn’t live to see it and mature into the complete teacher he likely would have become.
very well said..i love your take on this
My thoughts exactly on Chris and his adventure. I am equally moved by his courage and naivete. If you go out into the wild in search of the meaning of life, what good is it if you die in the process. I find it ironic that he had to die alone with the realization that life is better when shared with others. (I also find it ironic that he signed away his college fund to Oxfam to fight hunger, which is the very thing that did him in). If he had died kayaking down the river, or jumping from one of the trains he hitched onto, would he have ever become the idealistic icon that he is today? More likely not, he would have just been another statistic. On the other hand, if he had lived and did make it back, would he have actually put his experience to good use and used it to spread the word about his revelation (like his idols Thoreau or London)? Had he lived, would the world have ever known his name or Alexander Supertramp, or did it take his death to elevate him to that status.
What strikes me hard to understand about Chris is that if he truely came to peace within himself on his spiritual quest, (as said in his last words, “I have had a happy life,” and shown in his picture with a contented smile sitting in front of his bus) why didn’t he leave some kind of note informing someone how to contact his family since he knew he was going to die. Wouldn’t he want his sister to have some kind of resolution about where he was to give her peace of mind? If he loved her, would’nt he want her to know what happened to him. Wouldn’t he want to write a personal goodbye to her in his journal. To leave his family phone number or address written somewhere.
What he does know to be true is that he is going to die and that his family will live the rest of their lives wondering what ever happened to him. And there could be a chance that someone finds him. To me, it would be devistating not to know if a loved one was dead or alive or suffering somewhere. Couldn’t he have just given his family that courtesy by leaving this info or writing a goodbye note to them with the chance that someone would someday find him (which hunters did). Instead, when he was discovered, since there was no information about who he was or where he came from, he essentially left it up to chance that the authorities would be able to figure out where he was from through links in his journal. But everyone he ran into only knew him as Alex Supertramp.
If he had found peace, wouldn’t he have found a way to forgive his parents in his heart? The fact that he made several grave mistakes himself during his adventure, and reality proved that he, himself was fallible, (ie by killing the moose and not being able to preserve the meat, or not realizing the waters would rise, carrying no map or not even mapping out his nearby surroundings over the months he was at the bus,) wouldn’t he have seen that we are all human and make mistakes. If he had come to terms with his own humaness and humility, wouldn’t he have had the ability to address the unresolved relationship with his family and thus write them a heartfelt goodbye in his Journal? Or did he just want to fall of the face of the earth and turn his back, never to return or contact his family again. For someone who seemed to have compassion, this baffles me. He just completely neglects to address any feelings he may have for his family on his dying bed. There are no words that he even wanted to come to some resolution about his family as he is in the midst of facing his inevitable death. To me, this is so hard to believe that he was that cold. Was he in that much Pain that he could completely forget about his past like a blank screen? So did he really find peace or was it all an unconscious deathwish? I think this calls for the expertise of a psychoanalyst. Any thoughts? -Ali’s Glass
I so agree with u Ali..if he had a heart, he should have forgiven his parents n left them a note. His sister who loved him so much never even got a call from him..how sad…
I only saw this movie yesterday 14/July/2009….my boy who is 7 watched it with me…n his question was why do ppl do all this…n my answer 2 him was …everyone has a different mind set to c things in their own way…and Chris choose this way of life, which took his life…..
Dolly Gill of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Doug PNW, I haven’t commented much on the Chris McCandless posts here, but your sentiments probably most closely mirror mine on the whole thing. Obviously his is a story that evokes strong emotion, one way or another, and probably touches a nerve in many of us for different reasons. Simply put perhaps “eat to live, do not live to eat,” it is hard advice to truly understand and maybe even tougher once one does understand it fully, and by the time most of us understand it fully we have to remeber TO EAT in order to live. I couldn’t agree more that McCandless’ story is not a hero tale, nor a idiot kid/villan tale, it is at heart an extremely human story.
I also thought Doug’s comment was a standout.
[...] 31st, 2007 by notverybright This entry started out as a comment by “Doug PNW” to the Chris McCandless entry. I liked the comment so much I elevated [...]
What strikes me hard to understand about Chris is that if he truely came to peace within himself on his spiritual quest, (as said in his last words, “I have had a happy life,” and shown in his picture with a contented smile sitting in front of his bus) why didn’t he leave some kind of note informing someone how to contact his family since he knew he was going to die. Wouldn’t he want his sister to have some kind of resolution about where he was to give her peace of mind? If he loved her, would’nt he want her to know what happened to him. Wouldn’t he want to write a personal goodbye to her in his journal. To leave his family phone number or address written somewhere.
What he does know to be true is that he is going to die and that his family will live the rest of their lives wondering what ever happened to him. And there could be a chance that someone finds him. To me, it would be devastating not to know if a loved one was dead or alive or suffering somewhere. Couldn’t he have just given his family that courtesy by leaving this info or writing a goodbye note to them with the chance that someone would someday find him (which hunters did). Instead, when he was discovered, since there was no information about who he was or where he came from, he essentially left it up to chance that the authorities would be able to figure out where he was from through links in his journal. But everyone he ran into only knew him as Alex Supertramp.
If he had found peace, wouldn’t he have found a way to forgive his parents in his heart? The fact that he made several grave mistakes himself during his adventure, and reality proved that he, himself was fallible, (ie by killing the moose and not being able to preserve the meat, or not realizing the waters would rise, carrying no map or not even mapping out his nearby surroundings over the months he was at the bus,) wouldn’t he have seen that we are all human and make mistakes. If he had come to terms with his own humaness and humility, wouldn’t he have had the ability to address the unresolved relationship with his family and thus write them a heartfelt goodbye in his Journal? Or did he just want to fall of the face of the earth and turn his back, never to return or contact his family again. For someone who seemed to have compassion, this baffles me. He just completely neglects to address any feelings he may have for his family on his dying bed. There are no words that he even wanted to come to some resolution about his family as he is in the midst of facing his inevitable death. To me, this is so hard to believe that he was that cold. Was he in that much Pain that he could completely forget about his past like a blank screen? So did he really find peace or was it all an unconscious deathwish? Any thoughts? -Ali’s Glass
Doug – you made some great points in your dialogue – and while Chris could have offered the world so much throughout his years, he did not have the ability to recognize it at the time. There was no understanding of balance and the fine line between reality and obscurity was crossed.
In Alaska I held so much importance on learning. It wasn’t until my fourth summer after spending a harsh winter in Palmer that I ventured 200 miles north of the arctic circle for three weeks to live among the land. I was fortunate to come back home to Denali with a caribou (bow hunt)and a sense of knowing I was confident to utilize my knowledge and
humble enough to show my respect to a land that that held a strength I had never known before. That created a bond with me and Alaska ……….. humility was a big part of it.
Something in my brain told me at 25 years old in 1993 that I was not ready to accept certain challenges that the land had held. I guess I’m greatful for my patience – it has made all the difference in my life.
I only wish his notoriority never came to fruition……………..
Billy V
McCandless’ had a noble goal – to find his true self outside of the contraints of an organized society and return to “nature”. A philosophy espoused by Tolstoy, Muir, Rousseau, Kerouac and Thoreau and others, McCandless believed that man was essentially free only in state of nature, in touch with himself, the earth and exempt from the material needs and wants of modern civilization. McCandless’ nihilism and rejection of material goods, (symbolized in the movie by the burning of his paper money and identification cards) is something that many disillusioned with the ceaseless toil and routines of modern society can certainly relate to.
McCandless is romantic and idealistic, and sincerely believes in his search. His wanderings around the country, whether coasting down the Colorado river, taking refuge in a missionary in Los Angeles or working as grain shoveler in South Dakota are experiences that give viewers and readers profound insights into the diversity of man, nature and humanity.
In the end, however, McCandless’ adventure leads him to the wilderness of Alaska. Geographically isolated, covered with miles of uninhabited natural forests, mountains and idyllic landscapes, Alaska represents to McCandless, the last frontier, a place where man can truly return to nature and find utopia. While McCandless’ lofty vision and sense of adventure is admirable, heroic and and sometimes frightening, in the end it confusing and tragic. Those following McCandless to his last path down Stampede Trail in Alaska cannot help asking whether McCandless was really an enlightened individual or in reality was some sort of meglomaniac suffering from grand delusions that he alone was capable of tackling the extreme wildneress of Alaska ill equipped with the few meager possession he brought with him to this ultimate destination. Without any real outdoor survival skills and failing to equip himself with the few basic things that could have saved his life (such as a map), McCandless is exposed to the realities of a harsh and unforgiving nature, one where survival skills are essential and there no room for learning from your mistakes, especially when your life depends on it.
McCandless’ foolhardy journey down Stampede trail raises several questions of why he made some of the decisions that he did. Was McCandless not afraid to die? What would he have done had he not stumbled across the abandoned school bus? Why didn’t he at least bring a tent? Why didn’t he familiarize himself with the terrain, known hunting trails or talk to experienced wilderness trekkers who could have imparted some basic advice that would have saved his life in the end. And most baffling, why didn’t he take a map? Did McCandless believe that his life exploration would not be as meaningful had be been familiar with the basic geography of the area? Although it appears that McCandless made an attempt to return to civilization at some point, the realities of failing to equip himself and his ignorance of outdoor survival is magnified when he returns in the deluge and takes refuge in the only thing he is familiar with in the Alaskan wilderness – the old abandoned bus, and an ironic reminder of his modern origins. He is weak, exhausted, starving and scared and the inexperience and travesties of his small mistakes compound into eventual starvation and death.
It turns out that the Alaskan frontier, in the beginning, represented to McCandless freedom and serentity; in the end, however, it becomes his horrific prison. What is even more devastating is that McCandless realizes eventualy that happiness is found not in the solitary confines of some abandoned bus in the middle of the Alaskan wild, but in companionship and shared experiences with others.
While McCandless experiences are moving, after watching Into the Wild, you cannot help feel that the “great search for truth” eventually took McCandless to an ill conceived which prematurely claimed his life.
Well put, Imran. However, I have read that he did have “a road map” according to the Park Ranger list of his possessions; also, I have read that he had a $50 tent–not good enough I know. The amazing thing is that he survived as long as he did–and the tragic part is that he tried to leave and couldn’t. I agree he could have spent time mapping out the area during the months he was at the bus. Also good point about the irony of living in the bus in the wilderness in the first and last place. I haven’t seen the movie yet–there is another documentary of McCandless that takes issue with some of the points the movie Into the Wild makes. I want to read the book. Good comments–thanks. J.
are you kidding me it clearly says in both the book and movie he spent time mapping out the area. I mean it was on his to-do list. Look up his to-do list and it will clearly state “map out area”. And i think it’s so dumb how people want to say Chris was an idiot for not knowing that there was a cart to get him across the river and not knowing about the cabins. Ok answer this…when you walk into a mall for the first time do you know where every store is? No, you don’t…yea you can argue and say well theres a map to look at…In the book it says that the map that he used hadn’t been finished and there were plenty of places unchartered in Alaska in the 90′s. Jon Krauker researched this and the cabins or the cart would have been on his maps. And people that say it’s wrong he abandoned his family…If my family fought like that when i was a kid that would leave me permanently scarred and i would want to get away from them as quick as i could. Its also says that he kept in touch with his sister.
hi Mr.Mcandless i would like to tell you that me and my friend sarah willey are big fans of your movie and the book because you tell so much details and and you are the most inteligent person for the roll in this movie and i would love it if you wrote back and tell me more about your next thing you mite right about all right talk to you later.
Uhh… I can’t tell if you’re joking or not, but I think I should say it anyway. Christopher McCandless is dead. It was a true story. Don’t hold your breath waiting for him to write back
Chris mccadnless was a stupid hippy. A spoiled teen who rebelled from his parents with a selfish self titled “spiritual journey”. Some of you will call me naive because you choose to romanticize his maverick mindset and that is fine. Many people have been to alaska on “vacation” and somehow think they have acquired the unique perspective of understanding alaska and now have a soapbox from which to preach. Bullshit; I was born and raised in alaska. If you want the wild go get it. Live a life of responsibility to your life. The only way I will accept mccandless being defined as intelligent is if he truely wanted to to die. Otherwise he was an arrogant egomaniac, he thought he was above all of us and our ignorant acceptance of society.
The people I grew up with and all the other people of Alaska are the ones that should be respected and glorified. Not the egomaniacs who come to OUR state, promote the corporations which they later lambaste, then claim to have a spiritual awakening and etheral understanding. Get over yourselves.
Wow -I thought us Californians had pride in our state- But you Alaskans are truly proud. What’s wrong with being a hippy? Question reality. Most of us live our lives through someone elses interpretation of the world. I think he wanted to find his own. More importantly he was brave enough to do it. Did he succeed? Maybe so, maybe not.
A path of ignorance is taveled by those who critisize Mccandless. He wanted to get away from people and go on a spiritual adventure. Hw broke away from people and a thier structured mass. beyond judgment, hate and a path so blindly and ignorantly followed that narrowly leads you too the grave.
And for those who don’t know he was very well prepared. He survived in the alaskan back country for more than one hundred days rice and a 22.. For all of you who say “oh he didn’t even bring a map” that wasen’t a lasp of jedgement but his choice. He wanted to feel conected with nature and his own spirit. He loved what he was doing and i hope you love your walled in existent of forced morals and relations.
Cris Mccandless died living a great and meaningful life. I envy what he accomplished. His years on the road will mean eyons more than decades pf structured existence.
My keyboard sucks btw
best post. mod up.
yours truly,
anony mouse
Cope your an idiot. It is not YOUR state. Also he did much greater things then anyone who lived in the state did.
I’m not going to go into greater detail because i’n too tired right now.
To respond to previous points, it seems obvious to me he wanted a *safe* adventure he stayed in america after all. Secondly he was a young man no peace to be found there, i think he just wanted to test out this lifestyle, i dont think he would have remained in it. Thirdly he had money in the family, this provided a certain freedom to him, to give to charity, i doubt 24.000 would have made its way to oxfam if this wasnt the case.
I guess i would sum it up like this. To him society seemed plastic he wanted to taste something he deemed more natural. He wanted also wanted to immpress in safety so he stayed in american (police, hospital, familar culture etc.)_and gave savings to charity (money in family anyway). Then he did it and fucked up.
A major major point i cannot emphasise enough is money in the family this provides real real real freedom to do as you wish because your not working to get this security. At least he took advantage of this luxury
Whenever you feel like criticizing any one…just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.
I’m from the UK and have only just started reading Into the Wild having picked up on an article about Chris a short time ago. Although I do not know the full story (just the synopsis), but am starting to put together the full picture of what he did, tried to do, did not ‘try’ to do but did it anyway etc, I am starting to form my opinion.
It’s a difficult call for anyone to really make, to call him an idiot, a hero, naive and so on, surely the key thing to take away from his story is to pick out the resonant parts that link with your life, or the parts that jump out or make a mark with you, both good and bad.
Part of me thinks he was stupid to set out without the preparation, part of me thinks it’s very brave. I’m sure this opinion will change and evolve the more I read and digest the book. What I do fear is that the film will’ glamourise’ his life and simply not tell the facts allowing the viewer to make their own mind up.
To quote an earlier post, this is, whether you like it or not, a truly human tale with an ending surely makes us all stop and think, for at least a second.
I love what Chris Did!
Society is an invention. An invention of social and meterial needs. Chris mccandless wanted freedom from this.
He didn’t want to be a part of it anymore and lived a life many of us would deem strange. It is the only true life. To connect with yourself away from human relations. To find happiness and raw beauty were we were ment to find it.
Chris mccandless was trying to connect wit himself and find his true self. The road gave him a chance to do so. Although he touched the hearts of many people on his quest he needed to break away from them. He could not stay with them for any great length of time. He Needed to go out on his own and experience things many people don’t see beyond their blinders.
Whether or not he found himself is a mystery, but his self portrait and last message give me the idea he did.
Kevin i’m pretty sure staying in america doesn’t mean he wanted a “safe” adventure. He completely blocked himself off from his parents. Also i’m pretty sure he didn’t forget to bring a map as he had been planing this trip for some time.
Those who criticize McCandless as either a spoiled brat or as someone stupid/irresponsible/unprepared are hopelessly stuck inside the same conceptual and societal framework that McCandless recognized as being false.
Within your framework, yes, you can call him that. And the point exactly is … he didn’t give a shit that you think that.
The bravest thing a person can do is face the dishonesty and false sense of security that comes with unquestioned living of the conventional life.
If you don’t look at things from the usual model of success & failure, then you cannot call what he did a failure. McCandless fate demonstrates the fact of the imminence of death, regardless of your attempt to create security by playing it safe, getting a job, picking the right spouse, etc.
Chris McCandless is King!
Long live Alexandre Supertramp!
With Sean Penn’s new movie release about this very story, it is indeed a very emotive subject and I can empathise with all points of view. I have just re-read Into the Wild and have been touched yet again by Chris’s adventure. What I find captivating and endearing about this tale is that being so inspired by the writings of Jack London and other adventure writers he was compelled to do it himself. So many people ‘talk the talk’ but very few actually ‘walk the walk’. As a father of two daughters I would be devastated if one or both of them lost their lives in such a tragic way, BUT, when I think back to some of the sailing adventures I had at his age, yes, they now make great after dinner stories, but I sometimes cringe when I think about the risks I took. Some of them were reckless in the extreme, but in one’s early twenties, that’s par for the course. Thoughtless, irresponsible, bravado, bravado! Call it the arrogance of youth if you like, but this is how we learn about life and we only really learn when we get it wrong! And in extreme cases that can sadly be tragic. But if one can draw any positive from this, it’s that Chris’s story has made people ask questions. In modern societies, strict rules and regulations are put in place to prevent citizens from taking risks and to conserve life and as responsible adults we fully appreciate this, but as teenagers and young adults…? As I said, I empathise with all points of view but would like to quote this little pearl of wisdom….The biggest risk in life, is to take no risk at all. Food for thought?
The story of Chris McCandless is clearly an emotionally charged depiction of one young man’s desire to put forth all of his energy to defy the need for material things and money, which most people in mainstream society embrace without question. Whether Chris had a mental illness or was just curious as to what it would be like to actually live out the philosophy of Thoreau and London will never be known to the average movie-goer or casual reader. The most facsinating thing about this story is that this young man actually embraced the lives of very intriguing philosophers and writers who questioned the need for material possessions. Many of the cynics who think he was just “crazy” and ill-prepared may not really understand the complexity of someone wanting to experience something more than what mainstream society says is appropriate. I give McCandless more credit than any person who sits in their luxurious office on Wall Street, making six figures, driving their SUV’s and accumulating ‘things’, but have never once contemplated what life is really all about!
chris did a thing not very many of you who have added comments can claim to have done, even i havn’t done it. He set his mind on living in the alaskan bush and did it even though he did not survive. however chris is stubburn and headstrong if you have read the book you will notice several times when he is offered supplies that would better help him survive in the wilderness and denys them. It’s not like it’s a power generator or a heating system, no people are offering him jackets or food or something like that and he denys them just so he can get in touch with nature. well humans were not designed to get in touch with nature as chris wants to. we need some things, were not covered in warm fur or can go weeks with out eating chris was just being stubburn and his death could have been easily avoided if he was just a little more opened minded
I RECENTLY SAW THE MOVIE IN THE WILD…IT IS A VERY STRONG MOVIE….LET’S UNDERSTAND THAT CHRISTOPHER LOVED HIS PARENTS AND SISTER…HE NEEDED TO DO THIS, SELFISH TO OTHERS OR NOT…I DON’T THINK HIS PARENTS NEED TO DO ANYTHING MORE THAN MOURN CHRISTOPHER’S DEATH…WHAT HAPPENED TO CHRISTOPHER IS NOT THERE FAULT… I AM SURE THEY DID WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS RIGHT WHEN THEY WERE RAISING HIM….NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO JUDGE ANY MEMBER OF THIS FAMILY INCLUDING CHRISTOPHER…HE WAS NOT TRYING TO COMMIT SUICIDE AS OTHER COMMENTS ARE READING….HE ATE A POISONOUS PLANT AND THAT IS ALL….HE WAS WRITING A BOOK…TALKING ABOUT HIS LIFE…THOUGHTS…DREAMS….HE WAS FINDING HAPPINESS AS HE THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE….I DO FEEL SAD FOR HIS FAMILY BUT I BELIEVE THEY CAN FIND PEACE IN THE FACT THAT CHRISTOPHER WAS DOING WHAT HE WANTED TO DO…JUST LIKE ANY MOUNTAIN CLIMBER….HIKER…ANY ADVENTUROUS PERSON LOOKING FOR THE THRILL OF THE WILD….SO TO EVERYONE WITH ANY OPINION OF CHRISTOPHER AND HIS FAMILY…..TRY TO HAVE AN OPEN MIND….
[...] 19, 2007 by notverybright My most off-topic posts ever, on Chris McCandless and “Into the Wild,” continue to generate exponentially greater traffic than anything [...]
I’m not exactly clear why McCandless is an inspiration. I’m also not clear about how he “conquered” his dream unless his dream involved starving to death in the Alaskan wilderness. It is an interesting although tragic story. I believe that breaking away from the norm and exploring a different path is admirable. More people should try it. I also believe wandering alone and unprepared into the wilderness shows more arrogance than courage. An “it will never happen to me” attitude that cost him his life and devastated his family.
to the blog owner: you can probably thank google for the traffic on this topic. when you google for Chris McCandless, your site shows up pretty high on the list.
to “Jen”: it isn’t that he ‘conquered’ anything. perhaps it is that the essence of life is not about conquering or being a success according to how the hordes of followers have defined it. The important aspect of his story is not that he set out to beat the elements. Yet that is what many people have focused on and have criticized him for. And that only proves to reinforce the point that overwhelming majority of people cannot see the ocean in which they swim: the unexamined collective assumptions from which they live their lives and judge others.
Cope – Granted you were born in Alaska – but I would bet the bank that I have seen more of “your” state than you have.
From the far reaches of the Aleutian chain to my fish wheel in Chitna I’ve covered all ground in between. I travelled that land with promise, hope and passion.
One thing I noticed in my travels in Alaska is that more than half of the people I met in Anchorage have never been 200 miles outside the city. They, just as people in any city , become complacent with their daily routine and security.
Don’t get me wrong – I have learned much from the locals – especially in Denali – but I think Cope is full of shit. I don’t think Chris made some great choices either but at least he had the balls to leave his mundane secure shelter and challenge his ability to dream. The land in Alaska is OUR land and we are lucky a wise man paid 1.9 cents per acre to make it a state of freedom to live and dream without fear or unrest.
Cope – I think you jumped on the wrong bandwagon.
Alaska is my land too god dammit – I earned it!
Billy V
From all the comments on Chris McCandless’ adventure in Alaska and others who did equally reckless things in their early 20′s, I gather this is something that males feel the need to do to put their lives in perspective. As young people, we feel that death is something that is far off, and we find that with each risk that we take that we survive only makes us stronger. Chris was no exception. He was an obvious risk taker, gaining strength from each goal he set for himself. He became so confident he started making stupid mistakes when things started going downhill. Each mistake ate away at his overconfidence, leading to his ultimate demise.
I was a 30 year old, divorced female, broke and confused, when I moved to Anchorage to take a job as an ad-hoc programmer. On the weekends, I would fill the trunk of my car with gear and provisions, and travel by road to as many places as I could. Did I make mistakes? Of course! I was a single female travelling alone. That was risky, to say the least. My first dozen travels, I did without a map. Co-workers spent hours telling me that had I taken the wrong road from Fairbanks to Anchorage, I would have run out of gas and no one would have found me. I never filed a plan with anyone, just disappearing after work on Friday, returning on Monday. Alaska is a big place, and I could have been anywhere. I could have been raped or eaten by a bear or even kicked to death by a moose. The longer I lived in Anchorage, the wiser I got about my travels. I eventually got a map, though I didn’t look at it very often. There are only nine highways in Alaska, so the map wasn’t very helpful. By then, I had been on most of them. However, I did see a lot of Alaska (by road), and saved thousands of dollars on hotel rooms by simply pitching a tent.
The things I got out of driving around Alaska was a feeling of contentment. I exorcised a lot of my demons by simply getting away from it all in my own backyard. What brought me back to my senses was a fateful day when my beloved father died. Suddenly, I felt that I had to play it safe to keep my family from having me die in some senseless adventure. If Chris had kept in touch with his family during his travels, it might have kept him grounded.
Eventually, I started to suffer from mental health problems. With a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, I was able to understand my need to run. It also explained why I didn’t sleep much. Anxiety and panic attacks ripped my life apart to the point where I couldn’t leave the house. In a bipolar rage at work, I was fired, which forced me to move back to the Lower 48.
I was living in Alaska in 1992 when Chris was found dead. August 1992 was a bad month for me, since that is when my father died. I remember the name Chris McCandless, but no details of his death. The year after my father died was a total blur.
My feeling is that Chris was reckless, inconsiderate, self-centered, but somewhat brave. Many people have the need to go and discover themselves, but lack the bravery to actually do it. People die in Alaska all the time, and usually they are young. The Alaskan wilderness is unforgiving, mainly because humans are not a part of the Alaskan lifecycle. If Chris had understood this fact, I doubt it would have stopped him. Chris never listened to reason, relying on only what he knew to be true. I’ll never be sure what to take away from Chris’ story, but each time I hear it, I find something new about myself.
We can all argue about why Chris McCandless did what he did. I felt the same of both sides of the argument at different times when I spoke with friends at work who also saw the movie. We can either blame Chris or his parents. But I think what really amounts to is that he found himself in the end. Two very important things I think we can all agree on that there are lessons to be learned from his adventure. These are lessons from Chris’s own words and from the old men who wanted to adopt him.
“Happiness becomes real when it is shared.”
“To forgive is to love, and light will shine upon us when there is love.”
I hope I quoted the right words correctly.
I am glad his family has finally found closure to their loss.
May Chris rest in peace and God bless his soul.
His life was better than yours. His death was better than the one you will get.
He succeded in both, living and dying. It is very tricky to do that. You cannot be succidal, but you should not like life so much that you cling on it, or worry about it.
All the good “real Alaskans” now saying he was reckless are usually travelling the bush in four wheelers, with guns and a lot of … beer ! Real adventurers, for sure !
The other “type” of Alaskans are well organized, well preparded outdoors men. They care for their life, love their life and worry about it all the time. They never let it go, they never, ever, enjoy it. They are too busy taking care of themself, make sure they don’t forget anything, in one word, they take themself, and their life, way too seriously … they should relax a little, and maybe, maybe only, they would understand Chris … but they don’t.
Death is part of life. All of those, who criticize him, or who admire him, will die. In the mean time, are you living the life you wanted ? Not only a few weeks in the summer, but all the time ? Do you relax enough to really enjoy the moment, without worring constantly about the futur (like, “I have to go back now, it is getting late, and I have to do that too, and tomorow I will do this , bla bla bla” …)
Where will you die ? Not in the wilderness in Alaska, in an old rotten bus, poisonned to death. You will very likely die in a car accident, or worse in a hospital room, surronded by other dying old bodies, eaten from the inside by cancer … Very good death, very meaningfull …
Good luck with your very serious and very important life !
Too bad you won’t even live it … not a single second. You’re too busy trying to protect it, to prolong it, but for what ?
The function of man is to live, not to exist.
Cyril, I’m sorry that you’re so upset. You may have a point that living life to the fullest until death is a valiant way to go. I’ve often contiplated that very thought. However, you are wrong about “real Alaskans”. They drink in bars, in their cars, but never on their ATV’s and never when they are out in the wilderness. There are too many dangers around to not keep your wits about you. The alcoholics you hear about are the Native Alaskans that were put in reservations (villages) similar to what we did to the Native Americans. These fine people were nomadic, and are now confined to small areas. When the sun goes down in Northern Alaska, it stays down for quite a while. They can’t hunt like they used to, and they can’t fish like they used to. Many are alcoholics now, because it’s the only thing to do.
I take it you are against living in society and its constraints. I am too, and have been for a long, long time. I have had problems in the “real world”, and now I’ve been taken out of it, being medicated to the gills. I get angry about if from time to time when my mania kicks up, but society wants me locked up in my home when my moods are out of control. I want to live, but right now I’m just surviving. I understand where you’re coming from, and I hope you have the guts to do what you need to do, as long as you don’t harm anyone else in the process. Let us know how you’re doing with this. Yelling at everyone else about it only fuels the fires within you, so you must act, but please, be safe about it. At least take a map with you. Learn from Chris’ mistakes, and you should be fine.
Anita
All of you are missing the point. It’s fine to have an opinion about Chris McCandless, but at the end of the day, the whole point is that he didn’t give a rip what others thought. He lived his life on his own terms and did not care about what society expected of him. Anyone who thinks he was “not very bright” needs to get over themselves. He wouldn’t care what you thought or said. And to call what he did “selfish” is the stupidest comment I’ve ever heard. He did what he felt he needed to do in order to feel whole, and there is nothing wrong with that. He did not hurt anyone else; in fact, all he did was inspire people. How many of you nay-sayers can make that claim?
To anyone who feels he was a fool, you just don’t get it. Simple as that.
I feel very bad for you.
You could’ve change your life in a different perspective way of seeing things. But then you choose not to. I understand you want to experience into the wild, but you took it too far.
You could of saved yourself crossing aroundor going toward up the river. Also save the pain of your parents feeling worry for you. For the past two years and looking for you. Your family needs you. I am ttrying to say that you shouln’t have been gone so long, and maybe you would be still alive today.
Perhaps his parents should have thought about what they put him through. If you treat someone like crap, accept the consequences.
Leah, clearly you do not have children. What his parents put him through? Are you even talking about the same person the rest of us are?
As the saying goes, “blame your parents, and move on!”
It was his life to live, and while we should not judge it, we have a great opportunity to examine his journey and draw from it. That includes not only applauding the purity of his convictions, but recognizing his substantial falibility.
Chris had an incedible capacity for appreciation of the natural world, and I admire his ability to live, and die by his ideals.
However, he sadly did not extend the same level of compassion to all aspects of life. He couldn’t forgive his parents, and most of humanity, for their weakness. Not a weakness of form, but of moral resolve and the sin of complacency. It can certainly be said that few people live their values as he did. He felt them so intensely that in his short life he couldn’t forgive those he loved most for not living up to them.
From those who deride his ignorance and many shortcomings, to those who admire his reckless abandonment of social norms, we can all empathize with his societal frustration, connection to nature, search for truth in raw natural beauty, and towards the end, his budding fascination with value being found in sharing that beauty with others (see his highlighted passages from Tolstoy, and etc).
Unfortunately, a journey for self-realization, whether explicitly set out upon for that purpose or not, bears little fruit if we don’t live to tell the tale.
As to the pursuit of an elusive, intangible transcendental wisdom, in this world the final realizations of that search are simple ones, a motherly kind of wisdom life will teach a sound mind regardless: appreciation, the fragility of every moment, and should the journey come full circle for those of us shown a good deal of love, perhaps a return to the warm sensations of our simple beginnings.
Appreciation for each breath, each person, and every physical and emotional sensation of the body is the greatest acquisition of all. Alex had ferreted out many aspects of that gift, and felt it intensely during his travels. Unfortunately for those who loved him, in his youthful self-centeredness he failed to acknowledge his human relationships with the same lasting brand of intense compassion. Though perhaps as Krakauer speculates, given more time, he would have.
What Chris did was an incredibly brave thing to do .It was also very stupid .
He has tainted the landscape of the enigmatic Alaskan wilderness and for that he can not be forgiven. End of.
Well Well
Lot´s of different thoughts in here and different view points.
Also judgement.
The whole thing reminds me of a saying:
If you are 20 and you don´t want to change the world – you have no heart
If you are 40 and you want to change the world – you have no brain
One thing we should not forget:
People can change and some do ! (after death experiences and so forth)
And some do just bacause of their power of imagination.
And others because they have to become adults.
For me – that is only my interpretation and a feeling – chris would not have stayed in the wild forever.
He just tried to get a better idea or understanding of life (or a place in this world) and to find out if he is able to live a „normal“ life or not.
For him this ment (at that time) to the biggest extend: escape it !
The privilege of youth !
We dont know how he would have thought about that f.e. 10 years later.
Excerpt from an article written by krakauer:
Source http://outside.away.com/magazine/0193/9301fdea.html
Satisfied, apparently, with what he had accomplished during his two months of solitary existence, McCandless decided to return to civilization. It was time to bring his “final and greatest adventure” to a close and get himself back to the world of men and women, where he could chug a beer, discuss philosophy, enthrall strangers with tales of what he’d done. He seemed to have turned the corner on his need to assert his autonomy from his parents. He seemed ready, perhaps, to go home. On a parchmentlike strip of birch bark he drew up a list of tasks to do before he departed: “patch jeans, shave!, organize pack.” Then, on July 3—the day after a journal entry that reads, “Family happiness”—he shouldered his backpack, departed the bus, and began the 30-mile walk to the highway.
To me this sounds like this big adventure was over and he was ready to go back to civilization.
For me – he probably would have made a good professor, poem, writer or what else after this trip or maybe other trips he would have made from time to time.
Now industrie has found a new object to manipulate things. A film that only concentrates on the jesus-aspect of him.
Writers that say he poisened himself:
Excerpt from an article in mensjournal:
source: (http://www.mensjournal.com/feature/M162/M162_TheCultofChrisMcCandless.html)
The book’s Sherlock Holmes moment comes near the end. Seeking to explain why McCandless grew sick and died so suddenly, Krakauer hypothesized that he’d unintentionally poisoned himself. To supplement his fortunes shooting squirrels, porcupines, and woodpeckers, McCandless had been eating the seeds of the wild potato, a native plant whose roots have provided food for the Athabascan people for centuries. Weakened and near death, McCandless had written “Fault of pot. seed” in his journal. The plant was not thought to be toxic, but, acting on a hunch, Krakauer sent some seeds found near the bus to the University of Alaska at Fairbanks for analysis. Initial results indicated the presence of a toxic alkaloid, one that Krakauer made much of, claiming that perhaps “McCandless wasn’t quite as reckless or incompetent as he was made out to be.” It was a small but crucial mistake. As Krakauer presented it, McCandless had been poisoned by a toxin that prevented his body from absorbing nutrients, leading to his starvation.
But the book was published before the seeds’ testing was completed by Dr. Thomas Clausen, the chair of the chemistry and biochemistry department at UAF. “I was hoping it was true,” says Clausen, in his lab on campus. “It would have made a good story. But the scientific results worked against my biases. I tore that plant apart. There were no toxins. No alkaloids. I’d eat it myself.”
Of course, this flies in the face of the McCandless that the public has embraced, and Krakauer’s take has survived subsequent reprintings of the book. Now a version of his theory has made its way on-screen. In Penn’s telling McCandless is poisoned by mistaking wild potato for a similar plant, wild sweet pea, though according to Clausen’s research that plant is equally harmless. Brent Keith, my guide, suggests it was poisoned mushrooms, or giardiasis from drinking untreated water.
Well. We dont know and we will never know why he starved to death.
I guess the reason why he did not let his parents know his whereabouts was some kind of revenge. He needed it to make peace with his parents. And probably he was able to come to peace after this time of total absence.
Unfortunately his way back was blocked and he was not able to get out of that trap.
And people put so much effort in telling that he was stupid. He has made some fatal mistakes, yes. Have you ever seen statistics about young people dying in car accidents in europe ?
To go on a normal – car trip is much more dangerous than what he did !
It is sad that he died – i guess he would have become a good person !
Reply to Maverick – sounds like you could use a spiritual journey. To make the comment,
“He has tainted the landscape of the enigmatic Alaskan wilderness and for that he can not be forgiven. End of.”
you very obviously have some issues and should probably seek some sort of assistance with your mental health issues.
I believe Chris McCandless though not a glorified hero was a brave guy. To give up possessions is a task many would struggle with.
To those who feel the need to come leave useless comments about Chris and how stupid and dumb he was, I ask why do you care? How does him not having a map affect you in any way? How did he taint Alaska’s wilderness, like some dumbass said up above. It doesn’t, Him doing what he did has nothing to do with you so why are you so pissed.
He did what he had to do for himself, and we do what we have to do for ourselves.
I call him brave just because he chose to go into the unknown and be happy, rather live a safe uncontent life.
That’s pretty cool.
And Also… the ones of you say Chris was careless and his death was inevitable, have you ever sat down and thought about the countless number of teens who get behind the wheel while intoxicated? They could have clearly prevented their death, but they decided to do something that was actually stupid. What Chris did was beautiful. even his death was beautiful.
You have a good point, Clementine, although I have written to the contrary. I personally think that Chris was brave, but he was also unlucky. Many people try these things at his age, but they are lucky enough to survive in spite of a “not so bright” move. At some point in everyone’s life, they look for clarity and a point for their very being on this Earth. How they go about finding it is something else. Some write in journals, while others go out into the wild to get the peace and quiet to read their own thoughts. I have no idea what other people do, but I know that the search for personal truth is out there.
Had Chris lived from his Alaskan adventure, I’m sure he would have found that his parents were human and not judged them so harshly. It’s a rite of passage. A lot of kids rebell from the life that their parents led, but eventually come back home. From everything I’ve seen and read about Chris’ parents, they weren’t that bad. We all make mistakes, and parents are not above making mistakes. However, parents feel they have to hide their mistakes so their kids don’t pick up the wrong message. When kids find out their parents aren’t the people they once thought they were, it is a huge blow. It literally takes years to get over it.
Chris wasn’t a bad kid. He was just a kid. He had a good life, but was unlucky at the end. I just feel for his family, who apparently loved him so much.
If you have NOT read the book “Into the Wild” and have only seen the movie, I urge you to read the book! The movie was BASED on the book, but many details were left out of the movie. I’m not sure where Sean Penn got the depiction of the parents in the movie, but it’s not what was in the book. It’s somewhat of a different story.
Well said, Clementine!
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
Emerson has said it well and it is applicable to 20th century America….It is applicable to what Chris Mccandless did.
Merry Christmas to one and all
Billy V
this KID, let’s remember, was a fuckin idiot. period. anyone can do what he did. we simply aren’t that stupid. people who idolizes this KID are people who have yet to acknowledge his real motives. his search for truth was bullshit. you know it and i know it. why do so many americans worship things that seem to be bigger than they are when they are so very clearly not? how this kid inspired anybody blows my mind. he inspired me to get therapy when i’m feeling oh so blue. cmon people. he was probably gay like the grizzly man, running from himself because he was to afraid to come to terms with his true identity. poor kid died because he was too fucking stubborn to live. the funny thing is that everyone thinks he was truly living by going out and killing himself. what do you think he found? no more beauty than a rational traveler would have found. people do what he did all of the time except they don’t die. if he lived no one would have ever known his name.
poorly said clementine……….he hurt a lot of people. maybe they deserved it, who knows. and chris didn’t piss me off in the least. it’s the people who believe this guy is a hero who piss me off. it’s people like sean penn who piss me off. his whole story was false. the movie, the book……….all bullshit. one of my good friends found this story to be so inspiring while i had to actually get up in the middle of the movie and leave the theatre. some people see a brave kid. all i saw was a troubled kid running from his problems. i very much doubt he found happiness. how the fuck would you know if he did? he fuckin starved to death. that does seem like a happy moment to me. did you know that people found a letter written by chris on the bus stating that he was dying and he needs help. like i said i have no real problem chris. i have a problem with stupidity and i have a bigger problem with people who fail to see recognize stupidity. it’s frustrating. and as far as giving up his personal possessions………….they found him with several i.d.s and 300 dollars cash. obviously he struggled with the task of giving up his own personal possessions like anyone else would.
i feel for chris and for the people who feel he had the answer,well……….i feel for you too.
there is no glory in any of this.
Leah, cmon. you are a simple hopeless romantic. parents fuck kids over all of the time. i was in therapy at age 8. i ran away from home with 500 dollars to california. i haven’t talked to my dad in years. i’m not all butt hurt about it. people need to get over themselves. my parents don’t deserve to be hurt for their mistakes. this isn’t an issue about chris doing it his way and whether it was right or wrong. neither him or i were right or wrong when it comes to our desires. it’s that he was a fuckin moron and you are twice the moron for finding him inspiring. it sounds like you need to find yourself because if you think this kid is inspiring than you haven’t done anything with your life.
cyril. you’re a fucking lunatic. why don’t you just go jump off a cliff now and get it over with because you are one crazy broad who will most likely accidently kill herself. actually i doubt you have the balls. that’s why you worship chris. because he had the balls you don’t. figuratively of course.
jen, you are smart
what the rest of you idiots don’t realize is that it takes a lot of fucking courage to live in the mainstream. it takes a strong will and courage to become successful. and we all know success is measured in many different ways. real life is scary no matter where you sit. to say that people who have an office job or work on wall street have no courage are just ignorant. it’s one thing to dog people who sit on their couch all day and watch t.v. but no one should be undercutting musicians, artists, designers, etc. you all immediately think of stuck up republicans when you think of modern day society. there are all kinds of people trying to find themselves in all kinds of places. chris was not special and his quest was nothing special. like i said before if he had lived no one would ever know his name.
To Hello,
You are pathetic. Do you think the only way anyone will listen to you is to say “fuck” in every sentence? Ya, real great way to demonstrate your intelligence and maturity. If you had the brains and character to state your opinion in any kind of grown up way, people might actually listen to you. To say to Cyril, “why don’t you just go jump off a cliff now and get it over with” only further illustrates what a complete waste of skin you are. The fact that Chris lived his life on HIS terms, rather than conforming to what dickheads like you think while all you can do to show your lack of integrity is to attack and judge people you don’t even know. Thank you for showing us all what is so painfully obvious – you are a complete and total dickhead who obviously had one too many shock therapy sessions as a kid.
ps. Hey, hello! What’s that on your chin? Oh, it’s your dog’s balls!
Just felt like sinking to your level because I thought it might be easier for you to understand. Gulp, gulp!
Ok . . . I guess I can have a little fun with you and become a ‘Hello junior’. I’m kind of a little leary about doing this cause if people actually think that there is ANOTHER useless tit out there, maybe they will ALL jump off a cliff and say ‘goodbye’. Personally, I think we should all just say goodbye to this hello freak. Oh . . . sorry there hello . . . ‘fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck’. Now do ya get it??
Oh ya . . . better rinse out your mouth! It’s kinda startin’ to smell. Gulp Gulp!
You blubber on with some useless chatter about what he did was nothing special. Sorry, but the rule of reality is that you take your eyes off yourself and look onto others comes into play here. Bear with me here as this may not make sense to you. He did what you would not have done. We all know this as you were whining over your $500. (which at 8 years old, you probably stole from your mothers purse) trying to get the sympathy that this was not enough. Not enough. Try it with $20 my short peckered friend.
Here’s an idea . . . I believe Chris tried it with $0.
You might have to leave your car behind though amigo!
hello, you’re such a dumbshit lol
Oh Goobs!
You shouldn’t really pick on hello too too much. How can he defend himself with his mouth full??
Gulp Gulp!
I’ve really liked reading these Chris McCandless comments over the last few months. #8, for example, was beautifully written and showed keen insight. It’s been nice to see so many people take an interest in the issues that McCandless’s life and death raise.
These last dozen or so comments, however, are, to put it nicely, immature and lame. If this is the best you can do, attacking each other with junior high insults because you view McCandless differently, I’d appreciate your moving on. You’ve worn out your welcome here.
Chris is still alive, in a different form, in a different dimension. Why are you all so sad for him ? I’m preety sure he is in a happy place now.It is the living which suffer.
Passion is wonderful, but it seems strange that people want to grab someone else’s passion and turn it into their own – specially when the other person died in such a cruel and suffering way with help within grasp.
Self preservation is number one and maybe some people have to accept that there are others out there that just want to lay down and die, because they are afraid to face reality.
tens of thousands of people challenge themselves, give up all and go on life adventures. but to die in vain is selfish to yourself and others who cared.
it is a tragic story, with glimpses of enlightened happiness which still didnt satisfy.
All who read should take on board the fact that enlightenment, learning, development can all be achieved without having to die. create a path to tread, but teach and talk to family, friends and strangers along the journey – dont isolate yourself.
As an older adult who has partaken in a number of solo journeys and will continue to do so, I am shocked at the immaturity of responses here.
I also am confused as to why Chris is considered so “selfish.” Selfish is one of those overly-used and ultimately meaningless words. Surely everything we do is “selfish,” from having kids to going to church to being altruistic–we do “good” things to further our own sense of purpose on this earth. And who knows for sure what that is? Seems like everyone on this board is pretty sure about themselves and their place and everyone else’s in the Universe. Now that is arrogance.
Chris was a young man who did what he felt a calling to do. I think the people who get upset that he was selfish, romantic, and had no “right” to be that way can’t even imagine what it would be like because of their iron-clad ties to career, people, money etc. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s the equivalent of extroverts trying to imagine what it’s like to be an introvert–they can’t even mentally conceive of a life lived in that fashion.
It’s ridiculous to judge another person’s motivation and ultimately none of anybody else’s business. Chris committed no crime–he had the freedom of choice to live his life as he wanted. He was very young. It is extremely sad for him and his family that he made some critical mistakes, but to essentially damn him for this is preposterous.
I still think chris was very brave to do what he did. To take some time off – so to speak – and try to live in the wild. But it is tough for me to glorify this adventure like it is done in the movie.
The story of chris somehow reminds me of the following:
scene out of vietnam war movie „platoon“ – director oliver stone: (1986)
„king, taylor and other GI got a special job for stealing some beer:
while getting over this special job – they talk:
king: hey taylor how the f… did you get here anyway – he you look educated
taylor: i volunteered for it
king: you did what?
taylor: i volunteered – i dropped out of college …
king: you are a crazy f….
taylor: i figured – why should just the poor kids go to war – and the rich kids would get away with it
king: what we got here is a crusader
king: you gotta be rich in the first place to think like that.“
The last sentence is the one i am thinking of. I guess it was easier for him to take the time off – like it would be for someone without any diploma or school education and without his strong background (school, familiy, sports).
And another point was mentioned: if he would have survived, nobody would have even heard his name. True.
Now chris got full public attention (being subject of both – a book and a movie)
Wouldn´t it be more important to make a serious heartmoving picture about young kids – who commit suicide ?
source http://web4health.info/en/answers/bipolar-suicide-statistics
„Suicide in the age group 15-24
For the group 15-34 years of age, suicide is today one of the three leading causes of death in all countries (where mortality data is available). In the United States (2001) suicide was the third leading cause of death, among people between 15 and 24 years of age, with a rate of 9.9/100,000. The two leading causes was accidental injuries and homicide.
The suicide rate in Sweden, for this age group, is similar to the American rate. In Sweden, however, the total number of deaths by suicide has dropped significantly since the 1980s, except for this specific group.
The United States and Sweden still have a relatively low rate for this group, compared to the average number in Europe. The European suicide rate is 22.2 for boys and 4.8 for girls, or around 13 in average.
In Europe statistics are collected from 33 countries. The latest avaliable data for the group 15-24 years of age, shows that the Russian federation is at the top of the list (32/100,000), followed by Lithuania, Finland, Latvia and Slovenia. Sweden (which can be compared with the U. S.) is, according to this list, in 18th place (with less than 10/100,000). In the bottom of the list are Great Britain, Spain, Portugal, Italy and last Greece (3/100,000).
It is uncertain how many suicide attempts there are for each suicide death. Different studies estimate a number between 10 and 20. In general, there are more attempts per suicide among women and younger people. Research also show that around 80 percent of attempted suicides among young people are preceded by clear warning signs.“
I learned recently that suicide figures especially amongst young kids (even being age 12) are going up and up and up…
Well this to my thinking is a real desaster !
@ned kelly – very well described opinion – respect !
And I also see another interesting point in this story.
Nature does not always produce the same kind of thing – this would not be clever and no good strategy for surviving. So from time to time it also creates different kinds of human beings. Regardless on how parents grow those children up or no matter what influence „society“ should have on those persons. In a lot of cases the will for freedom is much more developed on those special „issues“ and the need to question things, to find relations between things and the hunger for getting „insights“ or the curiousity to find out new things. I would call them seekers.
So how can you blame somebody for having that kind of mindset. It is just nature which wants to have it.
For me most people are driven by routine and dont like to change a lot.
This would be an easy example
If people for generations life in the same area and are farmers, but the climate is undergoing a drastical change only some of them would move to another place (especially if it is far away). The ones which stay- will starve to death.
For me chris was such a seeker.
Of course you can be a seeker but you still should watch your back !
I can remember hearing his name and the story when it came out. I was 22, just graduated from college. I know exactly where he was coming from. Watching my father, career retail executive, dodge downsize after downsize swallowing hard on his ego and my mother shattered from moving every two years no-longer able to please my father – disintegrate. You begin to question the reason your doing all this. Nice cars, nice houses ideal situations, everything. I love my father and mother for their sacrifice, provided me with everything I am today. I just felt it didn’t have to be so hard. Divorced now of course – me too. Married a girl for the security and simplicity I felt in her family. I wanted a family, she left to pursue a career in the state I left years before.
I knew at 22 I needed a right of passage – something that I could conquer. I chickened out and took a corporate job far from my family with the encouragement of my father – it was safe. I’m not the man I could have been or should be I know that now – somewhat broken after all this. Chris’s journey is something he had to do – in his mind he had no choice. I think he felt that contacting his family would let the sickness back in before he could cure himself. I have no doubt he loved his family, but when your insight is different, and you question things and tow the line in the hopes of making a happy family for so long and are crossed at every corner… you really have to hit the road!
Good on Him and God Bless his Family.
Hi, I’m a junior in highschool and just recently been assigned to read the book about mccandless. I just can’t help but think why are people glorifying him, he didn’t do much but think he could defy nature. I read apart in the book that hinted that he might have been gay so maybe he was just running away (spirtual journey) so he would’nt have to face himself. I agree with hello but I don’t agree with the language but minus the attiude hello is kinda hitting the nail on the head
It’s ok to think out of the norm, thinking diffrently is what shapes our society and on to the economy. But going into the wild with a bag or rice and a tattered map, isn’t thinking of the box. That kids been watching to many Hero movies. But I totally feel bad
I couldn’t help thinking about this young man’s life on my own birthday. Aren’t we all filled with romantic ideals in our youth?
How can anyone be critical of anothers footsteps. The danger is believing that Chris’ path is one to follow just for the sake of sacrifice. It’s an interesting story, one of personal journey. Lots of yin and yang. Was it a good path? It’s not for me to decide. It was the path Chris took. Simple as that. Me….I will go this way….not the easiest way…..not the safest way. But in my journey I’ve learned that we only get ONE life. And that’s not something to simply throw away.
I was only about 9 or 10 years old when I first heard of Chris McCandless. I am now 24 and graduating college in May. I’ve read Krakauer’s book as well as seen the movie. I’ve also just read all 78 posts prior to mine.
I think it’s probably very difficult for most people to understand why Chris McCandless did what he did. What I don’t understand is why so people feel the need to bash this guy. If Chris had walked out of those woods alive no one would have ever even heard his name. No book would have been written, no movie made. But because this guy died out there.. because he made a few mistakes and payed the ultimate price for it.. everyone feels the need to offer their own personal insight as to what kind of person he was. Seems like most are negative. Words that came up often in posts include words like, “stupid,” “selfish,” “spoiled,” etc. And it’s fine if that’s how you feel. But a lot of people have found hope and inspiration in Chris’s story, myself included. I don’t claim to know what kind of person McCandless was, but I know what he was looking for, and he found it and actually touched for a moment. He did what so many people only talk about doing or wish they could do… going off “into the wild” and “living off the land.” It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. And now, with only 4 or 5 months left college, I plan to do so.
As has been said- life is precious and should be cherished.
its not about knocking the recreation of chris’s story from the information he left behind, its about learning from mistakes so they are not repeated just for the sake of someone creating an idolistic view of a tragic circumstance.
a total awareness of your surroundings, would have found the fully stocked cabin 6 miles away, or even the cable basket just down the river.
The lesson for anyone in the future is, self discovery is enlightening and wonderful – but dont use tunnel vision.
i live in western australia and i have seen and been invloved in trying to rescue people who have died from dehydration(no water) after they have got themselves stuck in the desert areas – no preparation or planning, only blind determination ‘ she’ll be right mate’ that fails when things go wrong.
“glorification of death makes the living feel a justification. but they are still dead to this world with nothing more” …..
People remeber the daring movies chris has taken but thats all, he didin’t change anything. He died, so what justifys your fixation on one dead man who died in Alaska, I’m sure he’s not the first
He had left all his ID in his jean’s pocket so it shouldn’t have been so hard for the authorities to find out who he was… Oh, and so what if he left his family? That was his decision, obviously its over and done with, he can’t take it back now and I don’t think it is what this story is about anyway.
Thinking, if you believe Chris’ only accomplishment is that he died in Alaska, I think you’re missing most of the story. And if you think he didn’t change anything, I don’t think you’ve done your research on him.
I just finished reading the book and I really enjoyed it. It caught my interest, especially since he was my age and grew up only a few miles away from where I grew up.
I admired him for being able to follow his own drummer. How many times have we all thought about just dropping everything, packing up the car and heading into an unkown? And how many of us have had the courage to do so?
He was young and cocky. I think most of us were at that age. Obviously his downfall was that he was so ill-prepared for what he faced. It’s sad that he didn’t make it out to tell us all first hand what he experienced.
I feel bad for the family; because he did turn his back on them and left them hanging. It must’ve been awful for them. Again, at that age most people seem to be able to afford a black/white view of everything. It isn’t until we get older that we start realizing that life isn’t so much black and white as it is shades of gray.
Anyway, RIP Chris (aka Alex Supertramp) McCandless.
I just saw the movie here in Australia where it is only shown as a limited release.
In the end he did say happiness was to be shared.
He found happiness doing what he wanted to do, being in the wild all by himself, the whole time, he did not cared if he had anyone to share that freedom and happiness with until he realised he was destined to die alone, that’s when he suddenly realised he had no one.
I think many people are living solitude lives by choice and perhaps feel that is for the better in their circumstances, but I suppose, like Christopher, when one knows one is dying, there may be a sense of regret that there’s no one around.
Just a thought, I did find the actor did an excellent job in telling the audience what the audience need to know.
I feel sorry for Christopher cos he died so young and he had so much ahead of him but at the same time I am angry with him for taking such a cavalier approach with regards to precious life, knowing full well human do not stand snowball of a chance in hell surviving in Alaska with just a backpack.
The guy travelled around america with no security ie: job, residence, steady source of income, for almost 2 years before going into the alaskan wilderness. That, in itself and of itself, is amazing and extremely difficult. Furthermore, there is a passage in the book, on page 185 to be exact, where Roman, an experienced woodsman, talks about how difficult it is to live off the land for 2 weeks let alone 3 months as Chris did before he got sick. Many of Chris’s “hardcore” Alaskan critics have probably never even dreamed of attempting something so ambitious, with or without a map. My two main criticisms of Chris are that he should have had a contingency plan in case things went awry ie: a map and he should have at least kept in some contact with his family, whether there relationship was strained or not. I have a lot of sympathy for his mother and father, especially. The agony of not knowing must of been unbearable. This said, I truly believe he had every intention of returning from his adventure and was not suicidal as some have suggested. Did he make mistakes? Absolutely. Ultimately I think he was unlucky and accidently poisoned himself. He goes from being healthy on July 28 to all of sudden on July 30 writing, “EXTREMELY WEAK. FAULT OF POT. SEED”. This, to me, says it all. I personally find his story to be inspiring and tragic simultaneously. Unlike some, I would have found his story just as inspiring had he lived.
What Chris did was beautiful. But as he was sitting inside a rusty, old bus starving to death do you think he was very…Inspired? Chris didnt set out to die- but he did and that is incredibly sad.
Man … this is so weird. When I learned this story, I was thinking — if I had more guts and could stand being alone for more than a day or two, that could have easily been me. In high school I had planned to go into the wilderness like this. I figured on taking a bunch of Total cereal, an ax and some other basics. Live in the woods. I was thinking of British Columbia, though. Anyway, I sure relate to this story. I even hopped box cars for a bit, met a hobo, got chased out of the trainyard. Being cold and alone wasn’t so fun. I’ve got to admire McCandless for his courage, but I also wonder about his level of selfishness. Still, to fully appreciate “the raw throb of life” away from society is still a dream of mine. I’m hard-wired to be a family man, however, so it may remain a dream.
“Hello” you’re pathetic and ignorant. I say that because you don’t seem to be dumb…just ignorant. Try spending some time seeking knowledge and understanding as King Solomon told his son. But like Solomon also said doing this will bring suffering and grief to you. You obviously have never struggled with understanding or knowing more about this life. Like many you are content with your striving for “Things” and don’t want to know how screwed up this life is or how many people everywhere are in pain and why and most importantly what can be done to help people Love each other and not just themselves or those close to them. You don’t seem like a completely uncaring person.. you just seem to discredit what you have not yet learned. Christopher was troubled and looking for answers. I did the same thing but not the same way (Road Trips, spending time contemplating life, making myself change). Should anyone judge him for what he did? certainly not. He was trying, attempting to live better… that’s what is to be admired about Christopher.
Chris, you made some good points in your comment. I can not understand, how people that doendt know much about chris mccandless, can write so weird stuff, like he wanted do die, or that he might have had a mental illnes.
Is there some form of jealousy, that I read in all the alaskan guys who think, Chris was just a fool? Chris survived for 3 full months, hunting with only a 22. Rifle, living from what he found there in the field and forest. Not many so proud alaskans did so yet.
I think, Chris had found what he was hunting for, maybe driven by demons. And that was the point, he went back, but was blocked by the Tek River flowing much higher as when he crossed it the first time.
People blame him, for not having searched a way to cross that river. Why should he? He was okay, no problems. He made the best decission every one would have made, to get back to known territory, the bus 142. Getting back there, he made pretty well untill suddenly, from one day to the other, we read “EXTREMELY WEAK. FAULT OF POT. SEED”. He was so week, he even had difficulty standing up. Imagine walking back to try to cross the Tek River again…
…. a lot of people also blame him, about not letting his parents know about his whereabouts. Do they know, why Chris had this strong anger to his parents, specially the father? Well, I do, but I dondt want to get in trouble with the McCandless. I understand what kind of reaction this might have sparked in the way Chris was thinking.
But it seems, that in the end, he was changing his mind, opend his heart and was ready to forgive what his dad had done to him and his mother.
Why did he not have a map? Chris was the kind of explorer that we might have had at the GO WEST time. He seeked the unknown. Having a map would have showed him all, no need to explore anymore.
But as even Alaska has no unexplored zone no longer, Chris solved the problem by having no map. So, it was unexplored terrain again.
Crazy way of thinking? Maybe, maybe not.
Point is that he did, what most of us want to do, but never do at all. We stick to our job, home, security…what ever.
I wonder what realy happend to Chris, that from the day he had this “EXTREMELY WEAK. FAULT OF POT. SEED”. accident, not even 3 weeks later, he was dead.
Something had made him die very fast. He was living there for weeks and weeks and weeks, and suddenly, wooom, he was gone.
You know you are living when you can’t predict what will happen tommorow
most have barely, if ever lived. They have simply existed, letting those around them make their biggest life decisions. Living with every day with expectations, a consequence for every action, a rigorous plan to success. They’re determined, they’re responsible. They’re fools.
My biggest gripe with the whole story is that Chris is labled as a hero. He said he wanted to change the world to do somthing. Sure he was on some sort of spiritual journy… but if you just want to go live in the woods have a purpose to it. It is possible to have adventures while still being constructive.
Just curious…all these folks who worship this guy as a hero after seeing the movie…have they tried to check anything about the story?
http://www.terraincognitafilms.com/cw-sub/debunked.htm
Also, he didn’t kayak. The part of the river he was on wasn’t all that freaky.
Who preaches to an 80 (+) -year-old man about life? Only someone who doesn’t know any better (read: doesn’t know what they’re talking about).
There were several things in the movie that were glorified and inaccurate.
Shame about the boy. Hopefully it won’t cause a raft of young people to decide to come up here and die, hoping that a movie will be made about them.
There’s nothing heroic in what he did.
Thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of young people have done the same thing (essentially). Many of them end up dying in even worse situations. Where are all the movies about them?
I wouldn’t call him a hero, but i would give him credit for having balls. I read the book and saw the movie. All i see is someone who’s tired of the current state of things. Going to bars, going to the mall…. Things that people do in order to tell people, the next day, what they’ve been up to. To feel like they’ve done ‘something’ in order to feel ‘normal.’ The things people do are pointless. I don’t know how he had the mindset to do what he did, but he’s lucky. People work these meaningless jobs and for what? To buy a great car that shows your success in life? No. But i’m a hypocrite. I live at home with my parents and say i don’t need anything when really, they’re the ones giving me what i need so i don’t have to get it. I don’t know what the answer is. But Chris Mccandless tried to find it and for that, i give him credit. FUck.,
Not Very Bright, Not Very Bright, Not Very Bright???
He is Not Very Bright, selfish, miserable man!!!
Those people who praise him should follow his example!!! Go for it!!! Go to Alaska!!!
DWCatz and Sergio, you sound like angry old farts because of the attention Chris’s story receives. You are blaming him? What kind of lunatic will nit-pick over details Hollywood implies and hold such a stern grudge? Is there a reason you are so anal about this?
Here is a better question though. Have you ever been inspired at all? Or moved by sincere feeling enough to lay your life on the line to experience or conquer it? My guess is, hell no.
Don’t flatter yourselves in thinking he was just a spoiled, hippy rich kid that walked away from money and opportunity. Those kids run back home. He dug himself in deep enough to take away that chance.
Our history is full of (seemingly mindless) acts that later became honorable because of the cause and call to do so. Soldiers leaving family behind and fighting in wars they could never have won. Explorers taking on impossible paths and Seekers who wouldn’t stop until they got where they wanted to go. Those are the ones who gave something, not for glorification, but to answer the question. CAN it be done?
Nestle your selfish, fat asses in your armchairs and degrade what others at least tried. You’re not going anywhere so why not take cheap shots to make yourselves feel better about your own cowardice right?
As for Chris’s story. I hope you continually SQUIRM at every bit of attention it gets as you nit-pick over details to childishly discredit anything you can just to make it more “liveable” for your own pathetic conscience.
I have watched the film, but I have not read the book concerning Chris’ trip into the Alaskan Wilderness…I think that a lot can be learned from this story. For one, whether he accomplished his dream or not, he did have the nerve to take off for the frontier…that is more than I can say for myself and my friends…Also, from his death, we can learn that no one is invincible and that even our dreams take a certain amount of planning…and that sometimes being bullheaded just for the sake of it can be harmful, even fatal…for those people that just want to criticize Chris’ ambition….think about what you have done in the last few months…even though he did not survive, it is the willingness to go that sets him apart…I agree that there are countless other young men that do similar things….I agree that his death has made Chris into what he stands for today….but isn’t that the way it is in most cases? Think of all those people we know more about and idolize because of death….Jean Benet Ramsey (just another child pageant queen)….Kurt Cobain (just another Seattle musician)….Van Gogh (just another painter)….these people were wonderful on their own, but it is their death that people connect with and ultimately learn from…is it so bad that Chris is looked at in the same way?
I think that the most important thing is that people take this story for what it is…do not put your own romantic ideals into it…just take it for what it is….boy goes into the wilderness…becomes a man….finds himself…loses his life in the process….
In a way, I think that the best thing to be gained from McCandless’ story is that to find yourself, sometimes you have to lose your life….
I have the opposite perspective of landry, having read the book and not seen the movie. The story in the book seems to differ from accounts I have heard of the movie in that the book, while it focuses on what McCandless described as his “last great odyssey” to Alaska, it spends more time recounting the journey that lead McCandless there, the people he affected along the way, the spiritual and philosophic journey McCandless took, and the various criticisms of McCandless that have surfaced (many very similar to criticisms that appear in the comments to this post). It almost seems like McCandless’ death is only coincidental to the story in the book. True, the story would most likely be relegated to obscurity if McCandless had not died, but his death is not the central focus of the story. The focus of the book is simply to explore why McCandless acted as he did. In the meantime, the author Jon Krakauer describes the agony and ecstasy of nature in thrilling detail, supplementing his own musings on the subject with classic quotes from famous sources.
I found the entire experience of the book to be less about McCandless and more about the separation of man from nature. One major theme in the book is whether man has so completely divorced himself from his natural state through civilization that he cannot possibly survive in pure nature. That McCandless accepted this challenge and ultimately failed speaks more to the collective conscious than it does to the character of McCandless himself. The point of the book seems to be that most of us fail to even accept the challenge that McCandless took on.
I consider myself an outdoor enthusiast. I have been backpacking and camping with regularity since I was a child. And, while I have certainly experienced some of nature’s brut force, I have never been quite as exposed as McCandless allowed himself to be. Yet the spirit of nature still finds me, as it found me just two weeks ago, on top of Cold Mountain, with the wind gusting, clouds enveloping my environs, rain, sleet and snow blowing parallel to the ground. As I stood on top of that mountain, exposed to the worst that nature placed in my path, and looked out over a rock face that should have granted me visibility for miles and instead presented only the stark, grey nothingness of a storm cloud, I felt as if I was on the edge of the world, staring into the abyss. It is those types of feelings that one derives only from being in nature and exposing one’s self to the elements outside of the comforts of civilization, that McCandless was hungry for. I know this for a fact because I too feel that hunger.
I’ve just about finished listening to audio book “Into The Wild”…the story is complex & thorough in the authors’ research and summation/opinion as to what went wrong for Chris (aka “Alex Supertramp”) McCandless resulting in his death by either starvation and/or plant poisoning. From information provided, it seems that the McCandless family provided a comfortable, upper-middle class home for their kids but Chris discovered a “dark side” in his father’s past and apparently, rather than forgive his dad’s indiscretions, took everything to heart and turned against his parents. But, it was those parents who were left broken hearted in the end. They lost their son and I can fully appreciate Billie McCandless’ pain as I also lost my daughter to death at an early age. It just seems that some young adults do not see danger when it stares them in the face and are woefully ill-prepared for the unanticipated end of their existence. Call it attitude, immaturity, or myopic thought patterns—whatever it is in certain people nevertheless results more times than not in tragedy!
There is nothing romantic about piss poor planning. There is nothing romantic about seeking ones self worth if you fail to find it. There is nothing romantic about selfish behavior. Lastly…there is nothing romantic about death. If you have seen death upclose you will understand. To see what was once alive…breath its lasts breath and pass into nothing is far from romantic….its sad. Life is romantic and the life you lead is the feeder of this romance. Good or bad you can always find life if you have lived. Chris laid his life out in scrawled scripts of a confusing context. I wonder…had he died in the deserts of Arizona or California would the book had been written…would his life been such a mythologic tail or triumph over society….I guess the answer is no. I applaud his distaste for society, I feel the same. My distaste is drawn from a country of users who spit at the very freedoms they choose to abuse. Chris may have died doing what he loved but he dided from being stupid
Although the adventures of most young men would be considered romantic I think dying alone of starvation in a broken down bus in ‘bum fuck no where land’ slightly less so. Having read the book ( which is excellent) it would appear that Mr McCandless , although gifted musically, never actually wrote any music himself. He read a great deal, underlined some interesting paragraphs, but I see nothing left in his own hand worthy of comment . He turned his back on the mighty dollar, giving his savings to Oxfam, perhaps if he was as bright and intelligent as we are led to believe he might have used this money to better effect , but that would have taken him away from ‘his’ dream. I’ve yet to meet anyone born into poverty that renounces wealth, only it seems the pampered few. If Chris had succeeded in getting back to humanity there is ,I believe, a distinct possibility that he would have tapped into the same genetic pool as Mr Jones and that other nutjob in Wacko . Mr McCandless was by all accounts a charming young man who made an impact on people he met and received in return many gifts , I believe a kinder young man may have given his family the same consideration and put them out of their agony but, once again, this was not part of ‘his’ dream.
Chris lived his life exactly as he pleased, which appeals to us all, died young, and had by his own admission ” a happy life”. Nuff said.
FYI, TakeAhike, I haven’t seen the film at all, but I’ve read a lot- about what REALLY happened.
I agree that he was inspired; but it takes more than ‘talent’ to handle inspiration. It takes intelligence to survive; not to starve to death. He obviously lacked that.
What an idiot! I heard about this story because of the movie Sean Penn has done. So this prompted me to read more about this guy because I am always interested in biographys. I think it is sad what this kid did. And really think it’s sad that people are not only sensationalizing this story but also think of him as some hero. To me he was extremely ignorant, quite inconsiderate, and just plain idiotic! He hadn’t talk to his family in 3 years. Right there shows how inconsiderate he was. And then for him to go into the wild not preparing one bit. I think he deserved to die a horrible and lonely death because that is what he asked for. I am glad the Alaskan government did not have to spend money on saving this guy. To me he did not deserve their time or money! He should have had more respect for the land and others– then just maybe he would have been heroic. For being as educated as he was he was –he was quite ignorant! I only have a 4 year degree and I know not to go into the wilderness unprepared. The only thing this kid proved –was how stupid a human being could be!! My sympathys to his family, but I don’t have any sympathy for the stupid!
At the end of the day he made a mistake, but its understandable, too young to fully appreciate all the potentially fatal problems that humans discover in the world. And as yet hadn’t taken the necessary precautions, i.e. making sure you understand whats happening around you.
Honestly, i think everyone has their own opinions on Chris McCandless and whether he was stupid for seeking adventure. If any of you have even read the book you would discover that he was the kind of person who sought adventure which was the reason he didn’t bring a map and lived the way he did for a while. He found that by abandoning his car, this was another great adventure to experience.
People should stop criticizing what he did and how he died because at the end of the day it shouldn’t bother them. Chris went on his great Alaskan Odyssey and was looking for something in which he found in the end.
I think everybody’s over analyzing Chris’ story way too much!!
Everyone has completely misinterpreted and absolutely lost all meaning behind John’s book! Stop all judgments, opinions and most of all, STOP being so ignorant! Take a moment to really find the truth and reasoning behind Chris… to put it simply, he just wanted to escape.
If you had really read the book, it clearly states that Chris was seeking to release himself of all aspects of this life. He wanted to leave behind the control and the planned. It was his intent to ‘take the road’ and ‘walk into the wild’ without a moments thought. No plans, no maps, no anything. So it’s ridiculous to scrutinize Chris for not “taking advantage” of nearby aid, or stopping to pick up a map. That was and still IS the point of his travels. To be lead into the unknown.
His purpose was to see the world, how HE wanted to see it. To bring a different kind of meaning to his OWN personal life. He did not set out to become famous. He did not purposely attract all of this attention. If that’s what he wanted, he would have followed his parents’ plan. And I bet you, if he were to choose a different course in his life today, he would have been someone successful and known not only for his death.
We all take different paths in our lives; don’t judge Chris for his. Death is destiny. It’s not planned unless it’s suicide. Only God lets us know when it’s time to go, or else Chris would have made it out alive.
I suspect most people siding with Chris are younger – maybe the age he was when he died, maybe a little younger or older. Most middle class people can’t have seen enough of the world at that age to make an intelligent decision regarding methods of engagement or disengagement from society.
Chris was selfish – I don’t think there can be any doubt about that. He left his family and friends without a real word. He dumped his car on public park lands. He persuaded an old man to leave the security of his life to explore the counter culture. The writings he left behind – through postcards, journals, whatever – always push his ideals without accepting there are alternate views.
Further, don’t assume Chris was living the life many of you have idealized for him. As Krakauer points out, Chris didn’t really live that far off the margin. In Alaska, he lived fairly close to civilization, much closer than many fly-in cabins in Alaska and Canada. It seems as though he took a very easy route – the bus being essentially down a dirt road which led to a main road.
In California he lived essentially among others even while at the hippie commune near the Salton Sea – he chose to live 1/2 mile further down the road but that’s not really much, is it? Time and again we find him in the company of others and that’s really how we know him – not through his enigmatic writing at the last.
He lived in a bus someone else provided him and lived largely on the largesse of others – whether it was hitchhiking, growing up affluent in Virginia, using money from a family friend to attend a decent college. Even his success at reaching the Pacific Ocean relied on English speaking duck hunting guides.
He failed miserably at true self reliance – when his umbilical was almost literally cut by the swollen river he could not cross. Yes, he shot birds, porcupines, and even a small moose – ostensibly (I can’t imagine how he would have done that with a .22. I think it’s entirely possible the moose was sick or injure and he dispatched it). Those things are trivial. It’s not even mentioned that most of the animals he shot have poor nutritional value and he would have probably died of “rabbit starvation” anyway.
Ultimately, when he could not simply hitchhike to a store for rice or pick up work and a meal he died – even when given the head start of shelter. Also, you shouldn’t overlook the pathetic quality of his last note – left in case someone came to the camp when he was out foraging. His death resulted because no one was there to save him.
Chris was not an original. He followed on the heels of more notable and better writers – men and women with the same passion but perhaps better plans, skills, an intellect. Naturalists and social critics alike. Thoreau, Muir, even Henry Miller better chronicled the plastic quality of American life.
For all that, it’s hard to say it wouldn’t be fun to do something like this once in your life. Would it offer you a lifestyle you could enjoy for a long time? I doubt it. But a brief sojourn would give you plenty to remember for the rest of your life.
For anyone looking to follow his path I’d say – do it while you’re young, make sure someone knows where you are going and when you’ll be back, and be prepared.
To respond to the first posting by Kristina Alvarez, I understand where you’re coming from, about how many people push aside their dreams, but I think it’s just more than that… Many of us have dreams, but some of us go after them and why don’t the rest do the same? I think what happens here is that perhaps some of us have deeper level of spirituality than the rest of others do. It’s always the spirit that pushes us to do greater things than we can imagine. The question is how come others have more spirit than others? What makes some people possessed to do greater things in life? Is it passion? Is it hunger for more things in life? Does it have to with experience that makes u want to do more in life? Nobody will know why Steve McQueen did all of that or why Ghandi did all of that or what drove Nelson Mandela do to that, but one thing for sure about these guys: They had the spirit to go after what was in them. Did God gave them the spirit to do that? Were they destined to do that? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being ordinary and there are many people out there who are content with what they have. But then u have certain number of people who just need to get out and do bigger things for unknown reasons… And on top of that, these kind of people had the tools to survive the ups and downs in the dreams they’re chasing, the kind of ups and downs ordinary people cannot handle… Ain’t nothin’ wrong with being ordinary, for their spirit ain’t pushin’ them to do bigger things they cannot handle… Nobody can force themselves to do big things in life, to go after their dreams, they may have it in their heads and hearts, but if their spirits ain’t pushin’ ‘em to do it, then it ain’t their time to do so, maybe they ain’t spiritually, mentally ready for that… But to those who are dying to do greater things in life, that their spirits are calling for them to do so, go for it and make the best of it!
I am posting this on every site I can find, it may be annoying to some, but I feel that it is only fair that I state my opinion and view of Mr. Christopher Johnson McCandless and his adventure ”Into The Wild” just as everyone else has.
McCandless to me, was a man of intelligence, but not intelligence of nature. He had book smarts. He seemed to be curious of the outside world, wanted to know what it was like without the money, without the everyday standards or stereotypes,without the constant battles to prove yourself to others,he just wanted to break away from it all and experience life being at peace with himself and the world. He wanted to get away from “society” as it was/is.
I believe he found what he was looking for. I also believe he didn’t intend to stay gone forever, whether his expedition ended by choice or not.
I do not think he was on a “suicidal mission” as others assume. I believe he intended to do as he had before, take a break for a while, collect himself, then return just as he had before. He may have known what he was in for, and that gave him even more of a drive to do so. He was being told he couldn’t do it, that it wasn’t safe, that there was no way he could survive on the limited knowledge and gear he had with him when he left. I believe that was his final drive, he was being told he “cant” so he went on his mission to prove everyone wrong. Which in a tragedy, failed.
He made a mistake, which happens, and like most mistakes, his was learned the hard way.
I dont belive he wanted end his life alone or scared, let alone both. Who does?
Remember he tried to return, but saw that the river was too rapid and harsh. He left himself with no choice other than to turn back to what he knew was safe at the time being. He most likely had the intention to try crossing the river again in just a few weeks. How was he to know his life would end before being able to attempt the river a second time? How was he to know that (mind you he had no knowledge of the river or the surrounding areas) that there was a stock-house for hunters, or even a pulley basket/bridge just a few miles down the river. Granted there were many ways he could have made it out, but in the state of mind and body he was in, how do we know that he did NOT try any other times? Because his journal doesn’t recall any other attempts?
He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Not knowing how to get out.
If only he had taken the time to wise up on nature, before he dove headfirst into it, he may still be alive today, to tell this amazing story himself. Even if so, would it be as amazing if he had came out alive, as it is now, ending in tragedy?
Christopher Johnson McCandless may the life you lived have been to the fullest and to your satisfaction. In death I wish that you continue to reach your goals and dream as big as you did in life. You’ve got cajones man! ;P
May your body rest in peace and your soul continue to explore the world just as you were set to do.
Thank You for your life. Without it, people wouldn’t have anything to bicker or argue about. Some wouldn’t have the drive to accomplish goals. And most of us, wouldn’t “reach out and grab it” when wanting something in life. Critics wouldn’t have anything to criticize. Instead people sit on their asses and argue about one mans beliefs and goals, and inspirations, while trying to teach their children to “go for their goals” to ”find something in life that makes you happy and do it”. How are we to teach our children one thing, but down another man for doing exactly what we are telling our children to do? Christopher McCandless had dreams, he went for them. Sadly his outcome ended horrifically. Unhappy, Alone and Scared.
Many people have many views, but only those who have open minds can respect the choice you, Christopher, have made in your life. Only you know why you set out to explore as you did. Many questions circle around your name on a daily basis that will forever go unanswered.
The greatest teachers in the world are ourselves, and you have taught us a great lesson, that will never be forgotten.
“Happiness is only real when shared”
( For Gracious Sake, Give the man a little respect, remember him for who he was, not how he died! )
I wish people would stop calling McCandless a hippy. A hippy would not have selfishly died without giving his family some sort of resolution. Also, I would appreciate it if some of you stopped portraying him as a second Jesus. Jesus was not a thoughtless, selfish, self indulgent, rich kid. (I am not casting any stones) He preached love for all human beings. Christopher, by his actions, demonstrated that he mostly cared about himself.
People condemn society for all their woes. The truth is that we make our own hell by the choices we make. It is a false pretense to believe that we can survive without society. Humans, by nature, are social beings. Our survival depends on the intricate relationships we have with others. Society has its ills. We have created a world so dependent on technology that we have lost our connection to the natural world. People sit in front of their computers and type away instead of going out and having conversations face to face. Yes, I recognize the irony as I type away.
People have created this cult around this boy, for he was a boy and not a man. He shuned his responsibility to his family and friends. People say that Christopher represents our adventurous spirit. I think he represents our folly, our belief that we are superior beings in the natural world. If Christopher had truly wanted to live by the land, he wouldn’t have stayed in that bus. He stayed there because he realized he would not make it on his own. It is ironic that the society he so harshly criticized provided his shelter for those 120 odd days. That bus was there to provide shelter for hunters during the hunting season. Had the bus not been there, the hunters would have never found Christopher’s body.
It is easy for us to criticize his mistakes. Frankly, if he was so smart, he should have had more common sense. How can you go into the wilderness without a map? He didn’t have to look at the map to get to where he was going. But, it was an easy solution in case he lost his way or needed another way to get back to the society he so despised. If there was no game, why didn’t he fish? He should have learned how to trap. And the killing of the moose was a complete waste, not to mention disrespectful.
People ask to give Christopher McCandless a little respect. Where was his respect to his family? To his sister? What evil had she done to him that he disregarded her emotional well-beingwith such contempt? I find him to be selfish and narcissistic and to elevate him to hero is a great folly. Learn from his mistakes. We need each other for survival. I believe that Christopher would have learned the error of his ways had he lived. But, I also believe that Christopher wanted to die. Had he wanted to survive, he would have made a stronger effort to get out of that valley.
I am not trying to judge him but it seems to me that people misunderstand what he did. He is no hero. To me, a hero is someone who selflessly puts his own life at risk to save others. The Fire Department are heros. The people of the Coast Guard are heros. Our soldiers are heros. Christopher was a deluded young man who thought too much of himself and too little of everyone else. He represents our arrogance, our belief that we are greater than all other living things.
I hope that people come away with some humility when reading about McCandless or watching films based on his life. He was misguided in believing that he would find himself out in the wild. To find yourself, you must look inside. You will not find the answers if you are afraid to take that inner journey. Too bad that Christopher did not understand that.
Cyril,
It seems to me that you are judging others just as harshly as Chris is being criticized. There is nothing wrong in clinging to life. It is the only life we’ve got. Was his life better than mine? I seriously doubt it. And, I hope that my death is not as senseless as his.
Hey Michele,
your death will be just as senseless,you think you matter to this world????I can’t believe what am reading here.As far as I’m concerned,all humans shouldn’t die tomorrow….but today.Were such a lame overrated species that eventually will come to an end because of our many wrong actions and decisions.And the obvious fact that we’re the only animal who lost the connection to nature.
I’m not sure but I don’t recall having seen a deer build a nuclear plant,or a bear that decides to drive a car….get my point,I could go on and on with that.Fact is we’re lame and hopefully close to extinction.I don’t agree with the Hopi and other native tribes that when the earth cleansing arrives that about 80% of all people die.In order to have a healthy working planet until the time the sun will eventually destroy everything ALL people need to die.
And whats wrong with that,dinosaurs are gone thousands of species of birds are gone,everyday species are gone forever we’re just another one,get used to that,all you life loving thinking we’re so fuckin great and importat…we’re not.Abviously we’re the only one that aren’t.
Him killing a moose a waste???So you don’t eat meat I assume,or have a heated house,nor drive a car,nor driving the streets that are build on natural soil,nor poluting the air in any way….get my point we’re all wasting everything,him shooting a moose isn’t any worse than living in this society, people consume too much anyway in any way…and if I haven’t mentioned it before,we’re stupid and a virus with shoes…but of course we think we’re great and smart yeah yeah.
And the stupid issue about selfishness,I don’t know if it’s because I’m Swiss that I don’t understand.Allthough I lived in the States four years.
What’s selfish when a person decides to walk into the wilderness instead of stiking around his family his whole life and tell em..oh I love you guys so much,or caling his sister every other day to tell her how great she is.Damn get your own life and stop clinging to your family the way you do..it’s sick and not helping at all.My brother who is the bomb,has been hiking all over the world for the past 6 years,sometimes I hear something sometimes I don’t for a long time.So what,it’s his life he doesn’t owe me and my parents anything,and guess what if he dies on his way,good for him it’s called life same as it happens in the natural world,but I know people aren’t aloud to die anymore,even if we’re born so crippeld that we wouldn’t have survived an hour hunderd years ago,if I ever turn out to be a vegtable strapt to my bed…please shoot me.
I guess people are somehow offended when someone dies.It’s like your pride is attacked.I mean if he was still alive this page wouldn’t exist in the way it does.
My final quote,good job Chris….I don’t care either way,are you all afraid of dying or what,cause thats what it sounds to me….we’re so far away from our path,humanity reduced itself to one big joke anyway,so enjoy the illusionest ride and die.
I’ll start by saying not once did I mention him to be a hero. I thanked him for his life because it taught people/myself a lesson.
So one quick question, as I asked before…
If McCandless had survived, would anyone be criticizing him?
His life? His beliefs? His knowledge, or lack there of, of nature?
No.
People wouldnt say anything about him. The only person that went into the wild, was himself.
People do it all the time now, from teenagers to grumpy old men. Why do they not get the recognission Christopher did/does?
Because they are still alive.
And what about those that have passed away attempting to make it in the wild as he did, why do they not get recognised as he did?
Because they werent “unknown”
Jon Krakauer wrote a book about a young man that reminded him of himself. To share with people the story of a strong willed man, who would do whatever it took to reach his dreams.
Sean Penn directed a movie about a book that was about a young man who’s journey had touched many,whether it be good or bad, including himself. Sean Penn read a story by a man, who’s words touched him so deeply, that he could not turn away from giving the story a chance to be seen or experienced by others.
Whether you are a critic, hypocrit, or an open minded human being, this story has touched you, the life and death of Christopher McCandless has touched you well enough for you to care. If not, then why are you so interested, peeved, or even angered by the adventure and life of Christopher McCandless aka Alexander Supertramp before, during and after going Into The Wild?
SwissGuy,
I concur.
Somebody please please please put this “Swissguy” out of his own missery! … the only one that deserves to be extinct here is this guy … and pronto! :)
SwisherSweet … let me guess .. you are Swissguy’s girlfriend … right? … then you deserve each other! :P
oh yeah…. and it was a caribou, not a moose that Chris had shot.
Details.
I’ts amazing how angry people are at how selfish Chris was. We’re all selfish. If we werent, why are people starving and homeless elsewhere? Why do we only take care of ourselves and loved ones? Why do we make sure to get what “we” or “i” need from the grocery store? Why do we roll our windows up or pass right by the transient on the street corner with his sign “will work for food” or “spare change, God bless”
BECAUSE WE ARE ALL SELFISH
A lot of people arent realizing that Chris found out all that he did was selfish and stupid, when he was on his death bed.
Everyone has done something selfish in life that they regret doing. The only difference between our regrets and Chris’s regret, is that we were able to move on past it, he wasnt. And now in death, he still has to suffer with the everyday reminder.
Dont you think 15 years is long enough.
I honestly think the only people that are sitting here criticizing McCandless, are those that regret not doing something in life, following their dreams.
Get off your rockers, and go for a walk.
Get out of your recliners, and take a hike.
Get out of the house and go camping.
Experience life as he wanted to. J
You wont regret it.
CHISPITA….
I have no idea who SwissGuy is. I just agree with him on some of his thoughts and views.
Nothing wrong with that.
Seriously though, how immatureMc can people get? I thought this was a thread about Christopher McCandless, not “how stupid can I make myself look by talking about others”. Guess I was wrong.
Man, I really wish I could find a thread with mature people.
In all due respect, I’d like to get back onto the topic of this thread and not spend my time trying to figure out whether you are 3 or 13 yrs of age.
McCandless to me was a MAN who didnt know what he wanted in life, and as MICHELE said, in order to find out who you are, you must look inside first, McCandless either failed to do so, or couldnt find what he was looking for and thought he had to search further.
I’m not a critic. I’m not narrow minded. I’m open to all opinions. Everyone is entitled to their own.
Looks like “SwisherSweet” and “Swissguy” need a hug … .. only then they could possibly understand how important it is to love and to be loved by another human being … regardless of their differences.
You just said it right there.
Its important to love and be loved by another human being REGARDLESS OF THEIR DIFFERENCES.
Why is it that everyone is to be angry or disappointed in McCandless because of his differences?
Doesnt he deserve a hug?
Yeap, and he got it … his mother and sister loved him and cared for him deeply … he got more than a hug from them (even from his own father) but he turned his back on them instead … his choice of course but how could you hurt the ones that love you so much …. why he was so hateful towards the ones that loved him so much that went as far as hiring a private detective to find him … he planed this … he lived to hurt his family … he told his sister he wanted his family to pay the “price” … how senseless is that? … and you want to put this guy on a pedestal? .. you actually encourage people to do what he did??… “Experience life as he wanted to” you say … are you kidding us??
anyway … let me go back to my “boring sedentary” life but full of wonderful people that make me want to get up in the mornings … the one good thing I learn from this guy is to be more in touch with my family and my friends!!
oopss … sorry, I wrote the above message.
C.
Either way you learned something from him. He taught us all something.
I dont praise him.
I dont consider him as a hero.
I just dont get why what he did angers so many people.
He died doing what he wanted to do. So be it.
Who’s to say for certain that he wanted to hurt people? That he lived to hurt those who loved him?
I have amazing friends, a wonderful family, and a beautiful son of my own.
Not once could I ever imagine myself telling my son he CAN NOT do something he wants to do. Whether it hurts me or not, a parent loves their child unconditionally and encourages their child(ren) to learn and experience things on their own. We cannot shelter our children from the outside world, and if thats what he/she seeks, then let them go.
Yes, I can imagine how hurt the family is/was with the loss of Chris.
Just as I remember how hurt I was losing a family member and having another turn his back on our family.
But we cant continue to be angry at someone or criticize them just because we dont agree with what they are doing or did. We have to learn to accept things as they come. The world is subject to change, so are people, and there is nothing we can do about it, no matter how hard we try. Everything will happen as it does and all we can do is pray for a cure, hope that people who are less fortunate “get well” and see to it that we live our life to the fullest, but only in the ways we are ALLOWED to. We live our life with written guidelines and rules.
We do not have freedom of speech, if so, why are words bleeped out on tv?Why do we have to raise our hands to speak in school then told that we cannot say certain things? Why do we have ratings on movies? Why are we stereotyped? Rich and poor? Alone? Fat? Skinny?
We are creating a world that people are no longer happy in because everything we do is a constant battle. We have to Fight our way to the top to get a proper job. We have to study for a test that we may not even pass. We have to earn what we have, nothing is given. Nothing ever will be.
So this brings me to my final question… is the world we are living in now much more than living it nature itself? Fighting for a home/shelter. Hunting/shopping for food. Preparing it. Debating/Fighting with others to make ourselves more dominant. Taking the land and what is on it and turning it into homes, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, gas stations, etc….
why dont we all go and live in a bus with no electricity, no running water, no food but the food we hunt, no change of clothes, and then say that McCandless was an inconsiderate ass, who cared nothing but of himself. Considering he gave up all his money, and everything he had and took nothing from society but himself.
He wasnt looking to become famous. It was self satisfaction that he was longing for. Do you really think he cares what ANY of us have to say about him and what he did?
What are YOU missing in life that makes you so angry with him? NOTHING.
We get it, you think he’s an inconsiderate idiot. Maybe even a lunatic. But in all honesty, he did NOTHING to you. He hurt his family. So did my brother when he left us to find himself, but over time you realize that he is doing what makes him happy, and thats all that we want for him.
My brother had no job, no money, and depended on his friends to give him a roof over his head, food in his stomach, and a warm shower. He believes society is BS just as McCandless did, yet we dont shun my brother for it, we dont criticize him for his decisions. We love him for who he is, not for what he does. He is happy, thats all that matters.
Yes it hurts, not knowing if he is still alive or not, and it gets pretty scary at times, but what my brother chooses to do with his life, is what he does. We arent happy with him but we do respect him for his choices. We have no control over what he does, and if we tried to tell him what to do, how to do it, or even just help him, it would only have angered him and push him away even more.
Maybe McCandless was the same way.
There are pro’s and con’s to everything… Right now we are all battling the 2 sides for someone who has passed away. Forever this battle will rage, and none of the remaining questions will ever be answered.
Stupid.
Inconsiderate idoit.
Teacher.
Moron.
Hero.
However we look at it is our personal opinions.
Noone can argue with you about how you feel.
Ah … so that’s where you are coming from ….
Good for you that you have somehow find a way to get a bit of “closure” in your life regarding your brother … and I truly hope that he is happy wherever he is and that you can continue to live your life without having him in it (physically anyway).
and I’ll leave it like that because this clearly is a touchy subject for you.
Best of luck with your brother.
C.
I dont mind speaking about it. I was just stating that in order to understand or accept something, you must be able to be in the shoes of the one walking or the shoes of the family to gain the most knowledge of where someone is coming from or in this case, going into. :)
I am, so I cant understand what it is that makes people so angry about those who choose to do what makes them happy in their life.
Have seen the film and read the book and feel the whole story is deeply tragic. I recommend the book highly (if you have just seen the film).
There are several key strands in this story that played out in Chris’s life. He was clearly enraged by his father’s behavoir – sounds rather a controlling bully who tried to impose standards that he fell well short of himself. Chris – a sensitive individual – already rejecting his parents middle class values and then to find he was a bastard child.
Interested in world poverty and wrote a degree paper on the subject seemed to be experimenting with himself what it was like to live without food in the desert etc – he nearly died before in the desert near Nevada. Driving a combine in South Dacota would have appealed enormously – I’m helping feed the world!
Like many of us, he really appreciated the beauty of the wilderness and loved the Alaskan stories of Jack London. Think he found a big thrill from living on the edge, enduring the experience of suffering and its effect it had on him. At this stage, he wanted to play out one last high risk experiment in a much more hostile environment – poor judgement, bad luck, an inadequate diet to sustain him in that climate sealed his fate – if he had not found the bus – maybe he would have frozen to death. He was well loved by those whose world he came into and he died far too young. I can hardly bear to think how terrible his final days must have been – past the point of no return and too weak to sustain himself and walk out and get help. Those final photos – he certainly had some guts.
SIMONP
I read the book many years ago at my sisters request, (she is an avid outdoorswoman, with the dream of one day climbing to the Summit of Everest). I could not put it down until I was finished. She had warned me, either I was going to love Chris, or hate him.
Once we found out that Sean Penn was directing the movie, we were extremely excited to see what view and take he had on McCandless.
I dont recall having any emotion but shock while reading the book, even after I had finished, I can only remember sitting in utter shock. McCandless seemed so full of life, adventure and curiousity. I believed he was only out to gain self satisfaction. To break away for the time being and calm himself, a sense of extended meditaion. Only he could understand.
When I saw the movie just a few days ago, it put me back where I was when I had read the book years ago. In shock. Penn didnt make Christopher McCandless/Alexander Supertramp look like a hero, or an idiot. He simple took what he had read and learned of Chris and put in on a screen the way he saw him, yet he still gave each individual watching the movie a chance to have their own opinion on what McCandless did and why he might have done so.
Congrats to Sean Penn for doing such a great job of making the book come to life, and creating such a captivating movie.
And Congrats to Jon Krakauer for having the balls to write such a wonderful book, that draws you in as a skeptic and spits you out a believer.
Hey Chispita
I’m in no misery……the world is.I can certainly get enough hugs…..yet it’s not enough.Unfortunatley not everything is solved with a hug and if you truly understand of how bad the earth REALLY is being Fç*”**; then you’d understand my point of view.Most people talk about it,because it’s such a popular issue right now,but really comprehending that in the near future we’re not going to be able to live here anymore,cause we’ve chosen the path of greed,killing,torturing,destruction,annihilation and all the other 700 things we do.I don’t think people really do understand that.Even if you don’t suffer at this moment…..millions of others are and thats not cool,damn am I the only one who thinks so……I guess that’s why were where we are.
I JUST DONT THINK ITS ALRIGHT IN ORDER FOR ONE SPECIES TO LIVE PRETTY MUCH EVERY OTHER ONE HAS TO SUFFER…….that has nothing to do with a healthy planet,and please,who are the only ones that do it…anyone a mirror handy?
I know that some people might think when they read my previous text(and this one),that am some depressed lunatic whos lost it.But that just proves my point of how people are not understanding what we’re doing to this planet.
Have you ever seen a frog drink out his own pond…well we’re doing more than that.
I’m not saying that I’m living the right and holy way,because it’s damn near impossible nowadays.I contribute where I can and try to do my best.But I’m certainly not denying what’s going on and admit that we have worn out are welcome some time ago…(and that we’re retards).
When I’m somewhere in the wilderness and I see a wild animal,that excits me more than the prick whos trying to shoot it.
Sorry…..just had to explain my point of view,and yes we are the pest,whoevers denying that is either stupid or ignorant,by saying that you can still live your life,ok..
SwisherSweet…right on,glad you understand.
I haven’t read all these posts but i’ve skimmed through them. Now that I see how many people have read the book and tried to live a McCandless kind of life shows me that McCandless was not stupid or arrogant rather he was really humble. I believe Chris wanted to be a teacher. I think that he really did care and that shows by how he lived his life. I think Chris was a visionary comparable to Martin Luther King or Ghandi. Through what Chris has done makes me yearn for a life like that. I don’t necessiraly think you have to live exactly like McCandless; that lifestyle is simply not for everyone . I have seen many people be humble by the simplicity of a suburban lifestyle. For some people they think Chris is nuts and ridiculous for doing what he did. But really he is a very wise man for simply doing his own thing. I dream of a day where I can travel to wherever the wind takes me and I one day want to just travel and talk with as many people as I can and see what I can do to help them. Granted I am just 17 and haven’t really had that much experience in life…yet. But I really think that Chris was a wise man. However, Chris practically isolated himself from his family; is this selfish? I don’t think so at all. I think if you see the big picture, his family should be glad he got to live how he wanted. So many people dream of owning this or that or they dream of being so rich that they wipe their butt with dollar bills! And in America today people think well that’s normal; they think money = happiness. And that’s just bs any way you look at it. I believe Chris was trying to write a book about how to live your life. And I think if Chris had wrote a book I think it would have obviously been about how to live life. And simply the way to live life is to do what makes you happy!
Chispita – One day you will rise and even if for just that one day – no one will be there to love you – to comfort you – to make you happy in your mundane existence.
Then what do you do, do you roll over and die…….. You should know what it is like to exist alone, to harbor feelings of anger and revenge, to take on the worst with only you as means to survive.
Im not saying people should exist like that day to day – year to year, but there will always be a time when you’re little comfortable bubble will burst.
You have no desire to face adversity ……
I’m Old, I just read the book and I was moved by the actions of this young man. To me it was a human story about something that each of us can recognize in ourselves.
He took a risk, it did not have the outcome that I think even he expected. But I just can not help identifying with his character. Young people need to explore their souls to find out who they are and make their own sense of this life we live on Earth. For this I applaud him. His life was very short and none of us can judge him, for he may have if he had lived gone on to forgive, teach, love and share his life.
I completely agree with ‘Signe’. SImply read that and be enlightened to the problem with most responses. Please people, things go deeper than they seem. Sacrifices have to be made to complete the purpose of ones life and if one is escaping society, they must cut off ties to such a thing.
Heroic, Selfish, Happy, Sad, Lost, Found and the list goes on – each word means something different to each of us and can change according to our circumstances. I make no judgement on what Chris decided to do and certainly have no idea what he was really thinking! We each decide in our own life what we need to accomplish – I see things I wish I could do and I see things I would never do but that’s different with each person. Chris did what he thought he had to do and whether he was sane or not really doesn’t matter because perception is each of our realities.
Anyway, like everything that seems to happen in our world – it makes you reflect a little more about our own lives and hopefully helps us find our own truths and reason’s for existence. The truth of the matter is that Chris’s life was depicted through the eyes of others and because we can no longer speak with Chris we will never really know the reason’s why he did what he did.
So for our amusement – including mine – we write down our feelings for others to hear and share and so maybe some of his last words were right – “Happiness is only real when shared.”
To call Chris selfish or stupid is extremely ignorant. Chris donated all of his money to charity because he felt he had no need for it. No matter what you believe there is no doubting that Chris’s story is one of the most sought out tales today. It is so because many people can understand why he did what he did. Those who cannot see the true meaning of what he did are very unfortunate because they have no idea what it means to take what you want in life.
Very true nate! Chris’s story is so popular because so many of us can relate to his yearning to make a new life. Free from all the material attachements. How can anyone understand what Chris was thinking when they are constantly worrying about money. It takes an amazing person to free themselves from all ties and attachments in order to understand the true meaning of happiness.
Much agreed. Happiness is finding ones true self, with no stress, or worries. Chris was able to experience life in peace. It may only have been for a short while, but I know, if I had the strenght to do what he did, that short while would be well worth it.
Christopher McCandless physically encased the restlessness, longing, and angst of youth.
I’m 17 years old, and after reading Into the Wild, I felt as if this young man was a part of me, a part that I am far to fearful to reveal. McCandless feared nothing. He embraced his longing and made a conscious decision to act while he could.
As a young person, I feel McCandless’s desire for truth and meaning. I myself question why I am here, what I’m meant to do, what life is meant to be. And the need to prove his independence is one I can relate to immensely. He was not trying to prove this to others, as so many have believed. McCandless wanted to show himself exactly what he was capable of.
McCandless was not selfish, or he at least did not realize he was selfish. When you’re young, you make decisions for yourself and yourself alone. It’s simply how we think. McCandless knew the repercussions of his actions, but it was something he had to do while he could. I understand him so well, I could go on forever.
I just ask people to look into themselves. Remember when you were young. Remember the desire to search. McCandless made that search, which is something most of us never do out of fear.
Christopher McCandless accomplished what most could not.
He lived.
Sitting in New Jersey amidst strip malls and suburban sprawl, I can see the lure of the wild. Life is more than Target, Home Depot, iPods, and “made in China.” As we gain possessions, we become trapped in a materialistic malaise in which our STUFF (and pursuit of stuff) dictates our lives. Each of us, regardless of our class or station, has but a limited time here. Do we let the pursuit of “stuff” dictate how that time is spent? Most of us do, and it is madness. There is wisdom in rejecting the culture of consumption and materialism. There is wisdom in seeing the preciousness of our limited time here AND bravery in choosing to honor it by living boldly, freely, and with zeal. Regardless of McCandless’ personal/family relationships (which it seems is not our place to comment), I think what is admirable is his courage to find his own definition of success AND pursue it with determination in the face of enormous risk. Such drive is rooted deep in the American psyche and deserves our respect.
“but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”
It was a very brave thing that chris mccandless did. I wish that i had the guts to just leave everything that I knew to try and find the answer to life. I mite go about it a bit differently but ya no he had every plan to come back and see his family and the people who he met in his travels. It was unfortonate that he died before he had the chance to do this. Everyone who has something bad to say about people must first look at themselves and then decide why they feel that way in their hearts. I would love to do something like Chris did and find my meaning in life and maybe i someday before my end.
Why does everyone assume the meaning of life resides in isolated contemplation, communing with nature? If you have a kid, ask yourself what the meaning of life is and I would bet your boy or girl figures in there someplace. Further, I would be willing to bet watching your child grow up is an essential part of that pursuit. Something of which Chris’ parents were essentially robbed.
Isn’t it possible that Chris went into the wild because he was actually afraid to live a real life? One in which he was not the only player? I point to the relationship issues between his mother and father, as well as the fact that he seemed to fail at forming friendships which were anything more than arm’s length.
His preferred method of interaction, indeed the way in which we know him personally, is through letters. It’s not at all surprising he went out and died alone. But I doubt he would have preferred it that way. To the one writer who pointed to sacrifices being made – look at his last note – he wanted help and he also wanted people to know how he died. His grand adventure ended pitifully.
To the people who celebrate his achievement – why aren’t you singing the praises of the two other people who went into the wild and died or disappeared? Turns out at least one of them was essentially as ill-prepared as McCandless and no one is lionizing him.
Finally, and this is just a question, are we really supposed to believe he shot and killed either a moose or a caribou with a .22? They are huge animals and even juveniles are tough.
My guess is that there was a diseased or injured moose/caribou who wandered near enough to the bus to be found shortly after it’s death. Maybe he administered the coup de grace but I doubt he brought it down otherwise. Just a thought.
Erik,
I am curious what your definition of “real life” is. I don’t think nature is the sole answer for humanity’s search for meaning, but it is ONE answer people have wrestled with for hundreds of years in literature, art, and religion. Chris wrestled with it. And he did it at a time in his life when he was young, fresh out of college, unattached to a family that depended on him for survival. And he did it at a time of life when one is right to seek independence and self-sufficiency. Sure he made some poor decisions and paid for them. But his attempt, his search, and his zeal are part, I think, of a longing in each of us to find meaning. I think what makes Chris’s story resonate is that many folks at some point or other felt similarly about letting go and living free. Most of us don’t do it. Chris did, and as a result everyone in some primitive way can empathize. His death, then, strikes a chord because of this common/utterly human–and fallible–dimension. My two cents.
I think Erik makes a great point and it goes beyond just your children. We never stop trying to find the meaning of life and of course it’s different for each person but I know that in the end it always comes back to my relationship’s with my daughter, family and friends and I think in the end that’s what Chris found out but because he put himself in a bad situation of which he obviously couldn’t escape so he never got to experience true happiness! My two cents !!!!!!!
Tres ému par le destin de Chris
Cet homme comme tous les hommes sensibles, venant de je ne sais ou mais pas portés par les vents du sud qui soufflent et polluent notre esprit d’homme libre.
Cet homme cherchais le vrai que l’on nous cache tous les jours.
Depuis plus de 2000 ans nous vivons sous des tonnes de “pas vrai”
belle image, forte image de volonté et de liberté qu’il nous a laissée.
Whether you see the life of this young man through the prism of hero or loser, explorer or suicidal depressive, etc. It is “his” story that brought you all into this forum by way of seeking out his name via Yahoo or Google. For all of your opinions and musings, allow for one second that “his” story made you wonder enough to search for more and to that end, this young man’s life has had a profound effect.
First of all I would like to just mention how much it saddens me to think that many of the people who have posted here in opposition to the amazing journey that Christopher McCandless took have merely done so to spread unnecessary hate. The thought of you logging on, finding this website and going out of your way to undermine the effort of one man to conquer himself without the limitations of his upper-middle class upbringing is not one that I can understand within any humane reasoning I have. You are the people that Chris McCandless spent what I imagine to have been a few of the most worthwhile years of his life trying to prove wrong.
I am not a religious person but have a huge respect for those who are. McCandless achieved something that I most admire in a person; he discovered a part of himself that was unique to him, a God that he felt at one with whilst out in the wilderness. He may have been scared, unprepared, cut off and lonely but he found what he was looking for and died knowing he had conquered what it was he had aimed for. Some of you may call him selfish but the truth of the matter is we are born into this world as selfish beings, if we weren’t then we would surely not have survived much past the age of 2. Ultimately many of us will die in a ‘selfish’ way but if that means that we have spent our lives discovering what life is through the eyes of OURSELVES then so be it.
Chris McCandless’ ‘great adventure’ was for a sense of self worth and a journey to discover a God. In my eyes he did this, something he would not have been able to do whilst trapped in the life he was. To me, Chris is an inspiration. You can all tell me that I am wrong or mistaken but your judgement is not worth my time. Stop slating a man who died feeling at peace, instead, please try and think what it is you bring to the world. If you struggle then in my opinion you have no right to pass judgement on people like myself and so many others who are writing on this website to show appreciation to an incredible man.
kristina alvarez, you are absolutly correct. I am deeply inspired by Chris and anyone who says otherwise obviously is either envious or stupid
Oh, and fighting over ridiculous things like this is elementary.
Of course everybody is not going to feel the way Chris does about things, he’s an entirely different human being, or was.
Don’t neglect that fact either; we are all different. Which is why we have so many disputes, because we want to whole world to share OUR opinions, to think the way WE do. But it takes a certain amount of maturity to realize that is ridiculous, do we really want everybody to be like us, to feel the way we feel?
Imagine that. You wouldn’t even be an individual person, just another one of those things droning on about the same thing the guy next to you is. Variety is the spice of life, and unfortuanately indifference tags along close behind it, so the best we can do is bite our toungue and take a while to listen to everyone else without judgement. Who knows, you might even enjoy it.
As for Chris, yes I guess you can say I can relate to him a little bit. My brother is the exact same way, and we are so close it reminds me of his and his sister carrines relationship. But that doesn’t mean I can’t listen to other peoples individual.
Chris was a rare persona, one that you either love or hate. But theres no reason to fight. He’s gone, he’s had his life. Now I think all of you guys should drop this incredulous argument, and move on with yours.
Much obliged,
M.
I have just spent too much time in the middle of the night reading all these posts—many of which are judgmental and and just plain mean. I am 2 years older than Chris would have been had he lived. When he died, in 1992, I was in the last trimester of my 3rd pregnancy, a married stay at home mom who was living in a house in the woods in the suburbs. Everyday I would look out at those woods and dream about just going out there and fending for myself and living with nature, away from the Jones’s and the stupidity of modern day life. But, I had responsibilities, I had 3 small children, a husband and a home to take care of, my wanderlust was buried deep as I lived my day to day life.
Growing up, I relished books—favorites being books where people have to depend on themselves to survive. The “Little House” books had me dreaming about being a pioneer and coming to the west with only what I could carry in a wagon and to start out with nothing. I read Jack London, and as a teen I dreamed about go to Alaska. I want to go and see Walden Pond–I have always said I should have been born in the dark/middle ages or in the 17th-19th centuries. I have always felt the pull to be self-sufficient and break free of the luxuries that we all take for granted. I watch silly shows like Northern Exposure and even Men in Trees—and I still feel the pull to Alaska and it’s wilderness now. I have sent in applications to be on the reality shows on PBS, Frontier House, Colonial House, etc., but having young children, we were always turned down. I have responsibilities and while I relish living in the wild, fending for myself—my kids don’t want or need that kind of life. I wish I could have at least been brave enough to explore more when I was younger and unattached! Don’t get me wrong, I love my life—but that yearning will always be there–which is why I have a lot of respect for Chris—he did it–not only in Alaska for quite a while, but he did it where ever he was—it was part of his life. I have to be content with living on the farm my husband and I just bought and trying to live more “simply” and self-sufficiently that we have lived. Chris was well experienced in simplicity and self sufficiency by the time he had arrived in Alaska—yes he still made errors, but we ALL do.
What grabbed me about Chris, was that he was BRAVE enough to actually DO IT. Sure he made stupid mistakes and he could be selfish—WHO ISN’T? I don’t know many people in their young 20′s that haven’t been foolhardy and selfish at some time—I know I was, even though I was a mother and a wife, I had my moments.
What bothers me is the extreme hatefulness of some of these posts. Michelle goes on and on about how selfish Chris was and how could he do that to his family. You know Michelle, young people are selfish and they do see things as black and white. I hated my father for YEARS for abandoning his family when his 3 children were young. When I finally got to know him again, many years later, I felt sorry for him—sure, we suffered greatly for his selfishness and mistakes—but he will suffer even more. He missed out on knowing his kids and watching them grow. He’s lost one son already—he’ll never know him. If you had asked me at 24 what I felt, it would have been anger and lack of forgiveness. Now, at 41 and having 6 kids of my own, I feel pity for him and I forgave him years ago—I did that for me. I am quite sure, as Chris grew up and experienced life more, he too would have been able to forgive his father and become close to his family again. We all make mistakes, some more horrible than others. I don’t think there is a perfect person out there who can say otherwise—and unless you are one, then you really shouldn’t be throwing stones in your glass house.
Being the mother of 3 teens can be very frustrating. Teenagers think they know it all and have all the answers. My 19 year old daughter moved out into her own apartment last fall. I tried to prepare her, to teach her things she would need to know to survive on her own—but she didn’t want my advice—she KNEW how to do things and could manage just fine on her own. This same person calls me everyday with questions on how to do everything she wouldn’t let me teach her when she was home.
Chris was brave. Most people could not give up all their possessions and their comfortable life to live on the road and bounce around from place to place. As a mother, I wish he could have taken the time to let his family know where he was and what he was doing. But I am not going to judge him for not contacting them—who am I to decide what was right for him??? Who has the right to decide? Maybe, after learning about his fathers’ infidelities and bigamy, he needed time to deal with it and time to work out the anger at this father—that is not selfish, it is human. His parents kept some pretty big secrets from him and I can imagine it was a shock to find out from people he barely knew. They were selfish/human in keeping it from him, and he was selfish/human in how he dealt with it. They were all selfish in their way and karma has a way of catching up with you after a while. It’s not right or wrong, it just is and those who rant and rave about how selfish Chris was needs to look at the WHOLE story.
I am really disappointed in the immaturity in many of these posts and the hatefulness. He was a kid, he had strong ideals and he wanted to find what many of us are missing. He actually did something. It may seem foolish to some, but I think he accomplished more in his 2 years on the road and his final journey to Alaska than many of the people who post to this board will find in a lifetime. I think we can all learn from him—the way he lived AND the way he died. As for me, I probably will ever get to Alaska—my youngest is 2 and by the time he is ready to leave the nest, I’ll be in my 60′s and I’ll hopefully be happy and comfortable and my wanderlust will be sufficiently tamed–it has been for years, although it pulls at me occasionally and I end up throwing the family in the van for a spontaneous road trip to somewhere. We’ve not gone too far, but we do tend to venture out further and further each time. We do play at medieval re-enacting so that quells some of my desires but we always end up back in our comfortable home. Chris was real, he came up with different plans, he executed them—in some he was successful, some he was foolish, some he was lucky that there are many good people out there to lend a hand. The man is dead, and calling him names and ranting and raving about how selfish and stupid and ignorant some might think he was is just—lame. I don’t think he was a hero, I don’t think he was any more selfish than anyone else. But I admire his tenacity and I wish he could have made it out of Alaska alive. I wish people could see that what he did WAS extraordinary, even with the mistakes. What is even more extraordinary about him is how his experiences can stir such deep, intense emotions in people–either they admire him for doing what they wish they could do, or they hate him for doing what they would never have the initiative to do. I admire him for doing what he set out to do—obviously he was a good person, he made some great friends along the way and no one really has ever had anything bad to say about him other than he was intense at times and selfish and foolish—which everyone can be.
RIP Chris, and bless his family and friends.
Leslie
Punk, that’s it. Had issues, mommy and daddy gave him everything he wanted and that wasn’t enough, now was it?
Richard Proenneke-a true Alaskan survivor. Read about him, admire him, idolize him if you must, but for God sakes, not this turd.
Isnt this what Chris had said he wanted to get away from? Society, every day pressures to become something you have no interest in being? Poor Chris is being chewed up and swallowed by the very people he wanted to break free from.
People are arguing about another mans decisions.. What good is it going to do you to sit and argue about how “stupid” or “selfish” you think he was? It’s not getting you anywhere.
I’m sure those of you who think negatively about Chris, are the same people that constantly fight/argue with family and friends thinking your sh*t dont stink… get over yourselves. if you’re not happy with what he had chosen in life, then let it be… there’s no need to come on, search for MORE information about a man that you have no interest in, just to put him down…. or is that whats wrong? you are totally interested in this man, but you dont want to admit that deep down inside you wish you would have, or could do what he did… just pack up and go, whether it be temporary or permanent, to give yourself a BREAK… please… some people make me sick… and its pretty obvious, you werent taught about respect growing up. best piece of advice I were ever given,
“if you dont have something nice to say, dont say anything at all…”
maybe others should learn about it.
I think it is possible for someone to be brave and stupid simultaneously. If someone wants to glorify this young man as a brave soul finding his own way in the world, I can buy that.
I can also buy that he was really really stupid, arrogant, and irresponsible – no matter his intelligence.
But his story is just sad, nothing more or less. If you got down this far without reading post number 8, go back and read it. Truly great description of the problems in McCandless’s idealism.
Don’t forget, near the end, Chris left a desperate note begging for the help he once shunned. He dismissed the knowledge of others when he didn’t perceive any immediate threat, but pleaded for this help when he realized death was around the corner.
Maybe in the end, Chris finally realized the social structure he rejected was his only chance at salvation. Maybe this social structure that he held in such contempt actually evolved based on its propensity toward preservation.
Unfortunately, Chris (brave hero, arrogant idiot, or whatever definition you prefer) is dead!
And life is for the living.
McCandless was neither especially brave nor especially dumb. He demonstrated care for people far from his life experience and disdain for his own family. He is not the first nor the last do-gooder to fall into that. There is a larger point here that is missed by most posters and I am willing to bet that they are not northerners.
Southerners and city people have the heartbreaking idea that wilderness is a commodity that they have a consumers’ right to look at and they sadly have no idea that there is a cannon of skills and knowledge that are essential to living with and in nature. They think that nature is a big benevolent mother and that we all have some “instinctual” roadmap to survival.
I have not watched this film because I have not been able to bring myself to witness the beatifying of yet another pathetic combination of arrogance and romanticism. After suffering “Grizzly Man”, wishing against hope that Herzog with all his genius would figure it out and give more than a cursory 30 seconds of screen time to a knowledgeable local (the aboriginal man close to the beginning) and seeing that the director left the wisdom out so as not to interfere with our voyeuristic romp, I don’t want to have to watch this well-meaning boy kill himself because he’s too self-absorbed to find someone whose life is imbedded in that landscape and learn from them.
If an aboriginal kid from a small northern town showed up in Chicago and walked the lane divider lines of the freeway, getting himself killed would we call him a hero or an idiot? From a northern perspective, McCandless did just that.
Chris McCandless sure was immature, misguided, assenine and selfish for a young man thought to be so bright. It just goes to show that “adulthood” is not reflected by chronological age but by hard earned maturity.
His need to go camping extreme style cost his family more than any family should have to bear.
I shiver to think that my students (I teach high school English) are infatuated with and amazed by his rash, selfish, idealistic and childish acts. I fully expect there to be sad, copycat incidents.
people who say that this man was selfish are right, he was very selfish. to leave a family who loves you, to give up up your faith and live for no one but yourself, and to practically throw away your life to the mercy of nature is very selfish. he did nothing to help cure cancer, he did not write a book about philosophy, he did not lead a country.
but in his selfishness, he inspired a book that became a national bestseller (thus making an author a secure future) and the book inspired a movie which has won mulitple awards.
ironically his selfishness has inspired hundreds of people to live, has caused hundreds to question their lives in the world. and with the release of this new movie, into the wild, i’m certain yet another wave of youthful travellers will set out to search for themselves.
selfish, yes, but in wake of his overall affect in the world, with his naive actions and ‘stupidity’, he has done more for other people than any average person can boast.
i say he is a hero. he has lived, purely lived within life before he died, and that is more than i could possibly dream of doing.
I think Chris had a beautiful dream.. Obviously it wasn’t perfectly executed, but he had the nerve to want something, and make it his own, no matter what. He was a dreamer, and in some ways, an inspiration to us all. Those who want to point fingers at him, and call him names are just as guilty of being “selfish” and “stupid” in their daily lives. NO ONE IS PERFECT! It was his life to live, and his dream, and kudos to him for living his dream.
“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3. Chris Mccandless’ story struck a deep chord with me. Nobody has the right to judge Chris for what he did. Instead, we should look at how his story applies to our own lives. We all have a little Chris Mccandless in us, we just have to realize it.
I agree with Swishersweet’s one comment in his/her dissertation:
No matter what Christopher McCanless was about, no matter what reasons he had for his trek, his final comment was:
“happiness is only real when shared.”
To me that says it all. This person sought solitude and mental clarity and simple life alone. When he got there, he realized that only through interaction with another human being can life be worthwhile.
Kat
I apologize. I misspelled Chris’s name. It should be McCandless.
I’ve achieved my dreams. My dreams were to work for myself as a consultant by the time I was 28, with a paid off mortgage, been doing that for ten years. Have a successful marriage with a content happy woman, who was good in bed, have kids and work from home never starting earlier than 10am and never needing to answer to a boss or having my mobile phone go off at unpredictable times because they wanted me in a stupid “meeting” or on a “conference call”. Spend plenty of time reading to and playing games with my kids, picking them up from and dropping them off to school. My life is good and I’m happy with things. I expect I’ll be happy for at least another 24 years.
If CMC lived his dream then his dream must have been slowly starving to death and dying alone. Cause that is what happened to him.
DIMITRI-
why 24 years? Exactly 24 years from now will you be like “oh shit, I’m not happy anymore?” That’s beside the point. You obviously have the emotional capacity of a retard if you cannot see why Chris was happy in following his dream, although it lead to a possibly unnecessary death. You will follow the beaten path and be happy in your own way; good for you. But for others, there is much more out there. Write that down.
dimitrY, my bad
And I’m not as dumb you.
Chris died. Northeast appearantly doesn’t get that. Dimitry does. Others do. Many don’t. I think Dimitry’s point was that he didn’t follow a “beaten path”, but that he followed his dream. And his dream, a good dream, includes NOT starving to death.
Nonetheless it has provided the rest of us with interesting entertainment – discourse, books, a movie.
Maybe a few more of you that are empathizing with Chrs could off yourselves in intersting ways. I don’t know maybe sky dive without a parachute, play a friendly game of russian roulette, go for a swim with some crocodiles – use your imagination. The more creativity, the more likely you will be immortalized in print and film. It’s fun for the rest of us.
See this is what Chris did. He said, “I’m going to do something so freakin stupid, that if I survive, the experience will be amazing.”
I imagine standing in front of a wild african elephant would be an amazing experience. You know.. right up until that part where it bores out your insides with its’ tusk.
Chris died. Don’t you get that?
Sure, I definately get that Chris died in an unnecassary and ill-prepared way. Did you read the book? Jon Krakauer includes a chapter where he describes his journey to climb Devil’s thumb, a very hard solo ascent. From your perspective, “i’m from the northeast”, this may seem completely stupid and irresponsible. I see it as very necessary. Everyone needs to test themselves at least once, to push the limits and find themselves in some way. In my opinion, not doing so is a disservice to oneself. Chris just pushed the limits a little too far. As others have mentioned earlier, he failed to find a balance that would enable him to survive. Jon survived and seems to have lived a complete life. I am not saying everyone needs to go live in the Alaska wilderness for a long period of time, but I can clearly see why Chris did so. I can identify with that need, as can many others, becasue it is a basic human instinct wether we want to realize and accept it or not. The fact that Chris died is pretty insignificant to me when compared to how he chose to live.
GABBY- I am 17 as well, and I completely agree
Northesst, that is one of the most articulate demonstrations of naivety that I have eve read. “The fact that Chris died is pretty insignificant..”
It is wholly sgnificant, there would be no books, no movie, no discourse, no significance without his death.
I did not mean it in that sense. What I was trying to say is that at least he died happy living life to the fullest. The fact that he died was very significant, it is the reason why we are having this conversation. You just took what I said out of context.
I saw the movie and I remembered something… What Chris had done – this going into the wild – , that is exactly something I imagine(d) to do (only!) if the most precious person in my life would die (I can’t imagine to go on as before in such a case). I imagined to go into the wild, travel the world,…enjoy the nature and solitude…find peace, and come out living or die there, whatever. … interesting… I haven’t thought about that for some time because I am happy and content, no need to go away.
I respect the idea that this man had,but to go back to the wild on this planet one must see that its kill or be killed ,eat or be eaten, and it does not seem like he had that nature. i think in away he killed himself, some how he lost the will…or i would hate to say if he really thought he would live off the land for real, he was not very smart.As he did not look at the land around him to know there was a river crossing very close,and also a major high way.Also to hunt your on food and perseve it would take a great deal of know how, to try to do this with out any real trainning would be like suicide.What ever happend to this man may he rest in peace.
I’m portuguese and I dont speak/write very well (as you can see)
Yesterday, I’ve ended the reading of the book and saw the film.
I cant imagine the biggeness of american territory. My country is very small when compared.
I understand that one can feel the apeal of the big spaces and wilderness.
Who am I to judge anyone who pursuited a goal like Chris did?
I think he wasnt stupid or admirable.
I think he was unlucky.
If he was able to came back and cross that river, he probably will be admired for is adventures in the wild.
Who can say what he will do after the return? Its’s logical to think that he return to his family or to one of the places he stayed in that two years travel.
There’s much people like him that, after a similar experience, get married and had a job and a carrer.
He was unluck, thats all.
what a majority of people on this site are not taking into consideration is the fact that we are essentially not living for other people, we are living for ourselves. you are the only person that you can truly depend on in life and if your day to day life is not making you happy, then you should do whatever it is that you feel will make you happy. granted, for most people it would not be as extreme as doing what McCandless did, but that is what he felt necessary to do to make him happy and feel a sense of fulfillment.
so, before judging Chris, think about if you felt such a strong urge to do what you thought was right your whole life, but had to ignore it because it was not accepted. Think about what you would do to in that situation. the ones who have the guts would do it, the cowards would stand back and call us idiots.
I have read the book Into the Wild twice, and I found it very appealing, very real and worth reading. I saw the movie as well. There’s something great about traveling that I think Chris found in his travels. Whether he was compassionate or not, stupid or just mislead from the books he read, life is adventurous. I think now that we’re in the 21st century we have forgotten this adventurous spirit in us. And McCandless just reminded me, (and us who are into nature, traveling, and challenges) that we can do things we love. If McCandless was not smart by not taking enough supplies into the wild, or just wasn’t nice enough to his family after he left…. all that doesn’t matter. All of us have pasts, and all of us have flaws as he did. *So he didn’t do it the way you would of liked to do it*. Remember Judging is not the way, but it is the way he lived freedom that one should note.
Chris knew what he wanted to do with his life and he did it, for this he should be admired. How many of us are really living our lives, without regret? I will be pleased if my son lives his life with that kind of passion, for any thing! Don’t admire him for the mythical character his death has made him, look at how he lived.
I never knew chris mccandless so I can only speculate on his predicament and the way it has been endorsed and exploited by others. it seems he was overcome with a desire and set his body into a desired place accordingly; a self oriented sojourn that ended with a reluctant death. I cannot honestly call him a fool or a hero, but just a young man who attempted to walk away from civilization (it may or may not be relevant that he took a civilized tool with him or that he lived and died in an abandoned vehicle). I am unsure exactly what he did that was socially significant, but obviously people have looked to the aftermath of his behavior and found significance there. the writer whose novel popularized chris and his fate created a legend and yet I see more of an interesting anthropological story than I do a messianic epic in what impartial facts exist. but provocative points do stem from the glorification of this man’s struggle. the fact that society is not a human invention or contrivance but a natural aspect of our species yet the equal fact that certain individuals find a need or desire to challenge or escape the boundaries of a domesticated world. this type of behavior may seem heroic but in essence I think it is the self searching for meaning. words like selfish can be applied as these behaviors can hurt others (like say family) but this is not to say that the individual feels that he has a choice in his actions.
I have a strong connection to atmospheres in the natural world. since early childhood I have felt moments of a kind of calming bliss which have given me more positive validation in my existence than anything else I have experienced. if I were to be starving I would fight and kill to eat, not simply to survive, but so that I could maintain the balance required to experience this bliss. but I see masses that do not reflect my own experiences and who in fact seem to mock them indirectly with every turn. I see group logic as infecting banal and boorish. I see bumper sticker philosophies and hear tape loops chanting popular science and popular nihilism and not a voice among them seems to be unique. all temporal sheep of one kind or another, either slavishly following or slavishly commanding. rulers and followers all together slaves and sheep. conditioned realities and conditioned dreams. if I cry out at this or if I abandon it all am I being heroic or selfish or hypocritical or naïve? I would say that none of these terms apply. Rather I would suggest that I am simply one whose chemistry is such that I am driven, possibly against reason and respect, toward an individualistic end.
what I see in this man, chris mccandless, much maligned and glorified here is simply another individual in a world of individuals who sought something out and died in his search. maybe less time and energy should be applied to whether he was a fool and or a hero and to condemning or debating with people who don’t share one’s personal preference than should be spent discussing the issues of the individual and the social that this man’s predicament seem to call into relevance. or better yet, if possible, turn off the machines and take a walk outside. sometimes the trees have much more profound things to say than people.
Conquering fear is the greatest feeling in the world. How hard is it to tell a girl you like her, or stand up to your boss, fight it out with someone you know to be wrong or to simply go against the grain in a normal everyday circumstance.
Chris found strength and conquered his fears. He made a decision, even if it was a bit fool hearty.
Can I do this? Can I prove this to myself? Am I man enough?
Who am I really? What is my purpose?
We must find strength and meaning and noone can tell you where to find this. It doesn’t seem Chris was trying to prove anything to anyone other than himself. Impressive.
To become a man, a boy must venture out and kill a lion. It is this act that propells him to manhood. Where is this act in our society? Who determines when we are men?
Chris had to do something to become the man he wanted to be. It was his choice and his mission. We are lucky to be able to scrutinize such a mission to perhaps better find ourselves.
Leave it at that people. God Bless the journey and hope all of us find meaning and strength enough to become the person we want to be~
Peace in the Middle East~~~~~~>
jesus Freaking christ Kristina,
You don’t have to get so pissed. I like the dude too BECAUSE OF HIS TRAGIC FLAWS (which we all know are part of every hero/protagonist’s skill set) but can’t you see how stupid and inconsiderate of the forces of nature his planning (or lack thereof) was. Just because an amazing writer has put his morbid journey of self loathing into beautiful prose does not make what he did anymore glorified. He has been romanticized to be a man who saw beauty everywhere he looked because of his ability to quote at will much more enlightened men, but I know from life experience that surrounding beauty cannot be truly experienced and appreciated unless an inner peace resulting from the love of the true self has been apprehended by the intellect and more importantly the heart of a man. The titans of literature whom he often quoted were men of that caliber, but his shallow ejaculations of there convictions were nothing more than the failing dogma of his own misguided religion. He didn’t hate society as much as he claimed as was betrayed by his dying message to us. He hated and misunderstood himself and that is why he is dead. Make no mistake Chris J. McCandless was not enlightened in himself or by his experiences. If anything he was blind to their implications. In fact, his dying revelation was only profound from his own perspective due to the hurt and perversion of love he had to endure at the hands of his family as a young boy. I feel bad for him. His final epiphany was “shared happiness is the only true happiness”. I have been intuitively aware of this from birth. It is sad that what I would consider to be a basic truth, encoded in my very being, was that young man’s ultimate life realization. He was just another Timothy Treadwell. He thought he was a deeply misunderstood individual but what was he really? He was an individual who deeply misunderstood himself and his relation to the universe which surrounded him. He had no respect for nature and the wild for what it is but instead animated it with characteristics which he wished and fantasized it to have; a fatal mistake when dealing with the Mother Goddess. Furthermore he showed a lack of appreciation for human relationships, rejecting amazing chances for meaningful connections with people (who are our closest representation of the divine). I think his rejection of others stemmed from a basic fear either of his own rejection or more likely of the ties and responsibilities which human relationships and friendship impose. Not surprising, if you assume he was either consciously or subconsciously aware that he was to eventually push himself to the point of death. I see him as a boy who was subjected by outside forces of putrification in his own soul and couldn’t find the power within himself to overcome that rot until confronted with the desperation of his final moment in this life. I just hope, for his sake, that he worked all that bad Karma out before gasping that last breath so that next time around he can progress into putting his efforts towards something fresh. Transient existence is not a race and so long as he achieved something, however small, his soul and therefore our soul, the soul of the universe isn’t the worst for it. In short Kristina, I too feel the need to defend the underdog, but I have to say that Chris was only the underdog in his own evaluation of self and therefore needs no defending from you, so please don’t be so hard on everyone for pointing out the obvious flaws of his fallacies, however callous their observations may seem to you. After all, when is the last time YOU got of YOUR ass and did something truly profound? We all eventually do what has to be done for ourselves. That is the nature of reincarnation. Like I said previously it is not a race and in their defense, material is a necessity for physical existence and although erroneous, the materialistic attitude which follows is only natural for most people. Furthermore, there is nothing beautiful about dying without experiencing love and if it takes gasping your dying breath to see this then that only makes your death more tragic. Be inspired, just please don’t hero worship Chris McCandless for what he did. He did what he had to do for himself but it would be a shallow exercise in futility for the majority of us.
Peace
Suvonoge@yahoo.com
NO. 8. DOUG PNW.
Very well put indeed.
CHRIS SAW HOW SAD AND SICK AMERICAN SOCIETY TRULY IS, HE HAD THE WANDERLUST IN HIS HEART AND HAD TO CHASE HIS DREAM. THE SUBURBS BECAME THE CAGE OF HIS SOUL.HE WAS LIVING, WHILE MOST IN THIS WORLD ARE MERELY SLEEPING, UNCONCIOUS OF THE WORLD AROUND THEM THAT SO NEEDS TO BE EXPLORED AND APPRECIATED BY MORE PEOPLE. HE DIDNT WANNA LIVE LIKE MOST OF YOU, LIVING HOW TV TELLS THEM TO. WORK, BUY SHIT YOU DONT NEED, HOME, TV , SHIT, EAT , DIE.
YES, HE WAS YOUNG AND NAIVE IN THINKING HE COULD TAKE ON NATURE, BUT ATLEAST HE TRIED TO DO SOMETHING THAT HE WANTED, NOT WHAT OTHEES WANTED TO DICATATE HIS LIFE TO BE. IM A 20 YEAR OLD FEMALE, THIS SUMMER I WENT TO AFRICA WITH A BACKPACK AND 500$. IM JUST LUCKY I SURVIVED MY DREAM… CHRIS’S DREAM IMPACTED MORE PEOPLE THAN HE’LL EVER KNOW… TO WAKE UP AND LIVE!!!!!!!!
chris is just one thing:real truth.
Chris should have known that there was a KFC within 5 miles from where he stayed. Might have confused it for KFM (moose).
that’s the point:he could have gone to that bloody KFC anytime, if he really wanted to…he arrived to Alaska because he wanted to….i think he just thought that THAT wouldn’t be part of his real journey…
“If you want something in life reach out and grab it”
“Into the wild” helped me find true meaning of life. I understood that human relationships isn’t main thing in this world like i though before.
Chris McCandless thank you
you changed my life
rest in peace
There isn’t anything wrong with embracing nature or living a unique life outside of society. Being fed up myself regarding the selfish, materialistic, plastic society of today, I can understand why a person would choose to live his life on his own terms and by his own rules. Except that it is extremely naive and misguided to deny the fact that Mother Nature has very harsh rules herself. Your own body has deep physiological needs that must be obeyed. I am all for congratulating anyone who has the courage to live their own life in the way they see fit. I applaud them. But to glorify and romanticize a slow suicide is something I just cannot do. Too much freedom can be a noose. Christopher was a man lost. Nobody wants to die alone in a filthy bus of starvation. Sad pointless and totally preventable.
it wasnt that he hurt so he ran from the world, which is clearly shown by his personality and the people who knew him, it wasnt that he wanted to be remembered or revered for being some all knowing idealist, he fucking did what he wanted . if any of you have ever been out in nature, such as a nice walk through the woods in the summer and looked around at everything, all the beauty and amazing complexities of nature that work exactly how they must to live, or even the non livivng things like a rock smoothed by water, or even the soil which is the product of the entire earths life span and all the creatures until now you would see why he did what he did, because he wanted to, his loving sister didnt own him, he didnt owe anything to his mother or father, yeah they were hurt by his dissapearance and death, but they dont own him, if your family is upset by you doing what you want then they, not you are the selfish ones, and even that wasn shown by krakauer, saying that his sister knew he was doing what he wanted and that made her happy. so fuck everyone who thinks he was selfish or foolish. oh, and also, he may have not been well prepared for alaska, but it wasnt like it was the middle of winter, it was possible to survive and if he was going to survive im sure he would have researched more and learned what he needed to in order not to die, but he was there for the simple fact of living and doing new things that he felt he wanted to, and part of that was surviving knowing what he knew, and that my friends is an amazing thing and i feel if more people saw this the woorld would be a much happier place instead of a place where people like chris are condemned for doing what makes them happy :)
This comment came to me by email. I reprint it here with permission. NVB.
I have recently seen the Movie ‘Into the Wild’. I was extremely moved with this movie. Here was a young man who yearned for something far more in life than what our present society offers. He was on a spiritual search, to find his inner true nature and Self, and he wasn’t content to live with less than that. History is full of courageuos souls who walked the same path. Read the lives of the Saints, and you quickly realise that in the modern world some of them would have been locked up as insane, simply because they didn’t accept and couldn’t adhere to the materialism and shallowness of their day. They were on the same journey as Chris.
My own son at the age of 25, and struggling with ill health since adolescence, left his home and his loved and loving family to go and live in a small tent in a county area with few clothes and utensils. He wanted to grow self reliant, to be independent and learn to do for himself . He worked nearby at local wineries, until his failing health forced him onto a disability pension. My son Rod, like Chris spurned the materialism and hollowness of much of our modern lifestyle. He like Chris was searching for his true nature and Self. He questioned why did not our western civilisation know or understand the importance of the ancient rites of initiation into manhood, why did not our youth have strong male role models to follow and why were they left to flounder in a materialistic society with numerous pitfalls for our youth to fall into.
He finally moved to a semi remote rural area 3 hours drive from his family. His shattered nervous system could no longer cope with the noise, and pollution of suburban living. Here he found rental accomodation by the ocean, where he strove to try and recover his health, care for himself, establish a garden, grow organic vegies, do a little bartering, and reach out to others a friendly helping hand. This was Rod’s walk. Chris did what he felt compelled to do. They both had a higher vision, mostly not often understood by those who are satisfied with the status quo.
Rod’s life also ended in death. For five years he bravely and courageuosly struggled to do his best with family support. On his request, I moved in with him to care for him for his last year. During that year he wrote a book of his life, his struggles, his thoughts and feelings on society etc,which we his family have also published to try and fulfil Rod’s hope that it would somehow make a difference in the world. When Rod’s health deteriorated to the point where he could not live a fulfilling and productive life, without being dependent on me, he tragically, bravely and courageously ended his life.
We his family loved him, tried to understand his journey, and love him still. We know that he made the best decision he could make for himself. He took responsibility for his own life and death and on his own terms.
This is what Chris McCandless did, he followed his heart, made the decisions he felt the best for him, and at least decided his own destiny, No one took his life from him, he was his own man. People may judge him foolish, but I say we need more men like him. In a time when people are losing their lives every day to drugs and alcohol, give us men like Chris, adventurous, brave, independent and daring.
Those willing to accept the consequences for their own actions, those who like Chris can raise up a role model to those youth ready and ripe to fall into the drug/alcohol trap, and often to die an inglorious death.
Chris McCandless I salute you, and I honour you, as I also do your wonderful family who have made this story available. Thank you.
Rod’s mother
My comment about chris : “Man…you gave a lot of thought to every body….from negative to positive”…
But one think I learned from you : “you just teach us that “Life is Happy only when it shared”…..That’s we human all about…..connected each other, know each other, and respect each other”……who ever you are : Black, white, Asia, Africa, muslim, christ, budha, hindu…….”……you’ll happy only when you shared.
Thanks Chris……you inspired us.
Donal Husni.
I read a couple of the posts but honestly there was just too many to go through them all. For one, I don’t think that his journey should be held in such a high account OR such a low account. He did what he did because he wanted to. It isn’t heroic to step outside and go live in the wild. It is, however, inspiring to me that people want something and go after (whatever it is) instead of conforming to the standards of today. Who are we to say whether he did it for the wrong or right reasons? You truly never know someone or their motivations unless you live their life. I do think that he should have had a map or some sort of back up plan. He had no plan B and that was just a lapse of judgment or plain ignorance.
To those of you who are from Alaska I understand why you dislike this whole thing being idolized but I don’t think you should have a hate for him in particular. It is not his fault people interpret his journey for something that it could or could not have stood for. After all, I think that his journey was something very personal to him and I am unsure if he would even like all the hype surrounding it. I also feel (not that I know) that those of you that live in Alaska, however proud you are, need to understand that many of us DON’T grow up in such a beautiful place. Step outside your own shoes for a second and think about living in the lower 48. Why shouldn’t we want to come to Alaska?
The last thing I’m going to say is that I live in Chris’ hometown and I think that a lot of you don’t know what it’s like to live here. This is the second richest county in the nation and it feels trapping a lot of the time. Everyone that lives here is constantly money-hungry and in full rush mode. It really wares you down some times. It isn’t like the suburbs of LA or NY or any other city. Here, in the suburbs of DC there is one type of job mainly and that is the government. We don’t have most “scenes” that other cities do … here 75% of people don’t know what their parents do for a living or can’t talk about it because it’s government related. It’s a really different atmosphere here and I believe personally that it’s this atmosphere that made him want to break away. It’s not that hard to imagine.
Anyway .. it’s just my two cents. It is what it is, he did what he did. Let the guy rest in peace.
Every mistake defines a life.
Every love must be learned.
Every moment good and bad,
is one less left.
Every love defines a life.
Every person dies alone.
Being ignorant
of one’s ignorance,
is the malady
of the ignorant.
47 Leah
Perhaps his parents should have thought about what they put him through. If you treat someone like crap, accept the consequences.
Yeah, providing a quality home in a nice neighborhood and providing him with a quality education is really torture!!!
This glowing magnetic energy that eminated from Chris seemed to spark everyone that crossed paths with him and left those lucky folks with a light that will flicker on and never dim. Some of us are lucky enough to have also crossed paths with that light in its varying intensities. Another of my friends has once again died on a motorcycle, and again I can only say “he died doing what he loved most’ Riding free, in the wind! He too knew the risks. It seems that Chris absolutely loved his journey as Alexander Supertramp. Who am I to say he was selfish? Be he the Hero or the Villian ? Who are we to judge? To some, his exploits unimaginable, others can only dream. He battled with his demons, nature, and in the end had to accept what he could not control. He lived, he wandered, he led an unaccountably full albeit short life. To me he seems to have had a fuller life than some 65 year olds I know. Maybe Chris wasn’t all that comfortable being a terrestrial being. Driven by that wanderlust that I am compelled by causes one to have nature as thy mother and hope that my father is an owl. Hitting the road and saying to myself “I have nothing to lose but my life!” I cannot say his actions were ignorant. His distractions we will never understand. It was his truth, his life. To some it may be raw. To him it might have been peace. He did HIS own thing. A beautiful light in its extreme.
Another young man in search of his dream is Claude Dallas. That tale also has tragedy. It too tells of that desire to live off the land. A boys dream to be a cowboy.
“Give a boy a gun”
Chris is like alaska, untameable. Nobody can truly understand why he did what he did.
He did something that inspired many people to do what you really want to do.
If you want something in life reach out and grab it. joy of life comes from that sentence.
Lets face facts. This jackass threw away what could have been a great life on some bullshit quest to be a transient hobo.
thats it!
OK man. Why does it bother you so much that he died? If it makes you lose your temper for some strange reason, then just forget about it I guess. I think it’s pretty cool that he tried to survive on his own for a summer. He knew the consequences of failure, but he tried it anyway. It’s tragic that he died, but that’s just part of life. I just cannot understand why people have such rage toward the guy! Do you get angry when someone dies from a heart attack because they were obese their whole life? Surely not. How about a high school football player that dies from overexertion or a bad hit? “He shouldn’t have taken that risk” is what I can hear you say. No one’s saying you have to feel sorry for Chris. But surely you can just let it go without becoming enraged at some kid that died while pursuing a dream. If this is human nature, then I’m embarrassed to be a member of this species…
People smoke leaves containing nicotine sulphate one of the most dealy toxins known.
People strap boards on their feet and slide down mountains.
People exceed the speed limit every day going to work.
People drink a liquid substance that kills their brain cells.
People drive ATVs and snowmobiles at high speed through the woods in the dark.
People eat animal fat when they have elevated cholesterol.
People drive cars that release 6000 pounds of carbon dioxide and other toxic substancs into the air per year.
People get into airplanes and go 600 miles an hour. Or jump out of slower ones and hang by cords from a piece of cloth.
People buy tablesaws, and chainsaws, and snowblowers and lawnmowers without any mechanical knowledge.
People spread pesticides and herbicides their lawns without a knowledge of chemistry or even being able to pronounce the names of the chemicals they use. Without a respirator.
And send their kids out to play.
People climb on stepladders to change a lightbulb.
Ohmygod a person actually tried to survive for a few months on what he hunted and gathered, to see whether he could do it on his own merits and abilities. What a maniac.
Without a cell phone, even!
Why couldn’t he be like everybody else?
Well said, Guilf.
I think everyone has the right to do stupid things like smoke, drink, gorge out, and all that stuff you mentioned.
Including Chris, but most of your examples aren’t comparable.
Some of the things you said dont work for the point you’re trying to make.
For example if one chooses to ski, take a flight, speed on the highway, change a light bulb on a step latter most likely they will walk away from the event with their life. The chances are very much in your favor. Thus participating in such activities are not stupid.
The same can not be said for someone who treks into Alaska woefully unprepared.
Its a safe bet that you aren’t coming out alive.
Thats the difference. It dosen’t anger me that he did what he did. Im just sayin call it what it was.
STUPID
Some of you people are on this guys jock. Lets look at the reality. He turned his back on his family, in favor of living like a hobo. Then he followed his dream to Alaska and died. Just so I’m making my self clear I dont have a problem with any of that. To each his own. What blows my mind is that everyone adds all these positive traits to this guy like hes some kind of hero. Im not sayin he was worthless, just he was no better no worse then then the rest of us. Not worthy of admiration. Just a normal guy thats a little stupider then the rest.
Michael
It does not bother me that he died.
It does not make me lose my temper.
I also cant understand why people have such rage for the guy.
I do not get angry when someone dies from a heart attack because they were obese their whole life.
I do not get angry when a high school football player dies from over exertion or a bad hit.
I am not of the view point that the football player shouldnt have taken the risk. Thats a view point you projected on to me. Its wrong. Nothing Ive said even points in that direction.
I am not enraged with that kid that died while pursing a dream. When I decide to move on from this topic Ill do so as mild tempered as when i found this topic.
Im sorry you are embarrassed.
He didn’t go to Alaska, he entered the realm of myth. And it took him.
And he may have been unprepared for that. But ultimtely it seems like he accepted it. It was his doing, he seemed to understand that. He went where people don’t go.
The myth place is The Wild. He wanted to enter The Wild. You can call it by other names, too.
If you don’t believe in that, then, naturally, you’ll see it as a bunch of BS. And in this society, as opposed to many native societies, you’re probably right.
If you do believe in that, then you see this as a different kind of story.
I live in the northern woods, though not as severe a place as the woods he entered. And sometimes when I’m in it, it’s the woods, and sometimes when I’m in it, it’s not just the woods.
If you haven’t experienced that, you’ve got your head on your shoulders good and square, and you probably never will, so this will all seem dumb. Again, you’re right on your terms, and no argument here to try to convince you to experience it in any other way.
We all have different experiences and relate to others, and our inner selves in personally unique ways. We all see the world differently, too.
I am interested in this story and this person because I believe he wasn’t just trying to rough it in a hard place. I think he was trying to go someplace we don’t (and he didn’t) understand, and that’s a frightening and brave thing to do.
When you go there, you tend to take nothing with you. I think that’s the evidence it was his inner intent. That’s why he took so little. I don’t think he was stupid. I think not knowing was purposeful.
I think he knew the likely result, too, before he went. He wrote about it that way, made his goodbyes without explaining much. You can’t take others there. Not friends, not family. Do you want them worrying you won’t come back, when you are deliberately setting out to very likely, not come back?
It’s a disturbing story. I wish it hadn’t happened. Yet I cannot dismiss it, or him. And I believe there is something important in it. Now. In this world.
There are worse things than death. Life without life.
first of all look at how many of us are here judging him and what he did…. if it wasnt for the movie most of us probably wouldnt know anything about him, none of us knew him so why judge him… for all we know the things we do know about him might be only like 2% true. he didnt like his life and wanted to learn more about himself so he went on a journey to try and find something better for himself.. and from what i have learned about him he got what he wanted. he ended up dead but im sure if he was alive he would tell u how much he doesnt regret anything he did
“the core of mans spirit comes from new experiences”, btw i loved the movie , great quotes, great music, one of my favorites so fuck all u haters
and judging by the movie (i am also going to read the book soon) i dont think what he did was wrong or he did it in spite of his parents. he was grown, his parents relationship wasnt going anywhere, his sister was old enough.. so why is it wrong that he wanted to get away from a world that he did not enjoy. he had a dream to go to alaska and he did that, im sure he wasnt expecting to die. im sure everyone that saw the movie enjoyed it so thank him for that, dont judge him. the only reason i would call him stupid is because he had a loving sister who he left behind and he just graduated from college and couldve done something with his life instead of hurting people, but i praise him for being so brave.
This is not for anyone to say. What did or did not motivate this man. Maybe he chose to have no map, or training. Maybe he did not want to die, but at the same time was o.k. with nature claiming him. Its to easy for the experienced outdoorsman like myself to get all riled up about what could have been. We will never no. And thats the beauty of it. Thats what drives us. Chris was a fellow human that I would have been honored to have had as a friend. His family loves him dearly. And he loved
can you remember how much money christopher mccandless gave to which organization before leaving ?
coucou
This morning I finished reading the book Into the Wild. Being a mother of two, my heart goes out to Chris’ mother, Billie. I had to close the book and walk away when I read how she visited the bus and was first to enter and was sitting on the mattress where her son died. My heart broke for her. I remember holding my babies in my arms for the first time. And I am sure that thought crossed her mind at that moment.But no one has the right to judge any person for what they may or may have not done with the life that was given to them. As a mother I hold my children to no unspoken debt to pay to myself, their father, or to society in a whole. They did not ask to be born. When life is given to a creature it is theirs. I don’t think I was sad for Billie because she felt as if he had abandoned them. But rather that I would have been proud to be his mother and that I would hope he found whatever it is he was looking for. We all look for something in life. Very few of us even can place a finger on whatever it is we are searching for………but Chris had the guts to try. He had a very short, but a very pure, bold life and obviously left many in his wake that are in awe of him. Those that critisize him may only be envious of his journey. My goal for my own life is to be as honest and pure. I chose to have the responsibility of a parent and a wife.So I must put the emotional and physical needs of my family ahead of my own, But in no way do I consider Alex’s choices to be selfish . Our journeys are all different. We can waste time trying to pick apart why he didn’t do certain things that would have made it easier or ensured his survival, but that was who he was. Beautiful, amazing, raw. We need to focus on our own lives and make sure that we are just as true to ourselves as he was. He never put any other lives at risk and he had a true respect for life itself. Hence the moose….I am not surprized that he chose to die naturally. That may have been his last journey. To embrace nature even as it embraced him in death. I will remember this book for a long time to come. My heart goes out to his family……….I am sure that he loved them very much. He may have harbored dissapointment for his father only because he loved him and admired him so very much to start out with. We all have our dissapointments….some hurt more than others. Hopefully as the younger generations grow older they will start to see paternal and maternal figures as human beings capable of mistakes also and learn to forgive. Forgiveness and respect for young and old. God, you would think I have laundry to do or something. Sorry for babbling on and on.
Yes, 24 thousand to oxfam, the charity dedicated to fighting famine and hunger.
Consumerism, conspicuous consumption. Harvesting wheat. Working at McDonalds. The all consuming desire for truth. The hunt for food. Eating that which does not feed. The food that starves.
very well put kristin :] only if more people saw it the same way u did
It was a very brave and inspirational thing that Chris did. He went for his dream and not very many people do that. I wish i could have the balls to go out and sleep on dirt everynight and hitchhike all the way to a far away place. Thank you Chris. He made me realize that its not all about money and a good home and family. You don’t need any of those things in order to be happy. Follow your dreams and your heart. You may not have another chance. Go WILD!!!!
I LOVE CHRISTOPHER McCANDLESS!!!!
<3 Love always,
Christina Doster
Chris did a very brave and inspirational thing. He went out there and followed his dreams. He slept on dirt and hitchhiked all the way to a far away place. He made me realize that you don’t need money, a good home or family to be happy.
I LOVE CHRIS McCANDLESS
I agree with RP’s comments at 198 & 199.
By reading the majority of your posts’ I feel as misguided and taken advantage of as a blind man playing scrabble with a bunch of Gypsies.
You insult my intelligence with your poppycock hogwash colloquy.
RP….Post on brother…Post on
Michael B. (I am sure we know what the B stands for) Your smug, lackadaisical, contemptuously impertinent attitude sickens me. Please do not confuse odium towards you & your delusory obiter dictum for “becoming enraged”.
Chris was a myopic errant. He hadn’t the mental nor physical means to undertake this peregrination.
His inadvertent pullulating erroneous decision culling indubitably points to the fact that he: Lacked the mental ability to perceive or distinguish ANY realistic far-sighted working plan.
The cogitation that this escapes you racks my mind.
Chris strikes me as a profound innately un-witted, inept fool.
From reading your posts’ alone, one would envisage a man who is unmatched, unparalleled, & unsurpassed in perspicacity and acumen. The above language is indicative that Chris’ idiocy and illogicality is deserving of prodigious plaudits. You speak as though he was both stalwart & venerable.
Sad yet true, your encomium in the form of the above compendium of Chris M., Is the summation of monotonous talk filled with platitudes; rendering both trite & banal statements.
Chris was an irrationally adventuring, nonsensical excursionist. He was not prodigious in luminosity, and charisma. He is the inverse antonym, invariably teeming with faux pas, obliquity, & temerarious actions.
His multitudinous erroneous blunders are an atrocity!
How he managed to survive to the point of adulthood baffles me; yet, reminds me that one (Chris M.) does have the ability to physically mature whilst remaining a mental infant.
SAY SOMETHING NOW RP…….
You were a real tough guy before, but you ain’t got nothin’ to say now do you PUNK!
I didn’t think so.
You strike me as tha’ type of guy that scratches his ass, picks his nose, than bites his finger nails. I hope someone introduces you to a Belgian steamer.
As a person who lives in Alaska because I couldn’t live anywhere else, I loved the movie and his quest. I don’t understand the hate for him, but it does illustrate one of the societal traits he despised. Being an Alaskan, an outdoorsman, and someone who travels many hundreds of miles a week, in the middle of nowhere, when I saw him go into the wild, I was amazed at how unprepared he was. Alaska if a very, very unforgiving place and I think he was completely oblivious of that fact. It was good that he waited until spring to come here or he would have died much sooner, as temperatures in that area can hover around -50F for weeks on in, in winter.
I think he did a great job at surviving as long as he did, but ultimately, reality showed up and he paid the ultimate price. If he didn’t die from poisoning himself, he still might have died from starvation due to being trapped and the lack of food in the area. I am not judging him only coming to conclusions with the info offered.
As for his quest, when I watched the movie, I can totally identify with what he was doing and his quest. I’m not going to get into if he was right or wrong, smart or ignorant. His trek was an amazing one, and what he experienced, most people will never experience in a much longer life, and that speaks volumes into what he was able to do. Seriously, how many could just burn/donate all of your money and just wing it with no real plan, other than a plan to get to a certain destination. He probably learned more about himself than 99% of people on this planet will ever know about themselves. Look at all of the talk about his quest and you will see, in his death, he has taught many people about the good and bad in certain ideals and man’s never ending search for the truth. Brave or naive he took life by the balls and said, “give me your best shot”. Ultimately, he died, but in all actuality, he realized the dream he chased so hard, for so long, and who knows, maybe he died the happiest he had ever been? Maybe his entire quest was the ultimate escape, to actually become part of, one with, nature. He was successful in that endeavor.
As for myself, I have been all over Alaska, and to locations 99% of Alaskans have and will never see. I worked from Anchorage to Fairbanks to the Bering Sea, on the frozen ocean. I worked in mobile camps which traveled from Fairbanks to the Bering Sea over the course of winter, and let me tell you, it was an amazing experience. I’ve been in the middle of fifty moose, dall sheep, polar bears, hundreds of bald eagles, wolverines, wolves, caribou, Mt McKinley, 100′s of other mountains, streams, rivers, vistas, etc., and I can tell you, Alaska is all it seems and more. It is a place for a true adventurer and adventurers who love nature should all make time to experience. I can’t express my love for Alaska enough and the pure, unbridled beauty that it possess. Chris McCandless’ realized this dream of finding the epitome of going “into the wild”.
My recommendation would be to do the same, if that is your quest, but if you decide to do it, you must be prepared, you must be equipped, and you must stay in touch with people in case something bad happens. learn all you can about where you’re going a formulate a plan. A GPS is a true life saver in Alaska as it is very easy to get lost in the wild. This goes for those who are even casual travelers.
In closing I was touched by Chris McCandless’ story and his travels. I am not going to judge him on his personal issues because they are his own and we only know what others have said, and not his own thinking behind it all. Let his travels be a lesson those who are thinking about doing the same. His legacy is one of having the ultimate adventure and paying the ultimate price for being unprepared. His outcome can save lives, in my opinion, so that’s turning a positive into a negative. He will make you think and be more careful, and for that, I thank him.
P.S. After all of my travels in Alaska and my love of nature I have become a serious nature photographer. If any of you want to see some of what you’ can experience in Alaska, check out my photos at http://www.flickr.com/amalgamutt
Good luck to all who strive to learn more about themselves
J Parker, your last comment, which I’ve now deleted, crossed the line by a wide margin. You’ve been banned. Take it elsewhere.
Gino, really terrific photos. I call myself a nature and wildlife photographer some days, but I don’t have many shots like that. If you’re ever interested in sharing some secrets, or advising on lenses, drop me a line.
Good reading your thoughts, too, Gino.
Call him mad, call him an extremist, label him with some commerical brand that exagerates and clouds Christopher McCandless’ true intentions. Read it, watch it, there is method in his “madness”, and therefore it is not madness. Remember the man and what he did, remember his motives, and not these false accusations of insanity, incompetence, it is not who Chris McCandless was.
A man who lived his life the way he wanted to. He freed himself from the ties that bind him and lived his life the way he wanted happy, free and in the moment.
He didn’t want a map he didn’t want a watch he made his own choices, choices that cannot be deemed right or wrong becuase they are his, as soon as they are judged it becomes about the man who judges him and not about the human being and beautiful spirit that was McCandless.
a man who felt his own real truth in life, and found his own meaning.
it was his freedom and his adventure!
love always
x
His search for meaning and adventure could have cost other people their lives. While not in Alaska, I’ve been involved in Search and Rescue in the local mountains where I live and people that go hiking or camping or skiing out of bounds while unprepared could ultimately cost the lives of the people who end up getting tapped to save them. And then there’s the taxpayer cost to a rescue. The kid was likely bipolar and narcissistic.
And Into The Wild has disputed facts regarding Chris McCandless’ death, just as Into Thin Air has other people who were involved in that ill fated summitting of Mt. Everest disputing the events as portrayed by Mr. Krakauer. It seems he may not like the truth getting in the way of a good story.
Watching “Into the wild” made feel incredibly sad, and is also the first movie in a long time that had me thinking about it days afterwards. It touched me so much because I too often think about the things that Chris did before he started on his journey, and so I felt a connection with the story in that way. However, the fact that someone so young and full of potential threw their life away not because of an ideal, but a lack of being prepared, is just something I can’t wrap my head around. The picture of Chris by the 142 bus is haunting. It’s truly a tragedy that he did not live to teach the lessons he’s taught so many in death.
I just watched the movie.
I am 45 years old and have a 15 year old boy.
The mother of the boy left him and me when he was six.
All I can say is McCandless was unprepared for the violence
of Nature. He gambled and he eventually lost.
The one thing that scares me about this film would be
other impressionable boys (for sure mine isn’t) watching
it might get some whacked out rebellious ideas and try
to emulate his lifestyle. Especially ones who are having
problems at home.
That ..would be a big mistake.
Kids with their heads screwed on straight would not have
a problem with this movie..ones who don’t I fear for.
He seems like he was a good soul but even good souls
can die a violent lonely death, especially if they don’t make
preparations and use caution in risky situations.
C’est la vie.
Fuck all of you who think it was selfish
that was directed to the piercedangel bitch
Chris was a brave person that acted selfishly. Life is sometimes to short to worry about others.. he fulfilled his dream, and apparently “had a happy life”. What more can a human ask for? He enjoyed the one life he had, i envy how he felt over those two years, and what he accomplished; however, i do not envy what he did. He left his family out to dry. Contradicting myself, i would like to say he was selfish but did what he had to do to enjoy his life, to do it how HE wanted. Who cares what others want.. HIS WAY.
Ben Zupan
In my opinion I would have to say that regardless of what anyone else claims Chris was a hero. The type of hero that makes everyone feel a little more alive, the type that makes you realize how much more there is to life than what we’re all used to seeing. He chose his path, be it alone, it was his life. And reading all the posts from the experienced hikers….to the parents and the people saying how selfish he acted. Just remember one thing, He impacted all our lives and taught all of us a valuable thing. Maybe its to be a better parent, to be a more prepared hiker, to be more adventurous or to see that life has so much more to offer us. But, I must say take YOUR lesson for what its worth, I only wish I had as much courage as he did to follow all of my dreams.
Bryan
Some points I agree with Bryan and some I don’t.
A hero…no….terry fox is a hero.
Makes everyone feel more alive..yes.
Makes you realize how much more there is too life..yes.
I would not call him selfish.
His own actions did himself in..nobody else.
It was his business.
Only impact he had on my life were the postings I have been making here.
For a kid who was afraid to swim, hiking in the wilds and
taking kayak trips down rapids…you really have to think
this kid had nine lives, and his luck finally ran out.
Some people theorize it wasn’t the poison plant that killed him rather his inability to hunt solid game and sustain
protein intake.
His inability to get across the raging river that had swollen
was also an issue. I can’t believe that was the only crossing. He should have went along the shore of it till he
saw a crossing but I never saw a topographical map of the place. To die alone like he did and how he did on that bus
wasn’t pleasant for him. I bet you he was cursing and regretting he had put himself in that position at that time.
But we’ll never know and based on the legibility of the notes
he left behind, those notes were made while he was still
mobile and not close to the end where he could barely
move.
RIP buddy.
It was his own life. Why does it matter to some people what he did with it? I would rather live my life the way I wanted than live a boring life.
chris is the truth! real truth
I don’t feel like Christopher’s idea was an altogether bad one. Spending some time in the woods, alone, living off the land…it’s something everybody should try, just one. But he went about it in the dumbest way possible. No map? Little supplies? What was he trying to prove? I honestly think that he went out to those woods with the intention of NEVER reentering society, even if it meant dying. Yes, he did make a couple of attempts to go back, but subconsciously, he was absolutely done with this world. It’s very tragic, but at the same time, he WAS a grown (if misguided) man who made a choice.
J Parker is a real peice of shit and obviously guilty of plagerism (214)
I think what Chris did started out as being insightful. He wanted to get away from everything that ruins our country. I think along the way he forgot to love himself and everyone around him. I think he became selfish and lost all site of what he was doing. He made a point to his family, and now they all have to live with the hurt. A very selfish act on his part. He could of lived but he choose not too.
Christopher, I hope you found it. PEACE
Wow lots of thought here!
Its just 1 life not that big a deal, we are all going to die the only difference is how. That was his way, he did what he needed for himself. No one will ever know what was in his true thoughts, or why he did what he did.
I am sure he would agree with me.
Escape from all judgement, dirty society, that we have created. The masses forcing their views on us, in many forms ,day to day. Government is for cowards. He probably wished he was never born in this shit.
There is no peace for humanity in these times.
Social id numbers, birth certificates passports and all the other stupid numbers we are given.
He realized at a ripe age its all BULLSHIT.
How do you all like your life right now?
I have just viewed the movie “Into The wild” and really feel that the movie exploits the spirit of individuality and individuation, and emphasizes values on quixotic tendencies far above what should have been a balance of both autonomy with pragmatism in McCandless’s precarious situation.
During the movie I reflected back to 1977 when I began hitchhiking across America and although there was many experiences that were beneficial life lessons, there was much danger in the very nature of what I felt was at the time an adventure.
In my short six years of hitchhiking which included sleeping in a tent, abandoned cars, abandoned houses, the woods,the wilderness, etc. I can say truly that I hope earnestly that no young person watches this movie and decides to imitate it. The highway today is far more dangerous then it was 30 years ago and it was not safe even then. I can not even remember all the situations in which my life was in jeopardy while hitchhiking, but let me point out just a few.
Once I was picked up near California by a man welding a gun, no he didn’t have the gun out when I first got in, but he soon produced it and began ranting about wanting to get even with all the people who had taken advantage of him or who had slighted him. Now I could have been easily shot if this man had decided to take out his frustration on me an easy target, but luckily I was spared.
Plain old Luck or just coincidence or maybe even some special protection from above,(fighting with this one I’m agnostic), spared me on at least six or seven occasions in the course of my six years of hitchhiking. To believe or be under the impression as the movie attempts to assert in so many ways, that hitchhiking and a nomadic existence is brave, daring or the epitome of individualism is dangerously misleading.
On another occasion I was picked up on the East coast by a young couple who had just ingested some LSD, now this became apparent when they crossed the meridian and began traveling on the wrong side of the highway rushing head on against the oncoming traffic at a rather high rate of speed. Yes I lived through the experience, in retrospect I’m amazed I did. Not to mention the creepy perverts, robbers,thieves who attempt to steal your backpack and what little belongings you possess, psychopaths, and the harassment you receive by the state patrol and local police for hitchhiking and quote “being on my highway” as one state patrol officer told me. Of course maybe the police and state patrol understand the dangers and was just trying to save the hitchhikers some grief.
In Florida while hitchhiking someone actually shot at me and I heard the air breaking as a bullet passed closely to my head, very uncanny feeling to say the least. I’m not even going to mention all the other obvious dangers in hitchhiking and a nomadic existence so glorified in this movie, you the reader have the common sense and capacity to figure that one out.
Life is an adventure in itself without enhancing the dangers, too bad Chris McCandless had to find out the hard way with no preparation resulting in his loss of life. Take the advantages you are given in life and avoid the pitfalls if possible, Hollywood is here to entertain not educate.
First of all, piercedangel is a moron. Nuff said there. There was nothing selfish in the slightest over what Christopher McCandless did in fact, it was quite the opposite. What is selfish are the people in our lives who think when their children reach adulthood they still have the final say in whatever path their children choose to take.
He didn’t help anyone but himself? Really now. When was the last time anyone posting on this forum ever wrote out a check and gave every penny they had in the world to charity! Not a damn one of us, that much you can take to the bank.
What he did show us is how life actually was meant to be lived–peacefully, non-intrusive and uncontrolling. He decided to control his own destiny, choosing not to be shackeled by our inclination to live as others feel we should live. That makes people like piercedangel very uncomfortable because deep down they know that they don’t have the guts to do anything without a guarantee.
It would be nice if all the people who say they are concerned about his family’s pain would stop calling their son stupid and selfish. I don’t think it would be easy to read a blog full of public criticism if I lost a family member, no matter what the cause. Outrage is not empathy.
And the argument that others lives could have been lost in some (hypothetical) volunteer rescue attempt should apply those standards to all non-sedentary behavior.
Let’s make all outdoor sports illegal, for a start. Boating, skiing, fishing, hiking, mountain climbing, flying, heck, driving. These could all pose risks to others who might volunteer to help in an emergency. Let’s all stay at home and watch TV. And eat raw food to reduce the risks to fire departments. Surely, we could do that as a responsibility to others.
I doubt there’s ever been a person who died in the entire history of mankind, who didn’t hasten that moment through some choice, preference, lifestyle, inadvertence, or lack of foresight. Or more than one of those. Or a lifetime of it.
If only I’d worn a coat. Made a left turn. Gotten an x-ray. Stopped smoking. Stayed in bed. Ordered the chicken. Had my blood pressure checked. Stayed at that job. Left that job. Taken my pills. Stopped taking pills. Exercised. Slowed down. Stayed awake. Slept. Gone to the hospital. Stayed away from the hospital. Not thrown that stone.
He was selfish. He didnt achieve his goal and he didnt live life the way he wanted. He died asking for help.
Thats all.
How would that make him different than you or me?
Never been selfish? Always met your goals? Life went the way you wanted it right up to the end? On your way out, will you be afraid, ask anyone, say at a hospital, for help?
How are you any more, or less, admirable than someone else, actually, just like you?
If you’ve got an answer for that with a righteous and perfectly planned life, please do the rest of us a favor and write an autobiography, so we can take lessons from your exemplary behavior and fabulous luck.
Otherwise, we all do the wrong thing, fairly frequently. Especially from the point of view of others.
I really think he found what he was looking for – and it was himself – not Alexander Supertramp, but Chris McClandless. The fact that he died while doing that makes it poetic and ironic – but I really don’t think there are really any larger lessons to be learned from his death. And you know, finding out, I mean really finding out, what it’s all about for yourself -man – if he accomplished that, he’s ahead of most of us.
And I have to say that knowing, even if it’s way back in your mind somewhere, but nonetheless knowing, that you had money, that you had someone to stake you when you get back from your adventure – knowing that, at whatever level, allows you to take some chances you might not otherwise take. Yes, money can make you cautious – if you need it to survive, or more importantly, to help others survive (like your kids or family). But knowing you have it waiting for you, even if you don’t want it, gives one a certain insulation from that caution.
I probably have a jaded view of the whole $ issue as I have seen too many trustfunders out doing good knowing that after they dip their little toe into the underbelly of society they can always return to the comforts and privileges that have given them the freedom to think and act the way they do in the first place.
While i dont have a problem with people making their own choices in life, or choosing their own path. What Chris did was indeed selfish. Mad at you parents or not, running off into the wilderness unprepared to face whats ahead of you only to end up killing yourself is incredibly selfish and narcissistic as well as stupid. He had people in his life who loved him deeply, no matter how flawed they were, they still loved him all the same. I a previous posted stated, his sister. She didnt nothing to him but love him. Why should she suffer because her brother thought he saw something glorious in ditching society? i know as a big brother with a sister only a few years younger then me who adores me, she would be crushed if anything like this happened to me. While its not on the same par as suicide is pretty close. Had chris at least contacted his family, even if was just his sister to let them know he was happy and doing well, just to give them peace of mind. that might have made his adventure something more to appreciate. But since he didnt, and left for utterly selfish reasons. its just another thing for selfish people to romanticize. Running away from society and claiming is some type of “soul searching spiritual adventure” is just another excuse to run away from the pressures of life. Unless of course you left the ones you love know you plans have every intention of returning safely.
Alright, Chris happened to die in Alaska – he could of died during any of his other experiences while he was on the road – he was unprepared for those as well and while he didn’t rely on the kindness of strangers, he certainly took advantage of it. He was out finding himself – that in and of itself isn’t selfish. Sean Penn wants us to think he found what he was looking for, could be, could be not. But the fact that he was seraching isn’t selfish, or at least not to me. To me the litmus test for this is what if he would have made it out, a more complete person, more able to deal with the reality that was his life with his family – would that have made him selfish?
And what makes one selfish, anyway?
I watched the movie again with my 16 year old son last night. I want him to take off after he graduates from high school and go see the country – without mine or his mother’s expectations or constraints. Will I worry? You bet. Am I selfish enough to not want him to find himself? No way. That’s called love. Love is just as much about letting go as holding close. Picture someone you love – forced choice – unhappy and with you or happy and will never see you again? Pick one. Don’t be selfish.
There are probably only a couple of times in our lives when we could actually do what Chris did – no obligations, no family to support – just go.
I can see why Chris’s story brings out such strong emotions in people – there are some very intense, personal, universal themes that can be found there. In the end, though, his story doesn’t belong to his family, or the survivalist Alaskans who didn’t get that he wasn’t trying to conquer the wilderness, but discover it, nor does it belong to the people he met on the road. It belongs to him.
Come on, man. When any of us examine our lives deeply enough, we might have the capacity to go running off in the other direction. He had motive and opportunity, as it were – and he took advantage of it. And he died doing it.
NONSENSE
I am not going to read this crap anymore, I think I will go in the woods.
Grizzly’s have more brains than most of you morons!!
I think 246 is pointing to 244, not 245, judging by the timing. Too bad he can’t clarify anymore.
Woods around here are pretty deep in snow right now. Might as well keep on reading. Can’t argue that grizzlies are smarter than me. Don’t know about anybody else.
Hey ED I think you need serious help!! 235 tells me that.
ED, 235 get help!!
Steve, your the one that needs help!! You don’t even know it. What is the problem, I don’t conform to the rules your parents or society has inplanted in that rice size brain of yours, might as well have your head up in your ass. Sorry I don’t abide with society’s rules. My friends has a donkey ” beast of burden” that grasps life better than you!
Your probably in your late 30′s early 40′S doing what your mommy taught you, and society expect from you, living in your concrete jungle, spend half your time on your PC, the other half watching tv, knowlegde for couch potatoes. With very little theoretical experience. You are living in a box, packed with rules! you are being used every day, you don’t even know it.
Is this what your therapist told you? lets not forget them, they are there for when you go off the track , that leads nowhere! and then help you get back on the train, certainly for monies.
When the Hellenic people (greeks rudely referred to now and days) created society this is not what they had in mind. They
should have known there would be a new breed of people that would corrupt anything possible.
Including you!!!!
The desire to make others wrong and responsible for the ills of the world always excludes the “I” in the problems of that world. Works on both sides of the fence. Makes the fence. Puts barbed wire on it. Electrifies it. Us and them. Me and you. I and the world.
But the world is made up of all those “I”s. All are equally responsible for it. No one can duck that.
The wild is inside. The frightful things may be projected outward. Or the wild is inside. And that commonality the basis for understanding. I am not other than you.
For ED
The term Hellenistic (derived from Ἕλλην Héllēn, the Greeks’ traditional self-described ethnic name) was established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen to refer to the spreading of Greek culture and colonization over the non-Greek lands that were conquered by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC. The Hellenistic age marks the unification of the Greek world, sharing a common culture based on that of 5th and 4th century BC Athens, along with a fusion of Near Eastern cultures.[1] The period is characterized by a new wave of Greek colonization which established Greek cities and Kingdoms in Asia and Africa.[2] Those new cities were composed by Greek colonists who came from different parts of the Greek world, and not from a specific “mother city” (metropolis) as before.[2] The main cultural centers expanded from mainland Greece, to Pergamon, Rhodes, as well as to new Greek colonies such as Antioch and Alexandria. This mixture of Greek-speakers gave birth to a common Attic-based dialect, known as Hellenistic Greek, which came to absorb and replace all idioms of the Greek language.
Here is the question you all have to ask yourself.
How many of you in here would have changed places
with Chris knowing you would die alone on a bus in the
alaskan wilderness.
Be honest?
And don’t say “He didn’t know it would end that way”.
Knowing what you know now, and the fact he did die
the way he died……..how many would have traded places
with him the last two years of his life at the age of 23.
If you really defend what Chris defend you have to answer
that you would change place with him.
There’s simply no other way to put it.
Hence..back to the original topic of discussion…”Not Very
Bright” for such an intelligent young man.
That’s what I thought.
Another idiot, he didn’t plan on dyeing !
Go watch some more TV.
DONKEY!
I find it’s possible to identify with the feelings and thoughts and lives of other people without having to do exactly what they do, without living their lives. If the only people you can feel for or identify with are exactly like you, and do only exactly what you would do in all circumstances, then you are truly isolated. Because, no one else will ever measure up to your expectations.
The Hellenistic description was copied straight from Wikipedia, by the way. Seems like it ought to be properly attributed, even if the reason behind the paste job isn’t explained.
Not Very Bright does not refer to Chris McCandless, and is not “the original topic” It’s the nickname of the blog owner, in reaction to anti-feminist remarks. This particular thread is just one of many different topics on this site.
The fact that the nickname Not Very Bright happens to be coincidentally printed on-screen with the Name Chris McCandless in Google lookups causes this blog to rate high in hits, particularly with people inclined to criticize him.
Ed..where did I say he “planned to die”.
Learn to read, interpret and comment when you have
something intelligent to say. I know that is asking alot.
The only thing good about the movie was eddie vedder
and hard sun. They should have had the whole song playing
full bore..and it should have been at the end full bore while
chris was dying looking at the sun.
The moral of that song…”You can’t beat mother nature”.
Chris found that out.
Oh well if you like music, and catchphrases, there are a lot of commercials with snappy music showing people driving SUVs up vertical cliff faces until they reach some tiny pinnacle. Apparently they haven’t heard that old saw, either.
Sells a lot of cars though, even with three dollar gas, an oil war, polar ice melting, maples dying in the north, and New Orleans stomped. Seems like Chris wasn’t trying to beat nature, just survive in it. I’d say he preferred meeting nature on its own terms, rather than through a tinted windshield on or a blueray screen.
I thought it was funny in the book where the hunters drove across the river in 4WDs and put the engine under, claiming that was somehow “sensible” woodsman-like behavior. And then mis-identified the moose he shot as an elk — rather than the reverse.
ED – wow, you really are articulate. Sorry to short-circuit your brain with reason presented in a logical manner. Carry on.
Uh Koman, he was referring to the post before yours.
Koman- your post has merit and not judgemental. F.Y.I. merely a layman. Otherwise I might agree with most here.
Jim – never mind.
Hi all,
I saw the movie and I felt I needed to say something about Chris McCandless. A loss of life is a terrible thing and I feel great compassion for Chris and his family. But, there is one part in the movie that, I would say was the moment for me. Chris met this lonely old man named Ron Franz and Mr. Franz asked him “son why are you out here, why aren’t you getting an education?” Chris responded in an almost proud type of way ” I am not destitude, I have a college education. I choose to live this way.” There is almost an arrogance to his statement and it is at that point I knew why Chris lived the way he did. He lived this way due to his privliged life. He lived this way because he knew if things ever got too bad he was just a phone call away from home and the protection of his family. I believe Chris may have panicked when, he finally was really alone in Alaska with no phone and no safety blanket. People respect Chris because he chose to live this way, I think without his upbringing he would not get the cult status. Sean Penn in my opinion believes he shares many chararistics of Chris- that Hollywood and riches have not changed his core. I believe that deep inside Sean Penn believes if he had to he could survive on the toughest of battle grounds. Although many consider these noble traits, there is a due amount of respect to people who live hand to mouth everyday with no saftey net. No matter if it is the dark streets of New York or the icey cold Tundra. I believe people misinterpet Chris’ journey as one of meaning when in actuallity it was probably done for the wrong reasons. He wanted to prove something to his parents, himself the world- he wanted to make a statement. If Chris had followed the rules, told at least his sister about his plans and worked to get the proper training he could have lived in the wild safely and peacefully.
Jim, dude, Chris wasn’t trying to “beat” mother nature anymore than he was trying to “beat” the river or the wheat fields,or anything else in his story. He was just trying to peel back the layers of society and get back to what is real. For him that involved nature. He may have found himself and he may have done it in Alaska – to draw any larger conclusions from his story is to interject your own story with all of its baggage and bias into Chris’s.
Chris went off to find himself in the best way he knew how. Was it flawed? Aren’t we all? He died. Maybe he died while searching, maybe he died after he found what he was looking for. He didn’t ask for his story to be told.
I don’t know what, or even if there exist, larger lessons to be learned from his story. I do know, however, that inserting your own (anyone’s own) necessarily distorted beliefs into the story, marginalizes whatever we might find there, if we really try to understand the story on its own merits.
A few thoughts from Marcus Aurelius
“Anything in any way beautiful derives its beauty from itself and asks nothing beyond itself. Praise is no part of it, for nothing is made worse or better by praise.”
“Because a thing seems difficult for you, do not think it impossible for anyone to accomplish. ”
“Forward, as occasion offers. Never look round to see whether any shall note it… Be satisfied with success in even the smallest matter, and think that even such a result is no trifle. ”
and finally,
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one. “
Koman..that’s all fine and dandy what you say.
A philosophical viewpoint and an analysis trying to make
sense and offer some kind of reward for the entire venture
the lad went through for two years.
Bottom line is he died unnecessarily and tragically.
That was the final chapter of his odyssey any way you
cut it. The message after I watched the movie was this…
“To each his own” and the lifestyle Chris engaged in gave
you an idea what it was like to live as a North American Indian before the white man came.
That’s about all it left with me.
For anybody who would want to follow in his footsteps…knowing the risks and dangers involved..forgive me …but you would have to be carrying some psychological problems or have a huge ego.
There are plenty of ways to die in this world without inviting the reaper to your doorstep.
I have no problem with the expressions that Chris was human, sometimes wrong, made mistakes, had his own interests which he put ahead of the interests of others, etc. I have no problem accepting that he didn’t want to die and was desperate for help toward the end.
Of course I wish he didn’t die in that way, that he and his family could have been re-united, etc.
To me none of this frightening story diminishes my admiration for him as a person — to the extent that I know of him — limited as that is.
A true hero is not some kind of comic book superman who vanquishes all evil. A real hero may fail. A real hero may have, as we learned in high school, flaws. This was a true tragedy if ever there was one — it is the struggle of a real person, not some cartoon idealization, with complex and even mysterious issues, close to to heart of what it is to be a person inside or outside of our society.
The tragedy of Chris McCandless doesn’t answer any questions. Good guy doesn’t beat bad guy. Nobody was good or bad. It leaves behind big questions. And in coming to grips with THOSE questions we have a dialog about things fundamental to us as human beings, individual in this world, in this time, in this place.
And I don’t idealize him. I just feel for him.
Wasn’t trying to make any “sense”. I’m just saying that as soon as we begin to apply our own experience and values structure to Chris’s story we stop trying to understand the story on its own merits and begin feeding our own ego and attempting to justify our own sense of what is right and what is wrong.
After hearing about Christopher Johnson McCandless or better known as “Alexander Supertramp” and also viewing the movie it has inspired me to find myself by adventuring on my own. People tell me it’s stupid and a waste of time, but I think to myself theres got to be more out there than say the gratification of a good grade or a promotion. McCandless has helped me see that living within the system or within society is twisted. It is true that people are too afraid to venture out and do what they really want. My dream has always been to get away and just live and Christopher Johnson McCandless has really showed me that…
May he rest in Peace
from a writer and and inspired fan.
What struck me odd is why did he not call his sister.
I traveled with no money or next to none when I was 18/19 and bummed it and met mad cool people and had a hell of a adventure. It does not take a special person to be a bum. Since when is burning your money and putting your life at risk cool?
Have any of you ppl idolizing his antics ever spent a night hungry? Been utterly alone & homeless stuck in your own fucked up head?
What do you admire him for? Being homeless, killing himself, ignoring his loved ones, not trying to get help and rectify his life but running from it?
My dad was 10x worse than Supertramps and I did not deal with it as bad as he.
This movie was great & I enjoyed the story as a young kid when I first heard it years ago.
He was pissed, felt money was the root of all evil, blah, blah, blah. He was this psuedo intellectual kid without a clue as to what it took to live in the real world. He had been sheltered even on the road.
He may of been a great kid, smart, cute, starry eyed dreamer but he was selfish.
Even him telling his friend in SD to return all mail to sender was a selfish act.
He left behind an interesting story but what we saw in this movie was not verbatim. It was a fill in the blanks deal people. His journals were not that in depth.
He went to Alaska unprepared and died. So what??
MENTAL ILLNESS PEOPLE MENTAL ILLNESS
Do you ppl know that within miles all around his bus there were cabins with emergency supplies to help people like him?
There was more than one.
Also they had been freshly vandalized at the time of his death.
His “hatred” for society no doubt led him to ruin anyone elses chance of survival should they had needed it.
For a person who wanted to rough it in the wild he had no common sense.
Even the biggest vagabounds had street smarts, they knew where to sleep safely, eat, bathe, get medical care, Etc.
OK live in the wild but bring more than rice and a raggedy sleeping bag.
Also he was a jag off cuz he did not think that if the bus got there, there had to be a way out.
How else did it get there? The bus fairy? Santa Clause?
Also where he claims the river was to swollen to cross there was a hand operated tram a few miles downstream for people caught out like him.
He also killed a Moose and watched thousands of pounds of meat rot in front of his middle class selfish eyes.
Why did he not try to cook as much as possible? He could of cooked a lot of it. I’m shocked he did not get killed by the animals feasting on the carcass.
He did not try to prepare himself nor did he use that fancy education (so many ppl are killing themselves to get) to survive.
He threw everything that others would kill for in the worlds face!
He did not have to become a yuppie, he could of traveled and roughed it and still had a life altering experience.
He was selfish and stupid!
He claimed love for his siter and yet he ignored her while hitchiking and quoting others words in a journal.
He was not some hero he was a jack ass who dies ad he lived: Foolish
Chris was not broke when he split you idiots! He burned some cash but do you see how he had to work along the way..Gee, a hypocrite is the word I believe fits him. He claims no need for our dirty money yet he worked hard for it when his ass was stanky and his belly rumbling! A real vagabound did it without working.
For all his gruff he was a simpering fool!
It’s amazing, even in death, dying alone in a place far from others, doing nothing to them, taking nothing from them, strangers in another time will hate you for it. No wonder he shunned the wholesale rage of this society.
Rest in peace, Chris. In some quieter place than this one.
I’m through here.
Thanks for letting me speak.
What’s with the insults? I can’t believe that people would insult a dead man. Christopher McCandless had a pure love for life and would stop at nothing to be true to himself. Christopher McCandless didn’t believe in careers and never wanted to live a superficial, boring life like 99% of the world… And I hardly think that working at McDonalds and at a grain elevator for a few weeks makes McCandless a hypocrite. Re-think your lives, please.
Great comments, guilf.
One more time, this is not the DamnIWishMyLifeWouldHaveBeenMoreLikeChristopherMcClandess’AndNotSoMuchMineOwnAndThatItWillEndTheSameWayAndThatIHaveNotEvenAPercentOfAPercentOfAPercentOfApercentOfTheLiveLivedThatHeLived thread.
Let’s talk about what happened – in it’s truest form; unburdened from the sensibilities of whatever person IS reading it or seeing it.
Unburdened by anything except looking at what that thing is
In its truest form (thank you, Marcus Aurelius).
And then considering it.
Get over yourselves. The story is not about you.
Damn, sorry. It should have been the -
DamnIWishMyLifeWouldHaveBeenMoreLikeChristopherMcClandess’AndNoSoMuchLikeMyOwnAndIThatIHadEnoughTimeLeftOnThisPlanetToLiveEvenAPercentOfAPercentOfAPercentOFTheAmountOfTimeThatHeActuallyLived thread.
Keep it real. Really. Real.
Now look people. I am 38 years old, majored in art but have worked in the dreary cubicle for years and mostly conformed in this little ho-hum box world we have and yet I shed a few tears each year as I watch my dreams fade away; that crushed yearning to do something more that would be my true path, just like most of us do, crushing our spirits little by little yet running the rat race like our parents did with a boring office job while we all know that no matter how much insurance and money we have we can still die at any time and will eventually. I sit more and more in that tired old conformity box, but I hold judgement back on Mr. McCandleless, because by God he at least had the guts to try his passions. His only failing was in being a young man and yes he was underprepared, but aren’t the best of us who try to plan everything perfectly?? Look I’m old enough to know that life hands you problems no matter what you do, so I will not criticize him to make myself feel superior(that’s so petty), but rather relate to this brave and very human young man who reminds us ALL to hold on to some of our passion. Yes you may have to pay the bills, but perhaps you will take that guitar lesson you always wanted, take a weekend adventure hike, surprise your date with a new town to check out, go on that fishing trip you’ve post poned, write that journal you’ve put off. Now let him be people, he did have a purpose, to make us all think and love our lives a little more instead of just living it in our little boxes, which we all know can never be entirely safe, life is risk filled whether we like it or not. We all need to live a little before we die; at least say we tried, took that class we wanted or trip. If you can only criticize you do indeed miss the point. That boy had spirit and so should we because something can always happen no matter how safe you think you are. Live more people and quit judging so much. Now I need to go paint something. Hey, at least that boy tried. And that took guts, by God.
Finally, at least KC knows what is happening to her life!!
Now I go smoke a big one :-)
Lesson learned
to have ideals and dreams is the breath of the human soul.
To work towards them successfully takes careful thought, planning, preparation, due diligence, resourcefulness and courage. Our goals can only be reached by making use of all the resources one can obtain which includes other people. Living our lives takes resources and selfishness is the root of materialism. Making wise use of the resources we have includes giving to others in need and only using what you need to survive. I think the only good thing that can come of this person sad death is warning markers for others to avoid similar pitfalls. If idealism leads to an untimely death this seems the natural conclusion.
I don’t understand why some (a lot ) of you are getting so upset by what others take away from Chris’s story, “diversity of thinking is what makes us who we are” My Alaska is my family, I would love to just take off on a self discovery and I hold no malice towards Chris for having a go, But I have a wife and children who depend on me and its sometimes a very scary place to be, I have no map and I definitely went in under prepared, I fail a lot but would like to think I succeed even more, its hard to strike a balance of doing whets rite without loosing your true self in the process, so what did I get from Chris’s story?
Love your kids and tell them so, stay in tune with them the best you can and offer understanding, wont what’s best for them and guide them with out imposing your views, its there life and its up to them what they do with it, the gift of life I give, no strings attached, or it would be a false gift, respect is given when respect is received.
I don’t think Chris’s parents were perfect, they were doing the best they could do, and its sad that Chris could not see that, my gut feeling on Chris is he did find true happiness for a brief period in his life all be it a life to short, but how many of us can say that? And after all its was HIS life! Mistakes and all.
R.I P Chris, you have given me food for thought …
very interesting. why cant people say whats on their mind without being bashed? even if they come across as arogant and so forth. ive been learning wilderness survival skills for a few years and its a good idea to be prepared . but dont let our fears rule the outcome of our life . what if this what if that .
lets try and accept what others do say as okay and not judge them . love is more nice than harsh words.
A few observations…
1. His story did touch many heartstrings. This blog is still going strong since 10-06-2007!!
2. Just saw the movie and I had a desire to learn more about this young man. I have four boys, to me as a single custodial dad of four, it’s very sad.
3. I’m 51 and feel lucky to be alive with all the stupid careless things I did as a young man.
4. I was selfish and hurt my parents many times, and am glad that I have lived to try and make it up to them a bit, and thank them for loving me so much
5. It would be very painful as a parent to have a child die while they were estranged from you
6. For a single person to do all that he did is considered forgivable; when a parent or anyone in charge of others lives does it, it’s irresponsible, selfish or criminal
7. I think we all have feelings that – in this life we want meaning from our lives, maybe to accomplish something ‘great’, if only to ourselves, others to leave a legacy behind, to make a difference. I think he wanted to prove something to others and to himself (movie said he was afraid of water) and to make a difference (because he cared about the poor and needy)
8. Sometimes we can show alot of care towards others and be very harsh on loved ones, maybe because we don’t consider their need to be loved like anyone else, and we take for granted what they provided for us, and their sacrifices for us, in spite of their failings, mental health issues, and struggles
9. Some people are pure evil, but even some parents who’ve made some bad mistakes are probably doing the best they can
11. I think the most dangerous issue in all of his journeys was that he did it all alone, with nobody for a rescue, nobody to discuss options. I can’t imagine going down the Colorado alone. Each success made him more confident that he could do it all on the fly.
12. When I was younger, everything was an all or nothing proposition. I would have been a hard railer on one side or the other, but please forgive me for feeling that it’s okay to be in the middle and admire his youthful courage (wreckless abandon to wholeheartedly pursue a dream, however ill-conceived or idealistic) on the one hand, yet hope my children learn their lessons and see that life does not have to be an all or nothing proposition to find joy, contentment and add meaning to their lives on the other.
What a great example of how self-centered our culture is. It’s Chris’s story, not ours. What a sad commentary that we have to assume ourselves into the story in order for it to have meaning.
Chris McCandless’ life stands on its own – it doesn’t need any of us to give it meaning.
What I think is Emily is right. He didn’t just take off on his family and yes it was wrong of him to not tell his family, but what he said was very inspiring. “The core of man’s spirit comes from new experiences.” All Chris wanted to do was what he dreamed and wanted to experience new things. Many bash his life and say he was stupid the poor guy is dead and others are hypicritical and feel bad for him and then you say he was stupid…I just don’t understand.
I have just seen the movie and am in the process of reading the book. It turns out that Chris and I would have been only 4 months apart had he lived. However, while he was traveling through Alaska, I was having my second child. I understand his quest. I understand his dreams. I understand his need to not just live quietly to survive the day, to keep your chidren safe to work, to take care of your spouse. Chris LIVED life. He took this gift that we are all given when we take our first breath and enter this world and used it, he didn’t put it away in a drawer somewhere to save for later. He used it. The two years he spent on the road were like a symphony. Joys, sorrows, up’s and downs. Life is an adventure. Yes, being a parent can be an adventure, but so often we wrap ourselved up in our children’s lives, our spouses lives that we forget who we are and what we are here to live for. I have found that he was right. Your life and happiness cannot depend on your relationships. So many people are on quests to find a mate to find someone to grow old with that they forget to live. I’ve been through two husbands now and found out finally that living for someone else is not where I should be. My last husband could not live with my ache and yearning for adventure and walking the earth in taking in it’s beauty. My fullfillment through hiking, canoeing, swimming in rivers, jumping off rocks, climbing trees, searching for bears each time left me satisfied and content and able to be a better person. He could not understand this need and felt my behavior was reckless and selfish. My adventurous spirit proved to be too much for him to live with.
I understand what Chris was doing. His family gave him life. That did not give them the right to own it forever. My husband tried to own my life. I am gone too. I want to LIVE my life not just survive it…
I am thankful for the people who appreciate Chris’s life and take it into consideration. Now Melissa I wanted to ask how is Into the Wild (the book) I’ve heard very good reviews on it and am soon going to buy it! Also another a lot of people don’t understand is one persons will and love for nature people think it stupid or silly because I want to experience all of that on my own its a way for people to find themselves and shouldn’t be made fun of…
I believe since he is dead, it would then be best not to be negative. Yes, what he did was selfish but it takes a lot of courage to walk alone.
Kristen, I am halfway through the book. The book so far is really good. There is a lot of letters from Chris in there. I love his writing. I find myself reading the words he wrote over and over…
As a reporter in Alaska for more than two decades, I was among the first to wallow in the McCandless story, and I confess to early on thinking he was but another of those poor, misguided fools who die in the north with some regularity. I no longer believe that.
Almost every psychiatrist, psychologist or mental-health professional I’ve talked to about “Into the Wild” over the years has noted — at least among those who’ve read the book — that schizophrenia or bipolar disorder was one of the first things that popped into their thoughts. Most have been reluctant to go on record saying so. Psychiatrist Dr. Michael Cull of Remote Medical in Seattle is an exception.
McCandless, he said, was “probably schizophrenic. I read (the book) some time ago, and it was an interesting book. If he was totally insane, as in psychotic, he wouldn’t have lasted more than a few days. (But) it’s a trip into insanity. It’s his journey into psychosis, and it gets more and more bizarre as times goes on.”
Schizophrenics, Cull added, often tend to be loners like McCandless because they function best as such.
“For a shizophrenic, if they are isolated from society, they can sometimes do better because what confuses them is external input,” the psychiatrist said. Unfortunately, if they are living in the wilderness and their psychosis worsens, there is no one to help them. And in a state of severe psychosis, Cull said, “they have a lot of difficulty just getting food in their mouths and clothes on their back.”
Cull said there have been psychiatrists who have discussed McCandless’s apparent mental problems, but they don’t do so very publicly. One cannot help but wonder how much this reluctance has to do with mental illness being one of those things we just don’t talk about in this country. Because to leave such a diagnosis unstated, or to at least fail to raise a discussion of it as a possibility, is to further the idea crafted by Krakauer and furthered by Penn, the idea that Supertramp/McCandless was a sad but iconic victim of the search for that knowledge many seek when they wander into the wilderness
Another unattributed quote. Do a Google on any sentence in “Anonymous” little speech.
Humans make mistakes.
1 in 1,000,000,000 will ever give their life savings to charity.
Read the book before you watch the movie.
Opinion: To Each His Own!!!!!
Chris McCandless R.I.P!!!!
Apparently the author, like many popularizers doesn’t understand the difference between schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder.
P.S
If Oprah gave her life savings to charity, she could probably feed Africa for a few years.
CRAIG MEDRED
OUTDOORS
Published: November 4, 2007
Last Modified: March 12, 2008 at 12:08 PM
First the book and now the movie try to portray Alexander Supertramp as the Everyman example of youth gone off to the wilderness in search of the meaning of life. Unfortunately, Tramp wasn’t Everyman. And he most certainly didn’t go off to the wilderness searching for the meaning of life.
No rational individual can overlook the note he left explaining what he was seeking. He went into the wilderness, in his own words, to stage “the climatic battle to kill the false being within.”
Tramp obviously wasn’t searching for anything. He was running from something, possibly almost everything.
“No longer to be poisoned by civilization,” he wrote, “he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild.”
Note the third-person reference to himself there. It’s a textbook signal for schizophrenia.
Lost is a good place to be if you suffer from this particular mental illness too. Lost is a place removed from all the outside stimuli that make life horribly, and sometimes dangerously, confusing for a schizophrenic.
Normal people lack the desire to become lost in the wild. Normal people use maps, compasses and GPS devices to avoid becoming lost in the wild.
CRAIG MEDRED
Outdoors editor Craig Medred is an opinion columnist. Find him online at adn.com/contact/cmedred or call 257-4588.
CRAIG MEDRED
McCandless’ story isn’t really told in the book or the film
CRAIG MEDRED
OUTDOORS
Published: November 4, 2007
Last Modified: March 12, 2008 at 12:08 PM
“Into the Wild” is a misrepresentation, a sham, a fraud.
There, I’ve finally said what somebody has needed to say for a long time.
First the book and now the movie try to portray Alexander Supertramp as the Everyman example of youth gone off to the wilderness in search of the meaning of life. Unfortunately, Tramp wasn’t Everyman. And he most certainly didn’t go off to the wilderness searching for the meaning of life.
No rational individual can overlook the note he left explaining what he was seeking. He went into the wilderness, in his own words, to stage “the climatic battle to kill the false being within.”
Tramp obviously wasn’t searching for anything. He was running from something, possibly almost everything.
“No longer to be poisoned by civilization,” he wrote, “he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild.”
Note the third-person reference to himself there. It’s a textbook signal for schizophrenia.
Lost is a good place to be if you suffer from this particular mental illness too. Lost is a place removed from all the outside stimuli that make life horribly, and sometimes dangerously, confusing for a schizophrenic.
Normal people lack the desire to become lost in the wild. Normal people use maps, compasses and GPS devices to avoid becoming lost in the wild.
Over the decades, I’ve met a lot of the young men who’ve gone off to the wilderness to search for meaning or, just as often, adventure. They didn’t change their names, try to forge new identities or contemplate killing a “false being within.”
A few of them, myself included, did turn their backs on civilization for days, weeks, months or years — but not because we were fleeing from it. No, we were seeking a world that existed long ago. Some of us still run to that place on a regular basis. It is good to stay in touch with the land. Just as it is good to remind oneself how comfortable and easy it has become to live in the 21st century.
People who change their names and run into the Alaska wilderness to escape have different reasons. Offhand, I can only even think of a few — “Tramp,” aka Chris McCandless, staved to death; Timothy Treadwell, aka Tim Dexter; got eaten by a bear; and Papa Pilgrim, aka Robert Hale, went to jail for incest. Among this trio, Hale at least had a legitimate reason for changing his name. He was fleeing a shady past.
McCandless was emerging from his teen years into early adulthood — the time adult-onset schizophrenia is known to hit a number of young men — when he changed his name, ran away from his family and friends and started acting strangely. When Jon Krakauer constructed the myth of Tramp in the book “Into the Wild,” he tried to portray these behaviors as part of an edgy but normal search for self.
CRAIG MEDRED
As others have pointed out, the content of Comment 291 matches the writings of Anchorage Daily News columnist Craig Medred, who has advanced in the McCandless-was-a-schizophrenic theory in various places. You can read more of his armchair analysis here.
I personally find the evidence for such a theory incredibly thin, and the practice of advancing it about a dead man therefore distasteful and unfortunate.
Incidentally, the doctor cited in the article, Dr. Cull, is listed as practicing in “Primary Care, Psychiatry and Anesthesiology.” It’s hard to find anything to suggest he was qualified to make the diagnosis he offers.
Medred writes of psychiatrists’ reluctance to read a book or watch a movie and then diagnose McCandless as a schizophrenic as follows: “One cannot help but wonder how much this reluctance has to do with mental illness being one of those things we just don’t talk about in this country.” Medred seems unaware of a better explanation for the reluctance of psychiatrists to diagnose someone they’ve never met: Ethics.
The New York Times did an article on this type of diagnosis of celebrities, quoting a leading psychiatrist as follows: “This idea of making a diagnosis of someone they’ve never met is completely inappropriate, and it gives mental health professionals a bad name… Trying to make such a diagnosis based purely on someone’s behavior — and worse, their behavior as portrayed selectively by the media — is scientifically impossible.” Source.
“Normal people lack the desire to become lost in the wild”
I agree. In fact, normal people lack the desire to become lost ANYWHERE. There’s that “panic” that sets in whenever you think you are “lost”…even when you’re driving down a street with plenty of people and services around …..imagine being truly “lost” in the “wilderness” ( Chris was only 1/2 mile from a tram that would have taken him across the river that he IMAGINED too daunting to cross )
Using peer-reviewed scientific literature, relying on calculations developed by the World Health Organization, and informed by McCandless’s own food journals, we tested this hypothesis. Our conclusion was that, despite some success hunting and gathering, McCandless was not able to secure enough food on a daily basis. He slowly lost weight until he reached a Body Mass Index (BMI) that was fatal. To test this hypothesis, we calculated his energy expenditure and compared this to his caloric intake. To assess his energy expenditure, we predicted the basal metabolic rate (BMR) of McCandless using a regression equation developed by the World Health Organization for young adult humans, age18-29. His BMR was adjusted to reflect his physical activity level—hunting and gathering—as defined by WHO criteria. McCandless’s caloric intake was estimated from his detailed 113-day food journal. In the end, a day-by-day comparison of his energy expenditure (BMR) and his caloric intake showed a consistent caloric deficit, i.e. weight loss. By Day 113, his Body Mass Index (BMI) had dropped into the range of 13 kg/m2, a level considered incompatible with life. It is believed he died on that same day.
This empirical analysis of McCandless’s energetic state shows a steady loss of weight. He may have gotten sick from one of his meals at the end of July (“Extremely weak. Fault of pot. seed,” he writes on 7/30/92), but this was not the cause of his death. The data show that he died of starvation because he couldn’t meet his energetic needs over 113 days. There is no need to devise a theory based on a botany mistake, or the ingestion of toxic seeds. To suggest, as Krakauer does, that McCandless was “hungry but doing fine” (9/20/07 NPR interview) and “in reasonably good health” (Into the Wild, p. 189), and starved only because he ingested moldy seeds is to ignore the data. However, the poison or moldy plant theories accomplish two things: they enable Krakauer to reprint his book Into the Wild without substantially altering the original text, and the original theory; and second, they allow both Krakauer and Penn a dramatic device (some might say “technique of fiction”) to heighten the tragic nature of the story, and assert that “the guy wasn’t quite as reckless and incompetent as he has been made out to be” (Into the Wild, p. 194). Ironically, it could be argued that having Chris unable to correctly identify a plant, or having him so foolish as to be eating mold, is actually to cast him as more reckless and incompetent than he probably was, and belies both his intelligence and toughness, and his will to live.
“Incidentally, the doctor cited in the article, Dr. Cull, is listed as practicing in “Primary Care, Psychiatry and Anesthesiology.” It’s hard to find anything to suggest he was qualified to make the diagnosis he offers…”
I believe that the “anything” that you are looking for would be that Dr Cull is a Dr of Psychiatry……
‘Almost every psychiatrist, psychologist or mental-health professional I’ve talked to about “Into the Wild” over the years has noted — at least among those who’ve read the book — that schizophrenia or bipolar disorder was one of the first things that popped into their thoughts. Most have been reluctant to go on record saying so. Psychiatrist Dr. Michael Cull of Remote Medical in Seattle is an exception.
Medred writes of psychiatrists’ reluctance to read a book or watch a movie and then diagnose McCandless as a schizophrenic as follows: “One cannot help but wonder how much this reluctance has to do with mental illness being one of those things we just don’t talk about in this country.” Medred seems unaware of a better explanation for the reluctance of psychiatrists to diagnose someone they’ve never met: Ethics’
Note: Medred does not mention that any psychiatrist was in any way reluctant to “read a book or watch a movie”, in fact , He mentions that many a renowned Psychiatrist DID READ THE BOOK and in conclussion: that schizophrenia or bipolar disorder was one of the first things that popped into their thoughts.
Yes, yes, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and multiple personality disorder, they’re all the same thing, and they do tend to be the first things en masse that pop into a psychiatrist’s, or no wait, was it a psychologist’s (well they’re the same thing anyway, one of those psych guy’s), heads after reading a book (that I’m at the same time debunking with another reference), but anyway absolutely thorough enough for these guys to make a diagnosis.
Yah, shrinks typically say to a reporter things like “That was the first thing that popped into my head…”
And yes, yes, his writing style changed over a two year period in his twenties after college and that kind of inconsistency absolutely proves that not only did he have multiple personalities, but that so does everyone who writes in a blog, text messages a boyfriend, finishes a term paper, and writes a shopping list — or reads several books by authors from widely different times and attempts to lay down a consistent sentence in their own voice.
And so as the author stated, at least 20% of all families have multiple personality disorder or was it schizophrenia, I can’t remember. That’s why nobody talks about it — it’s common but it’s rare because we don’t know how common it is. Glad it’s finally out in the open.
Pass the Freud, please. And another herring while you’re up..
This story of a life lived and lost cetainly brings out many philosophies of thought. I believe the book Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose depicts something more real. I have read almost all these posts and it bothers me the cavalier attitude, taken by some, of human life and the inherent nobility of man. When humanity is viewed as a virus and with a defeatist attitude how do you help your fellow man. People have artfully hidden their political agendas in posts when this began to discuss a percieved meaning of a mans life. People that say they don’t judge are only fooling themselves. When you make a decision you are making a judgement of something. I don’t think of Chris as a hero or an idiot per say. He had courage like many people today. He was a dreamer and forfeited his life because of his dreams. He is gone but I challenge all to to find the courage to help someone live their dreams even your own.
Comments 291, 296, 297, 299, 300, 301, 302 were all left by the same IP address, and it comes from Wisconsin, not Alaska. That commenter therefore is breaking two rules of this blog: 1. Presenting someone else’s writing as his own; and 2. Leaving multiple comments under different names.
A duck call quacks like a duck, but usually there’s a hunter at the tail end of it.
Everybody who think that what this guy did was selfish or wrong has some problems of there own!! Have any of you read the book?!?! he did it becasue he is sick of society and he is right! all of us in this world are so full of ourselfs and our money that we dont stop to see that we are ruining everything for ourselves. I know many people think he was stupid but im sure you would never and even have the nerve todo what Chris did, so sit here and critisize all you want, your just the kind of person he was trying to get away from!
People who knew him seemed to like him. People he worked with said he worked hard. His family loved him, still does. Forgave him.
Seems like that’s the real story.
It ought to count for something. If not everything.
Chris McCandless lived his life. Krakauer (sp?) wrote about it. Sean Penn made a movie about the book. Outside of those three facts, anything else attributed to Chris’s story is more of a reflection of the person making the attribution than of anything that Chris did or thought or said or felt. Why people have to run him down or build him up is beyond my understanding. I cannot imagine why a stable person would have to attempt to live vicariously through a dead person – whether by making him a saint or a bum. Whatever you believe is an original observation about Chris’s life and what you WANT his life to represent has much more to say about you and your relationship to reality than any insight you might have into the reality that was his life.
Chris McCandless was a selfish spoiled little rich kid who thought he was having a spiritural experience and simply committed suicide by mother nature. The whole theory of why McCandless done what he done is foolish. Parents having problems, arguing, and possible divorce. Hell thats half the kids in America. The divorce rate is 50% in this country. Half of all Marriages end in divorce and plenty of children see far worse from their parents then the McCandless children. Also to hate materialism and wealth is a weak excuse, especially for some one as fortunate and wanting for nothing as the McCandless children. For all of you who support how Chris McCandless lived and died I look forward to seeing you do just what he did with the same lack of education about nature he had. They will find you dead as well. Yes Chris McCandless was bright but so was Mozart and he was as crazy as you get. Intelligence does not eqaute to common sense. A love of nature does not equate to suicide. It is a shame what Chris McCandless put his parents through. A horrible unappreciative spoiled kid is all I see when I see the Movie In To The Wild. Yes I felt sorry for Chris McCandless but by the end of the movie I felt more sorry for his parents. All you people on here who see anything but a tragedy in this story need to seriously look at your own life. McCandless committed suicide and was a troubled young man. He did not live and enjoy nature. He lived as a hobo, and died because the nature he claimed to love did not love him back. He was un-prepared, un-educated to live in the wild, and just plain foolish. To think otherwise just shows your ignorance. Good Day!
I guess it’s good that some people have blogs to rant on so that they don’t abuse actual living people in their lives – or at least not as much.
The reality of Chris McCandless’s life is quite plain to see. Sean Penns Movie laid most of the blame squarely on the parents and materialism. I can tell you poor children and less fortunate people don’t want to hear bullshit stories like this. We don’t want to hear rich kids talk about materialism when they had it good all their life. We don’t want to hear about parents who argue and talk about divorce when our parents beat us, are never home, and expose us to drugs and sexual abuse on a massive scale. I can tell you this poor children would love to have parents who loved them like the McCandless parents loved their children. It is a shame the way the McCandless children, especially Chris McCandless treated his parents. They never knew if he was alive or dead and nothing mentioned in that movie is anywhere close to a reason why he should have done that. The movie does not say Chris McCandless was molested, beat to a pulp, or otherwise harmed beyond normal life issues. So your parents argued, read my previous post, oh they offered to buy you a new car, I dare them do such a thing! So they almost got a divorce! My parents did get a divorce yet I did not commit suicide. This is a sob storry for a poor rich kid and I am sick of hearing all you fools, probally other rich kids, hale Chris McCandless as some cult phenom! Bottom line this kid was horrible to his parents and died because of suicide or foolishness. His Parents Deserved Better. Good Day!
Kristina Alvarez needs to get a life. Chris has done nothing except torture his parents who did absolutely nothing to deserve it. So you hate materialism M.S. Alvarez. Then lay down all your material goods and go live in the woods. Turn off your electricity, burn your car and money, and free yourself from the chains of materialism. Destroy your computer and every materialistic thing you have and move to Alaska and live off the land! Your a fool and if you meant what you said you would follow in your heros foot steps. Until you do stop critsizing others you hypocrite! I travel and see nature on a daily basis I vacation and ski in Montana, Colorado, and Oregon. I love nature, hiking, fishing, hunting and I do plenty of it. But I know how to live off the land and I know if I get sick where to go and how to get help. People like Ms Alvarez could not survive a day without electricity or TV Dinners. Have you ever roughed it in the woods for days at a time? I doubt it. Your nothing but a socialist tyrant Ms. Alvarez. Good Day!
The same goes for yo Hannah! If Chris was such a pioneer then follow in his footsteps. Rid yourself of the chains of materialism, burn all you have, and move to the woods. Treat your parents like crap, let them believe the worst, and finally die because you lack the knowledge to even find your way out of your situation. I said it before and nothing anyone says on here changes one simple fact. Chris McCandless was selfish, tortured his parents, and he did nobody any favors. He did not create some big movement that touched the hearts of people. He sure as hell did nothing to help the poor and less fortunate people of society. The world Chris McCandless envisioned has never exisited, does not exist today, and will never exist in the future. It did not exist under socialism, communism, democracy or any other form of government. It is another utopian idea that is foolish and fool hearted. In the end the believers die. Just like Heavens Gate, or Jonestown. It is just that the only true believe in Chris McCandless cult was Chris himself so he was the only one to die. But he hurt many people and that is the sad irony. Good Day.
Chris McCandless searched for nothing I want and found nothing I want. I am an avid backcountry camper, and hiker. I have lived off a variety of wild animals and plants. But I have not been foolish and I always have a healthy respect for mother nature. Chris McCandless had nothing. He respected nothing, and lived at the expense of others. If that is not the definition of selfishness then I don’t know what is. Stop trying to make this guy somethig he is not. All you new age idiots. Good Day.
Self-righteousness smells the same whether it comes from wealth or poverty, a happy family or a broken one. It says, I’m better than you and I wish you pain, and it will inflict it on you since I have that right as an ideal, and you in your beliefs, hopes and mistakes are a lesser.
Interestingly such people think others are egotistical, and look for their own negative qualities in others, in whom they see amplified version of their own unquenchable anger.
After reading the book and watching the movie about Chris, I will always admire this young, intense, adventurous soul. Dying in the end, although tragic for him, his family, and acquaintances, as Sean Penn portrayed Chris indeed “died alive”.
PS for Joe
You sure do say lots about yourself…. “But I know how to live off the land and I know if I get sick where to go and how to get help” Yippie yeah for you!!!!!!
Sincerely,
Not a “new age idiot”
Chris was a tormented young man. I believe he had mental problems.
As a young man I travelled the west coast for a summer and found good and bad people and it changed my perspective on life and improved my relationship with my folks.
I recognized how self centered and foolish I was.
As a father, Chris’s story saddens me, I wish he could have realized his foolishness in time to restablish a relationship with his parents.
He is not a hero, should not have been misrepresented by the write or director.
But that is the way life is.
Yea what ever! Self Righteous lol. Here is a kid who tormented his parents, had no respect for the people who loved him and I am self-Righteous. lol. Just goes to show you that the truth flies in the face of idiocy. Don’t be jealous of the truth. All of you admirers of Chris please follow in his foot steps. Burn your money, don’t have a contingency plan for when things go wrong, and live like an idiot. It will leave more space for me when you die. Don’t be a hypocrite live like your hero Chris. But live the way he did. Don’t plan, don’t think, just do it. If you don’t your a coward and a liar. Your all hypocrites. You let a book and a movie written in a manner that tries to put reason to insanity and all of a sudden Chris is a hero. lol. I guess it is the old attage if it is written as a true story then it must be true. I do believe Chris was suffering from a mental illness called stupidity and childish behavior. It just shows how much he cared for his family. As for all you who follow Chris I look forward to your stories and perhaps you could be cult heros in death as well. Idiots!
Joe, quickly, to a mirror!
If you can’t see yourself in the hate and venom you are spewing on this blog, maybe you can see yourself there.
Depending on your beliefs, there was only one perfect person who walked the earth – and it was neither you nor Chris McCandless.
And another thing…
I’m neither a hater nor a lover of Chris McCandless – just interested in how Krakauer and Penn portrayed his life. Why in the world would you (Joe) be so negative and vile toward people who see some good in the stories told, or something they relate to. Personally, I don’t believe there are any “larger” lessons to be learned from the story.
If you have an opinion or feelings about what Chris did, great, but why do you have to put down others for their beliefs about his story? I guess I’m just not in tune to that kind of blind hatred toward others who don’t share your particular perspective.
I hope you can shake it someday, man, because there is a lot of beauty in the world once you decide to look for it.
As I’ve said before, though, if this blog keeps you from road rage or beating your kids or yelling at your wife, or cursing your workplace or kicking yours or someone else’s dog, then I guess maybe it serves a purpose for you after all.
Peace.
Joe,
How can you judge someone you have never meet with such harsh words?
Sincerely,
One of your fellow idiots
No evidence that Chris McCandless ate a poisionous plant and the autopsy does not find any such poisionous plant in Chris’s system. This is just something that is in the movie but is totally false based on the evidence. As for it being a spiritual experience for Chris and that he was at peace, I doubt both assumptions. Death by starvation is horrible painful and delusional. It is likely Chris was literally out of his mind in the end and he suffered great pain. So if that is spiritual to you Chris McCandless cult followers then have at it. Follow his lead and do find yourself. It appears that along with a gifted mind Chris also had a troubled one. He was perhaps even mentally ill. But he was no hero or spiritual guru. No matter how many want to believe such foolish thoughts. A rage against materialism. Such a crock. Good Day.
I think you will find it was all the macdonalds he was eating and clearly shows the lack of nourishment in them over the long period of time he was consuming them! case closed!
In fact, though some of his comments are harsh, I agree Joe. I would not be so harsh but in most aspects Joe is right on target. Good Day.
Well, I guess a lot of spiritual leaders the world’s religions and cultures look up to spent their time wandering, without jobs or apparent destinations, eating little, taking alms, not talking about their parents, not communicating with them or supporting them in their old age, disdaining money, refusing to obey authority, going against popular opinion, living in poverty, speaking against materialasm, suggesting one not throw stones, asking people to be kind to eachother, and not to kill eachother, and generally coming to a terrible end.
Doesn’t seem to stop people from valuing them, even if they do ignore every single aspect of those teachings on such a wholesale scale that it beggars the imagination.
I don’t think they wanted us to crucify ourselves, just act like something better than we do.
The people who like Chris don’t like what happened to him, and don’t want to emulate that part of his life. They just want to appreciate the good in him.
If you think there is none, you can’t see it anywhere else, including in yourself.
Chris is not even close to a spiritual leader.
To put him that high is insanly ridiculous.
We are discussing a young person who took 2 years of his life to venture out; yes he hurt his family during this time tremendously…..this happens all the time whether by disappearing as Chris or via other insults (violence, drugs, abuse, etc.). As for the assumed painful death, check out an oncology unit sometime….
Had Chris survived, who can say things would not have taken a turn, whereby, he would have made peace with his mother and father? We will never know, but it’s certainly in the realm of possibility.
I do not understand why some folks are so devoted to devouring this kid ……a young person that had success, followed his dreams, made mistakes (foolish and non-foolish), tooks chances.
While I am here on earth, I rather focus on the good in others.
I don’t think of him as a spiritual leader. I think of him as a human being.
You are free to misinterpret to your fullest capacity, however.
Well, been doing much reading and research and trying to get a “feel” for Chris’ situation and journey.
First off, everybody has been posting some very interesting opinions and feeling on Chris’ story. I will see the movie but am quite sure that i will see something glorified and editied in the purpose of filling the box offices and selling DVD’s to the public. We must remember that we are seeing others intrepretations of what had happened based on as much evidence and facts that they can find to give us.We may only know half of the story from this or even less. I am sure most want to give us the most honest and truthfull views possible.
There are just so many question marks as to the why’s and how’s of Chris’ journey.Being an avid outdoorsman i may have slighlty negative opinions on what he had done and why, but i like to think of myself as an intellectual and will be as objective as i can on my observations and comments.
I can definately understand someone wanting to remove themselves from society and it troubles and turmoils of everyday life.I do it often , just go somewhere to get away. Seems that Chris was an intelligent person , this leads me to believe that (IMO of course) he wanted things to end out in the wilderness, at the begining anyways. If he wanted to survive the ordeal he would have taken the neccessary precautions to survive to trully get back home, he would have researched it. Maybe he did not fully understand what the potentials were of such actions. Maybe if he had been raised in different elements, closer to nature he may not have had such an idealistic view of the wilderness. Living off the land , surviving by your own hand and ingenuity is a wonderful feeling.
My thought is that the reality of where he was set in ,and eventually realized that he trully was mortal that he did want to get out at some point and really didn’t want to die but the damage had already been done. It is a very beautiful place on a post card and in movies, BUT the wilderness is relentless, it takes when it wants and what it wants, there are NO second chances.
Was he on a quest? elightenment? running? OR did he do exactly what he inteneded, I do not know. Was he a troubled young man, possible, at that age we question everything and go against the grain.Did he just want to experience the wilderness and through ignorance the elements overcome him.
I do feel that there is some selfishness happening just due to the fact that he decided not to continue contact with his family. We don’t truly know how his personal life was, maybe this was a way of him saying “i’ll show you”. Living life includes the ones around you that you love. Sharing with them. Go on your journeys and then return, that will truly enlighten you. Maybe that was his intention also.
In summary, Chris’ apparent unprepairedness was his demise.Was it due to ignorance, intent , or misfortune. We will never know.
Chris’ story does not inspire me nor does it depress me. To me it is just a story of a man.
These are my views , they are not intended to judge a person.
If anyone would care to comment or reiterate please do.
I welcome the oportunity to discuss this in further detail.
I completely agree with Joe.
Joe has taken the core facts and made some logical conclusions. It seems like most of the people here see only the few good traits this guy had and kind of turned a blind
eye to the overwhelming stupidity that jumps out and smacks you in the face.
Here are the facts
1 He did not contact his family at all
2 He lived like a bum
3 He went into Alaska unprepared on purpose
There’s a word for this people. STUPID
These facts are not open to debate. Any logical thinking person can instantly see that this person has some problems.
Now there is all kinds of extra info you can pile on top of these undeniable truths to exlain these moves. But no matter what his reasons. No matter why he did what he did, you cant escape the reality.
A lot people tend to agree with chris on his views regarding society and materialism. What the hell is so bad about society in this country? Im not sayin we dont have serious problems. But if you are goal oriented and have the drive to reach your goals you can more then just put food on the table. How many societys can boast that? Not to shabby.
Theres millions of people who would give there right arm to be part of our society. Just look at our southern border.
So why the hell would you think its so damn bad that you would run to Alaska?
Ever wonder how an african starving to death would view a rich kid turning his back on a society full of food and the finer things? They wouldnt see a hero either. Just a fool.
Materialisism is the pay off for the advances man kind has made in the last two hundred years. I for one feel greatfull that I have a roof over my head with heat, lights and plumbing. Its all these material things that help us really enjoy this world we live in. I love material things and i dont think its a horrible concept. Consider how life would be with out cool material shit.
Why do people look up to some one like chris? I look up to some one who sets goals and succeeds. Someone who says ”I love my FAMILY and will do everything in my power to make their life the best it can be” To me theres nothing more important then friends and family.
His family did nothing to deserve that kind of treatment. I know some will say “its his life and he could do what he wants.” I agree, if he wants to be an ungreatfull, selfish asshole then thats his prerogative.
Hero? Nah. If this guy is a hero then we all are heros.
Guilf
Thanks for your recognition of my right to misinterpret.
Are you saying that in post 326 your not comparing him to a spiritual leader?
To me it seemed you were illustrating the similarities between chris and spiritual leaders of the world.
Guess I was wrong. sorry
Guilf
Just so i get it right, what are you saying in 326?
I just finished watching the movie. I agree that his ideals are admirable, but hiking into the alaskan wilderness unprepared and unexperienced is either plain stupid or just plain arrogant. I believe his ideals ran off with his sanity in my judgement.
I was writing about the abusive sense of propriety and lack of tolerance that those leaders struggled to convince others to shed, RP. The same ones they too subjected to.
RP, your public abuse of their son isn’t evidence of the slightest a concern for his family.
They, unlike you, have the sole right to judge him with regard to their relationship. Then and now.
So why are there not any comments about folks that climb Mt. Everest (and other peaks – Mt.Hood) and die each year leaving loved one’s behind? From what I know, most them are well educated, with excellent suvival skills, equipped with essential gear, yet in the end they die. From the get go, I would think they are/were aware of the statistics pertaining to the risk of death. They still choose to climb; their loved ones aware.
RP – all of your “facts” aren’t facts.
“lived like a bum” – by whose estimate? – the way a person lives their life is a very personal thing and relative in its very nature.
Herein lies the problem of deifying or vilifying Chris. It’s all one person’s opinion. The only thing that’s true is the way Chris lived his life. All of the lovers and haters trying to find meaning or tear him down – your purpose is so transparent – thinking Chris was a bad person doesn’t make you a better one and worshiping things you see in Chris that you aspire to doesn’t make those things true in your life.
Dude lived his life – you people should quit judging or trying to find meaing from a dead man and live a little yourselves.
If there is anything “big” lesson to be learned from Chris’s life (and I really don’t think there is) it’s that you live, you die. Some people spend more time dying than living. Hope you aren’t one of them.
Good Day.
Koman, it’s perfectly natural for people to seek meaning in anyone’s life. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. If you do want to that’s fine, too. Negative meaning, positive meaning, big meaning, little meaning, no meaning.
Yes it may reflect the needs of the person who does the seeking. What activity doesn’t? Even your preference for not seeking meaning reflects your personal needs.
Telling others to get a life assumes you know they don’t have one. By your own admission you don’t know what another person’s life is like, so what’s the problem?
I’m sure eveyone here does actually have a life, whatever that phrase means. Even the ones whose comments I don’t personally like.
This is a blog.
My last comment on this board! It seems that the truth is not accepted by most on here. I have been harsh at times and to what end that has offended any one I appologize. However I don’t appologize for telling the truth as I see it. There was no meaning to the Death of Chris McCandless. There was no spiritual awakening. I believe it is quite possible that we have only one existence, the one here on earth. Chris could have took his love of nature to a new level by helping to preserve it and becoming an environmentalist, conservationist or something else. Instead he chose a path, or if he was mentally ill perhaps he could not help himself, that lead to destruction. He taught me nothing. It was no spiritual awakening and I did not feel enlightened by the book or the movie. I was left with an overwhelming sense of a wasted life and a tormented family. When I hear of people attaching a cult like idolism to Chris I am left to wonder what kind of people live in this world. Chris died, most likely, because of a mental illness. It was not a rage or statement against materialism, which is some abstract concept that others claim they share but partake of at the same time. I will call Chris’s death what it is! It is, or was, a tragedy and there was no meaning to it. Materialism, which we all partake in, had noting to do with it. Good Day, and Good Bye, Joe.
I do not believe that there is any cult idolism.
It’s an interesting story that sometimes touches “close to home” for some people. Whether the book or movie is true to fact or not, it’s a book, it’s a movie. Simply put: some people are moved by it and some people are not. That’s beautiful in itself. Heck I love Bilbo!
One final thing, as for comments with regard to his possible “mental illness”, if that’s true, what’s with the tough judgement and the expectations of him making the “right” decisions, producing, contributing, excelling in society as a non-mentally ill person?
Second final thing.
There can be a fine line between mental illness and sanity as there can be much “gray” in between. Having a mental illness does not eliminate having opinions.
Good Night, Do Good, Be Safe, Good Bye
I just finished watching the movie. Besides the terrible drone of Pearl Jam, which was annoying enough, Chris & his sister were more annoying. His sister’s constant explanation of this terrbile childhood was difficult to stomach for two hours. I didn’t feel this explained any of his selfish behavior and he wasn’t getting a “pass” for it from me no matter how many times she brought it up.
I can admire the courage it took to venture into the unknown with a willing (and surely CRAZY) spirit but I am not sure he deserves this cult status. Those that love to fantasize over this poor, dead man’s “greatness” (by opinion only) should remember that although society can suck it’s produced some very detailed maps over the years and that they tend to come in handy from time to time.
I think materialism is a word that doesn’t have a clear meaning, even though I’ve used it myself. The version I meant was excessive materialism. I don’t mean the desire to feed and shelter oneself or family, or even try to do the best you can in a job. What I think of as excessive materialism is forgetting that we are each human beings, imperfect, subject to error. And then merely struggling to acquire without concern for the consequences to others or the world at large, dog eat dog style. I don’t know anyone here who fits that category, since I don’t personally know anyone here at all.
Different people have different levels of tolerance for the misery, famine, and ongoing horrors in the world. Everyone has some level at which they turn off their feelings of empathy, in order to continue on in a day to day life without being overwhelmed by what they would face if they looked more closely. It is a survival mechanism which is not unique to this culture, or any other. It is our animal and tribal instinct. It is that which the religions, and societies of law, have tried, and failed, to overcome. By any measure, the history of the world is one of slaughter and poverty.
For others, it is not so easy to look away, and depression and a need for action or flight from the world can be the result. They are less able to ignore what we all know is out there, and they feel they are participants in it themselves. They see it everywhere all the time, and concentrate on it. It is inescapable for them.
I don’t presume to know if this was actually a scenario for Chris McCandless. There is no way of knowing. But it is a feeling I have about it, so I’m writing it here. It is completely open to dispute.
I don’t think that by disappearing into the wild a person will necessarily come to terms and shake that conviction. Maybe he was trying to burn it out of himself by subjecting what he called “the beast within” to the test of life or death. Is life worth living – can you live in that world. Can you come back to it and realize you are a part of it with a responsibility to it? Or will you remain a child?
I don’t know. Maybe he just liked being alone. I don’t know what he thought. I certainly don’t think that by cutting off others you can help others or yourself. At least not during that time you are gone. Maybe if you return. But of course we will never know. He didn’t escape. For whatever reason. We don’t know that either.
I do know that there have been times in my own life (and I am nearing 60 now) when I have felt that way, overwhelmed by the problems I’ve seen around me, with no solution I can offer, nothing I think I can make a difference with. And maybe Koman is right, I’m merely projecting my own feelings onto another. It is not easy to ignore a terrible story like this. Or wonder what it is about. What happened.
I do feel a kinship with this young man, though I certainly wish he had not died when he did, where he did, and as separate as he did. I just mean, I have felt the way I think he felt sometimes.
I don’t personally care whether he died from eating a plant, or some esoteric fungus, or whether he simply starved over that period of time. No matter what, I feel sorry for him in that agony, fear, ( and he wrote he was afraid, alone, and hungry) and loneliness. I’m sure he knew it was his own doing. I don’t think by then he blamed anyone.
If he threw something away, I also cannot blame him because in my life I also have thrown things of worth away. I am no wiser than any other person on this planet, and have led no better life in terms of goodness or foresight, or even rationality. I have been wasteful of everything it is possible for a person to be wasteful of. No better than him or anyone else.
I don’t expect anyone else to share the way I feel, or even understand it.
I don’t want to emulate him. I don’t need to enter the wild to find the source of both error, and hope, or connection to the world, in myself. I do not need to die, though I will, like all who have come before, and all who will come after. We all have that in common.
I have a wonderful family of my own now, a child, too, unlike him. I don’t want to leave society. I do wish that people would be kinder to each other, recognize that they all come from the same source. All are fallible.
I don’t expect that kindness to happen, except through a willingness to make it happen. We are all jointly responsible for the world we have created and participate in. If it is a hell, then we have created it. It is our world. To me we are responsible for each other. We cannot escape that. Not in the wild. And not in the best laid plans of a careful and conforming life.
I’m sure much of the film is fiction, as it’s a creative adaptation of a primarily third person narrative. The heart of the story’s resonance lies in its mystery, and Mr. McCandless didn’t leave much behind to help others determine his motives.
I’d like to think that he was someone who was determined to live life as honestly and purely as he possibly could, but there are other possiblities. Maybe he was forced by his morality to reject the hypocrisy of suburbia (eg the only way for me to have is for others to have not); or, maybe he was dedicated to pushing the limits of existence and made an error that cost him; or, maybe he was delusional.
Regardless, the fact that he chose to give up each moment to faith and let life lead the way is absolutely stunning. I just wish he had had the time to write about it himself.
After reading many posts about Chris McCandless, watching the movie “Into The Wild”, and doing my own research on the story. These are my own thoughts.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the movie, story, articles, interview’s and posts about Chris and his journey. I understand that the only person who knew exactly what happened, how it happened, and why it happened is Chris, and he took those secrets wth him. So all we are left to do is peice together a puzzle that we don’t have all the pieces for, and then guess what it’s supposed to be.
Many people are inspired by Chris, many are mad, and some puzzled why so many are so interested in a guy who went on a journey and didn’t survive. I think many of us that are inspired, it’s because we can identify with him, many of those that are mad don’t know the whole story, just don’t understand. or have had someone do something similar and were effected by it. And for those that are baffled, win lose or draw I think he tried to do something many of us want to do but can’t bring ourselves to do it, for whatever reason.
Few if any of us knew Chris. Therefore we can only speculate about what happened to him, what he went through or who he was and who he became. Many people feel the call of the road, myself included. We all respond in different ways, I’m not about to say what he did or, how he went about doing it was right or wrong. Because who am I to say that a person lived their life wrong, or that they hurt their family or freinds, or broke laws, or whatever. As Steven Tyler says in the Aerosmith song “Amazing”. “Life’s a journey, not a destination”. I think Chris felt something along those lines. To leave everything behind, and experience life like that alone. And that was his choice. Right or wrong, it was a choice he made.
Some thing’s I noticed in the movie that I thought “now why would he do that”. When he was ready to leave the magic bus, he got back to the Teklinaka River and noticed that it was rushing with the snow melting and coming down the mountain. Why would he try to step in? Knowing it was too cold and too strong to cross. Why wouldn’t he travel up stream looking for another spot to cross? In the movie it seems he has no map of the area. I found a website called “Call of the Wild ino the wild debunked’. I found that in the coroners report, there was a list of his possessions . A road map of the area was listed among them, also his wallet with identification and $300 cash. And the bus didn’t just fall out of the sky there, there is a guy who lives but 5 miles from where Chris died. So who knows what really happened there.
Also on that website I found something else. In the movie and in the book it is agreed that Chris made a costly mistake in his choosing of which plants to eat. On May 8th 1992 Chris weighed 134 pounds, by August 18th he weighed 83 pounds, that’s 51 pounds in 113 days. It seems he couldn’t find enough food to sustain the energy he used every day. As anyone who has spent time in the wilderness knows, all that hiking and looking for food uses alot of energy. He brought a 10 pound bag of rice, he was unprepared. I commend him for beleiving he would make it work, there is food out there, if you can find it, you can find a way to get it. He tried with the moose, but it did’t work out. Maybe he should have harvested a smaller portion of the animal. I beleive it wasn’t the poisoned plants, but simple lack of food to sustain the energy needed for that kind of life.
Lastly, if you look at the picture of Chris in front of the bus. Notice the sleeve of his right arm, then look at the stomach area. I’m not so sure his arm is in that sleeve. Did Chris sustain an arm injury that prevented him from leaving, but healed enough to not be noticed in an autopsy? That would explain many things, but even if this was the case why wouldn’t Chris try using a signal fire to try and get help, it’s easy enough to do, just start a fire, and throw green leaves and whatnot on the fire, creates alot of smoke which can be seen for miles, especially when Alaska has 24 hours of daylight in the summer. I am left with many questions that will probably never be answered. The only person who truly knew was Chris.
just finished watching this movie…basically would have to rate it a 5 and only that high based on nice scenery…obviously many can relate to various aspects of the movie such as setting out on your own when you come of age or testing your manhood or rage against the machine or whatever but this guy did nothing interesting…imo anyway..seems to me all he did was travel around taking pictures of himself(what was up with that anyway?)..anyway..he travelled around,took pictures of himself then died..end of story..too bad for his family and obviously a lesson to be learned by all youngsters setting out on their journey…actually thinking about it now the story may sway some young folk from venturing out unprepared or at least stay in contact with family and remember to bring lots of film
Everybody just needs to stop bashing someone who is dead. I have finally found some people who appreciate Chris and understand what he was thinking and thankfully people like that make this world easier to live in. Its the stubborn people who all they care about is money and themselves. Well all Chris wanted to do was find himself and by leaving society he found that isolation isnt the answer but why not get away for a little while you can come back its the gratification for ones self. It may sound selfish but make yourself happy before you make anyone else happy…
No-one is perfect and no one,aside from his friends and family really knew him and no one aside from himself can be the judge of his motives yet there are events others can learn from and possibly should be pointed out,especially since the whole event was brought to the public forum, to help others not make the same mistakes.
Guilf – didn’t tell anybody to get a life. Re-read the post. Seems to me what you meant to say is that this is YOUR blog.
He lived, he died. End of discussion.
I hope that eventually those of you reading this will do more of the former than the latter during your life here on earth.
McCandliss was a moron, he died by not being prepared. I don’t see how anyone can believe that he did anything that is wonderful or even meaningful.
I lived in AK when he died and I remember the talk around town about some idiot who starved to death in a bus, no one respected him, he was basically a candidate for a Darwin Award and thats about it.
Does anyone else feel that McCandless WAS able to communicate his idealism to the masses? He was a highly intelligent man, with several personal contradictions but with a strong conviction for how he felt. His death has inspired thousands of people – albeit in different ways to imagine how life might have been from his perspective. That, in itself, is meaningful. Most people don’t even have a conviction that they’re willing to die for – which is okay. However, you can’t condemn him for becoming a martyr to his own. There is value in his sacrifice; and this like many things valuable, it is met with great resistance. It doesn’t mean he was an idiot at all, nor does it mean that the people inspired by him are either. It only means that he died for a purpose – we are all that purpose. He did not die in vein.
what idealism….even though we can’t know his exact motives or intentions we can see signs that seem to point to certain conclusions…some feel he was on some sort of spiritual journey,trying to get within,sick of the material world…my question is what type of gun should i bring on my spiritual journey
You can’t call a person stupid or call them an idiot just because they want to experience life. Basically your saying people who backpack around the world or go hiking are stupid. Yes I believe he could’ve been better prepared but don’t call the man a moron because he wanted to find more in life. Don’t be small-minded when it comes to people like this if you decide to find truth behind life his experience will better prepare you in case of danger or possible death. People that are small-minded make this world harder to live in…
I have read comments on here for several weeks just trying to get a sense of the issues here. I realize many people put faith in some spiritual meaning to Chris’s death! I also see some people on here who go overboard on critisizing Chris out of pure hatred. But I see others who critisize Chris and his death because they genuinely feel his death was in vain and meaningless. They saw a bright kid, intelectually, but perhaps a troubled kid mentally. I think those individuals are right on target. I don’t agree with anyone who says this was a spiritual journey. Chris’s journey was a journey of anguish and pain. A journey of, perhaps, mental illness. However it should not be surprising after a book was written and a movie made for Chris to have followers in a cult like fashion. People in this world are so shallow, weak, and full of self doubt that they will follow anyone even a tortured soul like Chris. I laugh when some say he was lashing out against materialism. Burning his money only to have to go to work later to make more of it. No rational person kills himself in the way Chris did. So I would say Chris was irrational and mentally ill. I don’t see anyone of his cult like followers burning all their materialism and following after him! No the truth and tragedy of this whole story is one of mental illness. Mental illness is the only way to explain suicide by nature. The sad reality is that no one seemingly detected any signs of mental illness! This is not a heroic quest for self exploration or finding ones self. This is a mentally ill person doing irrational things, in relation to his education, and dieing for no reason what so ever. Those who truly follow him, not those spouting off at the mouth, and do exactly as he did are also mentally ill. Were not talking about cross country hikers and campers, or even your average hobo. Most people don’t do things to the point of dieing. Even some of the most desperate people stop short of killing themselves. Not Chris he stayed, even after he got sick, and died. He died in the bus without even trying to leave? There was no evidence of poision in his system. That is an assumption made but not provable. An autopsy found no poision in Chris’s system. The cause of death was starvation. Think about this? How does one allow themself to starve to death without trying to do something about it? Chris starved to death in the Bus! Not outside the bus, not on the trail looking for something to eat, not by the river trying to catch fish, not on a trail trying to leave and find food by getting to the highway, but in the damn bus!!!!!! If that is not suicide I don’t know what is. So in closing I will further confirm the comments on here by many and say there was no purpose to Chris’s Death, no spiritual or cultural meaning to it, nothing to be learned from it at all. Those of you who believe such foolishness are just as lost as Chris was. Chris McCandless never found himself, never found peace, and never found the meaning of life. All Chris found was pain, suffering, and death. Chris died scared, cold, hungry, in pain, and alone. Not a very heroic death in my opinion. Not something I choose to follow either. As intelligent as Chris was he still could not overcome his mental illness and that is the tragedy. Good Day, Mike.
In addition the film seems to point at the river as keeping Chris from hiking out of the back country. The river apparently had risen so the film suggest thats why Chris never attempted to cross it. I submit that, rather than starving to death slowly, a rational person would risk hypothermia and drowning for a chance at crossing the river. So I don’t believe Chris died by accident. As I said above Chris died in the bus. He did not die trying to save himself. Good Day.
I normally don’t post other peoples work and I may get in trouble for doing it here but here is an article by Peter Christian, a Park Ranger in Alaska. It is an interesting article on Chris McCandless from some one who is living the life Chris McCandless wanted but doing so and still living.
Chris McCandless from an Alaska Park Ranger’s Perspective
by Peter Christian
Both Chris McCandless and I arrived in Alaska in 1992. We both came to Alaska from
the area around Washington, D.C. We were both about the same age and had a similar
idea in mind; to live a free life in the Alaska wild. Fourteen years later Chris McCandless
is dead and I am living the dream I set out to win for myself. What made the difference
in these two outcomes?
There was nothing heroic or even mysterious about what Chris McCandless did in April
1992. Like many Alaskans, I read Jon Krakauer’s book “Into the Wild” when it first
came out and finished it thinking, “why does this guy rate an entire book?” The fact that
Krakauer is a great outdoor writer and philosopher is the bright spot and it makes a great
read, but McCandless was not something special.
As a park ranger both at Denali National Park, very near where McCandless died, and
now at Gates of the Arctic National Park, even more remote and wild than Denali, I am
exposed continually to what I will call the “McCandless Phenomenon.” People, nearly
always young men, come to Alaska to challenge themselves against an unforgiving
wilderness landscape where convenience of access and possibility of rescue are
practically no nexistent. I know the personality type because I was one of those young
men.
In fact, Alaska is populated with people who are either running away from something or
seeking themselves in America’s last frontier. It is a place very much like the frontier of
the Old West where you can come to and reinvent yourself. In reality, most people who
make it as far as Alaska never get past the cities of Fairbanks and Anchorage because
access is so difficult and expensive (usually by airplane), travel is so hard, the terrain is
challenging, the bears are real, and so on.
A very few competent and skillful people make a successful go at living a free life in the
wild, build a home in the mountains, raise their children there and eventually come back
with good stories and happy endings. A greater number give it a try, realize it is neither
easy nor romantic, just damn hard work, and quickly give up and return to town with
their tails between their legs, but alive and the wiser for it.
Some like McCandless, show up in Alaska, unprepared, unskilled and unwilling to take
the time to learn the skills they need to be successful. These quickly get in trouble and
either die by bears, by drowning, by freezing or they are rescued by park rangers or other
rescue personnel–but often, not before risking their lives and/or spending a lot of
government money on helicopters and overtime.
When you consider McCandless from my perspective, you quickly see that what he did
wasn’t even particularly daring, just stupid, tragic and inconsiderate. First off, he spent
very little time learning how to actually live in the wild. He arrived at the Stampede Trail
without even a map of the area. If he had a good map he could have walked out of his
predicament using one of several routes that could have been successful. Consider where
he died. An abandoned bus. How did it get there? On a trail. If the bus could get into
the place where it died, why couldn’t McCandless get out of the place where he died?
The fact that he had to live in an old bus in the first place tells you a lot. Why didn’t he
have an adequate shelter from the beginning? What would he have done if he hadn’t
found the bus? A bag of rice and a sleeping bag do not constitute adequate gear and
provisions for a long stay in the wilderness.
No experienced backcountry person would travel during the month of April. It is a time
of transition from winter’s frozen rivers and hard packed snow with good traveling
conditions into spring’s quagmire of mud and raging waters where even small creeks
become impassible. Hungry bears come out of their dens with just one thing in mind—
eating.
Furthermore, Chris McCandless poached a moose and then wasted it. He killed a
magnificent animal superbly conditioned to survive the rigors of the Alaskan wild then,
inexperienced in how to preserve meat without refrigeration (the Eskimos and Indians do
it to this day), he watched 1500 pounds of meat rot away in front of him. He’s lucky the
stench didn’t bring a grizzly bear to end his suffering earlier. And in the end, the moose
died for nothing.
So what made the difference between McCandless and I fourteen years ago? Why am I
alive and he is dead? Essentially, Chris McCandless committed suicide while I
apprenticed myself to a career and a life that I wanted more badly than I can possibly
describe in so short an essay. In the end I believe that the difference between us was that
I wanted to live and Chris McCandless wanted to die (whether he realized it or not). The
fact that he died in a compelling way doesn’t change that outcome. He might have made
it work if he had respected the wilderness he was purported to have loved. But it is my
belief that surviving in the wilderness is not what he had in mind.
I did not start this essay to trash poor Chris McCandless. Not intentionally. It is sad that
the boy had to die. The tragedy is that McCandless more than likely was suffering from
mental illness and didn’t have to end his life the way he did. The fact that he chose
Alaska’s wildlands to do it in speaks more to the fact that it makes a good story than to
the fact that McCandless was heroic or somehow extraordinary. In the end, he was sadly
ordinary in his disrespect for the land, the animals, the history, and the self-sufficiency
ethos of Alaska, the Last Frontier.
I believe I gave proper credit to the article above and hope the moderator allows the article by the park ranger to stay on the board. He may not and that is of course his right but by reading this article I learned alot about Chris McCandless and am convinced his death was more suicide than accident. In fact it almost looks like a planned suicide. This article also pointed out a coincidence. While watching the scene of the moose slaughter I thought what a waste of meat. It was evident McCandless did not know how to slaughter a moose much less preserve the meat. The article above, by the Park Ranger, is the most revealing insight into the difference between McCandless and true lovers of nature and seekers of adventure. Good Day.
How can you people be so cruel McCandless did nothing but follow his dreams. All that Mike has said about McCandless wanting to die and being stupid and foolish by not knowing how to slaughter and preserve a moose. But Mike i am asking you. would you have even lasted that long in McCandless’ place? would you have been able to survive for even a month? Would you have been brave enough to die alone in the cold, and unforgiving wild, and not even complain about doing so? I dont think you would. and while many people judge McCandless as arrogant and stupid, how many can say that they have followed their dreams and lived a life as full as that of Chris McCandless? How many can say that they really know their true self? And while you Mike may relish in tormenting a dead man? Maybe you are just jealous because McCandless was brave enough to follow his dreams and you are not. and all those who say he tortured his parent that doesnt make him a bad person. we all make mistakes. Chris’s parents made them and he was jsut learning how to forgive when he died. also people who say that McCandless did not respect Alsaka and the land. what do they know he lived souly off of it for a longer time then any of you. while those who critize McCandless cannot say they have done something more meanigful in their lifetime. what about him makes people so angry? Is it the fact that McCandless was able to follow his dreams and live a fuller life then most of you ever will?
I just watched that movie this weekend. How depressing it was. He was not a hero, he was not a great adventurer, he was someone who had emotional problems and could not stay in one place for very long. He was as unforgiving and selfish as he could possibly be, blaming his parents for his shortcomings in life and in doing so disappeared into the sunset.
He thought that anything he did would come out alright, he took on the Alaskan Wilderness thinking that it was as tame as the lower 48. He found out differently. When you are alone there, walk 5 miles and you will find people.
When you are alone in Alaska, you can walk a thousand miles and still be alone, cold, hungry and dying.
He thought he could play god with his own life. He lost.
Mike – In 5 days you’ve left 14 comments on this entry, which by itself is no big deal to me, but you’ve also used multiple names (Joe, Anonymous, Rob, Mike). You wrote as Rob: “I agree Joe,” not mentioning that the Joe you were agreeing with was yourself. (As Joe you had previously written: “My last comment on this board!”) In any event, I think we’ve long since gotten your point.
Hello again
Readin lots of the comments again.
Some folks seem to be makin this more than it actually is. Gotta look at the facts and not what Hollywood wants you to see.
He was a guy who wanted to experience something that he wasn’t prepared for(IMO). I believe there was a fair bit of arrogance considering his privledged back ground.I know many people just the same. Hell, Paris Hilton thinks she is a singer and an actor.
I definately understand Chris wanting to prove something and show everybody, but it appears that it didn’t go as planned. There are correct ways to do things and and wrong ways to do things.Was it a death wish??Maybe so,
Nobody starves themself on purpose.
Should someone follow thier dreams??Yes, but was this a dream or something else? I believe it may be the later.
If he had his ID, money and map, according to the corroners report then something must have went wrong. Could be as simple as not being educated and prepared. I have hunting,fished,camped, been outdoors for many years, i know my limits and what i need to survive.With the few corrects items you can survive indefinately.
To me, he wanted to go on a quest , weather it was to prove something or not. Things went wrong, due to his lack of preperation or education or arrogance. That is it. Writers and Hollywood could make an epic drama of someone spilling milk on the kitchen floor.
Once again i am stating tha facts i see and this is MY opion.
Yes follow your dreams. yes be passionate. Be honest. Live with integrity.Respect others
Call it a suicide, so you understand that a human being still died. Either from some psychological reason, a human being still died and people here should show respect. It’s easy to move your lips and utter stupid crap. This only shows you are heartless. Maybe this is exactly the type of people Chris McCandless was running away from.
I don’t believe it was suicide, I believe it was a combination of emotional problems, naievity, the inability to get along with people and quite a bit of ego that led to his death.
The probability that this movie will make a type of folk hero out of Christopher is what is concerning. It inevitably has from what I’ve heard. He did not know what he was doing nor what he was up against going into the Alaskan bush the way he did.
Unfortunately there have been others like him before that have given up and gone home and others that weren’t so lucky and I hope this movie will not create more. Timothy Treadwell is another example, although a bit more stupid.
Glamourizing not so smart choices is what the movie producers are good at.
if you read about this guys background you will see he trained in this type of activity…he felt he was prepared obviously….there was no suicide or mental illness…well no more than anyone else here..lol..i doubt he worked 24/7 at McDonalds for that college money he supposedly gave to charity..oops bet someone wasn’t too happy their hard earned money went to fund someones vacation in hawaii…as for burning money,why not burn your own clothes and backpack too…how stupid..as for getting away from the rat race and all the violence i believe it does help to go into the wild and shoot a poor unarmed squirrell…oh yea it also helps to capture all that on film too for spiritual posterity…anyway…if the writers intention was to show the way NOT to survive on your own then my hat goes off to him..
suppose it’s only fair to add the guy might have been pretty cool,who knows…i hope we all realize we’re most likely commenting on the writers twist to it all and hollywood…which in itself is also a thought pattern worthy of comment
As i read you all arguing over whether or not Chris is a hero or a fool. I feel i must tell you that you are both correct. Christopher Johnson Mccandless was a fool. Unprepared and fataly arrogant about his ability to survive the Alaskan wilderness. Alexander Supertramp was a hero. Brilliantly courageous and inspiration to many as well as myself. The paradox that was the life of this unique man is what makes him great and greatly flawed simultaneously. I believe the struggle between his will to live and to die became one and the same. The only place he knew that this battle would finally be fought and won was in the Alaskan wilderness. Yes he phsically died and one would assume that death prevailed. Along this journey to death his spirit was liberated from all that bound him to this world. I suspect most of us will never in our lives be so free. Death did not prevail beacause the freedom of spirit that this man experienced now lives on in all the souls of us who dare to believe his journey had purpose. thank you for this gift Christopher “Alexander Supertramp”Mccandless.
Well, there really isnt a lot that I can add to the eloquent things that have been said already, but I must say that I admire Chris’s quest.
Perhaps if people could be happy with the simple pleasures of life, but our society is all about more.
Bless the people who can get past that idiotic materialism and find meaning in nature, solitude and simplicity.
The happiest days of my life were when I was a broke student in college, and a good meal and a cheap glass of beer meant something.
The fact is that both the book and the movie has “romanticized” this guys death, every single day, people die doing things that they shouldn’t because of lack of experience or lack of judgement (which McCandless proved a lack of either) and other than an obit or a short story in their local paper, no one really hears about it.
I lived in Anchorage when his body was found and as I said before, the people who lived and worked in the area had no respect for this guy, he died thats it, he is not a hero.
As far as some of the posts stating that he is was a survivor and he died “beating” the system, well he died for sure, but what did he beat??????? Remember, he died and he died for nothing and he was less than 20 miles from the major north-south highway in the state
The more I read about this hero-worship about someone who failed, the more it disgusts me.
I also was moved by Chris’s story. Speaking as a middle aged man who once upon a time had grandious dreams but gave it up for the 9 to 5 American Dream I give him credit for at least having the balls to become Alexander Supertramp. I think everyone has an Alexander Supertramp in them but only a small handfull have the spirit to let him out for a walk.
Sometimes you have to find yourself before you can find anything else.
McCandless might not have left home to find a cure for Cancer, but his quest was genuine.
He was searching for himself and if he was still alive today he would have achieved many more things than most ever will in their entire lives.
He was planning on getting out of there and continuing his life. All he wanted to do was get away.
How much more beautiful can his story get?
Eric D and Amy, Thank you.
I get a little fed up with all the hard assed Alaskans who constantly ridicule McCandless.
They motor out into the sticks on their quads, with enough food to feed an army, and armed to the teeth. Then they brag about what studs they are to anyone who will listen. None of them seem to have any compassion toward this guy. To understand Chris, you have to start with compassion.
Just remember , a large rifle, sometimes there are things out there that are larger than you and wanna eat ya!!!
I am a college student and have dreamed of living the life of solitude and adventure my entire life. I am not meant for this world we live in today. Thank you Chris for the inspiring tales that restore my motivation to follow my dreams, wherever they may take me.
It wasn’t emotional problems that drove him into a life of adventures. It was spirit, youth, sense of adventure, invinciblity. Chris was so passionate about what his was doing and reaching his goals. You can’t find passion like that behind a desk. Truly inspiring…a story that needs to be told down the generations.
Only a fool would admire a man for jumping from a cliff only to die for it whether he meant to end his life or not.
Only an idiot would follow in his footsteps.
Only a fool would make broad, sweeping comments and self-proclaim them as the truth. Only an idiot would subscribe to such egotistical delusions as the truth.
Question: why didn’t Christopher walk 400 meters south of the trail and see the tram that would have allowed him to cross the river and get out of the bush? I mean wouldn’t it have made sense to walk at least a litte upstream and downstream to check out the situation rather than just hiking back the 10 miles to the bus unless he didn’t really care to cross the river. The fact that he stayed at the bus and seemingly did not try or didn’t die trying to get back suggests that he didn’t want to leave all that much especially if his true character was like in the Hollywood movie — so strong and robust, cross-country runner etc. I can’t help but to think there is a significant contradiction between the character in the Hollywood movie and a character that would have rotted in a bus rather than trying to get back (unless he ate poisonous berries of course and his his health quickly deterioted and that was a mistake that cost him his life). Otherwise, starvation is not a quick death and he would have had opportunity to at least try to get back and walk the 400 meters south of the Stampede trail.
oh, well I don’t think this one will ever make sense….
maybe those closest to him know in their hearts Chris’s mindset and have insight into why he acted as he did and made the decisions he made… I am now officially done my research on this matter as there really doesn’t seem to be anymore revealing information on it….. (the rest is hype like Christopher wanted to get away from… ironic again, ha,ha
when he got back to the bus after not crossing being able to cross the river he wrote in his diary that he was scared and lonely yet he didn’t try to hike back and explore 400 meters to each side of the stampede trail. Then after many more days he got really weak and eventually died. Sounds like he was depressed and hence didn’t try to get back to civilization because he had a lot more opportunity to get back then is usually pointed out. Can’t help but to think this points in the direction of suicide. Sorry, many probably won’t like this view but based on the facts we know (and not speculation and emotional hype), this sounds like what happended.
the people that think chris was selfish, are stupid and have no real thought about how to live a life full of truth and happiness.
I was struck by two things when I read the book. Chris Mccandless must have been a pretty special guy. It seems everyone he met along the way was very affected by him. What really touched me about the story was the relationships he made on his journey. That’s what took hold of me emotionally. It was a struggle though, because on the flip side was his relationship with nature. As an Alaskan, my knee-jerk reaction was the same as all the other alaskans that you hear from on these boards. In my mind I was calling him all the same names that you’ve already heard.
I live in a small village on the bering sea coast of Alaska. Most of us hunt and pick berries in the summer. A large percentage of my village gets some sort of government assistance. Without that government assistance many families would not be able to eat. I’m lucky enought to have a pretty good job out here so I can afford to go out and be with nature, whether its out on the sea or on the tundra. At $5.35 a gallon for fuel its almost getting to where people out here can’t afford to get out there. People who don’t understand will say “Get up and walk out there.” I’ve read people who don’t understand what its like blast us and call us lazy for using boats or snowmachines to get to where the game animals are. The thing is, its not like it used to be. 4 generations ago, my relatives were nomadic. They followed the animals. Living off the land is not an existence where you have the luxury of living in one geographic location.
Through the year I am able to eat moose, fish, ducks, berries, greens, and many other foods that come directly from nature. But I also eat fried chicken and drink diet pepsi. Things are not like they used to be and they never will be again. I understand part of what drove Chris because I used to feel very similarly when I was younger. When I was able to accept that we live in THIS world TODAY I was able to find some sort of peace for the part of me that cried out for the way things WERE.
Most of us didn’t know Chris McCandless. For some reason many of us feel very strongly about who he was and what he did. So strongly that perfect strangers on anonymous boards like this one fight and bicker and call each other horrible names. Chris McCandless died. That’s all. He didn’t die because he was an idiot. He didn’t die because he wanted to. He died because he was unlucky. Generations ago my relatives lived totally off the land. They grew up hunting and fishing and moving from site to site looking for their next meal. They knew how to do it. They grew up doing it. But MANY of them died of starvation. Many of them. The things is, people, nature doesn’t care if you know what you’re doing or not. Nature doesn’t care if your intentions are pure and noble. If you are searching for a greater truth. Nature just is.
Well I am not here to argue with anyone but I have been out in the cold and spend many weeks in nature, without modern conveniences but to answer your question no. I have not been in Chris McCandless’s exact position because I would not allow myself to be put in that position. When I hunt, fish, and spend time in nature it is not a foolish spur of the moment thing. I plan for weeks at a time. I take good maps of the area, proper clothing, sleeping, and camping materials and I know how to skin a animal and preserve it if I must. Always bring salt along for the preservation. But I also bring plenty of dry food and bagged food. But I am not here to prove to you I can survive because I have but it seems that people will believe what they choose to believe. Sean Penn and Hollywood made a movie and all of a sudden a disturbed kid is a heroic figure for others to model after. I guess it takes all kinds to make up the world. But the truth is much more depressing and sad than all you Chris McCandless followers will ever admit. Your hero was a fool! He died needlessly and he was no friend of nature. He poached a beautiful animal and wasted it. He had no respect for nature. What McCandless did was either the actions of a desperately mentally ill man or the actions of a stupid, arrogant, person. So am I cruel. I ask the board this question. Am I cruel. I say nature was much more crueler to Chris McChandless. All of you who follow this sad soul need to understand that Chris did not die a peacful and blissful life as the movie would have you believe. You read up on starvation and what it does to the body. It’s not a fast death nor is it painless. That is why I feel McCandless was mentally ill. I can’t imagine a human being allowing themself to die without trying to save themselves. Toward the end hunger does make you not want to do nothing but hunger is a strong desire and he had to have feelings, early on in his starvation, to get out and find food but he refused to do so! That speaks of horrible arrogance or terrible mental illness. I feel sorry for all who think Chris McCandless was anything mroe than a tragic fool. Good Day.
First of all it’s a movie and it is told in biased of both the books author and the movie producers. Even though into the wild is more factual than those famous “based on a true story” movies that sale so much in hollywood it is still a dramatization of Chris McCandless life. I can point to one outright lie in the movie right now. The movie proclaims Chris had eaten poision berries and died because of the plants. No poisions were found in Chris McCandless body. The official cause of Death was starvation. I am sure Chris was a super nice kid and many probally did like him but Chris McCandless did not die because he was unlucky. If you die in a plane crash that is being unlucky. Some times if you die in a car crash thats unlucky. If you try and fly a plane without the training that is stupid. If you drink and drive thats stupid. I don’t know if Chris McCandless was mentally ill, I think he was, but if he was not mentally ill he was stupid. My last comment on this board is above. It seems like people believe in stupid things and believing in Chris McCandless as some one with a higher purpose is a stupid thing to believe. Chris is dead, his parents are forever tortured, and no good what so ever came of it. But the fools in this world will continue to paint a pretty picture out of a tragedy. Instead of trying to figure out where they missed Chris’s mental illness they try make him and his plight into some God like meaning. Perhaps it is guilt that causes people to do this. There guilty because they did not see the utter hopelessness and mental anguish of Chris but what ever it is it does not help others who might suffer his same plight. This is a tragedy not a heroic quest. Stop painting it as anythinge else. Good Day, and Good Bye.
It is funny how people believe something because it is in writting or in a book. They even believe it more when it is in a movie and called a biography or a “true story”. In many cases the definition of truth is very liberal. Good Day, and Good Bye.
“if you want something in life reach out and grab it”
I think chris lived his life following this sentence and that’s what is so amazing about this story. Life is too short to spend it on nothing.
This story made me change my life and follow my dreams. For some its mountain climbing or sky diving but for him it was alaska and i admire him for conquering his dreams. Its something that most of people will never conquer. Sean Penn did absolutely great job with this film but I’m not sure that was right thing to do, i think chris wouldn’t have wanted film companies to make millions with his death.
He made many mistakes by hurting his relatives but his purpose was pure and great and that’s worth of admiring him.
the guy wanted to go to alaska..who cares..what else is there to say..i want to go to the grocery store…i think i will…maybe i’ll get a book
joe (mike)(whoever you are)
Had the story been totally fiction, I would have been “touched” in the same way, not necessarily agreeing with all and admiring all. The story just simply enhanced or added to my current thoughts about my life, the choices I make, the mistakes I make, the chances I take, the fun I have, that not so fun I have, the challenges I face, my “headiness”, the people I meet, the sometimes difficulties I have with relationships, and on and on…I choose to admire this young person.
Who the fuck are you to say this young man, Christopher, was not very intelligent. I think you are not very intelligent to judge this person. Do you want someone to judge you’re life based on intelligence? I bet if there was a contest – you’d lose mother humper, because you suck.
He did the best he could, and was searching a battle you simple mind probably couldnt understand, lame-ass.
And you are a bad person to think otherwise.
I’ve got a bus in Alaska that I want to sell timeshares to.
Very nice, it was brought up here by homesteaders in the 70s and only has one window missing. The woodstove is cracked on the bottom but if you put a pan underneath it will catch the ashes. There is a bed frame but no bed, no toilet facilities, but you can build an outhouse. It’s really a very nice old school bus that is a fixer upper. There are only two small streams and a few lakes that you have to cross in the winter to get to it. Summers are no good because there are too many bogs and swollen streams to cross.
Only 600.00 a week for this vacation of a lifetime.
Live the way you dream! Come to Alaska!
In 1980 I was him. I felt the same way and had plans to travel to Alaska with a friend and live off the land. We were experienced campers and hikers and knew hunting and fishing. By 82 the dream was still there but reality had set in. My friend decided he was no longer interested and we went our seperate ways. In 1986 I did make it to CO & CA. During that trip of nearly a year I lost 30lbs. I also worked, had my own apartment and paid the insurance and registration on my pickup. I know it’s not the same as living off the land. It was the best I could do at the time. Toward the end I often thought of just turning north to Alaska. Deep down I knew my plan was suicide if I did it alone and unprepared. A book by Jack London or books on survival do not tell the whole story. You need training to survive. I had far more than Chris and I knew it wasn’t enough. Yes he made it 182 days. He is now dust. The pioneers and mountain men of years past were used to a hard life. They knew how to hunt and store food. They knew trapping and had the skills to survive. Chris didn’t. He was 24 for crying out loud. Yes he may have had a happy life to that point. Who can say if he had survived what his life would be like now? I am sorry but he was foolish. If you are going to do something like this do it right.
Lisa Warren, It is quite interesting how people turn to profanity to criticize someone’s comments or knowledge. Mike’s comments were pretty much on the nose.
Jason, as an Alaskan I respect your comments, however your ancestors had far more knowledge than Chris. They spent far longer than 182 days in the wild before they starved to death. Most did not. Most of the ones who did were incapable of helping themselves.
I realize that Chris spurned civilization. However even the mountain men knew they had to learn what to do or die. One of the first things most did was to erect cabins. They also made sure to do it near game trails. Again knowledge is the key. If Chris really wanted to survive and was not foolish he would have at the very least stayed in Fairbanks for several months and learned all he could.
From mike “The movie proclaims Chris had eaten poision berries and died because of the plants. No poisions were found in Chris McCandless body. The official cause of Death was starvation”
He obviously died from starvation, however, there is always the possibility that on top of the starvation, he ingested berries, seeds or whatever that caused major gastrointestinal upset not related to toxicity , in which he made an association…smart logical think process whether right or wrong.
I refuse to eat black lentils, they tear my stomach apart “big time”, at least that’s my assumption. Perhaps at the same time I had eaten the lentils a stomach “flu” bug was stirring within….I will never no, but no more black lentils for me.
For that matter, on top of starvation, he was physically stressed that in the end made him more vulnerable (immunocompromised) to in laymans’ terms to a “stomach bug”. Once I had the flu…was off work for 4 days not wanting to eat or drink (lost 10#). Before that I was a person that proudly proclaimed I never called out sick to work. Can’t image starving and coming down with a bug or adverse reaction to something at the same time.
Because it was written and turned into a movie, people believe that a person is something special, above all others and what they did was perfect. That bus is not a shrine, it was a trap and a coffin for a young man that did not know what he was doing. If that bus hadn’t been there Chris might not have found living off of the land quite so “comfortable” and he probably wouldn’t have stayed long enough to die. He would have gone back to civilization as I’m sure he planned as he always did before from what I’ve read. When I hear or see comments written the people want to make a “treck” to that bus it blows me away.
People are so weird, they turn someone into an icon that did nothing but go out and die. People do that every day, if you want to make an icon out of a dead person, please make sure that their life actually made a difference to people and were a good example to follow.
The author of the book is doing a good job of making money off of gullible people, isn’t that supposedly one of the reasons Chris left mainstream society? The movie stands in the same category, Sean Penn and the movie company are doing pretty well from their exploitive movie.
A book and especially a movie are partially fact but mostly fiction to fill in the missing information that is there. Would Chris have wanted people making bookoo bucks off of his “quest”? I think not.
He was not an icon he was just a regular joe, and had done a whole lot less that many people who didn’t die for their scoffing of society. And he probably would have told you the same thing himself had he lived.
The people who feed into this are the ones that Chris McCandless loathed.
You like the book = You are an idiot
You like the movie = You are an idiot
You take interest in the story= You are an idiot
You relate to the “story” = You are an idiot
Thank God (or some higher being) I am an idiot.
I guess I will keep on being an idiot for who knows what movie/story will surface next that I just happen to like whether fact or fiction or mixture of both.
Why didn’t Christopher find the tram just south of where he couldn’t cross the river but rather hike back 10 miles to the bus, where he lived for about another 42 days and reportedly not try again? It seems like he didn’t want to leave the bush eventhough right after he got back from not being able to cross he recorded he was so scared, lonely, depressed etc. There is no further mention of him trying to leave rather he decided to stay at the bus. I am sure this is baffling to anyone with a stable mindset. It seems like he committed suicide and I see many others agree which is shocking given that suicide is considered one of the most extreme acts a person can committ (obviously). I think that fact that so many people believe he essentially committed suicide says a lot. Hollywood has only sensationalized the story to sell it as it often does. To me this is mostly a sad story stemming from a past of personal and family problems. At least the movie showed how painful and sad it was for him in the end because I think that really did represent his mindset (full of pain, suffering and confusion that he was trying to cleanse and fix but unfortunately he couldn’t. Oh, unless he did at the very end like the movie shows in that vision in his last breath hugging his parents. Of course, just a moment after that he would hopefully have gone to heaven anyway and all his pain gone as well. RIP Note: I am not blaming him for essentially committing suicide but rather just expressing my view that it looks like he did. Of course, this is a hard pill to swallow as suicide is beyond comprehension for everyone except the most distressed and lonely people.
Ok this is really my last comment. Anonymous I see your point but nothing you have said refutes the autopsy which states no toxins were found in his system. Now perhaps some toxins dissapear rather quick? I don’t know but I would think Medical Professionals would have thought of dissapearing toxins before their official reports. So barring dissapearing toxins I can only conclude the Medical Examiners correct in their diagnosis. Chris died from starvation and not poisioning. No proof of poisioning exist. This is a false assumption made by the movie to partially excuse Chris’s behavior or lessen the pain for his family. Again I say no one, no matter how much they try to claim they do, learns anything from Chris’s death. It teaches us nothing, it accomplishes nothing, it makes no statement other than death. Chris’s action was that of an irrational person and they were stupid actions. Now Chris was bright in the college sense but very inept in common sense. Again I think he was mentally ill and this contributed to his death. I don’t know what to think if he was not mentally ill. His actions really are horribly stupid if he was sane. Good Day, Mike.
Well Mow you can choose to like Chris, in fact I like the kid portrayed in the movie and the book. I am sad that he died. However liking Chris should not equate with approving a bad decision. Have you read some of the comments by the cult like followers on here? These are people, who likely never knew the kid, but believe he did some great thing? Chris died! He Died. He did not die trying to save some one else, or trying to stop poaching, or any other great noble deed. He simply died! He was a tragic figure. His parents were flawed people but they loved him and they will suffer forever. His sister suffers. Yet some of these loons see a positive in Chris’s death. The only positive one takes from this story is to make sure you know how to live in the wild before you go in to the wild. I just despise weak minded cultish idiots who are so desperate for meaning they cling to a sad, desperate, and mentally distressed kid like Chris McCandless. Those same kind of cultish people drunk the coolaid at Jonestown. Their fools and I believe a sane Chris McCandless would say the same. By the way My name is Mike.
Wow! amazing to read peoples thoughts on this matter I watched the movie and right away I knew that it was going to be rather boring but I figured there was going to be some great epiphany or some awesome revelation at end that would relate from the culmination of of chris mccandless journey that would shed some illumination into societies plight. I was grevously dissappointed what he suffered thru and ultimately lost his life to ascertain( to be happy happiness has to be shared) most of us learned by the time we were six years old. Chris was very well educated and obviously an avid reader what took his life to realize he could have read in books he could have studied phylosophy, religion, culture. If he was God fearing he could have found real answers in the bible. Jesus sermon on the mount at Matthew chapter 5 out lines what true happiness is and how to attain it. King Solomon said at Ecclesiastes 12:13 that the whole obligation of man is to keep fear God and keep his commandments. I admire Chris Mccandles Idealism and courage to pursue his convictions and I reserve no judgements against him. However what was frustrating to me was not what he did or how he did it, but istead two things…The sensless demise of human life one that showed much promise and could have been a benefit to society. And the Idolofication and glorification of this young mans death by onlookers. Chris Ideals were ill conceived and his preparation for the task was even worse. Whats frightning is that we have a whole horde of people who admire and are willing to follow a bad example people who actually see him as hero and Idolize him. Chris set out to live off the land in the Alaskan Bush and failed he only survived 113 days and met his demise at a violent end. He did not acomplish his goal and the masses consider this a worthy example to follow? There are others who were and are successful are not these worthy examples to follow? I always thought the wise course of action was to pattern ourselves after those example who are successful. What cost chris his life is common knowlege to most people. It is said that you judge a wise man by how he lived his life and what he leaves behind to grow well it seems that chris made a lot of mistakes and left nothing but folly in his wake. He shared very little and what ever knowlege he gained he took with him thereby nullifying his journey giving it no credence and making it of no consequence. But feel free to follow your passions by all means I entreat you pack a 10 pound bag of rice grab your rifle and journey to the Austrailian Outback or the African Sahara or even the Alaskan bush in the pursuit of enlightenment and self reliance what do I care if you’re successful or you perish. One thing is for certain what ever knowlege, epiphany, revelation or ensight you have found I probably all ready know it and if I don’t I have an alternative method of aquiring it. There are a lot of questions to be asked here a lot!!! regarding this story.
I am French and sorry in advance for my English, but I just want to say something about the story of Christopher Johnson McCandless.
Be respectful of his decision of leaving this society where profits stand for the ultimate target. Do we are really happy in this word in which we need constantly to laugh with liars, hypocrisies, stress and so on…If one can fully agree with that way of life, then you are a great actor of the modern society or I should say a fake world without real friends but just opportunists too much often.
I read some awful comments about him. Is it really necessary to criticize his decision to leave into the wild? This man tried to find happiness he probably found in contemplation of huge landscapes and the pure world of nature, without need of material and ownership. He was unfortunately certainly unprepared for Alaska’s bush and it was not a pleasing WE of fish or a mushroom trek for him but a radical immersion into the wild without human boundaries and laws except the ones of nature.
Please, consider this story as a way to make a reflection about human conditions and your own condition. Do you spend your life to do something you wanted to do? Do you enjoy in it or you just survive in this world?
Some says McCandless died of his inexperience or an unaware suicide. I think he was aware of both and let him go in the way the nature decided. He was probably trying to stay alive and afraid by death but he was also determined to accomplish his goal.
He probably let him died because nobody wanted to share his mind and life. Is there an interest to live alone a long time or just having an exciting life for a short ride?
I do not know why he stopped contacting his family and one does not know as well. Family relations are not the same everywhere. Consequently, one should not have any judgment about this.
I got the highest school degree few times ago and I am now, not afraid to go into the wild, but afraid to live in this modern world where I will have to “battle” everyday of my life to gain what? Nothing indispensable while opening my eyes and my heart.
Finally, I would like to say “the things you own will finish by owning you”.
And please, consider the nature, you come from it!
.
Yes, there is no doubt Christopher had a tremendous zeal for nature and especially Alaska but giving your life for 100 days of it is not ideal and however twisted his mind was I believe he could have found an alternative way of finding whatever he was looking other than basically committing suicide…… (well the only other option is that he was destined to committ suicide and I do not like to think anyone is born into this world to do so and that there is always away to avoid it).
did Christopher have any close friends other than the hippies in the movie that he met shortly before his death? There doesn’t seem to be any reported and he wasn’t keeping in contact with even his family? So he was making a statement that he didn’t need anyone or anything but nature to survive. NO thanks! Well, this is consistent with his revealation that he recored in his diary — happiness only with sharing. This was a revealation to him because it was so contradictory to his way of thinking and loneliness (otherwise, it wouldn’t have been such a revealation to him occurring only in his last breath). The fact that sharing your life with other human beings was an ephipany to him reflects on his extreme abnormal thinking (of course happiness can only be found by sharing your life and experiences with others! Sad that it got to the point that the only life around him turned out to be game that he desparetly tried to kill! Not nature as I like it and I have hiked very near the location where he died. No, Alaska is magnificient when you respect and appreciate it and at the same time respect your own life that is a gift!
Saw the movie, did a little research on Chris and his short life and tragic death but, I hardly find him influencial or heroic.
Why? because for everythig you do there should have a reason behind it. I can’t think of one good reason why he did what he did, if he wanted to prove something to himself whatever it was, it wasn’t worth his life.
He was a nice guy who wanted to live free and unfortunately he wasn’t smart enough to survive. His death didn’t prove anything, his story doesn’t teach anything or help anybody, there is no lesson here.
You want heros? look for all these young soldiers who risk their lives for their country, most of them don’t have a clue why they are there. They kill or get killed without knowing for sure if what they do is right or wrong, all they know is that they are asked to do a job for their country and they do it.
Now here is a guy who lived by himself in Alaska that is worthy of real praise!…..Dick Proenneke……http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsfB6oJ55wM
Well, I know that many of you guys think that the adventure of Christopher was selfish, unprepared, etc. But if you think a little, you will understand why did he did that, and why did he fight for it till the end of his days.
Happiness is something that we MUST seek, and each of us will reach it with different objectives. He had this objective, and he made it become real… I’ve read here somewhere that he had been selfish for his fathers and nhanhanhanha, etc. Why??? He just lived his life tha way he want, don’t you think that selfish was to keep “this” mind at home sitting in his ass??? We cannot choose our sons, we must not possess them, beacause they have their own thoughts and ideas… We must let them live, and of course if my son would take drugs and that shit’s, i would talk to him about it and try to explain him that it isn’t good for him… Another thing that we must had in conscience is that he was no stranger to freedom. He know what he was doing and what was it about…he READ TOLSTOI and understand it god dammit. How many of you can say that you read a book of Tolstoi and better, that you understand it…LESS!
One of the greatest mind of the 20th century…
You don’t belong to anyone, just to your own spirit and who ever try to take it from you, i hope you have balls to say goodbye to that person…
i think i’l read me some o that toadstool you mentioned and git me some o them there smarts…thank ya kindly
Wow I have had an ephipany! I think I’ll abandon my family and two kids to chase my ideals. Screw em, they can fend for themselves. What a loser this idiot was. Hardly worthy of praise of any type. But hey there is Hollywierd to take us on an epic adventour INTO THE WIERD.
You are all a bunch of assholes on this board. In fact, it’s this very nature of being that Chris wanted to get away from.
We have freewill to choose our own destinies. I wish many of you would go “into the wild” and starve yourselves to death.
Fucking pricks.
Of course his journey is selfish. It was for HIM. It wasn’t for his mother, father or sister. He didn’t love his sister any less. He went out because he felt compelled to do so. He made some errors but he was only 22 when he left. He was a budding adult learning his way in the world and he had already figured out that regular, hipocritical society was not for him. Kudos to anyone who acts on their dreams. I am to scared to act on mine and I will suffer the end of my days for it but Chris gives me hope that the human race has a chance.
Not all people feel the need to act in order to make others feel good. It is not necessary. If you love someone, they know it. If it is fake love or affection, they know that as well wether they will admit it or not.
Hi to smart people, those who have a brain !
If you feel something special in you once you have seen the movie, tell us your feeling. We are here to dream together about a pure life.
If you are here to critize without any vocabulary and sense, Please, keep far away from here any judgment, just shut up forever.
Thank you.
to Mike 398
I made no comment with regard to toxins in his body.
On top of starvation, you can have an awful reaction to something, reaction being major gastrointestinal upset—- causing severe diarrhea leading to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, mental status changes, cardiac effects, etc……..double whammy when you are already starving to death and experiencing similar type effects. I would suspect the possibility of some wild plant substance could cause such similar effects as some medications do.
Just because you have an awful GI reaction to something does not mean a tox screen is going to come up positive.
to Mike 399
Not that it matters, but I understand what you are saying. I do not equate my liking him to agreeing with all that he did, just some parts I can relate to….
Will always be careful in the wild.
i think this here feller was right on…forget this fancy pants redneck violent society…c’mon out n shoot yerself a squirrell..it’l make ya forget about all that there violence
Reading all the anger in people’s emails and nasty words to each other leads me to think that one camp disagrees with the way Christopher basically killed himself and the other is upset because they don’t feel this is a valid reason for others to disapprove of his actions. As much as I think he basically killed himself, I also think he felt extremely alone and unhappy (anywhere except in the bush by himself) I do not blame him but rather feel sorry that he died so young and terribly. What a miserable death he had, slowly annd knowingly being destroyed by starvation. RIP
the other message that many of these emails are saying is Christopher had the freedom to do as he liked including killing himself and I guess the other camp can never really argue against this single point… and the debate goes on and on and always will on this matter….. yes, everyone, he did have the right to take his own life, you are absolutely correct! (However, I consider mine a gift and will do every thing I possibly can to preserve it. While at the same time experiencing great adventures such as when I went to Alaska and hiked, seeing Grizzly bears in the wild upclose etc. ) Wow, it was awesome! But trust me I took precautions as I (like everyone else should) know there was serious risks. Actually, it wouldn’t have been surprising to me if Christopher would have been killed by a bear but then again he did have his rifle that would have scared all but the most aggressive bears. My understanding is that most of the bears in the Denali National Park area are not to accustomed with people and therefore quit shy and therefore a rifle shot or 2 would have scared them off. Although I think if he would have been there any longer into late September when the temperature plummits then there might have been some more aggressive and desperate bears that knew they needed to gain weight for hibernation or otherwise probably not make it through the nasty and very long Alaskan winters (September is also the time when Timothy Treadwell was killed by a bear in Alaska after having survived many summers there but always leaving a couple weeks earlier. Timothy did not have a rifle and never did carry one.
I was really inspired by Chris McCandless. He traveled to Alaska because he was an individual. I think Chris felt that he didn’t want to have to rely on society to make decisions for him.
While some people say that Chris was searching for himself, Carine McCandless says that’s not true. “Chris knew exactly who he was,” she says. “He was searching for a place in this world that he fit into, where he could be true to himself. He was searching for truth, purity, honesty. He was searching for the things that he didn’t experience in his childhood.”
did he find himself in that bus..seems to me it doesn’t take going to alaska and living in a bus to look within or find solitude to look within..does it to you…or does rebellion and anger with a little ego mixed in(hence the pictures for later) make more sense…seems obvious that abusing money,abusing family cleary points to one thing
I’ve read a lot about this young man and as is typically the case the movie is an exercise in melodramatics. I don’t think anyone really knew him. In his youth he seems to have had the kind of unfettered zeal that draws more questions than answers. His quest didn’t seem to have a purpose other than to meet his own need to exist. Unlike most of us, I have to believe that he didn’t think it was important to leave anything of value behind. He isn’t a hero because in the end he didn’t really accomplish anything.
Dear T–,
Do you accomplish something of your life that could inspire a movie? I don’t think so.
A good book and a good movie talk about him even after his death but it won’t be the case for you.
Actually, you say McCandless was nothing but you, who you are?
Is your life better?
McCandless wanted to be away from people like you as I try to be !
I too journeyed into the wilderness, spent 6 months on the Appalachian Trail and then lived in the Shasta Trinity National forest. I faced some dangerous situations and could also have made a mistake–thank God I had my dog with me to take care of and ground me.
I feel Chris had a strong “life wish,” a wish to live, feel and ultimately, forgive, love and be united with humanity.
This movie asks me to look at my life: Am I leaning a little too far in the attachment to habit, routine and material concerns? Am I nourishing my spirit? What resonates for you? Have you gone too far in the other direction? Even an astronaut wants to return to earth and share in humanity’s hopes and dreams about space. “This is Ground Control to major Tom.”
There is a poem about a person who has a terrible thirst and will travel miles for water. The thirst is compared to love, which people will travel miles for to get just a little taste. I believe Chris had that thirst in his soul and was searching for the medicine that would enable him to find that within himself; forgive; and come home.
His story now reminds me of Hamlet, who felt betrayed by his father, troubled by his mother and was accused of madness. Hamlet who was young like Chris and in Existential crisis. Another Shakespeare quote: “He loved not wisely but too well.”
Does anyone detect a note of jealousy in that often quoted article from the Alaskan ranger? We were about the same age, he says, starting the article by comparing himself to Chris. “I did everything right, everything careful, I follow the proper rules” he seems to be saying. “And now he gets all the attention.”
It’s admirable for this ranger to work hard to make his dream of a particular lifestyle he wants come true.
But to me it is just so much more appealing that Chris was striving not for a particular lifestyle, but a soul purpose of truth and authentic living.
Why should this ranger compare himself to Chris, when their motivations are different?
Do you have something negative to express? Is it perhaps because you too have been selfish all your life and you finally have a self to say so?
“What is a cynic but a dissapointed idealist.”
“Find your bliss.”
Chris McCandless, Rest in peace, Noble Prince.
To B mol
I tell you what B mol in response to your response to (T) Her lfie as well as everyone eslses lives is worth being recorded for the simple fact that we all struggle and put up a hard fight to function & contribute to a better society while understanding it’s ills. There are plenty of ordinary everyday people who lead extraordinary lives doing the the simplest of things and over coming obstacles and making sacrifices to bennifit others as well as themselves, it’s just not highlighted and reveal to the masses in such melodramatic fashion. I know plenty of people who have endured many things and persevered thru it all with their humanity in tact. I tell you most certainly the world isn’t perfect and therefore society isn’t perfect and never will be ( but what’s the alternative) but it is what is and as live in it we have a choice weather or not to accept it’s ills or adapt and be refined by our expiriences a let them mold & shape us into better human beings.
This refinement process builds strength of character and moral fortitude. All who choose refinement help build better families & better families build better societies. It takes courage knowlege and determination to be of good character and moral fiber amidst a decaying moral decadent society that is corupt. How does one know who they are and what their potential is? Like Chris these things must proven to ourselves or tested as to weather it is so. That being said there must be contrast where there is light there is darkness and where there is good there badness. Society is the contrast or refiner and we are it’s neutral subjects ( we have a choice) the good that is taught or not taught is the measuring stick. Those who measure up to it…well their in lies your heros!!!
So (T”S) life and anyone who lives up to the true standard of goodness who have their character and moral chasteness tested and proven by this wicked society deserves to have a movie or a book produced in their behalf.
TO: b mol
TO Jim
Yes that is the person I was thinking of ( Dick Proenneke) he lived in Alaska for 30+ years in the wild. This is a man who was very successful at self reliance away from society…but where is the praise & glory for him where is the movie & book deal. An example whorthy of imitation doesn’t even get an honorable mention, instead is left to obscurity. Why????????
the ranger (s) are saying that there are thousands upon thousands who have done what Christhopher has did but lived because they took a few extra precautions such as bringing a basic map and maybe even a compass! Without, Christopher couldn’t really have left the roadway and ventured off it because he would have probably have gotten lost in the vast Alaskan terrain. Christopher was confined to the road and was lucky (or unlucky some might say) to find the bus because his tent was crappy and not sufficient for the climate. Did he know about the bus from a local. He stayed in Fairbanks for 2 days and I am sure everyone there would have know about it. Certainly it is possible that he knew about the bus before going down the old roadway known as the Stampede trail. Correction: many many, many have way outdone his acts by living in the wilderness and hiking in it and finding their way and exploring it rather than hking down an old roadway and staying in an old bus. Sorry to be frank but I think what I have said is true and only based on the basic facts and events that occurred.
Thousand and thousand people went into the wild but how many gave their life’s saving ($24,000) for a gift.
How many did walk across the US during two years?
May be, we do not need a map, GPS, helicopter emergency to be lost into the wild?
May be Chris need that feeling to have a real adventure?
Look at his mind, what he did, what he thought. Look at the deepness of his spiritual research.
Everybody can go into the wild, walk, camp, kill a bear, etc…
How many research a way of life as Chris among the advanturer we have here?
Be super controlled by a super achiever self centered father that considers you just an extension of his narcissistic self like an arm or a leg and then while your still trying to find a small breathing space enough to grew into a separate identity from your father’s idenity which you don’t cater to at all as a life style and then besides you find out it was all a false reality he was having you pay honor to when you discover you weren’t even born illegitimately, is enough to make most anyone feel the need to escape to find their own rebirth and like in the movie he goes through stages of maturing, rebirth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, wisdom. He did finally find a parent that cared about his feelings and needed him as a separate person but by that time he had matured enough on his own not to need nurturing. I guess some people go to head shrinkers and others fly over the cukoo nest. Chris took to the wilderness and yes it was that painful enough to need to go. He was a very sensitive person well put in the film as being like crystal but was wasn’t even considered much by his over bearing father as a human being with his own needs, feelings and desires. Emotionally he felt like his parents, particularly his father was sitting on him to the point he was unable to breath and grow. I know I’ve been there and it doesn’t get better until your able to escape. Forever!
given his resources his journey was restricted to the stinky bus and roadway otherwise his chances would have been almost zero to explore the seemingly limitless Alaskan wilderness as he would have probably got lost, froze, starved sooner because no stove in the bus and shelter, etc. Maybe Christopher had enough sense to know this and that is why he stayed in the stinky bus and on the roadway rather than exploring more remote areas. I think the stampede trail is one of the more travelled paths especially in the winter for snowmobiles and especially because it is so close to the town of Denali that is the prime tourist spot in Alaska and right off the main highway.
life can get rough…anyone will agree…do you take it out on your sister…your mother…do you burn money rather than give it to a homeless person….was that money (24k) even his to give away?…was it ever established that he even earned that college fund money himself?…did he give away someone elses money?….some say he has a right to do with himself as he chooses and that isn’t selfish…isn’t it?…no one walks alone in this world…to try to walk alone IS selfish..it’s the purest form ..hence the word SELF-ish…anyway now for my theory…he was spoiled…got anything he wanted..was even offered money to go to a nice college..many would do anything for that opportunity…he had a huge ego and thought he could do anything and wanted to prove it…why else would he take pictures at every corner of his trip if not to come back and say “hey look at me”…can anyone say “karma”?
your right he was basically restricted to the road and the bus given he did not have a map of the area and other basic camping gear and therefore could not have hiked, camped and explored the wilderness like other campers do…
how much further does the old road known as Stampede trail go anyway or was he at the end of it?
Well, I guess he could have ventured off a bit from the road but not much or he would have risked being lost in the middle of no where… It is challenging enough even with a map and compass sometimes to find your way in the bush!
Chris died while doing what he thought that he wanted to do.
You can’t fault him for that. He didn’t do anything to be considered a hero or someone that people should model their life after.
He died for the mistakes and assumptions that he made by going out into the Alaskan bush the way that he did.
I fault Penn and what’s his name, the author of the book, for making it seem that his life was something to use as an example of how unhappy people should want to live.
Chris was basically a loner and left anyone that actually started caring about him and sort of used them for his own means when he needed to.
There are a lot of better examples of people who have lived their lives the way they wanted. The difference is that they didn’t die doing it and someone didn’t write a book about them. Someone won’t write a book about McCandless followers either. Their’s a reason they call them fans – short for fanatic –
His was just another story with a sad ending.
Some of you are really stupid monkeys with your borings comments.
You are just dead persons walking and nothing else. Please return to the school and try to get knowledges. Although, I think you won’t be smart a day.
I do not want to increase the level of the conversion. It is useless.
Ciao
I agree with comment 431 – “Summary”. Well said. I might just add that their are a lot of amazing movies documenting
people who have lived their lives the way they chose to and in a manner that was often radical and at odds with society’s conventions. Some of these movies are actually fairly accurate accounts of the real events and not too badly sensationalized in attempt to sell the movie and make a lot of money
to “anonymous”
sorry you don’t like others comments and have to critisize others comments, insist yours are correct and call people stupid monkeys. Your right such trash is useless… Why don’t you try to respect others views and just comment on the movie and topics rather than critisize others views? Do you not see what you are doing or do you have too much of a self centeredness and ego to see it or admit you are wrong in doing so…. Your attitude is poison (plain and simple)
It is amazing, we have people here who say the life of McCandless was nothing and nothing more than their own. You say there no interest to make a movie and a book of his life. He was charismatic more than most of people in this world !
I do not want to live as him but I am respectful. He did an adventurous travel and it is interesting to study his quest !
I do not want to study the quest of every common people that go to the work, home, and return to the work. I do that very well and no need to hear more about this. I cannot support the fact we can make a good movie and book with this kind of story !
It is the reason why there are a movie and a book about him !
Sean Penn, Vedder and Krakauer produced this movie not only for money as I think they have already too much.
I only find CRITICS here and no respect. American filmmakers of Hollywood and Co. produce 98% of shit and 2% of good movies, that is the case for “INTO THE WILD”. We have the opportunity of watch a good movie ad to discuss, and I only find bad critics !
All filmmakers earn lot of money with their shit ! They do not need to be inspired by a true story to do that. There are enough idiot americans and others to watch the 95 % of shit and let the filmmaker to earn lot of money.
To Anonymous
I don’t think people are disrespecting Mccandless or being critical of him per say. I think we were all shocked at the morbid waste of intelligent life that if he had lived to conclude his journey he had the possbility of fully having a much more profound effect on all who wittnessed his account. Second of all his journey was inconclusive (what did he do?) he traveled as a vagabon, he hunted game in the wild, and he died on a bus. On to my last point and here is where the perceived criticisim comes in, IT is peoples inept attempt at Idolizing Mccandless as some kind of hero that I believe is most frustrating, those are the issues that I perceive. I truly don’t believe many people have an issue with Mccandless himself but rather how we the general public have reacted to his story, because a person has the right to live their life how they choose.
I think we all can certainly admire and respect Mccandless for first having the insight to have Ideals and then having the conviction to pursue his Ideals and getting people to think about their role in society or not. We can all appreciate that.
There have been plenty of people who have done similar things some successful and some not, Buhhda, Ganhdi, Dick Proenneke, Timothy Treadwell just to name a few but all these people did much much more than Mccandless did and would have done possibly had he lived.
Heroisim to me is Shindlers List, one mans actions to save others a whole nation in fact at the most devastating and horrible time in human history
Basicly the movie and or book is an observation of the pursuit of Mccandles Ideals and the events in his life nothing more nothing less, designed to invoke thought and debate.
The movie lacked any real substance that would invoke change and substantiate that change with profound evidences.
I found that Chris McCandless has inspired me to live life to the fullest! To not live with any regrets and go day by day stewing on how much we hate someone! The book “Into The Wild”, has very much so inspired, many lives and has brought to people’s attention that we were given our lives to live, not to sit on the couch for the day doing absolutly nothing! People need to get out more and fit time in to take adventures and step out of their comfort zones! This book is an amazing story! And yes, people have their own opinions about it but here’s mine!
Thanks for you comments “Wake Up”, I appreciate your point of view because there is a feeling in it. I will try to answer you in English even if it is not my langage.
You are right, McCandless is not an example because we all want to stay alive and he died. He is not a hero and the movie does not promote McCandless as a hero I think.
(In fact, what is a hero? certainly not those “Machine gun man” embedded in Irak as I read. Most of them are engaged there because they wanted to kill Arabic and the others are poor americans without any perspectives in their life. They just needed a job and they were lucky !!! the army kindly find one for them. It is better for the american government to have them killed in Irak than as a killers of gangs in american streets.)
McCandless wanted to feel free that all we want. He was in his manner !
Everybody woulld like ot earn lot of money. How many sacrifices to get it? So much. People are nasty and they need to be opportunist to succeed in getting money. How many liars between persons at the work to get a better job in a company? a lot. Consequently, is the relation between people better? I don’t think so.
Then MacCandless gave his money because he knew that generate a “big disapointement” and misleads between people.
Do we need a big american car with a big V8 and lot of pollution with? I don’t think so. McCandless did not want a new car to respect the planet. No more car, no more pollution, etc…
Of course, we almost all want lot of money, a big luxury car, a big house,etc…but the profits destroy the planet and relations. We are all aware of that but we continue to provide our contribution in destroying the world ! unfortunately me too !
C McCAndkess wanted to be away from this world and he looks like an allien for some of writters here. He is not for me and I undestand his feeling. He was respectful for all. Be respectful for him. His action was certainly extrem that make him so charismatic. In what he did, I appreciate him because he wanted to be extemely honest with him and the others. He tried to find the hapinees in his devotion to the nature and may be he found.
The end of his life is a “contreverse” as his relation with his parents. We can not have any judgment on that point as relations in a family can be extremly difficult.
He was probably obseded and determined to accompish his action until the death. He was also certainly afraid by death as a human being and also wanted to come in the civilization he flees to share his quest. But , people mind was the same before and after his departure, so he would have found the same society. In consequence, it is possible he let him died, we can speak about a suicide, into the wild, in this world where there is no liars, no profits, just the beauty, “purity” of the nature, the contemplation…..and so many things we certainly can not feel.
I think it is reasonable to assume that Chris knew about the bus before he arrived in Alaska. I think he probably decided on that region of Alaska because he’d read about the delapidated bus on the Stampede Trail. The works of Krakauer and Penn assert that McCandless happened upon the bus as a matter of chance, but I doubt that was the case…
Sorry to disappoint,
This is Alaska you’re talking about.
There are abandoned busses everywhere! Seriously, I live here.
To everyone else…..
Live YOUR life. Not the life of a movie.
That is all.
OKay Chris went for his dream, thats great, but he didnt contact his loved ones, his sister, parents. he was trying to be happy, but was he happy when he died, did he give any happiness to any of the people he knew. his mind was full of all that “finding himself crap” . how many people leave the world to find themselves. according to me Chris was one overconfident guy, and at last when he lost all ways to go back, he wanted to leave that place, he must be very scared, it was a sad and tragic end of a beautiful life which could be enjoyed so much
Hey folks,
Well, no fence sitters here. But how about some common courtesy and mutual respect. We all can recognize something
in this “story” that reflects upon some obviously strong opinions that each person holds after reading the book or seeing the movie. But those are not nor should they be definitive. Each is the creative work of someone interpeting Chris’ life from the slimmest of information on anything other than the immediate objective facts. No one can or should judge Chris’s motivations to live the way he did. Your personal opinions are just that- personal and have squat to do with how or why he chose to have an adventure. And then lets graph it out on the “good/bad”, right/wrong. Waste of effort. And your insights are about as deep as can be expected from a generation that spends more time in cyberspace than doing anything substantial. To few of you would or could even take the chance to try a pass/fail test of your beliefs that might have such an outcome.
Sorry-now i’m getting preachy. He how about sharing insights instead of opinions.
I met “Alex” the spring of ’92 in Washington State. He was around for just a few days and was as often quiet around folks. Only once did he go into any detail about his adventures in our conversations ;and its was only when I had volunteered a story about how I ended up in the NW enroute to Alaska a couple of years earlier. He shared some about the previous times spent in the desert and how he was headed north as soon as he had rounded up his resources.
Partly as a result of this conversation, I ended up going north to seek a fishing job that summer. And after many trials and partly living off the land, I ended up living in Juneau when I wasn’t gone fishing. It was there at the Alaskan Hotel that I became familliar with the “character who lives with bears”.
In the fall when Treadwell would show up, the concensus of the caucus of bar regulars would be that Mother Nature had again missed a chance at natural selection. One of the first adjustments any one needs to make up North is that People aren’t exclusively at the top of the food chain. Mama bear can take you apart with little effort or any remorse. And death isn’t selective, but it is oppportunistic.
And Treadwell was obviously more than half a bubble off plumb. Compared to Chris- he (Treadwell- ex junkie) was getting off on the rush of survival and full of himself. He was a gambler that kept getting lucky and started to believe the bears held him in some kind of regard.
Chris was a reader- we shared an interest in Jack London. It seemed he was attracted to the idea of experiencing “nature”, living contemplatively and actively. And seemed most comfortable dealing with others one on one, or a few at a time.
I didn’t even realise that “Alex” of the book was the same person I had met. Years had passed -details get fuzzy. But I don’t forget faces and it was that color photo at the end of the movie with the red hair and the facial expression I have met dozens of people who say they are going to do something anytime now and never seem to get enough momentum to break the enertia of everyday life. I was that way up to the moment I left for Alaska. And it was partly because of his influence, that I finally did.
I have met many other folks that have had great adventures- all drawn to Alaska.
In Seattle, while visiting friends; at Pike’s Place I met two Argentines who had biked all the way north depending on the generousity of those they met and from the sales of their self-made cards of photos they had taken along the way. After a fund-raising pot-luck, they headed north to the Alcan Hiway. Later that summer in Alaska, I was introduced to a German couple who had ridden their bikes up the Alcan. Although they hadn’t met the other two they did remember seeing them. The two Argentines had distinctive collages of Christ mounted to the handle bars and thr germans were totally confused by this.
Alaska draws the dreamers and the adventurers- Jack London himself was part of the Gold Rush to the Klondike and much of his best known writing, years worth of work and income came from mining those experiences and the stories that folks shared there.
During my years up north; I survived being swept overboard, had a gaping shark’s mouth suddenly break surface below the king salmon I was trying to land from the cockpit of my fishing boat ,had a handgun pulled on me when I tried to intervene in a bad domestic scene of a neighbor, almost suffocated in an empty fish hold that a freon leak had displaced all the oxygen, and waking up below decks of a sinking fishing boat and having to find a way out in the dark with water waist high and rising.
And the other 99.9% of the time was spent alternately feeling blissed out or amused at my good fortune to live an interesting life by choice.
I also had another motive- I was ex-military and likely to be recalled. I was less than surprised that Bush Ist was willing to use our military for whatever reasons (Gulf War1) and that most of you goomers would go for it if they hit the fear buttons in the right sequence. And this was the next new big thing now the Russians were out of the cold war. I didn’t trust Clinton not to need to look tough on the job either and hey its hard to get official mail without an address.
I have a brother- a half brother as he and his sister are specific- who volunteered for service in Iraq. Do I agree-no. But I do respect that he , for the best of intentions, chose to do so. Not that it was/or will be the best use of our money and efforts to win friends and influence people in the MId-East.
Couldn’t have done a worse job, if you tried…
And any other right winger Pro-Bush should go as well. Follow up that hot rhetoric with thoughtful action. And all you Call of Duty Fans- can’t beat the real thing…
I agree with “Wake up” and just because people disagree with the way Christopher basically killed himself doesn’t mean they are being disrespectful. I mean, I think Christopher himself would agree that he would rather have avoided his miserable death… (otherwise, he wanted to die and yes we should respect that; however, absurd and seemingly wastful suicide is. I guess everyone has the choice to take their own life; although if the person is not of sound mind then I guess they arn’t and that’s were hospitals come in and medication… etc.)
If a person is not of sound mind and/or is harmful to their selves, then by law they can be constrained to a hospital and medication etc. (similar to if a person is harmful to others, homocidal etc.). Unfortunatley, many people don’t get the help they need before their are terrible consequences…..
it’s a shame he died so young and unnecessarily…..
obviously he was extremely unstable minded and lonely and didn’t get the help he needed only realizing he needed to reach out and share his life/thoughts/feelings when it was too late in his last breath. Very very sad story…..
I just watched the movie and thought it showed a young man trying to grow up and find his way and I think so many people can relate to this exactly because it was so ordinary up to the point where he launched himself into the Alaskan Range (oh, and of course, the giving away his money). When about his age I myself trekked to B.C. and lived there for over a year and have returned there many times since. I have also explored all over Alaska including locations very near where Christopher was. Most people have never been to Alaska and many havin’t even been to B.C. but they should go as they are among the most beautiful, awesome places on the planet! These locations are majestic, pristine, and offer panaromic landscapes only understood by being there. These locations represent the last frontiers on this planet where nature reigns supreme as was once the case everywhere. These locations make people humble and understand their lives better. When exploring these places just remember to take precautions and you will have an awesome time you will always cherish.
mountains and trees,snow,lakes and rivers…hmm..i’m sure it’s very scenic if you like that type of thing…not quite sure how thats going to humble me though or see my life clearer
to m:
yes, it is most difficult to explain the impact on the senses that visiting and staying within such extreme examples of nature and wilderness has on a person as I have realized when explaining to people about it who have NOT been to such places. I guess it is kind of like explaining colours to someone who is blind. It is difficult if not impossible to convey how awesome it is being there; you have to experience it and when doing so it is humbling to me and many others. Why?
I don’t know? Maybe, it is because when you are in such an environment only then it becomes obvious that we are part of nature and rely on it and subject to it (in many ways) and NOT just a part of civilian life that claims (and often succeeds) to have dominanted nature. Of course, there are some trees around and some birds in the city and patches and signs of magnificient nature and if you live out of the city and in the country then maybe you see quite a lot nature (as Alaska isn’t the only place); however, I don’t get the sense of nature until I go to a place a little more in the country rather than city…
If you are not humbled by being in a wilderness setting then so be it. Everyone is different. I myself like the experience and benefit by it in my own ways.
we are only part of nature like all the animals and life in it, but often people do not see this when they are in the city or close to it. Rather, people often think people are dominant and have conquered nature and don’t think much of it (take it for granted). Of course, people who experience natural disasters etc. are immediately enlightened…. Visiting Alaska and profoundly awesome places is the nice way to realize or be reminded of are roots/ human condition/essence.
Just watched the movie. I always believe the truth is different than the movie. but it seems that in the end in the movie anyway he comes to understand that what he was searching for he already had found in the people he had met.
Sort of the same conclusion that dorthy comes to when she gets back to Kansas.
That sometimes what we are looking for is in our own back yard.
Alaska is a big place with nothing there in much of it. Even among the people who live there there is a saying of “people go missing”
Nature is an uncaring master. The movie protrays a person who is admirable in idealisim, but idealisim does not work well in the wilderness or dictatorships.
yes, in the end it seems like he appreciated things in his life that he didn’t before including people and even his family that was estranged….. (that says a lot!) You know what they say “you never know what you got until it is gone”.. Aerosmith, ya, baby, ya… Unfortunetly, he didn’t have much opportunity to benefit from the new sense of appreciation and wisdom….
Frank. You are a god damn embarassement to your name. What the hell are you trying to say. You make no sense. This kid was an idiot. He went into the wild to die a coward. Although his travels were adventerous, he seemed to hurt everyone he came in contact with. He is no inspiration, just a coward. He had every chance to live and return back home. If his memoires are correct, he only realized what life was about upon his death.
I have read the book at my leisure, and I eventually saw the movie about Chris…and I am left with what may be judgments, but I cannot help feel are simply statements of fact about him
He was –not- a unique snowflake, foraging some ‘new path’ bravely by making his own rules that consisted of ‘declaring Society bullshit. In my own adventures, I have met –many- people like Chris.
He was just another upper-class white kid that was –ashamed- of his affluent upbringing that, ironically, afforded him the time to think about how ‘Society was Bullshit’ instead of doing what other kids were doing: Wondering how the hell they were going to pay for college, or not be beaten up at school or by their drunken single mother or ponder the ‘Ifs’ of being shot at in a drive-by, or which gang to join for protection and companionship.
In fact, -most- people that have to deal with TRUE survival think VERY differently and are often FAR more inspiring. What was his first decision? Who to give $24,000 dollars to. QUITE a ‘character builder’. What was his last? To live in a bus created by the very civilization he declared ‘bullshit’ prior to realizing why MOST people, in fact, do not die by starvation alone in the woods.
I read a story once about a young man who grew up in Harlem, got himself into a community college, and eventually became the Secretary of Defense and essentially turned down the Presidency, and is still alive today teaching and providing. Not many blogs about him. On the other hand, here is a movie, book, and countless blogs and pilgrimages to a man who grew up in a wealthy family and died shitting himself to death in a bus, Canonized because he burned identification he later replaced and cash he later earned again.
Yes. McCandless is one of millions of young, white, -ashamed- males and is in fact in a minority amongst such because most of them at some point realize they are NOT the center of the Universe, and figure out what McCandless never did – though his final entries regarding the lack of novelty of being alone show awareness off: We ARE a communal society.
We did not sprout as a civilization until we became Tribal. Communal. Caves were replaced by concrete structures, skins were replaced by Suits, but it is NOT a coincidence we became the dominant life form on the planet and doing so is not a source for SHAME. The thought of such is NON-sense. Regressing finds no great Truths; its only covering ground already tread upon.
YES, you should know how to survive on your own. There may be a time when grocery stores are closed, and busses do not run. But to defy the logic of what we have become as a civilization, deny its purpose, die for it at 1/3rd our body weight, and STILL cling to that as any kind of ‘right idea’? Asinine.
Live within your means. Love all you can. Plan accordingly to keep doing both…but don’t renounce all we have become over the millennia because you are ashamed you had heat, food & clothing all your life.
Shame of your existence does not lead to nobility. Combining it with a fear of failure in this world (which I believe he did, leading to him ‘creating his own ideal’) leads to the disaster he found—and regretted in the end, by his own writing.
If you want to know about nobility or purpose or shame, talk to a single mom putting her kid(s) through college, or a cop that has been covered in shit and blood defending a stranger for his ideals…not a kid with balls enough to strike out on his own, but not the sense to plan a way back.
C.W.
Tennessee, USA
Just a kid finding himself… one or two chapters of his short life.
I do not understand the anger and name calling written by folks above.
C.W.,
You are correct that Chris was not unique one does not need to be unique to have an inspiring story. He did not seek the movie or book so we cannot blame him for his subsequent fame. Also, I believe heros can be either rich or poor.
I find the stories about people overcoming racial and economic hardships to be inspiring as well. I do not see why it has to be either/or. I say make movies/books/blogs about both. If you’re complaint is about the lack of movies about young men in Harlem, then I share this concern. However, I find it wrong to view it as a competition between Chris’ story and theirs.
I wholeheartedly agree with you that communal society has reaped great benefits for mankind. Chris may have agreed with you as he did not intend to stay in the wilderness forever. It was part of his existential journey. While society has its advantages it is not without cost. Materialism and conformity can distract the individual from life’s true meaning.
Many commentators bash Chris for his lack of preparation and label him as foolish. Inherent in this label is an assumption of what the proper goals of life should be. Should we live life constantly trying to minimize any exposure to danger? In that case, anyone who drives on the freeway may be labeled as foolish. Where then should we draw the line between safety and achieving our goals? To me, this is an entirely subjective decision based upon the mentality of the individual.
Chris’ death does not automatically make him a failure. The fact is that we all die and 80 yrs lived in unhappy safety is not necessarily better than 24 yrs lived on the edge. Chris did not seek death but he accepted and confronted the prospect of death in his journey to find meaning and happiness.
the fact he himself wanted saved and then subsequently died would make him a failure in his own eyes
For those of you that have read Into the Wild-
You know the passages from different authors Krakauer includes at the beginning of each chapter? How well do you think he chose them- obviously he chose them because he thought they provided insight to Chris’s life, but do you think that these passages are accurate? (From what your impressions of him are anyway because of course noone will ever know how accurate those passages are in portraying Chris…) What kind of insight do they give us to Chris, not as a brave hero, not as a tragic idiot, but as a person? Those are just some of my questions that are kind of hard to answer so I want to know other people’s thoughts!
In my view, choosing to drive on the freeway is much different than choosing to go into the Alaskan plains without the necessary survival equipment/plan….. However, choosing to drive on a busy freeway during rush hour without any driving training and no license may be similar I guess? Especially on the freeways where I live, ha,ha. In short, any one who goes into the Alaskan wilderness not well prepared is tempting fate in a very large way and it really shouldn’t be surprising if something aweful happens…. (this is not rocket science…. and people should use common sense before all if in fact the main thing is first to preserve one’s life). Perhaps the starting point for all this discussion should be a good understanding of what Alaska is really like as most people have never been there I am sure….. Has anyone on this forum been to Alaska?
or anyplace comparable in harshness, coldness, lack of foodness (northern tundra, no fish in the interiour north etc), and packed with the notorious grizzly bears…… If a bear would have killed him even though he had a rifle it would not have been surprising given his lack of outdoorsman knowledge….. (and bears do NOT usually attack unless people don’t take the necessary precautions).
Blake,
Of course driving on the freeway and going to Alaska are not the same but they are similar in the respect in that risk is taken when doing either activity. It would be wrong to drive on the freeway unprepared because it is difficult to see what worthwhile goal this would achieve and it would expose others to danger. However, entering the wilderness with minimal preparations only exposes oneself to danger. I agree that common sense is often a virtue and taking precautions is usually wise but oftentimes a concern with safety limits the benefits that could be gained from a journey. The best analogy I can think of is people who climb Mt. Everest without oxygen tanks. Sure it is easier/safer to use these devices but I suppose these climbers feel that it takes away from the full experience.
Indeed, the guy is not very bright
Clearly out of his depth,.
You dont respect the wilderness u pay the price.
How great a man he would have been to walk out of that wilderness all that time later and to have achieved something and ultimately learned to forgive and therefore to love.
He died a nobody, 1/4 of a mile from freedom across the river….too stubborn for advice and knowledge. A noble man perhaps in his ideals and his resolute determination….but its not called the wilderness for nothing.
I have sympathy only for his family for the shameful way he treated them..
He’s just a bum,
Andrew,
Point well taken. I am sure you agree then that often there is a very fine line between risky and too risky. Personally, in the past I have had a keen interest in Mount Everest Expeditions (read, watched all the movies/documentaries, researched etc.) and I think many have unwisely and carelessly went too far getting carried away to summitt at all costs and some have lost their lives or limbs and came back a complete train wreck! My understanding is those that try to summit without oxygen are almost entirely extremely experienced climbers/mountaineers that have years of successful climbing experience. Additionally, certainly Mount Everest and particularily the most common route (that almost everyone who attempts it takes) is very well navigated, known, studied, and prepared. For many years now, people have been summitting if they follow certain procedures, have certain equipment, have expert guides, certain level of fitness, and OF COURSE, have luck with the weather! There is a lot that goes into summitting Everest and I think it is safe to say that people doing it half-baked usually don’t succeed.
I understand what your getting at with the idea that reward is proportional to the risk; and therefore sometimes it is worthwhile to take risk even if one’s life is at stake. However, personally, I think it should be well thought out and the risks calculated and my impression is that Christopher didn’t know what the real risks were in the Alaskan wilderness. Going in blindly so to speak and not understanding the risks my give some thrills; however, I think it is even more thrilling when you know and appreciate how great the risks are and deliberately and knowingly overcome them!
Some may think this approach involves too much thinking and preparation; however, in my view there is NO shortage of adventure, thrills, and surprise circumstances and challenges living in the Alaska Wilderness and therefore one should take all the precautions they can to preserve their lives and enjoy it and return to share the experiences with others (ie. you cannot take enough precautions when trying to actually live in the Alaskan wilderness and make it back alive and well).
Once again, has anyone on this forum been to Alaska near where Christopher died? The more I have thought about it the more I am convinced that it is one of the harshest areas on the planet. Even the Grizzly bears have a tough time living there and they have evolved over millions of years to adapt to the climate….. In fact, Christopher would have been directly competing with the Grizzly bears for food and the ground squirrels he mostly ate are key to the Grizzly bears survival in this area. After he shot one, a bear could have smelled it for miles and that’s why I wouldn’t have been surprised if a bear would have caught him off gaurd and attacked him as he couldn’t have been on gaurd with his rifle the whole time he stayed in the bush…. (maybe the bus was sort of secure and difficult for the huge bears to get in… and there was probably an element of luck on his side too…)
Being prepared, not being prepared, taking precautions, not taking precautions, understanding the Alaskan wilderness, not understanding the Alaskan wilderness….
….I do not believe the book is about that.
The book was written out of curiosity to delve into the mindset of Chris, his adventures and travels that ultimately ended with his death.
The truth of it all, we can never delve into someone elses mindset to the extent that we can truly come up with explanations in full (I believe the author John K. would not disagree)…. we experience, we observe, we draw conclusions…..conclusions and perceptions based on our own life experiences and beliefs.
Had Chris survived, I choose to think that he would have…….the possibilities are limitless.
A few years ago, while living in a major city, I had the strong urge to ‘get back to nature.’ As luck would have it I received a job offer in Northern California by the Oregon border. Absolutely CLUELESS I went hiking with my dogs and got lost in the Oregon forest for 5 hours. I finally figured out which way west was as the sun started to go down. I mentioned this at work and someone I worked with started screaming at me, “You NEVER go hiking alone!! Who knew where you were? Do you have any idea of how many people are found dead out here?? I’m search and rescue for God’s sake!!’ Did I learn? Well, not until I was wandering the ‘wild Oregon coast’ and was hit by a wave that washed over me. The tide was coming in with sneaker waves and I couldn’t find the path. My dogs were on leash and were so freaked out they literally lifted me to the top of the mountain, my feet barely touching the ground . Thankfully I have big strong dogs, that once we got to the car were extremely pissed at me and ignored me for the rest of the day, were able to pull me up. Finally I learned my lesson. I went out with guides and learned about wild edibles (a whole lot to learn,) took a survival course that almost killed me….talk about rough…and I had experienced guides with me. I learned a lot about water (oceans, rivers, etc.) My point? I am extremely humble to the forces of nature. When it is beautiful it is really awe-inspiring and spiritual. When it is brutal you can be dead in an instant. If anyone feels the urge to go ‘into the wild’ learn from experienced guides. It truly is an adventure right up to the point when you realize you’re not prepared or you sustain an injury…..that’s when panic sets in. I’m a firm believer in adventure…that, to me, is living. On the other hand, Alaska is something to grow towards not start out at….unless you have one hell of an ego. By the way, experienced mushroom pickers have gotten lost for weeks some never to be found. That’s just how easy it is.
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said today.-’Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.’-Is it so bad then to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
To put a finger on one reason or another is to hard to judge.. whether it be why he decided to do this. what caused him to, whether it be his parents or himself. Maybe it could have been an over reaction but in my own life i have felt this way myself, as if i had to run away. I have to say fuck anyone who are dumb enough not to understand the feeling or sense that everything is so wrong at one point that you need to do something FOR YOURSELF to make it right. who are you to judge. he took it to an extreme i understand but look at all the other people who take no action themselves who sit there living in a life they hate. i believe in the time he had on his trip he had more life experiences then a lot of us. I dont want to die, i love life and i believe he would not do anything to take back what he had done because to gain the understanding he had in the end he would of never lived a full complete life and i believe a full and complete life is being happy, that moment of happiness that he found which was so deep inside covered by hate and remorse came forth leaving him with a sense of accomplishment. everyone has regrets atleast he only had one.
An interesting story. Read a column by Craig Medred (outdoor writer for the Anchorage Daily News). The column suggested Chris was schizophrenic. Perhaps being alone out there for weeks and weeks with nothing else but the voices in his head for counsel inhibited his ability to make rational choices. For example, why didn’t he look for a better crossing spot on the river when he was trying to leave? If he’d gone upstream, eventually he would have found one.
I don’t understand his purpose for going out there. Why would one need to go to the wilderness to find one’s self?
That being said, many people do what Chris tried successfully. No movies about them, though. What does that say about us?
While here on earth, part of our existence involves asking why and why not. While we exist, we understand, we do not understand, we partly understand, we absolutely do not understand….right now I think I am in need of a caloric source….going for a granola bar….oh no!…which one?
i’ve waited a long time to catch a bus before but that is ridiculous!.. i assume after 2 months he probably started suspecting the driver was not coming back and got totally disheartened with the whole transportation system and wanted to end it all at that point..wouldn’t you?
yes, there are people who sit around and do nothing and do none of their desires, passions, fun stuff, advenutures etc. (they don’t really live life to its fullest or like it should be); however, why look at the bad examples (except to realize we Don’t won’t to live like that):
Tis true it was better that Christhopher die in the bust than of eating potatoe chips on his couch but why choose? After all, there are millions upon millions of people in this world that live awesome, trilling lives full of wonderful adventures and keep living……
Finally, maybe Christhopher’s mind was bent so extremely in the direction that he just had to do what he had to do and their are people like this who do much worse things (even henious crimes, murder etc.) because they just feel they have to (and have no other choice). I like to think that their are usually alternative ways to go; however, people sometimes need some help sorting things out, learning, healing, growing, making good decisions and in the end enjoying life to the fullest… (and hopefully godwilling a much longer life than 24 years old and say around 65, that’s a lot of extra years of living!)
After seeing the movie I was immediately enthralled with this story, and I am not even sure why really. While anyone can argue that his life was pointless, I have a feeling that he lived more than you ever will. You can sit in your little cubicle and point figures about he didn’t contribute to society. He didn’t use his brain for good or whatever other reason that you can come up with. He was trying to break out of that society in which you demand his contribution. He didn’t care what anyone thought, and quite frankly, that is pretty refreshing.
What I personally took from the story is that you have to live the life that you want and find your own happiness. You can’t let people hand you their version of happiness and spend the rest of your life trying fit the square peg of your life into that round hole.
Chris needed to be a little bit more of realist to be successful out in the wilderness, but I think his goal was to break away and that much he accomplished. A send-off letter to his family would have been nice but either way I have to appreciate his drive towards his dream. Is it everyone’s? Of course not. Other people might dream about owning a 7-series or sailing around the world or whatever. Some dreams are inherently more dangerous, and in my opinion, a lot more rewarding. I will conclude with a line from fight club (a movie I don’t particularly like full of idealist propaganda) when they intentionally crash a car.
“You just had a near life experience.”
Reading about or watching experiences are not experiences.
there are an infinite amount of ways to find thrills and get the heart and blood pounding in fear/excitment and thousands to spike all the other senses such as awe etc. without having to take significant risks of ending one’s precious gift of life or having a life-altering injury. I prize life too much to take great risk of losing my life and choose to have experiences that thrill but don’t kill (unless it would be a very rare event). Christopher going into Alaskan wilderness and not being an outdoorsman was too risky in my view (but the fact is he did for whatever reasons and it cost him his life) In this sense, it is really quite simple. If someone else did the same thing, the outcome might be similar as such is fairly predictable….
The life makes sense when it is exciting, full of discovery.
Some of us need to take huge riks to feel something strong and they strongly experience ther life as we will certainly never get on a seat in front of the TV. CMC was kindly involved in his quest and his short experience was really strong. It the reason why so many people are fascinated by his life. Some will undestand why he did such an adventurous travel but the victims of comfort won’t understand his mind. He just wanted another way of life that he knew for 22 years. He faces him in a new experience and unprepared as all we are. The destiny in unprepared experiences is to stay alive for ones and not for the others.
Chris McCandless was a normal human being. he followed his dream, and it lead to his death. sure, its easy for you people to say that he was selfish or stupid or naive, but that was HIM. look at all the people these days who are twice as stupid and selfish as mccandless. if he weren’t dead, would you say he was, instead, brave? or strong? you people are basing your opinions on him because of a stupid mistake he made that took his life. well, lots of people make mistakes just as stupid, and they survive on pure luck, and are looked at in an admirable way. i’m not saying i know chris mccandless, nor am i saying i would ever have the guts to do what he did, knowing i may die, all im saying is, dont judge him if you dont know him. i cant say whether he was selfish or not, but for the sake of my imagination and my sanity, i like to think that he was simply risking everything he had, and everyone he cared about to be happy.
i respect christopher mccandless.
I saw this movie a week ago and have been haunted ever since. It has taken over my thoughts and awakened something in me I didn’t know was there. I guess I never stepped back from myself long enough to realize that we are all in a fishbowl. I respect Chris immensely, whether what he did was naive or brave, he was following his beliefs and his heart. I find myself obsessed with his story, and I am heartbroken by the ending. I guess it’s so tragic that he didn’t succeed. What he learned in the end is very profound, happiness being real only when shared. Although I feel compassion for his family, I believe everyone has their own path. I am dealing with the reality that perhaps I am not on the right one. Ever wonder why sometimes you are numb, surrounded by things that in the end mean nothing? I do. I have a family I love dearly, but I wish it could all be as romantic as Chris Mccandless did. Because he didn’t survive, and died alone doing what at first made him whole makes everything seem a little greyer, maybe a little less than it was before he died. With Chris alive, anything is possible and romanticizing living your dreams and letting go of the materials that surround us seems reasonable. Now a beautiful and gentle person is gone and it breaks my heart.
sometimes it takes death to bring life.
unfortunate but true. and if chris were alive today, and had never experienced what he went through… i dont think he would be happy. i think it was his destiny to go on that excursion.
This forum proves once again that we can always take positive things from any experience/story.
Even the worst experiences in life can be viewed in a positive manner as is proven time and time again by survivals of horrible experiences, victims of crime etc…..
But to me the main thing about the story is that a life was lost in such a predictable and unavoidable manner…. (oh, unless he was destined to die…. If so what a destiny he had and miserable fate, rotting, every so slowly and painfully away).
Is God so cruel (oops that opens up a can or worms!) or maybe we should take something away from the event and that was the reason for his untimely death.
All the evidence indicates that Christopher did not prepare himself sufficiently to ensure survival and he also didn’t struggle much to rejoin civilization and fight for his life…. His dislike for civilization and loner state of being seemed to outweigh everything else in the end…. really sad
Chris Mccandless did something so radical that it cant be appreciated right now. its like movements in art. his was a movement in life, a completely different way of looking at and living life. hes like an artist of life. why does anyone argue he was stupid for his journey and ill prepared. it was his journey, no one elses, so why argue now. chris did what very very few people in this world have the balls to do and that is follow and even create their own path. he threw away what everyone today believes a necessity for life and he was looked on as crazy because people hate change and radical ideas. chris is a revolutionary and an inspiration to any who feel trapped by the virtues of todays society.
I dont’ think Christopher McCandless was selfish, he seemed to be reacting to what he was dealt. Shame on anyone slamming or calling this man names. He may have hurt his family, and he will have to dal with that in the next world. He was naive, yes, but by no means does he warrant your harsh criticism. I was raised, as part of the culture of our tribe, that what you say, will be said about you. Will you like it, when you look down upon those that miss you, and others that haven’t known you are using bad words, and the ones you love have to hear them words, on top of their pain?
Christopher McCandless had a dream, and an idelology, and he lived it. I wish more Americans had such an approach to life. I will not criticize American materialism, but it didn’t suit my family and I when it was thrust upon us. I would never encourage anyone inexperienced to go into the woods alone and unprepared as he did. I do it every year, as part of the hunt, and it isn’t be no means easy.
But he did it, and I think a part of him will forever be happy because of it. That we all should take comfort in. I’m sure the other part of him wasn’t at all happy, but in pain, as he wasted away. Hopefully he made peace with his creator, and he is at true peace with himself.
I’ve read reports of locals criticizing him as well, because it glorified going out into the wilderness, and has become an attraction spot. I hope they realize anyone who copycats this event, knowing the outcome, isn’t utilizng very much intelligence. Blame is a game, just understand there’s a reason why someone would choose to do such a thing.
i’m watching into the wild as we speak.
i will not write a very long detailed message as most have, but i don’t understand why so many people have hate or love for what he did. i’m mostly irritated at the people who bashed him because he “ditched society” or whatever.
what does that matter? some people might paint their nails die their hair black and listen to horrible nu metal music then shoot up a high school as a way of dealing with their “rough childhoods” or inability to cope with society whereas chris just left it all to be alone w/ nature. he’s not a hero in my eyes, but certainly not an idiot. he’s just as great as anyone on this earth who has went for their goal and never gave up. the opinions of him will probably only differ depending on weather you care about the things chris cared about.
I think more oftenly that this world is a childhood. This society becomes more and more riddiculous where referees are not.
I would like to stand as far as possible away from this society while living in it.
In a world corrupted by materialism and superficiality where our relationship with Nature is gradually becoming limited to having a bonsai in the living room or shrieking at a tiny innocuous spider Christopher McCandless is but one of several individuals at loss.
The ideals and the driving force behind this decadent Western World have proven to be deceitful and in the space within which we have to move and survive is becoming tight and asphyxiating.
The vast majority of the populace who has long forsook the pursuit of the opening of the third eye and the true understanding of the ways of Mother Earth has no doubt and readily casts Christopher’s reckless act in the abyss of ignominy labelling with the foul terms of “wannabe hippy” and “crazy kid” which are far from describing the act and the need that brought upon the act itself.
We might not all have the strength to cast away the chains that keep us fettered within a virtual prison, some of us might realize the romantic and idealistic appeal of such a rash and uncompromising decision but few, very few of us, will perpetuate and honour Christopher’s parable in seeking the awaken the torpid minds of men.
In Nature lies truth, in Man’s artificial and self-constructed world only delusions hold sway. Hypocrisy and Lies are but two of the sly regents of our degenerate human existences.
However Christopher’s failure, and that of others, might painfully remind us that Man has been banished from Mother Earth’s womb too long ago for us to hope in a late reconcilement.
Christopher’s epopee was a personal one. He wasn’t a Messiah, he wasn’t a prophet. The choice of a lifetime was his and his only and no one should judge the act of a Man who sacrificed himself (willingly or unwillingly considering the unfavourable outcome) for himself and not for a generation of blind men. Strictly speaking hje wasn’t a hermit trying to prove something to others, he was a simple man who was looking for answers and found them in the words of great men of the past (who in similar ways had forsaken a preestablished and narrow-minded interpretation of life) and in the truth that only Nature can reveal to its closest devotees.
A tale of a man who will be criticized beyond measure, who will be mocked shamelessly by a horde of insignificant men who live their lives with a preordained purpose and cannot understand those who fled such a misleading prison.
If Chris had completed his journey and came back to society as it seemed he might have would people feel the same way about him and or his journey? If chris had returned to society and wrote a book and or movie about his adventure would it have recieved the attention it has thus far? As I have stated others have done what chris did and were and are successful till this day yet no one is inspired from these who are successful at self reliance in the wilderness no one wants to journey and meet them and talk to them or take picture by their home. Chris was not the first to do what he did nor was he successful there were others before him who were and still are successful at living on the fringe of society. If chris had completed his journey and came back to society it suffice to say that he would have been percieved as another crazy man off his rocker like even John the Baptist was perceived. It seems as though his death appears to authenticate and validate his life journey no matter how sound or unsound it was. I ask YOU what is the difference between chris mccandless who failed to fully accomplish his journey and those who did the same as chris but saw their dreams realized and are still living it TODAY!!
In response to “Wake UP”:
I think the reason so much attention has been brought to Chris’ story is because it appeals to every need to break from society and materialistic nothingness that we wallow in every day. I think each of us has a yearning for more, but very few attain that goal, or are brave enough to even take the first step. Yes, there are others who have followed a similiar path and succeeded, and they are equally looked upon as driven and gentle and unique and all of the other traits we ascribe to the people living on the fringe. The significant difference is that Chris DIDN’T succeed, that he was still naive enough to take on this adventure unprepared because he romanticized the undertaking. That is why it is so powerful, Chris was not just an adventure and truth seeker, he was a romantic. And his death hits home with a lot of us, because we always want the dreamer to do well, after all he is dreaming and living for all of us who are not brave enough to take the first step. I think all who do are admirable, but those that do and do not succeed clearly make for a much more heartbreaking story.
To Nicole
WAKE UP.
in responce to “wake up”…agree totally…the fact is people admire those on some sort of heroic mission and if they die they even admire them more….people are assuming this mcandle person was fighting against the machine of society and died doing it..anyone believing this is truly naive…he was nothing more than another youngster with the world at his disposal thinking he can do with it as he wants and it will always still be there….he was coming back with a fistfull of pictures to prove to his father he could make it on his own……but did he prove that?..this wasn’t trying to rebel against society….could he have ever even gotten that close without the help of his family and others and learning….could he survive w/o clothes and guns or whatever the “society” had to offer…no.
to m
Christopher J. McCandless
Long live the “Alex Supertramp” within all hearts that can relate.
to mow
what exactly are you wanting to live long
To m
Yes!!! I concur with you, you have captured some of my thoughts in your statement as well. I had posed questions wondering if anyone would ask more questions and arrive at a similar conclusion.
The movie never makes it clear weather or not chris scoffed at society people have come to that conclusion on there own. I do not think chris intended to live in the wild very long, perhaps no more than a few years. I think the journey was purely one of a selfish nature and thats ok, we all have our own lives to lives for ourselves and that to me is what chris was doing. As you have stated he wanted to prove to his father as well as to himself he could make it under his own power without standing on the shoulders of his parents,
and accepting what they deem as success and happiness which society dictates to us all in so many subtle ways without saying a word. I don’t think chris rejected society I more or less think he questioned it he had every intention on coming back.
The movie was more or less just a record of his journey nothing more nothing less. Hollywood knew people would read into it more than what the movie projected allowing room for asumptions and debate = MONEY. I feel that chris wanted to make his own way, prove to his father that he could make it his own way while also proving that we or he don’t need all the things society says we do to be happy. Why would he keep a book of memoirs to record his adventure if didn’t plan to come back. I beleive chris would have come back to society in search of a book and or movie deal to capture his introspection soul searching journey which would have turned him into the new(not really) American Idealist. It would have also set him apart from his parents, meaning he is his own man making his own way making his own money making his own future.
Coming from an affluent family makes all the difference too! it gives the story validity because if a homeless person (dirlect) did what chris did No One would care! I beleive had chris survived the book and or movie would have been an even much bigger success, because chris would have had even more adventures to relate and most importantly he would have been Alive to interpret the events and market the movie to a greater degree. His affluent background would be a significant factor in the promotion of the book and or movie deal ( a rich kid giving up the luxuries of wealth to live in the wild) No one would care if it were a homeless person!!!
To m
anonymous was me Wake Up.
something must have happened to my sign on.
To m
You made a good additional point as well reffering to chris need of things from society. Precisely, he would need deoderante, soap, clothes, spices, bullets & ect hence the need for money hence the need for a job! It is an inevitability that is inescapable. To truely live cut off from society is to live without it, to live completely off the land and he would simply be living to exist and that is no way to live. That did not appear to be the objective chris had in mind, he wanted to LIVE (have experiences, philosiphy, travel & meet people) and he kept a record of his adventures obviously to share with others in some form or fashion. The fact that he kept a record say’s it all.
TO m, I wrote post 489 under anonymous ( don’t know why wake up didn’t display)
to m (what exactly are you wanting to live long)
I have no intention of intentionally putting myself in a dangerous situation whereby I would be at risk for dying. But there are times in my very responsible, productive, respectful existence, that I feel as if I want to take off far away and lose myself to into an unplanned “Supertramp” excursion.. not a tourist trip, but an extended trip “on the road”, venturing into the unknown. At times I am tired of society – behavoirs of others and materialism. I have taken off on few occasions…and am very glad that I did (pictures, people, places, mistakes, accomplishments, and all). I have a great spouse, great family, great childhood, good friends, good job…so go figure. Relating to a story, feeling some sort of connection, to whatever degree, is totally dependent on one variable, yourself.
To Wake up and M.
Nothing in the world of “nature” can be critized but the society can easily do.
If you keep away from the society to meet the nature, you live in a perfect world ! The nature is powerful and perfect. The city and society are not !
Chris wanted to experience his life in this perfect world. Afterwards, everybody can argue about their own point of view and build its own idea of the CMC story. He wanted to come back or not, prepared, unprepared, etc…
Nevertheless, it appears very difficult to critize somebody who wanted to live in a perfect world ! After watching the movie, I feel the necessity to be more close to the nature, to learn more about how to live inside it and the importance of the respect between persons.
Anyway, our kind of society will fail and as always, wars will occur.
Sorry, it is me Anonymous previously mentionned
Many interesting comments here. I’d like to address some of them.
First, was he selfish for doing what he did? No. He wasn’t married and had no children. To suggest he should some be shackled by his family, being denied the right to live his own life on his terms, is ridiculous. Perhaps he should have somehow communicated his intentions, but beyond that, he was obligated to no one. Are you all doing exactly what your Mom/Dad/Sister/Brother think you should be doing? No?! How dare you!
Yes, he was ill-prepared. His biggest mistake.
Those of you who are all tied up in the material world, fast cars, big houses, expensive toys…you won’t get it. You are so far removed from spirituality and the power that is true freedom that you won’t even be able to comprehend where Chris was coming from. You can’t even imagine not having your Starbucks everyday, much less actually sleeping in the wilderness.
If Chris died happy, then all was not wasted. Time is relative. He probably experience more freedom, happiness and contentment in his short life than most of us will experience in 70 or 80 years.
Regarding the Alaskans who prefer to demean Chris, calling him an amature, etc., they are only feeding their own egos. They have to build themselves up by knocking others down. They would have you believe they are something special because they know better than to do what Chris did, but in reality what they are saying is, even though they live there and have all of their worldly experience, they STILL don’t have the balls he had. Its that simple. He had no fear and they do and thats how they deal with it. Sissies.
the above post was funny thanks..lol…completely silly but amusing….yes he had fun…you always go to alaska by yourself w/o even a pet to have “fun”..lol…hey sign me up!….where can i get some of that long starvation by myself…sounds better than disney!…hehe
I have read the book and seen the movie and I do admire Chris for having the guts to go after his dream no matter how crazy it may seem to us. Also, I don’t think it is that uncommon for a young man in his 20′s coming from his background to feel invincible. A point made in the book and in the movie is many young people feel they need to run away from what they consider controlling parents to grow up.
I think we can learn a great deal from his life and death.
I read this online PDF of a park ranger in Alaska who called Chris an idiot because of what he did, and compared it to his own life. It doesn’t surprise me how he and other people don’t have a clue about what Chris was all about. He went on rambling about how chris should’ve gone into the wild prepared and with all necessary tools with him as if Chris was on a mere camping trip.
Sure, why didn’t he bring everything he could from the society he wanted a break from, and while he was at it, why didn’t he install electricity, phone service and cable TV on the bus?
Check it out:
http://nmge.gmu.edu/textandcommunity/2006/Peter_Christian_Response.pdf
Wow, I can’t believe how heartless some of you are. What Chris did was far from selfish. I think we should put our dreams and passions in front of others needs to control once in a while. Chris left because he didn’t want to be controlled or tainted by society’s ways. He never said he was gonna be gone forever. Can’t a guy take a vacation? What ever that idea of vacation may be is the travelers decision not yours. He obviously fell too ill and weak to hike his way out. Poisoned or not. Maybe he thought he would get better and decided to wait it out dieing in the process. If he wanted to fucking kill himself he had a rifle right next to him. Maybe he was fasting. Some non-materialistic people do things like that for spiritual reasons. Who knows. If Chris’s family knew their son or brother and appreciated who he was and what he stood for then maybe THEY could get over THEIR own selfish needs, and that is to have control. Screw that. Chris wasn’t going to be a hero to anyone but himself. He didn’t owe anybody anything. He did help others though by the way for those of you who think he was so selfish. He inspired others with his advice and great wisdom and lets not forget about the $24,000 selfish dollars he donated you assholes. Grow up and take a vacation yourselves. Maybe he took his journey a little too far. Maybe he should have done things differently. But that is the beauty of it. He was stubborn and filled with pride. A man who was too brave for his own good. That is what makes him such an inspiration. I think he rocked. He died, can’t you show some respect?
Hector,
Your sarcastic comment “Sure, why didn’t he bring everything he could from the society he wanted a break from…” is totally lame. People are just suggesting that McCandless could have brought better supplies with him – a gun that fired a caliber more suited to the game up there rather than a 22 plinker, etc. The fact is that McCandless didn’t totally break from civilization. He wore machine-made clothing, firearms, printed books, etc. He should have just brought more, and the right stuff. If he had wanted to truly “break with civilization” than the only way to truly do that would have been to go out completely naked, knap his own flint spear points, wear the hides of animals he killed, etc. Truly breaking away from the lifeline of civilization is as deluded a goal as everything else McCandless did. True enlightenment comes from authentic and meaningful connections with other people, being a contributor to others. McCandless broke off from all connections he had with people, except those he exploited along the way (I’ve actually read the book, not just seen the movie). He was a pompous selfish ass who did not help anyone else out, did not solve any problems, he just indulged a selfish fantasy. “Testing” yourself comes from living in civilization without being corrupted or downtrodden by it, becoming the best person you can, one who is kind and charitable to others. It’s about being the best parent you can be in spite of the frustrations that parenthood throws at you. McCandless, with no real life experience, missed all that because he was stupid. All he would have had to do was live a few more years, have some real and authentic life challenges like the rest of us deal with every day once we become adults with families we are responsible for, and then he would ahve been tested. Life is an endurance test, and dying at 24 due to your own stupidity is the ultimate failure of that test.
Sorry, this dude was a selfish fool and a spoiled upper-class brat. I feel badly for his family but his early demise is exactly what he was working hard to earn (even if it’s not what he intended).
1) He could never have gone on his adventure in the first place if he hadn’t had a wad of money to pay his college tuition; the rest of us all graduated and went to work to pay off our loans. The fact that he even had money to give away after college means he was privileged.
2) This guy was idolized by my college classmates, most of whom were sheltered, relatively wealthy urbanites. They had the same pathetic need for “real” experiences and, at the same time, the arrogant expectation of success and resulting disdain for proper preparation that comes from never having failed at anything in their lives. Going into the Alaskan wilderness without map, food, compass, adequate clothing, or research and practice is not heroic. It’s ignorant and egotistical. The best (and most independent) outdoorsmen spend years learning from their more-experienced elders. Just because you were a superstar student and athlete and have always been told how brilliant you are doesn’t mean you get to skip all the hard work. I’ve no doubt that he was smart, but he was ignorant and inexperienced.
Learning about yourself is a process, not a one-shot deal, and a big part of it is having at least some concept of how much you don’t know, not just what you do know.
3) If he got this idea from Thoreau and London, he wasn’t reading very carefully. Thoreau lived in a cabin on the edge of town (not in the wilderness) and on land belonging to Ralph Waldo Emerson. People who cared about him knew where he was. London was a good enough outdoorsman but a failed rancher–liked to play at ranching but didn’t want to bother with the real work. His Alaskan experience was during the Klondike Gold Rush, and he had plenty of shelter and help from others.
4) His “extreme” experience was all about him. How about joining the Peace Corps? Teaching in inner-city schools? Working in healthcare in some remote village somewhere? Sharing some of that expensive education.
5) I’m no outdoorsman but I’ve been out enough to know that Nature is not your babysitter. Nature doesn’t care if you live or die. “Cold” in the lower 48 is nothing like “cold” in Alaska; that’s a climate you don’t want to mess with.
6) He missed the point, anyway. He was already controlled and tainted by society or else he would not have worked so hard to avoid it. Instead of finding himself, for himself, he still had to search for himself in relation to–in this case, against–society, so what he felt he “had” to do was just as controlled by it as his early conformity had been.
7) Unprepared people who set out on “adventures” and need to be rescued are neither heroic nor independent. A lot of other people–park service, volunteers, medical workers–end up spending a lot of money and risking their own necks to save them. When I was a kid in Colorado, there were always young guys going out, ignoring warnings, and getting caught in avalanches or getting lost in the woods or falling down mine-shafts, and a bunch of other people–better-prepared, better-trained, and more sensible–would have to go out and get them. Chris spared everyone that trouble, but I’m sure there’s a whole line of wannabes lined up to try it. I hope they have to pay back every penny spent on their rescues.
I’m hoping I have a somewhat different take on Chris McCandless because I didn’t know much about his story before I saw “Into the Wild.” I knew that a book had been written about his travels and experiences, but I thought that HE wrote it… I didn’t know he died.
When I saw the film, and realized what was culminating in the end, I was horror-struck, shocked, and grieved. What a loss to this world! We desperately need more people like Chris McCandless, and how tragic it is that he lived a dream which ended up killing him in the end.
I suppose what we all find difficult to accept is that he took his ideals to the extreme limit, as far as they could go. In a society where everyone has their price — and sometimes it’s an embarrassingly low one — how many of us could or would die for what we truly believe in? I personally believe it is the irony presented by Chris’s death that is the hardest to digest — he died learning how to live. Arguably, I suppose he really did achieve the highest spiritual journey, away from society, away from artifice, freed from every constraint and physical need, including that of his own mortal body.
I wish the loss did not have to be so great, but nothing worth knowing comes without some sacrifice. Chris McCandless left us with many lessons, and each person’s interpretation of his death (admirable idealist or unprepared lunatic?) tells us more about ourselves than it does about him.
“There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot rise. And such is the paradox of living, this ecstasy comes when one is most alive, and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive.”
the only compelling aspect to this forum is the people who somehow found insight into life through this kids vacation or see this candle person as some sort of folk hero…truly amazes me how gullible people are..but i guess i shouldn’t be too hard on them…i mean after all if your 10 there might be a lesson here
to m
Why do you take it on yourself to be hard on other people presenting thoughts/opinions; people just simply sharing thoughts (their own thoughts)? especially with a topic that is pretty much benign when compared to other terrible things that happen in this world. Enlighten me?
the topics shared are anything but benign and other events aren’t relative….also your right,we are sharing thoughts and these are my thoughts
This string somewhat concerns me. There were many people making comments above that were scored for sharing their thoughts. If this is just a tribute site, then it should be labeled as such. If it’s a forum for exchange of thought, then let the people speak.
I saw the movie too, and I was also moved by it. However, I then researched the facts about CM’s trip and tragic death…. as the book, and especially the movie, took some creative license with how the tale unfolded. In truth, Chris was selfish, fairly unprepared, and possibly schizophrenic. Does that make him a bad person? No. Does it make his story less tragic? Nope. Does it make for a great story? Sure.
After a lot of reflection, the message I got…not from the movie, but from the responses it got from the public on the web…was that society needs heroes. We have this slant current culture likes to put on “society”, especially American society, is that it’s inherently evil or wrong in more ways than it’s good and right. I don’t want to get into that whole debate, but let me just say I wholeheartedly disagree with that line of thinking. It’s not an original concept, and thousands upon thousands try to reject society every day. My thought is: if you don’t like living in this society , either work to change it yourself, or leave. My whole point is that amongst an endless multitude of people who want to escape the “cage” of society, one unfortunate fellow was crowned a hero. The reason he’s getting all the attention is because someone wrote a book then made a movie about it. Current culture LOVES a good story with a moving soundtrack…no matter how accurate the story was to the truth, or how possibly unromantic the actual events may have truly been.
Aaaah…now some of you are getting mad and ready to reply to this note. Right?
Instead of going on forever, I’ll get right to my point. We DO need heroes. The problem is we’re surrounded by them every day, yet those heroes mostly go unnoticed. Our service men and women in the middle east…teachers…firemen and policemen…blood donors…foster parents….the people who fought the terrorist on fight 93 – - – the list goes on forever. Now if Sean Penn and Eddie Vedder would put a moving movie and music to some of their lives, we’d probably all jump on those bandwagons as well.
Chris was a passionate idealist whose tragic story had some good messages. But we should not forget those heroes around us every day who don’t have movies made about their lives. Celebrate them while they’re here. If you’re still not feeling the emotional attachment to them and their stories…try listening to the Call of the Wild soundtrack while watching the courageous children at St. Jude’s in Memphis fighting cancer. If that doesn’t stir your soul…
To Dana (502): so very well put.
I just watched “Into the Wild” last night. I had initially (stupidly) suggested to my son that he watch this with me (instead of the zombie movies he’s so fond of). Ashamedly, I only vaguely recalled the harsh finality of Chris’ adventure in 1992–I had no idea when I rented the movie how it would actually end. But, then of course, neither did Chris. I am 43 years old. Thankfully, with hankie in hand, I watched the movie alone. At 23, I know (KNOW) that I would have found chris’ mission poignant, romantic, sad but full of truth. I wouldn’t have seen it through any other filter. And that was the point of Sean Penn’s script I think — Chris was in love with the beauty not only of the raw and unsensored wilds of Alaska (espoused by London in Call of the Wild); he was in love with the idea of freedom from the constraints of society–of needing others. He didn’t, COULDN’T, see that in 10 years maybe, 20 years for sure, he would have understood what the greatest writers of our time, painfully, bitterly, all understood in the end: we cannot escape our pasts, our parents, our upbringings. Our need for one another. I want to do now what the lovely dark haired actress (I forget her name) whose son ran away as a teen struggled valiently in the film not to do: grab Chris M. by the shoulders, hug him tight and tell him it will be alright. It will all be alright and he is loved.
Well, I have recently gotten the book and seen the movie. While I got alot out of what Chris did (went into the wilderness etc) and can relate to the why and how of his decision, I got alot more out of his sisters dialogue about how her parents realized the fragility of a Crystal glass and yet did not realize how fragile their son Chris was nor the imprint that they made on his life. She caused me to rethink the impression(s) that I have left (most of them unintentionally) on my own sons and the sometimes selfish decisions that I have made never thinking about how I may have hurt them. One of my sons is in his 20′s and had NEVER gotten over the divorce and the daily battles between his Father and I from many years ago. I don’t think that many of us realize how fragile human emotions are. In my day, I feel I would have been a very good friend of Chris’s, maybe even a soul mate. He dared to do what I dreamt of doing before I married and settled down and had children. We are nearly the same age and I graduated college around the same time, however, I bought into the family, house, money game and already had 2 boys by the time Chris died. I feel for his parents and I feel for the pain in his death. I personally don’t think that he meant to die, he made some serious errors that led to his death, but than, God does not make mistakes and perhaps God was who called him home in the end. I feel he is at peace and how he lived was more of a statement than his tragic death! I love the man though I never met him. ~ Michelle
To: Billy Bob
Chris is dead,dead,dead.
The alaskans are alive and living well!!!
and I’m sure they’er much happier about that
than being some dead adventurist who did not
get to realize his new wisdom that the whole world over
already knew!
To: Sarah
Yes we can learn alot from Chris death.
What not to do!
Plenty of children come from much much worse
backgrounds than chris did,but they over came
their circumstances and went on to become fine
upstanding people with good carreers.
That in it self is heroic.
Point being I think we all wanted run away
for one reason or another, those of us who didn’t
can look back and see what our parents were trying
to teach us and prepare us for. Most of us have loving
parents who want us to succede and live happy lives,
they don’t always have the right answer or know exactly
how to teach and love but they do what they can.
It is only after we have matured an experience life
and parenthood ourselves that we can fully appreciate
our parents because we are now living what they lived.
I am sure had chris lived long enough he would have come
to this conclusion. Chris did not live long enough to fully
mature and learn from his new found wisdom.
Ive seen plenty of runaways on the street as prostitutes, drug addicts and or DEAD
and chris fate was no different. IF WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY KILLS YOU then what good is it!!!
Chris Mccandless…Wealthy, College Educated,$24,000 in Bank,Bright future, Young 22 years old.
Chris Mccandless,Traveler,Pennyless,homeless,Parentless,Goes to Alaska lives 113 days,Chris Mccandless 24 years old…DEAD!!!
To: Hector
He certainly needed more than a 10 pound
bag of rice & a rifle,especailly if he planned
to live there,which is exactly why he’s not living there now!
To: Meagan
Adam & Eve didn’t want God to control their
lives either and they are DEAD too!
Most of us when we plan a vacation we
also plan on coming back from vacation!
You say he inspired others with his advice
and wisdom? What, where, How…???????????
He wrote happiness has to be shared,one
line shared it with no one then died!!!
In your words Meagan Kerchner Chris was stubborn filled with pride,
brave,he rocked then he DIED!!!
To: Dana
Paul,Peter,Jesus died for their beliefs
and the people in Iraq & Iran die everyday
for their beliefs.
Moral…make sure what you beleive in is
valid & true and has a reward for your sacrifice!
You say the highest spiritual journey???????????!!!
I niether read nor saw that God was part of his journey
All I saw was birds & the bees & the flowers & the trees
Just the humbleness at Gods awesome creation
Worship the creator not the creation!
To: Rachel
WHAT THE…WHAT, WHAT, WHAT???????????
To: SV
We all need a hug!!!
From reading some of these post
Some people are confused as to
heroism and fool hardiness.
and that is the sad state of
people the world over.
unable to distinguish
what is a good course to follow.
An Ideal is just that
until from the proponderance
of the evdences it can be realized
So please give us all a hug.
To: Wake Up (513 and 514) –
RE: Peter, Paul & Jesus. If you want to draw parallels to the bible, there are many tales of Jesus and other prophets who travelled to the desert for “40 days and 40 nights” without shelter or food. Their goal or quest was to relying on nature and “God” to provide for them, while waiting for a vision or spiritual revelation (most likely brought upon by hallucinations caused by malnourishment & exposure.)
RE: Adam & Eve. This is a moot point. They were not doomed to death because God could not control them. Adam & Eve are dead because (if) they lived, it was thousands of years ago. If you believe in the literal “Garden of Eden” story, then you must also believe in a talking snake and that Adam & Eve had 56 children, and Adam lived to be 960 years old. (Sounds like a ripe old age to me, by the way.)
RE: Iraq & Iran. I don’t wish to generalize or create a controversy, but unless you count suicide bombers (and I do not) I must observe that there is far more killing done in the name of “belief” and “religion” in the Middle East than there is self-sacrifice. These attitudes are or have been historically prevalent in every society where church has had more authority than state.
When I apoke of Chris McC possibly achieving the highest spiritual journey, I did not necessarily mean that as a reference to God. All too often, “God” and spirituality are mutually exclusive ideas. Chris’s goal was to leave behind man’s dependence on luxury and artifice, and I believe that included the self-righteousness and judgement that can accompany over-zealous religious or moral conviction. When I read some of the above postings on this site, I can’t say I blame him.
Unfortunately, he ended up sacrificing his own body in the same way he sacrificed all other physical comforts. The greatest irony of his death was that in forsaking society, he learned that he was doomed. To me this is evidenced by the fact that he made the effort to post an S.O.S. sign, seeking help, before he succumbed to starvation. He realized, perhaps too late, that having one man or woman in closer proximity, could have saved him, and I believe he would have been grateful for their help, if they had.
TO: SV (508) –
Thank you for your response. I, too, share your sadness that Chris will never be able to contemplate his journey with the hindsight of maturity. If he had lived, his adventures would have lighted the path of his entire future life… I like to believe, positively. But from another perspective, would anyone have noticed? In this life, too often it seems like we learn lessons only have some important sacrifice, usually a tragic death. For the most part, a true hero/legend/icon is defined and created by the debates his actions continue to spark. Only a passionately motivated individual can light a fire under so many people, with so many conflicting reactions to his life.
“SuperTramp” Did something that he wanted to do! Part of that something was avoiding and racing away from society. Society : people.
And it is all those people he was trying to segregate himself from that are writing these entries.
Irony?
I simply believe he never wanted to die only to live w/ his fist raised against the machine that we live in today and claim to have beaten it. But, not for one second do I believe he wouldn’t be somewhere today drinking a beer on a bar stool telling others of his accomplishments along w/ sharing how beautiful the world is according to his eyes. And after hoping in a BMW to drive to a home w/ a 1,000 dollar mortgage.
what a cool person. regardless of his motivation to go to alaska, he accomplished a lot in his life. if you subtract the public knowledge of his story you are only left w/ a 24 yr. old dying too young and leaving behind a family who didn’t know where there son/brother was for the majority of his adult life. this is sad. but, now the public know’s about this kids life so we are left to judge. and i believe the only verdict to give is that of guilty of being a failure in the first degree. b/c he didn’t not walk out of the wilderness rather flown out in a helicopter makes him a failure.
but, that failure should not shadow this guy’s accomplishments. once a person stops trying to locate a reason for him leaving they’ll be able to see in it’s most simplistic form an “adventurer” and w/ out this understanding he’ll never be understood but then again i don’t think he wanted to be understood.
chris was two things in there simplest forms :
1. adventurer – all accounts point to this
2. failure – he did not walk out of the wilderness
@ some point a person has to understand this world we live in is the way it is and a person that tries to run from it will learn it will eat you up and spit you out. i guess they didn’t teach this at emory or if they did chris didn’t take the course
I read the book and saw the movie. I really like Jon Krakauer and have read some of his books. However, some of his info and long with Sean Penn’s is just flat out wrong. I wish people would stop staying that he gave up all of his money and worldly possesions. Although he did write out a large check to charity, (read the coroners report) he died with $300 dollars in his pocket, a drivers license, and social security card. As far as Christopher McCandless being a fantastic person….I would agree that he did have guts, and a free spirit, I can only describe what he did to his family as assholish. Clearly he had many psychological issues to just up and leave without telling anyone that cared for him. Being a father with 2 kids, I can tell you that nobody writes the perfect book on how to be a parent. You learn from experience and you don’t do everything the right way. Thats just life!!! I can tell you than children are sometimes harder on their parents than they need to be.
if we can all just agree to disagree and agree i’m always right we’ll get along fine
to m
Good thing, safe approach Agree to Disagree
You should write a book: Into the “I’m Aways Right”
Sincerely, Mow
at least if we can agree to disagree with anyone disagreeing with me that would be nice
Weather or not you think Chris “Alexander SuperTramp” Mccandless was hero is up to you. But I need to say one thing. Yes he might have been unprepared, we don’t know all the facts. But from what I know, I truly believe he set out to do something that the average man wouldn’t dare do. People are obsessed with money and things, and yes he may of had money with him but he certainly was not a spoiled kid. He wanted to live life on the bare essentials. People say many die the same way Chris died so “why are we making a big deal about him”. Well, for one things it is completely and utterly wrong to call man stupid. Yes maybe you don’t believe he was a hero but do not go around putting him down because of that. He traveled far to get to were he died. He met so many people and changed all their lives. He had the right mind set. I believe he was as smart as can be. Grades, wealth, and possessions so not determine how smart you are. Te way you live your life and the way you yo look at life (like the way chris looked at life) is the what should determine you degree of intelligence, and not just mentally but physically and emotionally. This book and movie impacted me greatly and made me want to do the same thing. Not just for a week but the rest of my life. I want to be a “rubber tramp”, I want to explore the world’s beauty the way it was intended to be to looked at ( the way chris looked at it). YOU MAY THINK CHRIS WAS NOT A HERO BUT IF YOU DARE INSULT HIM YOU HAVE BECOME ONE OF THE REASON CHRIS SET OUT ON HIS JOURNEY, TO GET AWAY FROM “SOCIETY”, PARENTS AND PEOPLE WHO DID NOT BELIVE IN HIM LIKE YOU.!
jeezus….doesn’t anyone remember being young…setting off on a journey after high school or college having no idea what will happen…yet you still know you have people to fall back on…your family and friends….we also know regardless how we treat our family at that age they will still come to our rescue….maybe it’s just me but his trip is nothing new…sure he died…so that makes it different…or does it….can’t even imagine how many runaways there are these days….turning to prostitution on the streets..maybe some get killed,we never know,maybe some get abducted and get sold to slave rings….sure there have been stories like this one…and their sad…period….are we all missing the point…..shouldn’t we show how dangerous this can be…discuss the dangers so we can help kids see how dangerous this can be…or should we create a hero so kids emulate this activity and go off and get killed as they are doing as we speak!
At the end of the day what he did with his life was his decision.
I watched the movie but does a movie ever really tell what happened?.We all at some time in our lives want to be alone …I know I have.He wanted solitude .. he obtained it.In his writing he wrote that “happiness is only real when shared”.Maybe he only learnt that at the end ….. maybe that is something I still have to learn,so am I any better than he?
Am I selfish?You can live in a whole city filled with people and be lonely and even die alone and not be found for weeks.That is the end result of solitude.But is it a wasted life?I don’t know what he was trying a achieve,whether it was right or wrong,but it was his life even if some think it was a mistake.
Well alot of comments here.
Many of you mention that he chose to “live in the wild” or the “bush” as you say, aka Jack London. However, he was found dead in a bus that he apparently had been staying in for some time. This bus was not airlifted to the spot it now sits. It was driven to that spot! If he truly wanted to live off the land, he would have seen the bus and kept on walking. By staying in the bus he was cheating. Had he not found the bus, he would have been dead within a week. This man is not the hero many of you make him out to be. He is a sadly misguided, possibly mentally ill young man who suffered a tragic end, and is now being used for profit by the same people he was attempting to escape from. No wonder he “disappeared”.
The guy was a fucking moron. All of you crystal wearing hippies who admired his actions should follow suit and the world might become a better place. Brave? Heroic? PFFFFF…gimme a break. People who sit at desk jobs every day to feed their families and pay the mortgage are heroic. People that tune out and go into the wilderness unprepared are a waste of time.
to knut– ‘ppl who sit at desk jobs everyday…pay their mortgage.’
LOL..
ppl who sit at desk jobs every day are idiots… they havent even 1% of the insight McCandless had. He saw this ‘civilisation’ for what it IS.. shallow and corrupt.
Chris McCandless is an inspiration…albeit an unprepared one:(
I LOVED THIS FILM.
ummm last i heard alaska was part of this civilization..also i believe, although not completely certain,clothes,guns,ammo and everything else he had with him is also part of it as well…obviously kids are posting and can’t see how hard it is and what one must endure to raise their sorry butts…only to later have them leave w/o a word?…go ahead ,vicariously live off this macandle person with some whacko perception of him as your hero…it’s as close as your scared little butt will ever get to leaving mommy and daddy although i’m sure you make it as miserable for them as you can.
Chris McCandless kicks ass!!
To: Mark
He certainly could’ve went to the extreme and gone there bare naked to break away from society, but those weren’t really the terms he set out for his right of passage. Stupid? In my opinion, no. Right of passage is supposed to be dangerous or it wouldn’t be what it is. But I don’t expect someone who’s tied to society and the things it provides to understand the concept.
He probably wasn’t prepared enough according to what society thinks he needed to survive. Some people might be locked in the terms that what hasn’t been done to this day is an impossibility but then again, that’s not what the first guy who broke the 4-minute mile thought.
Christopher seemed to be searching for some kind of meaning to his life, and He finally found what he was looking for. At the end of Christophers life, Chistopher found that true happiness needs to be shared. Shared with others as love is to be shared. It was to late for him as the story goes, he was trapped by the very thing that gave him his insight. He was lost. In the wilderness. Even though the wilderness took him. He found what he was searching for. How many of us are lost in the wilderness? How many of us are searching for meaning? Will any of us find it before the wilderness takes us too? Life is joy, and pain, and happiness, and more pain, and more joy. The End .
To Hector:
In response to your posting of “society thinks he needed to survive”, it’s not just society that knew he was woefully under prepared.
The main argument that Chris’s supplies were inadequate come from people that LIVE in Alaska. People who have either live their entire lives there, or whom have spent a great deal of time there. Most of whom know what it takes in the way of gear to survive at even the best of seasons in the Alaskan bush.
As far as Roger Bannister who broke the 4 min mile, he was an Olympic athlete before he broke that record. In the time leading up to his breaking the record he PREPARED HIMSELF to do so. He didn’t just decide one day to break the record and go for it.
I like the idea of what Chris was doing (RIP) but IMO went about it the wrong way. His family’s severe grief is a unfortunate by product of his dream.
To Piercedangel:
“he didn’t set out to change the world or to help others”
….Uh, excuse me? Hmm, i guess you’re right; he didn’t really do anything to help people except, gee, I dunno, giving his freaking life savings to charity. You’re an idiot; before you go to ridicule someone for their ‘selfishness’ or ‘stupidity’ at least do a little research about them. And he did change me, for one. Maybe he didn’t change the world, but he definately changed the way I look at it. His story made me realize that I don’t need to be bothered with ignorant, superficial people like you. I’d be fine ‘ditching out’ on people like you , and if you think he’s so foolish why would you want him in your society anyway? Don’t you want ‘freaks’ like that to be isolated? And why do you even bother reading a book about him? (IF you read it)
Interesting the vicious tirade above is unsigned.Even Chris signed his own name at the end of his life.I think you learned nothing from him actually.
If he had lived he would have gotten through the phase of traveling the world gone back home and would now be an attorney living the life of the people he supposedly hated.
Don’t doubt it. There are so many that travel after graduating college and then start their careers. He was no different, he was clueless about the real world.
Clueless as we all were, to whatever degree, prior to having adult-life responsibilities. I grew up with parents that were very responsible and loving….great mentors , however, I had a lot of learning from “screw-ups” that you would have thought I should have known better. In hindsight it’s so easy to say I should have….., he should have…….etc.
I am not so sure what career he would have chosen had he lived on.
—————————————————————————-
Being prepared, not being prepared, taking precautions, not taking precautions, understanding the Alaskan wilderness, not understanding the Alaskan wilderness….
….I do not believe the book is about that.
The book was written out of curiosity to delve into the mindset of Chris, his adventures and travels that ultimately ended with his death.
The truth of it all, we can never delve into someone elses mindset to the extent that we can truly come up with explanations in full (I believe the author John K. would not disagree)…. we experience, we observe, we draw conclusions…..conclusions and perceptions based on our own life experiences and beliefs.
Had Chris survived, I choose to think that he would have…….the possibilities are limitless.
You know I have critisized many aspects of this story and still do. I really do think McCandless was mentally ill. I also don’t believe you protest materialism to the point of killing yourself or otherwise die. But I will concede one thing. Perhaps, as parents, we worry a little to much about success. Here is my point. We all wan’t our kids to succeed and be able to make a life after we pass on but what about fun, joy, and happiness. Maybe we should be a little less pushy and a little bit more encouraging when our kids ask to explore. Perhaps Chris had less time to enjoy life. Maybe he was pushed to be a success and not encouraged to have fun. I don’t know. I do know he made poor choices and many of those choices can not be explained through the eyes of normalcy. They can only be explained through the eyes of mental illness. This world is a materialistic world, all of us created it that way, and one will always need things. You can’t escape it but perhaps we can be less pushy and less beligerant. After all it’s not how much money or things you have, those all pass away, but happiness last a life time. Remember happiness is a state of mind. We choose and make our own happiness. If your not happy do something about it, just don’t be foolish and die. Good Day, Joe.
It was just as well that he died there in the bus as he was ill-equipped to survive in modern society.
This should be a cautionary tale.
Gave away his “life savings”? Crap. That money was given to him.
I watched the movie last night and several times felt like turning it off. Apart from the boring, dismal and repetitive musings of a well-educated hippie, I was appalled at his lack of awareness and preparedness. I kept hearing Jim Croce singing something about not spitting into the wind, pulling the mask off the Lone Ranger, or messing around with “Jim.” Seems to me that is exactly what Mr. McCandless did. He disrespected a formidable opponent.
“life savings” = money you have in the bank by whatever way you aqcuire it (earning it, given to you in the form of a gift, winnings, inheritence, and on and on). Although he did not necessarily earn all of it…the bottom line is that he being the ACCOUNT HOLDER, decided to give HIS money to charity.
Nonsense. The money I have in the bank right now I did not work my whole life for which is what the tern “life savings” generally means. His didn’t “save” it, it was given to him. I would certainly give him credit if he had earned it all before giving it away. That would make more of a statement. Much as those people who do something (write a book, invent something, etc.) often donate their earnings to charity. But they did something to earn the money they give away. Giving away something you were given, something you did not have to earn yourself, is an empty gesture.
So say I decide to donate a large amount of money that was given to me as a gift to a charity organization, you would consider that an empty gesture on my part?
I must confess that I have made some empty gestures in my lifetime….let me guess – you haven’t.
I doubt that Chris ever considered a book or movie would be written/ produced about him when he decided to write that check.
So if I receive a large amount of money as a gift and decide to donate the money to a charity organization or an environmental group…I need to attach a note to the check -
Dear_______, Just so you know, this money is being given to your organization as an empty gesture, please categorize it as such.
I wonder how many people have benefited from empty gestures versus not so empty gestures?
Yes. You’re giving away something for free that you got for free…. You’re just a conduit, no effort or skill required. Your note should say “Hi. I got this money for nothing. You can have it.”
I give him credit for doing what he wanted to do, doing what truly made him happy but let’s not forget he probably couldn’t have gotten to Alaska without the help of others, he wanted to leave and would have required the help of others to do so (as the note he posted indicated) and his body had to be evacuated by Alaska state troopers. I know this has probably been said a million times, but couldn’t he have at least educated himself a little more about surviving in the wild? When you go skydiving, you usually have two parachutes, the one you’re likely going to use and a backup parachute. All he had was a bag of rice, a rifle and a sleeping bag. Let’s not forget the fact he killed a moose, then he couldn’t eat most of the meat it yielded because he didn’t know how to preserve it. A moose died needlessly and 1500 pounds of meat rotted for no good reason.
What was really commendable about Chris McCandless anyway, and why was there so much press about it, as well as a movie and book? Aren’t there a lot of other people who tried the same thing as him (and even more amazing, survived doing it) ?
I am fifty one years old and the father of three girls that range in age from 12 to 20. I put this out there because it obviously prejudices my perspective. I began by seeing the movie first, not something I normally do, without any for-knowledge of the outcome. The movie left me feeling oddly ambivalent. Something about the story got under my skin. Immediately after seeing the film I downloaded an unabridged audio version of John Krakauer’s 1996 book about Chris. It filled out the story for me and gave me a much broader view of Chris than I came away with from the movie. This is not a criticism of the film, but rather a limitation of the medium. My feelings ran the gambit from anger, mostly because of how much his parents suffered, to admiration for the courage to carry out his “vision.” The most poignant moment in the film for me, because I can relate as a parent, is the scene where his father is simply walking outside their home and the pain wells up in him to the point where his features are distored and he is stricken immobile by the shear weight of his loss.
It is the counterpoint of these two emotions, admiration and anger, that make Chris’s pilgramage so compelling. The truth is that Chris’s story would not be tabloid news, a book or a movie had his adventure not ended tragically. We know about it only because of his death. To varying degrees of success there are and have been many Chris’s. Some are driven by wonderlust, some by a genuine sense of a desire to communce with nature, some as a rejection of society, and not a few because they need to work out some psychololigcal trauma.
Having grown up in the jungles of Sourth America (I am the son of an oil man) I am very familiar with what it takes to survive in the wild. Chris clearly did not go “Into the Wild” prepared. For him that was the point. Whatever you might think of him, his ability to survive as long as he did, was clearly an accomplishment. I don’t think he had any intention of comitting suicide, but he knew what he was attempting carried serious risk
Ultimately I keep coming back to his parents. It is hard to describe to those without children what it is like to go through what his parents did. It is a kind of agony that is unreconcileable. Chris’s adventure was bought with a very high price by those who loved him. His parents, his sister, his extended family. To ask them to accept the notion that he died “happy” is a double cruelty. I would hope that the mistakes I make as a parent, and they are too many to count, don’t come back to me in this manner.
We are never alone on this planet. We can’t simply slip the bonds of our common humanity by walking “Into the Wild’” Choosing to live as Chris did is not in and of itself right or wrong. Choosing how to do it can be. There was simply no need for his family to suffer as they did. Chris was old enough to make this decision on his own, to face his demons, to face his parents and declare his intentions. This would have been difficult, traumatic, but in the end redeeming. It would not necessarily have prevented his death, but it would have mitigated the pain.
Doing what Chris did was not difficult or admirable. What is difficult and admirable is working hard, saving money, struggling to raise a family, and being a responsible person.
Chris (God rest his soul) was an over confident dreamer, who selfishly and hap-hazzardly wandered into the Alaskian terrian with little more than a toothbrush. In the end his academic proweness and love for literature became one in the same, endearing words in a book.
“This is the song that never ends,
It just goes on and on my friends
Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was,
And they’ll continue singing it forever just because—”
…repeat ad infinitum.
My point? Enough is enough people! “He’s a hero!” “He’s a selfish nutjob!” He’s whatever the hell you need him to be. Don said it best above:
“The truth is that Chris’s story would not be tabloid news, a book or a movie had his adventure not ended tragically. We know about it only because of his death.”
EXACTLY!
Don’t we think 554 mostly repetitious comments is enough??? Or is someone so deserate for attention that they’ll submit 555?
– Awaiting all of your unending, unoriginal responses.
“This is the song that never ends,
It just goes on and on my friends….”
Sincerely,
Lamb Chop
figured you needed to post to tell us we shouldn’t post?…too funny…another moron
I think what Chris did was a brave thing that alot of people want to do, but are to afraid to do it. i think people should stop judging him for what he did. he went out on a quest and followed what was in his heart. I don’t think anyone should judge him for that. His story should be inspiring to people to follow what is in your heart and not care about what others think. Is it selfish? Yes. But isn’t it selfish not to do the things you want to do?
Chris’ courage was admirable but he died needlessly. Instead of giving away his money he should have invested in proper survival equipment. What a waste of a bright young life.
I have rarely been touched by a story like I have been by this one. I can greatly identify with Chris’s mind set when I was his age. His story has given me the impetus to review my own life, my travels, my decisions, my foolishness, my courage, my cowardice. I am so sad that he let his disappointment that his parents were human affect him so negatively. He found freedom on the road and in the wild, and God bless him for that. If only he could have known the freedom that comes from forgiving one’s parents. Maybe if he had given himself the chance to live longer by using common sense he would have learned that. He forgave himself for wasting the beautiful moose. How about forgiving Mom and Dad for being less than perfect? His father took him camping and hiking. What I wouldn’t have given to have had a father who would have done those things with me. His parents did not beat or molest him. They wanted him to join the materialistic parade and he did not want that. All he had to do was say, No!”, and go his own way. I don’t understand the need to hate them, disown them, and never contact them again. You don’t need to kill the body to “kill the false being inside”. He should have read the part of Thoreau where he said, “Don’t stretch the seams in putting on the coat.”
i just do not see the point in bashing his actions. Many of us, i definately can, relate to him. Im always questioning reality and why school and grades even matter, and money. I think also there are certain people who are content with the world and enjoy it, but there are also those that naturally dont find as much happiness in the world. Either things are not necessarily bad. At 16 years old, I find myself wanting more, just not content with what society offers. its a state of mind, its your personality, and i think he was an incredible young man, but if u dont understand his mindset dont be so quick to judge him. ironically this is the very thing he was against, all the hypocrisy and judging in society
When I was his age (many years ago) there were a whole lot of young people wandering around wanting to “find themselves.” It became such a banal regurgitation that I am sure that most of them had no idea what they were talking about but it made it easier for them to shirk any responsibility for themselves or their actions. To deify a young man who made such terrible basic mistakes in his “adventure” into a wilderness for which he was woefully unprepared is to validate ignorance.
Well said. With just a little more prepardness, whether it being more adequate equipment , educating himself on meat preservation, or simply buying a map, he would have emerged from the wilderness alive. As well, I wonder why, with all his free time, he didn’t scout the area. He would have then found the river crossing.
he should’ve done this, he should’ve done that. he lived his life the way he wanted to. who are we to judge? he could’ve stayed at home and not gone on his quest and got hit by a car or shot in a crossfire. how many people who have commented on this page wanted to follow what they believed in or do something with their life, but were to afraid of doing it because of what people might say? you people are foolish and jealous. jealous in the sense that he wasn’t afraid to live life the way he wanted to, not the way society wants us to.
Foolish because we state an opinion that differs from yours? Yes, he could have died in other ways, but there are many ways of increasing your odds of dying. I wonder if his parents were impressed by his selfishness.
I have the upmost respect for Chris.
‘Everyone must measure themselves at least once’
This is just one of many powerful lines in the movie. I find this so true, and so absent in american society. ( i can’t comment on other countries )
I can honestly say that I have no in my life. I have had a fairly normal, easy, typical middle class life so far. Unchallenged except for societys pre governed challenges. I yearn for the day that I can measure my self once, and not just feel confident, but know and be confident in myself.
I am sad his journey ended alone. I hope at the end he found what he was looking for. I hope his truth was found.
Ok, I totally understand what people are saying when they talk about his parents and how they “didn’t need to suffer the way they did”. I understand that. Anyone who goes on a journey like that has a loved one that is left behind. He did what he needed to do to find his happiness. Selfish you say? Yes and no. Don’t we all need to be selfish to find our own happiness? We should be and do what makes us happy, no matter how it affects another person, because how will we ever truly be happy within ourselves if we don’t do what’s right for us?
Forgot to put in my name…I don’t want to be anonymous
Ok, I totally understand what people are saying when they talk about his parents and how they “didn’t need to suffer the way they did”. I understand that. Anyone who goes on a journey like that has a loved one that is left behind. He did what he needed to do to find his happiness. Selfish you say? Yes and no. Don’t we all need to be selfish to find our own happiness? We should be and do what makes us happy, no matter how it affects another person, because how will we ever truly be happy within ourselves if we don’t do what’s right for us?
His parents suffered ? They didnt appreciate what they had when they had it. For those who put down his idea, thoughts or actions; you are the kind of people who gave him the idea to walk. The kind that focus on words like unprepared, selfish, etc. Preparation is in the mind only, and selfishness only exists when you take from others. I think Chris in the end, gave much more than most of us would in a live time. He gave hope, idea, thought, and encouragement. A search for something greater than electronics, greater than religion, a search for yourself. When you have nothing, you have nothing to lose…
Exactly. It saddens me so much when I see people totally blind to what he was doing. So many people missed the point of it all, even though it’s staring them right in the face. Maybe people are just too afraid? I don’t know. His story changed my life. I can only hope it will do the same for others.
All he gave was a notebook full of empty words that were turned into a book and a movie. His parents and loved ones did suffer from his selfish acts. They suffered because a spoiled rich kid didn’t have a clue about life, or how great he had it. What in his life was so bad that he had to abandon the ones who loved him most ?? His mother was not a crack head and his father wasn’t slanging rock on the corner of the street. He had a life that a lot of people would be priviledged and grateful to have. They paid for his college, supported him his entire life and loved him. So his dad had an affair at one point, maybe his parents didn’t always get along…..but that is life. What exactly was he doing ?? He probably asked himself that question about a week after that river go too full to cross !! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to hike up into Alaska and die of starvation in a bus. Bottom line is he died a lonely miserable death. I mean I feel for the guy and it would be a horrible way to go, but what did he expect ?? Alaska is no walk in the park, you just don’t go up there to find yourself. You go up there if you know yourself already and try your best to survive. Most of all it disturbs me that he is being portrayed as this “hero”. I can think of a lot of people who have accomplished much more than he did, and there aren’t any movies about them.
Ok first off, yeah, he did have a lot. He was very privileged. But he didn’t want all of that. He didn’t need it. He ventured out to find his own happiness. Like I said in an earlier post…what is wrong with him doing what makes him happy? Don’t we all deserve a chance to find our own happiness? No matter what that may be? As far as Alaska goes…he knew very well it was no walk in the park. Come on, nobody is that stupid to not now the wild is a dangerous place. He knew what he was getting himself into, and to say otherwise is an insult to him.
If going out to the wild made him happy then cool. Let’s just not make this guy out to be some kind of hero. Which is what a lot of people are doing.
To 79 Jesus:
What’s cool is the fact that we have the right to choose anyone we want to be a hero.
A person that inspires someone does not always equate to that someone making the person a hero.
You’re right that is cool……….what a great society we live in to be able to have that freedom !!! You can delude yourself all you want, but it’s people like him that go around today saying how much they hate the USA and bitch and complain about every thing us Americans have. I guarantee that if he made it back alive, he would have cashed in on his little adventure and made shit loads of money. This guy was just some kid who was raging against the machine and wound up dead. If he inspired some people then that is cool, but to jock this guys nuts and hold him on a pedistool is just nonsense !!
You know what? He is a hero to me and tons of other people. Of course a lot of us wouldn’t necessarily do what he did, but it’s about what the whole thing meant. And please, don’t confuse society with America. He wasn’t angry at America, it was society in general. There’s a difference. I used to be dead set on doing everything I could to make money and become successful and stable. But I’ve realized that I was only doing that because it’s what everyone said I should be doing. It was the only way to be happy. But you know what? A person’s success and stability can only be defined by that person. Nobody else. Everyone deserves a chance to do what makes them happy, even if it might not go along with what other people want. My brother, sister, and I are going on a cross country trip this summer in an rv. But it’s not just a trip, the rv will be our home. We have no destination, no time restraints, we are just enjoying being alive. And that’s one of the many reasons Chris did what he did. He wanted to just enjoy being alive without all the bullshit of modern society. He wanted to experience life in it’s most basic form. Because we are no different than the wild. We are no different than plants and animals, we have just evolved to be self aware of ourselves. And being self aware gives us the ultimate privilege of being able to understand and enjoy life.
Yeah, I know that was long, haha.
To 79 Jesus,
It’s in our nature to be a rebel in the early years of adulthood. So he has a chapter or two where he rebels against materialism, has major issues with his parents. There’s nothing wrong with moving on to the next chapter or chapters in life with a changed outlook; didn’t care about finances then, now does, once angry at parents, now able to forgive. If he had lived and cashed in on his adventure, no big deal to me.
How dare anyone judge another on what he lived for? Would any of you like to be judged on what you are doing in your life? Are you doing what makes you happy? Or do you go to work your 40 hours a week to get your paycheck because you have to?
Live happy, Die happy, It is a tragic story and after reading it all of us would be happier to hear of a tale of Christopher McCandless to be rescued or return from his journey.
I will not judge Christopher McCandless on following his heart, and his dreams. I hope that his adventure continues in heaven….
If he really wanted freedom and to find himself, he should have eaten some Mushrooms and gone out to the “Bush” for three days like everyone else :-)
Yes I do work 40 hours a week. I pay my bills, raise my son and support my family. What kind of cold hearted prick would I be if I decided one day to just abandon them because I wanted to be free ?? I agree that for him to follow his dreams took a lot of guts, but to up and leave your family ?? I can only imagine how much pain and grief that caused them.
I could care less whether what he did with his life, but to say he accomplished anything would be just plain crazy. To say he found hapiness…..well we could argue that all day. The truth is he created more paid than he did joy in his short life.
To Jesus 79
Chris had not yet reached where you are; he was just out of college; no career, no spouse, no kids, no house payment, the perfect time to take off….He should have kept in touch with his parents and sister no matter how difficult for him. He took it to the extreme not keeping in contact with them. He hadn’t yet figured out that the people closest to us (family) are not perfect and screw-up.
WARNING
The critical factor in using plants for food is to avoid accidental poisoning. Eat only those plants you can positively identify and you know are safe to eat.
Absolutely identify plants before using them as food. Poison hemlock has killed people who mistook it for its relatives, wild carrots and wild parsnips.
Chris is a hero, a philosopher who wanted truth and nothing else and he got it.
I wish more idiots would do what Chris did. DIE!
Not sure why anyone feels it necessary to judge Mccandless. Perhaps we’ll never understand his intentions or motivations. i have to admire his audacity. passion so intense that it refuses to yeild to anything or anyone, least of all logic. it tickles me that so many people are hung up on the fact that he did not buy a map. uh…you don’t see the irony there folks? Chris rejected maps his entire life, wasn’t that sort of the point? i think more than anything his story is an important one because it illustrates the need for balance between passion and practice. something we can all relate too…if we let ourselves.
Chris McCandless was no visionary. He was obviously suffering from mental problems that he was unable or unwilling to recognize and seek assistance for. Instead, he focused on selfishness and isolation and in the process caused untold amounts of pain and suffering to virtually everyone he came in contact with, including those he proclaimed to “love.”
He repeatedly broke the law in his wanderings and even though he was caught at this several times, he failed to learn from it and continued to break whatever law happened to stand in the way of his own personal beliefs. He poached game, He hopped trains, he trespassed and deliberately disobeyed the law and took great pride in doing so. I’m sorry, I thought laws existed to protect.
It seems the only person Chris McCandless was concerned with was himself and doing what he pleased, when he pleased, however he pleased and everything else be damned!
He goes into the not so wild (by alaskan standards) with a 10 lb bag or rice, books and little else to “survive.”He doesn’t even take a map or compass. He attempts to escape society and yet stops at the one thing that represents society, a mass transit bus in about 25 miles from Healey, Alaska. There he finally manages to do what he has been trying to do for so long – make the final “big escape.” Basically, he committed suicide the hard way…by being unprepared, unskilled and arrogant. Death by arrogance.
He tossed away thousands of dollars, a college education, the love of his family and friends, and became one of the most wasteful people I’ve ever heard of. He poached a moose for nothing. Even had he known how to butcher the dead animal, where did he intend to keep 1500 lbs of meat? He never thought that far ahead. He obviiously never planned much of anything very well.
Thousands of homeless people die of disease, exposure or other causes every day. their bodies are found by passers by just as McCandless’s was. Where is their news coverage? Where are their best sellers?
Chris McCandless was nothing special. He was lost…
It’s a really sad thing, that so many people can’t see the message that’s kicking them right in the face. Excuse me, they can, they just don’t want to, cause they’re scared of what it might mean for their own lives. Yes, Chris left his family with a lot of pain, but you know what? Every single person on this earth, and every single day, there are billions of people being hurt by other people. This hurt is in a different form than the hurt he caused his family, but it’s still hurt. And to say that what he did is worse than the hurt and the mind games that people play everyday is just ridiculous.
Nobody should EVER have to give up their own happiness to make someone else happy. That’s why so many people are so fucking depressed, they’re all trying to make other people happy and not focusing on what truly makes them happy, no matter what that may be. Now don’t get me wrong, in no way am I saying that if you have kids and responsibilities like that you should just leave everything behind. I’m saying really think about what makes you truly happy. And when I say truly happy, I mean the TRUTH. Not what you think will best please other people. And if what makes you happy is living a secure, conventional life with kids and a family then so be it, you can do whatever makes you truly happy. I think everyone deserves to do what makes them happy.
above post was obviously written by someone who has yet to understand the word “obligation”….my guess is another college kid weening off his parents still and putting them through misery to boot
Are you serious? Don’t try to talk to me about obligation. And no, I’m not in college, I’ve finished it. No, I don’t live with my parents either. That’s just ridiculous.
Did you not read all of my post? Go back and read the whole thing…
Open up your mind to what the message is. Don’t be afraid of it. Of course people have obligations, I never denied that, I never said people don’t have resposnsibilities. All I said was that everyone deserves to do what makes them happy. Is that selfish? Sometimes. But everyone is selfish every day. And I’m not saying if you have obligations you should just abandon them.
You need to do what’s right for you. You can do whatever you want, I’m not gonna judge you for that. If having a family, being secure and stable are important to you then go ahead…that makes you happy and I’m not going to deny you that or judge you for it. If someone will be happy living in a tent in the desert, then go ahead, that’s what makes them happy. If someone will be happy making a lot of money and being able to have anything they want, go ahead, that’s what makes them happy. And I would hope that you wouldn’t judge me for the way I live my life, cause I’m finding my own happiness and what I want out of life.
We’re all trying to find happiness, nobody should ever judge what makes another person happy, even if they don’t agree with it.
Life, liberty and the persuit of happiness. Chris McCandless’ persuit of happiness ended in his tragic death by starvation, lost and alone in the Alaskan wilderness at the age of 24. Leaving behind a trail of unrepairable broken hearts. Did he have the “Right” to do what he did? Yeah, okey. Was it a good and valid decision? Not in my view.
It is this kind of judgmental discourse that leads some individuals, perhaps McCandless included, to want to “fly below the radar” of mainstream society.
I agree that we can all learn lessons from the story. Those of us who bash him for his wild-eyed idealism should perhaps become more idealistic ourselves; those of us who idolize him for his “come what may” attitude should perhaps concentrate more on common sense and acceptance of imperfection.
This story has lessons to teach all of us, but because we are all different, we will never reach a consensus.
Can’t we all just get along?
McCandless was admirable for setting goals and attempting to reach them, but can be criticized, like any of us, for he was only human.
was the guy beaten and starved as a child…was he molested …were his parents drug addicts that stole his hard earned college money to buy crack…so he ran away,never to speak with them again…ok then he should leave w/o a word…..i dont think this is the case….lets try this scenario-he got everything he always wanted,probably threw a fit when he didn’t…was raised well,college paid for and further money promised on the way…obviously a clear case of self abuse -self punishment(viewed as punishing his family) for being a total pain in the butt his whole life..basically he didn’t like himself…it wasn’t that he was running from this evil society, he was running from who he was and always has been…get it?…he was punishing himself and everyone he knew because he simply hated himself… and he’s admired for it.
I’ve commented here before but I recently saw a dvd documentary on Chris called The Call of the Wild. For anyone who is for some reason (like me) “into the Chris story”, check it out.
The documentary, for me, opened up my eyes to how much Jon and Sean Penn both romanticized the story. The filmmaker of The Call of the Wild, Ron, is passionate about the subject and speaks to Chris’ old college roommate among others and presents Chris in a much different, more realistic light.
It brings up points such as the fact that it is proven Chris did not die from moldy or poisonous plants/seeds. Also, Chris did not burn all of his money … his pack was in fact found in the bus months later with a wallet containing a ridiculous amount of IDs from various states as well as (I believe but I can’t remember the exact number) 300 dollars in cash. I’m not saying it makes his story any less compelling, believe me, I am saying that I wish Jon and Sean would have stuck more to the true story and not have made it so hollywood for all of us.
Towards the end he brings up a pretty good argument about whether or not Chris had injured his arm in some way preventing him from swimming the river. Ron (the filmmaker), even goes as far as to “swim” the river himself at the same time period that Chris would have been there, showing that if you had to or wanted to most would have have given it a try. And most probably could have walked away as well.
Anyway .. this is much longer than I expected it to be but check out that movie.
“Thousands of homeless people die of disease, exposure or other causes every day. their bodies are found by passers by just as McCandless’s was. Where is their news coverage? Where are their best sellers?”
A little off topic but who is to say that Chris wanted this attention or media coverage? Who cares whether he got it or not … by no means did he appear to ask for it. Again a bit off topic, but Chris spent many weekends in DC with homeless people over his friends. He even took a homeless man home with him once and set him up in an RV. He was a caring person that probably lost his path a bit, but there’s no need to attack him for things he has no control over (i.e. media coverage, books, movies).
Also, it’s a little different when someone disappears, leaving no sign for their family or friends and shows up over a year later thousands of miles away in an abadoned bus in the “wilderness”.
to michael c
who the hell are you to pass judgement. you sound like a complete idiot. why should he of done the things your way? there was no right or wrong way to do the things he did. he went out on his quest the way he wanted to…we have no right to sit here(don’t you have anything else better to do?) and pass judgement on him. it is not selfish when you live your life the way you want to live it. family and friends will not always be there. you are always going to be with yourself. it would have been selfish if he didn’t go on his quest just b/c what others might have thought.
michael get a life and think before you speak
To Ann,
Michael C dose have a life, unlike Chris McCandless who is, um, dead. Died of starvation, lost and alone in the Alaskan wilderness at the age of 24.
But, he did it his way.
Whatever.
when you give your opinion that isn’t judgement….i can say i think chris mcandle was a complete idiot but maybe had his good points…we aren’t judging his acceptance into heaven or his motives….just what we see….the things that are evident can be and should be discussed…we aren’t going to help mcandle but we can help others who might have the same ideas as him or think he is some icon for heroism…obviously the guy wasn’t playing with a full deck
Exactly the judgement people keep talking about…why was he “obviously not playing with a full deck”? Come on.
obviously because he left people he cared about and had no quarrel with ,without saying a word or had no correspondence with…fully knowing this would at the very least disturb them……does this sound like a full deck…i dont care what he wanted to do or where he wanted to go…but obviously this isn’t the course of action of a person who is sensitive to his own and others needs…hence not a full deck…or should i define “full deck” more completely…maybe i should say he wasn’t playing with an innate original sense of moral direction we all possess and know within ourselves to be a higher truth….having said that i can also say at times you’ll have that but it doesn’t mean he was destined to a life of not having a full deck,so to speak,just saying it seems obvious at this time in his life his compass was off
I think that Chris M. probably had a bit of all of the characteristics that people are stating on here. He was probably a bit selfish (at least towards other people who cared about him), he was probably a bit foolish, a bit too overconfident in his ability to overcome all scenarios, and a bit too overzealous in his belief that he was doing was something extroardinarily important. Indeed, if he had done this mission simply for his own benefit, it would not have been necessary to keep a journal as if he was explaining his actions to world.
But, I do give him credit for not just talking the talk (like so many others do), but also walking the walk. People that bash him on here are no doubt simply reacting to someone who stood up and said “there has to be something better than the lifestyle that you are leading.” His bashers show great resemblence to the idiots in high school that bash the person with purple hair or a mohawk who is at least trying to be different than the ordinary. I think some people simply do not have the brain capacity to think about about being different….that goal has never crossed their mind.
We must all admit that, right or wrong, Chris M. was able to step back and take a look at our lifestyle types and choose another direction in life. That does not make him a nut or bad person, nor does it make him anything great to me……..but, like it or not, it does make him more interesting than most of us who simply seek what everyone else has in this life.
yea he was interesting…he ran away and hid in a corner because he couldn’t accept who he was…doesn’t a child sometimes run and hide in a corner when you scold them…and yea he was interesting…ask all those who he left never having said a word to for years..yea makes him real interesting….ask the parents of the kids who run away every day to become prostitutes and end up murderer…that makes them interesting too huh….wow he was one cool guy and wow was he interesting….actually the only thing interesting about this forum are the idiots who see someone running away from responsibility and obligation as some sort of hero.
To Scott,
Chris is not being criticized for being different. His judgment is being questioned because he cut all contact with the people who cared about him and made choices which lead to his demise.
The Chris McCandless story is a tragic story about a guy who “obviously wasn’t playing with a full deck.” Instead of dealing with his problems he cut all contact with everyone he ever knew, ran away, went into the Alaskan wilderness unprepared and died of starvation at the age of 24, lost, alone and pleading to be rescued.
Was he trying to find himself? Was he trying to find happiness? Was he trying to prove something to the world? Who knows, and what difference does it make? He’s dead.
debbie
why do you care so much?? sounds like people cut you off from their lives and that’s why your reacting the way that you are.
To D.A. cline
God, did not give Chris money and posessions
God gave him a will and a way and he took advantage of that.
Who is anyone to comment or to even go as far as to judge a common person for doing something they wanted to do? It’s seen as selfish, so I guess sitting around setting aside your dreams to work for a middle class job is seen as selfless. Selflessness is completely irrelevant to the topic at hand. A guy wanted to go somewhere and get away from society, and by the looks of these comments, I do not blame him.
Not once did he ever state or imply that he did what he did because he had a hard life.
Hey, for all those philosiphers out there, why does life have to be the way that one man wanted it to be. TO EACH HIS OWN. let people live life accordingly. stop judging what people do, everything is done because someone wants to do it. if it doesnt hurt of harm anyone else, than it aint any of ur damned business.
it’s actually spelled..”filosiferz”
Yeah he was pretty much the stupidest guy ever, who goes into Alaska with only a five pound bag of rice!?! I mean seriously, at least bring some beef jerkey!
ok michael…look whose calling the kettle black
I think that anyone who thinks of him as dumb for doing what he did is being completely ignorant. To say that he was bailing out on society or that he wasted his potential is moronic. Who are you to tell anyone what they should or should not do. He obviously had a different outlook on life than you do so DEAL WITH IT. It doesn’t make it right or wrong.
If you have read the book then you probably remember this moving line from his journal:
“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”
The people he is describing in the beginning are the exact people that call him an idiot. They are too confined by the limits of society to realize there is something else out there.
Would you have been happier if he graduated college, got a job, became a big time executive, had a wife and family, and then died?
If he would have done that, then would he not have wasted his life?
WHO THE FUCK is anyone to say that that is what a human being is supposed to do in life.
well you know how to swear,thats about it really…it’s rather amazing how you completely miss the point
I wonder if people will still be discussing him in 20 years or will a new “Chris” take his place in the popular mythology.
I feel bad because he realised he was in deep shit too late… and I fear that this romaticizing of him will lead a bunch of dumb kids to emulate him, with the result of more kids dying in the wilderness..
Andy-
You’re bringing shame to the name, man. As one Andy to another, I can’t understand how you can say on one line that “big time executives” and college graduates are wasting their lives, and then in the next line, say that it’s no one’s right to tell other people how to live their lives. You say that it’s no one’s right to trample other people’s views and outlooks, and then you call the people who think Chris was an idiot moronic.
You say people are confined by society, when in reality, self righteous jerks like Chris exploit society all the time. If he’d made it across the river and out of the wilderness, the first place he’d probably have gone was a hospital. In other words, he hates society and won’t be a part of it, unless his life is on the line, then society is okay.
Allow me to simplify:
Chris: “Society is bullshit!”
Dying Chris: “Save me society!”
If he had made it to a hospital, guess what he could have thanked for all that life saving technology?
MONEY and SOCIETY
And guess who would have saved his life?
DOCTORS with COLLEGE EDUCATIONS and JOBS
You know what? Go chug some bleach, go to a hospital, and tell the surgeons who are busy attaching your small intestine to your esophagus all about how they wasted their lives with college and medicine and money. See what kind of response you get.
Don’t tell other people that they are “confined” by society and need to notice the finer things in life. He was an idiot and he’s dead because of it. I mean, c’mon man, you’re talking about being confined by the limits of society in an online forum. Go out into the woods and whittle you’re thoughts on some tree bark, and then come tell me how my mind’s too restrained.
To the other Andy
Had you met Chris McCandless and spent time with him…I wonder if you would have 100% thought him an idiot versus a young man trying to figure things out while having a grudge on his shoulder?
No need for the bleach comment.
You can read it in every newspaper, hear it from every politician and most importantly, notice it yourself: ” It’s a sick world we’re living in “, and I mean this in every single meaning of the word sick. People nowadays are shallow, self-centred and live their lives the way people expect them to live them. However it has slowly been intergrating, sex is and will always be taboo, whereas it’s only a way for humans to enjoy themselves in the most intimate way. When you think about it, isn’t life about doing what you really feel like doing, without any kind of remorse. People spend their lives doing things they do not want to do more than half the time.
Christopher McCandless travelled his way all the way up to Alaska by backpack and with not a penny on him and moreover without giving anyone notice of his plans. Why ? Cause he was tired of that same old rut and honestly felt like doing so.
Sonya Ferguson, a 19 year old girl who grew up in Vancouver, spent 300 $ on a planeticket to Europe, stopped her education and is now travelling Europe, living from paycheck to paycheck.
Why ? Cause she felt like doing so, she wanted to see the world, and hey, can you blame her?
Tristan Castellano, a 22 year old guy from the midlands, United Kingdom. Sick of society, he quit school, and went living in a youth hostel over in Oxford. He meets new people every day, meets different cultures and everyday, he learns a little more about that complicated thing called life. Why ? Cause that’s what he always really wanted to do.
These are just a few examples of ordinary people, chasing their dreams. One can only find true happyness when one decides to chase what they long for.
Like many nostalgic punkbands write in their lyrics : ” Politics are to blame “. It’s all about power, the strongest wins the election, the richest becomes president and whatfor? We believe in freedom, we believe in equality and most importantly we believe in pursuiting true happyness.
We are the founders of ” Nutsism “. We are no political party nor a sect or revolting organization. We are just a group of people who share the same ideas. Today, we would like to share these ideas with the world.
More questions about nutsism, just contact us : nutsism@live.be
It would seem that Chris ideals were something to behold.
It was inwavering and uncorruptable.
With that said, a little foresight would have done well for him.
I think I would rather him have been a hero to what have been his his wife, children, friends or whoever would have come in to contact with if he had lived.
I think in the end he realized that. True he would have lived in relative anominity but seeing how he affected the few people he had come into contact before his Alaskan expedition/soul trip, I believe that would be a truer existence then what folklore he has inpired through his demise.
Chris inspired me. Far from shunning knowledge, like someone here commented, he searched for it and truth-exhuastively. Chris realized happiness doesn’t come from materialistic ideals. He tried doing things “The American Way” first and was left empty, still seeking truth, enlightenment, and happiness. I wish he’d made it back from Alaska alive, but if he had we would never have heard about his astonishing life. So, Chris’ death does have purpose in what we can all learn by studying his philosophy and maybe embracing some of his ideals in our own lives. Chris cared about others, which is obvious by how he secretly housed a homeless man in his parents rv, (among many other things he did). I wish more people had that much love and compassion for others!
One has to have courage to even attempt what Chris accomphished for years before Alaska took him. I for one could never withstand a cold climate like Alaska since I am a native south Texan, but would love to travel to some of the places Chris went. How about slab city? Perhaps Chris wasn’t acustomed to such extreme climate either, and those freezing temps caused his body to exhurt far too many calories and energy compared to the hotter places he succeded at living at without much food before.
when someone climbes everest fully knowing how dangerous it may be and dies do we call them a hero?…do we say we wish we had the courage to do that?..how about when a person takes heroin to the point of death…are they courageous too because they knew the dangers?…are they a hero…how about anything we do foolishly out of ego or whatever the reason….think about it….some people may welcome death,maybe they need it that isn’t for us to judge but it certainly makes them no hero….just so you realize,a hero is someone that risks harm or death to help others…not themselves.
I have read many of the responses on this blog, but I have yet to see the words that convince me that Chris’ connection with nature is understood. I don’t believe that any of us can understand it and I believe the reason is quite obvious.
We separate ourselves from nature, by calling it something separate from ourselves. We say things like, ” I just want to get back to nature,” when we believe that a separation will give us some reprieve from the pain of daily conformity, which can sometimes be overwhelming.
This is in itself problematic. We are all in nature all the time. Though our surroundings may not be mountainous or forestlike, we are all natural all the time. Separation from “society” is separation from a natural element that has as many problems and caveats as “the wild.” They are simply different problems where no map can guide you.
McCandless was unwilling to learn to navigate the natural world he called “society.” He chose without concern for consequence to abandon the world full of problems(one based on lies, deception, hatred, and misconceptions), for another world full of very different problems. Problems that were not the result of influence by moral impropriety. These were “wild” problems. He approached the “wild” with only his mind and heart to guide him, and the fact that he may not have been prepared is the brilliant irony in his decision to go to Alaska.
There is nothing on this earth that is not natural. If we allow ourselves to recognize this, then we can understand that McCandless’ simply traded one “natural” flawed environment called “society” for another equally challenging environment he called the “wild.” There is little in the story or the Movie that convinces me that he had lofty ideals. This was a do or die mission to expose his consciousness to the unbridled fury of the untamed world. Where else on earth can one do this? Many places, but Alaska was the place he chose. If you have never read Jack London, then you probably don’t know that his stories are all painted with the irony of Man’s fragility. He makes it all too clear in countless tales, that we are only a fire away from certain death.
McCandless may have embraced this notion, wishing to pass from this earth in an untainted landscape. The world will never truly know his intentions.
The bus is probably the most difficult aspect of this story to understand. It was created by man. It offered creature comforts that otherwise would not have been available to him. But he seems to justify it’s use, which I still have a hard time understanding. I believe that if the Bus had not been available to him, he may actually still be alive today. Why? Primarily, because it provided him the location to begin to establish himself as his own society, and make mistakes that can only be made when survival is essential and the desire for comfort unforgivingly meet. You may want to insert a comment here about selfishness, but I see it differently. McCandless was in short, no different than a character in London’s stories. He became a permanent fixture of the “wild.” He may have realized that returning to “society” meant navigating a world he had learned to be full of hatred and violence. Leaving the “wild” was a decision based on desire.
Alexandre Kojeve wrote, “Man becomes conscious of himself at the moment when – for the “first” time – he says “I.” To understand man by understanding his “origin” is, therefore, to understand the origin of the I revealed by speech.”
He further states, “The (conscious) Desire of a being is what constitutes that being as I and reveals it as such by moving it to say “I….” Desire is what transforms being, revealed to itself by itself in (true) knowledge, into an “object” revealed to a “subject” by a subject different from the object and “opposed” to it. It is in and by-or better still, as “his” Desire that man is formed and is revealed-to himself and to others – as an I, as the I that is essentially different from, and radically opposed to, the non-I. The (human) I is the I of a Desire or of Desire.”
He goes on to say, “Human Desire must be directed toward another Desire. For there to be human Desire, then, there must first be a multiplicity of (animal) Desires. In other words, in order that Self-Consciousness be born from the Sentiment of self, in order that the human reality come into being within the animal reality, this reality must be essentially manifold. Therefore, man can appear on earth only within a herd. That is why the human reality can only be social. But for the herd to become a society, multiplicity of Desires is not sufficient by itself; in addition, the Desires of each member of the herd must be directed – or potentially directed – toward the Desires of the other members. If the human reality is a social reality, society is human only as a set of Desires mutually desiring one another as Desires. Human Desire, or better still, anthropogenetic Desire, produces a free and historical individual, conscious of his individuality, his freedom, his history, and finally, his historicity. Hence, anthropogenetic Desire is different from animal Desire (which produces a natural being, merely living and having only a sentiment of its life) in that it is directed, not toward a real, “positive,” given object, but toward another Desire. Thus, in the relationship between man and woman, for example, Desire is human only if the one desires, not the body, but the Desire of the other; if he wants “to possess” or “to assimilate” the Desire taken as Desire – that is to say, if he wants to be “desired” or “loved,” or, rather, “recognized” in his human value, in his reality as a human individual. Likewise, Desire directed toward a natural object is human only to the extent that it is “mediated” by the Desire of another directed toward the same object: it is human to desire what others desire, because they desire it. Thus, an object perfectly useless from the biological point of view (such as a medal, or the enemy’s flag)(OR IN CHRIS’ CASE A BUS IN THE WILD), can be desired because it is the object of other desires. Such a Desire can only be a human Desire, and human reality, as distinguished from animal reality, is created only by action that satisfies such Desires: human history is the history of desired Desires.”
Now I realize that this is hard to digest, but essentially, Chris McCandless’ desire to be in the “wild” was a desire based upon what others desire, to be away from the things that make our lives difficult and immoral. It was also the product of reading books that described the weaknesses and strengths of man, in an untamed wilderness, a challenge he also desired. When Chris realized that he was dying, only then did it become apparent that he could only realize happiness or the safisfaction of his desires through contact with others.
“Happiness only real when Shared”
The only thing I don’t relate to about Chris is that he chose a way of traveling that 1) did not really take him to other countries outside North America and 2) necessitated getting skinnier and skinnier when it should have been obvious that great looking women want to have sex with men with meat on their bones. The latter strategy is unforgiveable…to me and biologists (the prime directive is to pass along some DNA mixed in with fantastic DNA).
He could have traveled the world as a geologist or found other college educated work that would put him near the edges of the wildernesses he wanted to experience.
Working at McDonalds while your fellow employees beg you to let them give you soap…and failing completely with the ladies…should not have to be part and parcel of getting away from American society. If he did not like American women (society) he could have dated Russian women. He was smart enough to learn some Russian. I know a few American men who now live in the Russian wilderness with a gorgeous wife who is not part of an American society the man rejects.
Chris should have learned from Doktor Zhivago about doing that.
Having said that…he had already eaten too many of those mold-laced seeds when he finished Doktor Zhivago. He wanted to live and maybe would have done something like I just suggested a little later in life.
I wish the professor who wrote the book he trusted (and died as a result of that trust) had been knowledgeable enough to mention mold and the large number of livestock that die from it.
to the above post..(jim peterson)..i think i would have to go starve myself in alaska if i was the author of that post
Not one person loves his society exactly as it exists.
Maybe Martin Luther King should have said “screw this,
I’m going camping” instead of working to change it.
Also, does my need for adventure give me the right to
poach any animal I desire to eat? That was his plan.
Lets all go find truth and beauty in the woods!
Animals, even protected wildlife, comes second to
my digestive and spiritual needs.
A thousand bucks of freeze dried trail food
from that Oxfam gift would have
spared many a living creature the only life they
were ever going to have. Still, none of this makes him
any worse or better than the yuppie he might have
been had he taken a different path.
[...] A blog for comments about Chris [...]
I find it so very ironic and sad that he never took the time to walk up or down stream to find another place to cross. This makes me really wonder about his mental state. He was not really as trapped as he thought he was. Curious that he never walked far enough to find this out. Or did he? We will never really know.
I hope other young kids do not take this way as the way to go. Come on….you have to plan ahead a little bit more than this if you are going into the wild.
I think Chris Mccandless was a great man, he had a great personality, charismatic, virtuous kind of guy. I think he might have come to a realization while he was in Alaska, and might have been ready to reconcile himself with his family. He had highlighted some things on his books, like phrases that said, Love thy neighbor, self-sacrifice, happiness is not true happiness unless it is shared, etc. He obviously had a strong interest in these ideals because he highlighted them . He was surely looking for the truth, and he might have found it while he was suffering on that bus.
I just watched “Into the Wild” last nite. I found the story very touching. He had a profound effect on every person he met throughout his journey, even for the short time he met them for. He did try and see the world that many Americans take for granted and become truly emancipated. He was a brave young man to do what he did.
I have read some of the quotes above, and I can see how many people believed he was stupid and an idiot for dying in a bus in the middle of nowhere. I agree that he was reckless in some of the things. But, he also had a life alterating effecting on those he encountered in his journey. He also did love his family yet was torn as to how to express his love, as many of us do. I believe part of his journey was trying to find a way to express his emotions to his family. He was truly on a journey to find himself and his own happiness. This was not a spoiled child trying to get back at his parents. If you watched the movie, you would see that this is not what his journey was about.
Overall, I belieive that Chris lived and enjoyed more in the 2 brief years over the course of the movie, than many of us will in the lifetime.
Why Chris? Why would be the question I would ask Chris. Why is this something you felt like you had to do? Why Alaska in the middle of nowhere? So what, you had a tough childhood. They are still your parents. You are not your parents. You can do and be whatever you want. Others with similar childhoods or even worse, do not go out into the woods with a 10 pound bag of rice. A bag of rice has no nutritional value. I would agree with you in giving your money to charity. I would even have to agree with you going into the wild. At times I want to get away, but if you are going to live side by side with nature you need to learn to live side by side with nature. You knew nothing about living in Alaska. It was real, you were not living in a book. I think even smart people do dumb things at times. I am sorry you had to deal with your self demons, and did not make it out.
Theres a part in the book towards the end that says that there were some cabins a couple of miles away from where the bus is. Apparently these cabins were totally vandalized and the food was found to be missing. The book says that the cabins were vandalized around the time Chris Mccandless was around. The owner suspects that Chris did the vandalizing. I personally can’t imagine him doing that unless out of reaction to the poisoning he had from the mold on the seeds which the book says causes neurological sideffects.
[...] I have criticized people who would purport to diagnose mental illness in strangers, even dead strangers. So let me be measured and careful about how I say [...]
i am witnessing someone fighting for their lives with cancer..unbearable pain..screaming for a chance to somehow get through it against all odds…i also see people risk their lives everyday to make the world a better place…some kid goes out and purposely throws it all away for what?…who here calls this person a hero…his actions to be emulated…if this is you ,you haven’t lived at all yet and beware what you find heroic…life has a way of making you see the truth
To 629:
I hear you, however,
where does anyone mention him above as a hero?
Just because one is interested in a person and a path (a path over a relatively short time period with Chris) they chose does not mean that one agree’s with all the decisions they made along the way and make that person a hero. I have some admiration for Chris but at the same time, some of the decisions he made, I would have opted to take a safer route.
Mt. Everest climbers are not hero’s to me, however, their stories interest me.
My take, you can also be hero to yourself by good, sincere choices within your own life that serve to benefit you.
There are days that I smile just because of me…and by the way I consider myself an ordinary person.
Besides, it’s our right to choose anyone we want to be a hero, there’s no equation or check box list whereby certain qualities or accomplishments (or for that matter terrible things put upon us such as cancer) have to be made. You can choose to be frustrated that people pick certain individuals to be hero’s that you do not agree with but that seems useless to me.
May you be a hero to that someone you know who is currently fighting cancer.
I think it’s interesting that no one has yet commented on the real spiritual story, or lack thereof, in this ordeal.
It’s fairly obvious that Chris recognized at least one power higher than his own (he thanks the Lord for a happy life
in his farewell message, then asks for His blessing to all). Assuming he believed in Jesus Christ at some point in his life
sets up a whole new dynamic, one that he was completely unaware of, and probably many who’ve read this story as well. You see, once we enter into God’s family, we have responsibilities…not the least of which is the assimilation of humility. Humility is a prerequisite to many things; learning, understanding authority, obedience, respect for others and self, civility, kindness, stability…just to name a few. The bible is clear on this, and warns in several passages the penalty of arrogance (opposition to humility) James 4:6,
Psalms 138:6, Proverbs 16:18, 1Peter 5:5 and 5:6 to name a few. On the surface Chris appeared to have characteristics that reflect a certain humilty, but they were all on his terms.
When we reject the most basic authorities in life, that of our parents and of government, we have now established ourselves above the law, and that is the epitome of arrogance. Once we removed ourselves this far from reality, only bad things can happen. In case you’re wondering what the bible has to say about parents and gov’t, here you go: Exodus 20:12, Lev. 19:3, Matthew 22:21 and Romans 13:1,2.
It’s a sad tale, without a doubt, but it’s nothing more than a glorification of what happens to many others who follow the same path. God uses situations such as these to remind us all of what is truly important when we enter into His family. “The Lord disciplines those He loves, and scourges every son whom He recieves” Heb 12:6.
Fortunately, there is always a way out, should we decide to
to take it…and 1John 1:9 spells it out. God provides the solution in grace, we simply must choose to utilize it…in humility.
Dear “stateofaffairs”,
I totally agree with you. I believe that this is a story of spirituality. Chris MCCandless became humbled while he was suffering and this suffering brought him closer to God and because of that he managed to accept his suffering and death in the best of spirits. Chris obviously had a connection with God from the beginning but he was arrogant. He was searching for the truth and he found it while he was suffering! This might sound odd to some but if he had walked out of there alive he might have never learned the truth, and nobody would have learned aything from his life. His death was not in vain and we can all learn from this man.
Emyrna,
A very good point. Often it is at the end that things come into perspective, and too often it is suffering that brings about understanding. Hopefully his life WILL provide some
insight for others who read John’s book, or watch the movie. Volition is a wonderful thing, but we all must assume responsibility for the path we take in life.
if you do not think the decisions i made were the right way to solve my problems with the world, awesome. i dont give a fock.
To Anonymous 630.
Where does anyone mention him above as a hero? Try reading #s 4, 15, 156, 228, 367, 517, 525, 573, & 579. There are also many others above who admired Chris’ actions but didn’t out and out call him a hero.
P.S. My Hero is Mother Teresa
“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.”
To: 635
From: 630
Thanks for finding the entries that actually contained the word “hero”. Good job!
[ 9/633] = 0.014218 x 100 = 1.4218% WOW!
Opted not to include: #630 and #635
to 630
i hope one day you don’t find a loved one,a child perhaps,someone you care for and trust, making these same decisions and “choosing their own path” as you put it..to their own demise and your own grief…you believe everyone has the right to throw away all their relationships and “choose their own path”…you are very cold.
To 637
Re: 630 entry, I have some admiration for Chris and his venture. However, he is not a hero to me…… for the most part being that he did not keep in contact with his mother and father.
We all choose our own paths, some rockier than others.
MY path includes being responsible, being forgiving, being respectful, learning from mistakes, and moving forward.
Where did you come up with “you believe everyone has the right to throw away all their relationships, etc?”
To Anonymous 630,
The term hero has been discussed hundreds of times on this forum in both negative and positive terms.
These entries #s 4 ,15, 156, 228, 367, 517, 525, 573, & 579. Referred to Chris as a hero or his actions as heroic. There are many other entries who say that they admire Chris or his actions. These entries stated that they admired Chris or his actions but, fell short of calling him a hero. #s 84, 88, 89, 146, 149, 174, 317, 368, 387, 389, 400, 497 & 581.
P.S. Mother Teresa died in 1997 at the age of 87.
“There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives–the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor you may have right in your own family. Find them. Love them”
To Debbie:
22 (“Hero in a positive light”)/633 x 100 = 3.47 —> 3.8% Double WOW!
to anonymous 640
we’re all so glad you can figure out the statistics..that is so impressive…actually it isn’t,at all…the fact is even if the number is 1 out of 10,000 that is still 1 too many…now you can calculate that
To 641, From 640
You are right! You are so right! that you could fuel a rocket to the moon and back!. …..Not impressive at all!!!…That’s the point!
Long live Alex Supertramp……when you forgive you love, when you love you forgive.
Rest in peace my man.
So 641,
You know “ALL”?
That’s impressive!! Very impressive!!! (speaking for 644 only)
Normally, I wouldn’t do this, but this post is literally screaming form a reply. It’s important that the readers understand that I am not in any way attempting to criticize McCandless.
I will reply to each part of the post.
“A path of ignorance is taveled by those who critisize Mccandless. He wanted to get away from people and go on a spiritual adventure. Hw broke away from people and a thier structured mass. beyond judgment, hate and a path so blindly and ignorantly followed that narrowly leads you too the grave.”
– Where exactly do you think McCandless “spiritual adventure” led him? Unless I’m mistaken, his journey “led him to the grave” as well. He stopped at the one thing that represented what he was “getting away” from, a rusting, old mass-transit bus. It that doesn’t represent “structured mass” what does? As for “beyond judgement and hate” isn’t that precisely what Chris held for his dad? Isn’t that why Chris broke away or, at least one of the reasons?
“And for those who don’t know he was very well prepared. He survived in the alaskan back country for more than one hundred days rice and a 22.. For all of you who say “oh he didn’t even bring a map” that wasen’t a lasp of jedgement but his choice. He wanted to feel conected with nature and his own spirit. He loved what he was doing and i hope you love your walled in existent of forced morals and relations.”
if you consider being ‘well-prepared” going into the Alaskan back country, an area you’re completely unfamiliar with without a compass, a map or enough supplies to keep you going should your ultimate goal of “living off the land” not pay off, then , I guess he was ‘well-prepared.” True enough, he did love what he was doing and he was determined to do what he loved regardless of laws designed to protect the land or those that do what he did from themselves. He would pursue his “love” whatever got in his way, be that the love of a family or friends. I believe that’s a little on the selfish side.
“Cris Mccandless died living a great and meaningful life. I envy what he accomplished. His years on the road will mean eyons more than decades pf structured existence.”
Sorry, wrong again. He died a lonely, unpleasant death in a discarded, rusting bus a few miles from the “structured existence” he so wanted to be away from. His years on the road, were just that, years on the road. He met a lot of people, flitted in and out of their lives at his pleasure and left only memories. he COULD have led a great and meaningful life. he certainly had the education for it. But he did nothing with is degree or education toward helping the oppressed and starving people in Africa. Instead he chose to wander around, doing whatever he decided to do that day. Tell me what it was that he managed to accomplish going from place to place that will mean so much to so many.
I envy that fact that Chris actually did what he wanted to do – nothing! He managed to pull it off for a long time but eventually the constant meandering and lack of understanding or knowledge of what he was doing caught up with him and cost him is life. He could have joined the Peace Corps and actually done something – oh, wait, I’m sorry, the Peace Corps is a “structured existence” with rules so no, that wouldn’t work.
If I seem angry it’s because this kid had so much to offer, so much passion and he was completely lost as to how to funnel it into something meaningful that would actually make a difference in the world. Instead, he preferred to just do what he wanted, regardless of who or what got in his way.
But, unlike many others, Chris died doing what he wanted.
actually,many people die doing what they wanted,whether you die doing the dishes or vacuuming the floor,if it;s your choice to do and you die doing it,this doesn’t imply this kid didn’t have future plans and now thats all down the drain
I never implied Chris had no future plans. Chris could have had tremendous future plans. We’ll never know.
It’s simple: He was on a quest – selfish indeed, just like a lot of people, and he died.
It was HIS life, not anyone else’s , one can agree, one can disagree . One can admire, one can not admire. Then there’s the in between thoughts with regard to his abandonment of family and his “escape”.
Tremendous plans can always be saved for a later date. Sometimes “escape” leads to clarification through both fortunes and misfortunes.
I wish he had not died.
I too, wish he had not died.
But maybe, just maybe, for Chris, death was the ultimate escape that he seemed to be trying so hard to find.
I’ve survived a bad heart attack and in doing so, narrowly missed death myself. I’m one who has had a “NDE” or “near death experience” and I can honestly say that the experience isn’t something to be feared. It is in fact, quite the opposite, at least mine was. The paramedics had to pull me back to a consciousness I didn’t really want to come back to at the time.
Chris, from what I understand probably felt that same feeling.
I hope so.
One more thing….
Chris was desperately trying to leave society behind. He “didn’t need relationships” to be happy, yet when death was knocking as his door, he left a note behind pleading for help while he was out foraging,
You read that right,… he left a note for someone to find.
How long had it been since he had seen another person? I presume Chris assumed that now that he actually “needed someone” they would miraculously appear at that exact spot to save him.
I find that to be a more than a little odd.
Perhaps the note left was not for someone to find and rescue him, but was part of his exit, knowing that death was soon to come.
The fact that he was able to write a note at that time is amazing being in the weakened state he was in. The guy was severely malnourished, dehydrated, and electrolyte depleted.
Although he did not mention his family….maybe it was for them.
I think he left it in hopes he would be rescued. The wording is as follows:
“S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August?”
This is no goodbye note. He also left a goodbye note that read:
I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!”
To those of you interested, you might be interested in this article in thestar.com (a Toronto newspaper)
http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/267203
PENN’S FILM FEEDS LEGEND
Alaskans tired of rescuing ‘pilgrims’ in the wild
A broken down Alaskan bus that has served as both a tomb and a shrine to a young adventurer may soon be on the move.
Whoa….moving the bus? What do you all think about this?
Most of you don’t get it, and never will. Yes, he did want to get away from society by running of to Alaska, but in the end he found out that human contact is where he gained the most out of life.
He wrote ” love is only great when you can share it”
That is where he stopped being Supertramp and once again became Chris McCandless. A guy that loved, and wished he could be with his family again.
Actually Rich, what he wrote was “happiness only real when shared.”
Yes, I do “get it”, but by the time Chris realized that happiness must be shared it was too late for him to save himself.
That’s what makes his story so sad.
Chris Mcandless kicks ass there some fag that says everything he did is a lie and maybe partly some of it is but to go through all that and actully keep going and not turn back like anyone in society would, because they would be scared to leave there imagination (aka TV) The guy had balls
obviously the mentality of the above post shows the typical “pro mccandell adventure”train of thought…enough said really…lol
Ryan (AKA: literary retard)
Chris may have had “balls”. Balls however didn’t really come in all that handy in the end did they?
I would bet his parents were not all that impressed by his “bravery” as some may call it.
His family are very unfortunate victims of Chris’s “bravery”, or more accurately, stupidity.
I like the idea of what he was trying to accomplish. He just went about it woefully unprepared, and with very little forethought.
Wast of a bright young man.
Do any of you remember 1990, 1991, and 1992?
Being 20, 21, and 22 at those times I am glad that I made it out alive.
Many good people have been lost along the way and they will be missed. INTJ INTP are sometimes to deep.
obviously theres a difference between “go west young man”..and “go northwest with no food or help young man”
i do understand where everyone and their views are coming from.
yet for me i am more drawn to the romantic side of the debated,
though i mainly feel sad that Chris had to die in such a way while trying to find the happiness he needed.
x
I get it.
I am a dad, a son, a brother, a nephew, an uncle, a stranger, a friend. I live down the street, next door, across town, on the other coast, around the globe.
We have never met, we have been friends or enemies since childhood.
Does that help you understand the nature of the man who writes this comment?
I found nothing heroic about Chris’s adventure or his demise.
As a father, I thought about how my sons think of me; as a son, I thought about how I think of my father. I wondered if I have bent the world for my sons in how I have fathered them. I came to peace with how my view of the world was framed by being the son of a career Marine officer, of a man whose favored bon mot was “There is no such thing as an accident, there is only a failure to take sufficient care.”
I was terribly saddened at the loss of Chris’s life; I was terribly saddened that, while his parents may have come to peace with his death, they could not come to peace with Chris in life.
And I bow my head to the ultimate wisdom, that the only real happiness is shared. For Chris, alone at the end, and so long seeking to test the metal of his rugged individualism against the wilderness . . . alone, I felt a gratitude that before passing into a place where comprehensible communication was lost to him, he warned us of the dangers of his fatal illness: loneliness.
This story was life changing for me. Christopher Mccandless was a deep, young man who grew up in a somewhat pretentious lifestyle and felt that there was more to life than what was expected of the average person. People can say as much as they want about how he was stupid and unprepared. Yes, maybe he was unprepared, but he was far from stupid. In his early life through highschool and college, he was a hard worker. He graduated from a good college and was extremely intellegent. He thought deeply and was a kind, intellectual person. For those of you who say he was a copycat, that’s false. If he was a copycat he would’ve kept the absolute essentials of living that everyone else kept, throughout his journey. He was the only person brave enough to venture out into the wilderness without any supplies besides a 10lb. bag of rice, a journal, a camera, and a few other essentials. If you read the book, Chris (“Alex”) clearly displays his anger and vexation towards the government. In his eyes, it’s extremely possible that he thought he could subtract everything that’s manmade and controlled from his life. He wanted to live the way HE wanted, not the way he was brought up to live. I respect him more than anyone can describe. He wasn’t saying “oh look at me, i’m going to ignore what the govrenment wants me to do and what everyone else is doing and go into Alaska. Look at me!” He left home and his responsibilities behind for HIMSELF. He wasn’t expecting a reaction from people, he only wanted an inner peace and happiness in return, and he got it. Despite his painful death, he died, saying that he saw the natural beauty of the wild and lived the way he wanted to. Not many people can say that. And until some one who has posted a negative comment towards Christopher Mccandless has experienced that I will believe no differently.
to allison:
you posted: “He was the only person brave enough to venture out into the wilderness without any supplies besides a 10lb. bag of rice, a journal, a camera, and a few other essentials”
now why does that post sound silly
out of millions and millions of people who do extreme sports,fight in wars,serve the public everyday you believe he was the only one brave enough…or does the only one stupid enough sound more accurate
I think the two most brilliant posts I read here were #8 and #265. I very much agree that this young man’s attempt to find himself was born of his privilege and a result of guilt. So much self-esteem and rewards are heaped on young people without any serious attempt at earning it. That creates a tremendous void and angst….the belief that one hasn’t earned what one has. Where I think Chris stood out was recognizing that at an early age and feeling the need to account for himself. Where he failed was in the execution and the method whereby he searched for that accountability.
Had Chris been raised in a hand to mouth existence with little educational opportunities, merely getting a decent job with a decent wage would have seemed to be a grand adventure, an earning of his place, proof that he was a man. Where do you go to get that feeling if you have everything? Who, at 20 odd years has NOT romanticized what he doesn’t know? In Chris’ case, it was nature. In someone else’s case, it may be a Mercedes. I don’t believe he was a hero….but all of the coincidental circumstances in his life made his very prosaic, humdrum search for meaning and worth a very dramatic story for the rest of us. Not to mention that Krakauer has a great knack for drawing his readership in!
Now I’m really depressed! Just my luck to have my post be #666. I think I may just have to go try my luck in the Alaskan Wilderness…
AND post #663. Thanks for that–beautifully said and that last line is so very true. A shame that a young man felt the need to put himself through a sublimely torturous path to discover one of the fundamental truths of life. Like you, I hope that my sons will learn that in their years with us before they fly the nest.
Every event that happens is easy to evaluate in hindsight. I doubt Chris ever intended his adventures to make it to the Hollywood screen.
We all do things with reasons that makes sense to ourself and sometimes not to others. Just because you are brought up within a privileged environment does not make you immune to taking a “torturous path”.
#265 makes reference to statements in the movie that made way for an opinion which we all have a right to do…but the fact is it’s a movie. We will never know the the exact conversations (and in what context) that Chris had with with people who he met on his journey.
Is it not possible for an underprivileged kid to make the same decision to venture out, experience what Chris did? A story as such would still capture my attention. Would people feel more comfortable with an underprivileged kid doing this….that’s sad if so.
It’s Sean Penn’s right to make a movie about this story. He read the book, it interested him. That’s what he does. Besides there’s so many movies out there that romanticize very bad people.
Chris picked a path.
None of us our perfect.
Some days, I leave work, and say “you know what, even though I have a great job, good home, great family, I am going to Alex Supertramp it this weekend….and I fully know I am talking bullsh….. because I end up only slightly doing so, but for me it feels good to say it some days.
It’s a sad story but s…. happens.
Be good, be safe.
nobody really knew or truly understood chris. therefore no one can make an accurate analysis of why he did what he did. at times i feel like living the way he lived.
It seems that Chris did have a plan to come back and I think that he would have been a very good teacher of what he learned out there. My favorite quote that he wrote near the end of his life was, “Happiness is only meaningful when shared.” It seems as he knew he could have taken his adventure in a very different way and I believe thats why he wrote his real name for people to see because he realises thats who he is not “Alexander Super-tramp”. Yet we will never know exactly what he learned or got out of everything he went through since he is not here to share his experiences with us today. So we should not critisize our praise Chris McCandless because his choices were his choices and he had reasons to do what he did. We just need to find our own meaning out of it all, and in the end we will all learn our own lesson from him.
To: graham
I praise your words above.
the fact is we can criticize anything we want…this doesn’t mean we judge the persons ability to get into heaven..lol…this guy obviously didn’t want to die and he did…do we need it spelled out even further?
ok first scenario:
guy crosses the road in anger,not thinking properly and gets hit by a car and dies..is he a hero,martyr,stupid or simply an unfortunate circumstance
second scenario:
guy crosses the road on the way to church to find that holy oneness within himself and gets hit by a car and dies…one again is he a hero,martyr,stupid or simply an unfortunate circumstance
third scenario:
guy goes to africa for the first time and in anger crosses the road and gets hit by an elephant and dies(which for this story happens to be common in africa )…is he a hero a martyr,stupid or is he simply unfortunate
last scenario:
guy goes to africa on a spiritual retreat to better himself and all others he may come in contact with in the future for all the things he may learn and provide in the future….once again he crosses the road and gets hit by a damned elephant(they are very hard to see you know)….well what is he
I just watch the film last night and I went into it not knowing a thing about the guy. I rented it because it sounded like a fascinating story. And indeed it was, tragic as his death was I believe a lesson can be learned from all of this. It is one thing to want to challenge yourself, to push your limits, but to do so without the proper equipment to ensure success for utter foolishness. Chris felt arrogantly confident in his ability but combine that with a deep rooted sense of idealism it proved fatal.
Minimalist living/camping is an great thing, to leave as little impact on the wild is the right thing to do. But to venture into a world solely on a dream is idiotic. If Chris was an experienced hiker he would have gone out with all of the proper equipment, scouted the area, and planned for any eventuality. Instead he went out there without a clue, nothing but his dream of shutting himself out from the world.
He was an idealist but those who see the tragedy of life, the ills that our society condones and even conspires to facilitate, work towards bringing them to an end. If not globally then at least in their little corner of this universe.
I believe Chris to be a both a brave and cowardly man at the same time. He had a bright future and he chose to throw it all away. He chose to drop out and those he see him as a hero are as dilluded as he was.
What I took away from this movie was that no matter how crappy or how pampered a person’s life was growing up their parents still loved them. Growing up I did not get the support and encouragement that other kids did and I myself fled from my family. Although I never lost contact (disappeared) I decided that I was going to make my own way. I decided that regardless of how my parents treated or mistreated me I am my own person.
Chris was indeed is own person but now he is dead, a tragic story of a life so full of potential that he decided to throw it all away for selfish reasons. I truly feel sorry for all of those people that he met along the way. He clearly had a charismatic personality and was capable of creating caring loving bonds with his fellow humans. Yet he decided to throw it away.
And that to me is a coward
Chris McCandless’ story will be debated for years. It already has.
It seems clear that Chris was afflicted with “Monomania” or an athological obsession with one idea or subject, intent concentration on or exaggerated enthusiasm for a single subject or idea. So much so that he even managed to convince Ron Franz (not his real name) to move out of his comfortable apartment, give up his conventional life and move into Chris’ old campsite to wait for someone who was never going to return. Chris had a habit ot entering and exiting people’s lives at will, without a care of what negative effects his aimless meanderings might have on others that ARE capable of caring for someone else. It seems that Chris only cared when it benefitted him in some form to do so. Like when he needed money or a place to stay or a brief human encounter. The remainder of the time Chris was on the run from whatever it was that companionship or love or caring did to him.
To say that he was “not very bright” in incorrect. Quite the contrary, he was extremely bright but he was sorely lacking in experience – the kind of experience that keeps you alive in changing situations. His survival over a few minor problems in the past coupled with his youthful “invincibility” gave him the illusion that he could survive on his own and live off the land, something that is extremely difficult to do for experts and bordering on the impossible.
I think that Chris finally decided that “happiness must be shared” too late for him to be able to enjoy the experience. I have no doubt that Chris was happy at the end. He was where he wanted to be and was doing what he wanted to do – alone.
No wait, he never mentioned wanted to die alone did he?
No one want’s to die alone I don’t think.
He wasn’t the first to go searching for something to make life complete and finding instead the end of life (is that what finally completes life?). He certainly won’t be the last either. A quick search will turn up nam after name of those that passed before him, all searching for something else.
Starving do death in close proximity to civilization (within 25 miles) does not make someone great. Walking “into the wild” unprepared for the adventure does not make someone great either, but it sure does make for great stories to be told and retold.
Even in death, Chris continues to tell his story.
The book was good but the movie was better and that’s not the norm. Opinions are great because every one has their own. People agree on things but everyone feels different about why they agree and you can’t change that. Alex did something he chose to do. There are people all around this world who would of loved to see what Alex had seen and do what Alex had done. My opinion is he is not a hero and I wouldn’t say he was mental I think he was living his life to the fullest doing what he wanted to do not being told what to do like we are today. He had other options and means to do what he did but chose to do it the way he wanted. I feel most for his family because family are the most important in life. Why he didn’t get in touch with them in his travels is because of his age maybe. Just think wether it was for a day or week sometime in your life you most of felt you didn’t need anyone. Everyone has dreams and I believe he lived his.
Godbless Chris McCandless and his family.
Opinions are great because every one has their own. People agree on things but everyone feels different about why they agree and you can’t change that. Alex did something he chose to do. There are people all around this world who would of loved to see what Alex had seen and do what Alex had done. My opinion is he is not a hero and I wouldn’t say he was mental I think he was living his life to the fullest doing what he wanted to do not being told what to do like we are today. He had other options and means to do what he did but chose to do it the way he wanted. I feel most for his family because family are the most important in life. Why he didn’t get in touch with them in his travels is because of his age maybe. Just think wether it was for a day or week sometime in your life you most of felt you didn’t need anyone. Everyone has dreams and I believe he lived his.
Godbless Chris McCandless and his family.
I’m sorry his adventure turned out the way it did but Chris had no business going into the wilds so unprepared. One absolutely must acquire the right gear and research the area to be hiked before setting foot on a trail. McCandless was woefully unprepared for what he was attempting and that’s a shame because a few weeks of map study and a determination to begin the trip only when he had the proper gear probably would have meant survival instead of death.
I feel that the negative comments about Chris’s adventure are from people who do not understand where his mindset is coming from. Those who said it was selfish to leave his family behind, buy a map, etc. These are all attachments, anger, greed, etc. In order to become completely enlightened you must give up all attachments, which is The Doa. He wanted to get away from all this, which society has been brought upon the human race. I applaud Chris for his act. The forces that Chris felt are the forces of nature the true inner self, which can not yet and hopefully for the sake of human nature never will. Similar to the forces of scientific forces, there is another force out there. Chris entitled everything I’ve envisioned. May I join you soon.
Chris McCandless was, simply put, a moron. He was ill prepared (really, totally and completely unprepared) to go to and survive in the wilderness. He had no training or local knowledge. He was was as close to a cretin as you can be and still breath under your own power. Calling him an idiot is generous. He committed suicide, end of story. Any fool can do that. If you are going do that, get it over quick, rather than waste other people’s precious time and energy.
To Benjamin Dover:
So you have never wasted any other person’s time and energy?
How productive of your time to call someone a moron.
Whose right is it to make ridiculous claims of a person most of us never knew? Although people might have known him, his true intentions were known only by him. Since he was the only person who knew what he set out to acomplish on his adventure, he is the only one who truely has the right to judge.
So for those of you who say he was an unprepared idiot, you didn’t know him. For those of you who say he is an inspirational hero, you didn’t know him. I didn’t know him, and therefore try my best to stay unbais.
Although, being human, I have a personal opinion, and that is that I admire Chris. Being adventurous and ambitious is fine, but I truely admire him because he achieved what most humans haven’t or are afraid to. He was content with himself. Evidently you don’t have to live a long life to be content with your life and your soul.
**that was my opinion paragraph (which everyone is entitled to). Now back to trying to be as unbais as possible.**
I’ve noticed that there are two distinct (and completely oppossing) sides to the debate. The debate isn’t truly about Chris McCandless and his actions. It’s about safety of a pre-set life vs. courage of finding ones own life. Leave Chris out of this … heated … debate, because I don’t think that’s what he wanted out of this.
I will never understand how someone is called selfish for not doing what other people expect them to do. It’s happened to me many times, and usually from people who wouldn’t lift a finger for someone else unless they see some benefit for it. Why do we say he was selfish for putting his family through grief and not say they are selfish for expecting him to live his life around what would make them happy? It’s just another buzz word that people throw out to win arguments without having to prove anything.
Regardless of whatever actual motivations Chris had, what seems to piss people off is simply that he decided to do things his own way for awhile. One-hundred years ago he would have been a pioneer, today he’s a selfish and emotionally disturbed man.
The guy died living his life the way he wanted to. Maybe he was crazy, spoiled, an idiot, whatever, at least he didn’t sit around doing what everyone expected him to do and living a life of quiet misery. And the latter is really the only thing that should make people angry as that’s the biggest waste of the gift of life I can imagine. He probably lived more and experienced more and appreciated the beauty of this world more in the couple of years on the road than your average yuppie does in a lifetime.
I’ve read enough about the guy to know there are some very real evidence that he was in many ways an egotistical idiot. But if there are reasons not to like him they aren’t what people are writing in these comments.
To “justaguy.”
I believe the selfish part was because of his disregard for his family, particularly his sister with whom he was supposedly very close to. He didn’t even bother to let her know about his well-being. “Selfish” is defined as – “the act of placing one’s own needs or desires above the needs or desires of others.” so in that respect, yes, Chris was selfish.
An idiot is a person of subnormal intelligence and that hardly describes Chris McCandless. He was more self-absorbed and sure of his survival skills than he should have been and that oversight greatly assisted his very much avoidable death.
He appreciated the beauty of only a part the world, mainly the south and midwest of the United States until his brief trips to Alaska. As for the beauty of the world, there are a heck of a lot of places more beautiful than where Chris chose to trek. The Hawaiian Islands, the Himalayas, Europe, New Zealand, etc. The world offers a lot of beauty for our eyes. I hardly think he even came close to experiencing all the beauty of the world.
I also don’t think that people dislike or hate Chris. In fact, everyone he came in contact with seemed to like him very much. That’s probably the reason for the anger, the blatant waste of his life and the deprivation of all he could have offered the world had he made different choices. the fact that he took from those that cared about him and his well-being the chance to be a long-lasting part of his life.
“I believe the selfish part was because of his disregard for his family, particularly his sister with whom he was supposedly very close to.”
To get a little philosophical here I think where I have issue with this is that it’s all a matter of perspective and people seem to be all to willing to throw the term selfish out when someone isn’t doing what they are expected by others to do. It used to be that if one’s daughter married the wrong guy she was selfish, or a son choosing the wrong career was selfish. Here, a man breaking away from everything and everyone he knew, for his own reasons and not necessarily in order to hurt someone deliberately, is selfish. They all boil down to the same general thing, that group A feels that individual B is somehow indebted to them and owes it to them to live their lives a certain way. I guess it hits a nerve with me because I run into similar attitudes all the time and it makes me wonder, at what point is it where a person can live how they choose without being selfish? Unless the truth is just that people are free to live how they please and we should appreciate what they give us instead of resenting what they don’t.
As for the beauty in the world, I’d argue that there is a very real difference between visiting and looking at a beautiful natural sight vs really connecting with and experiencing the wonders of the natural world. Being in awe of them. I’m sure plenty of people experience that, but it isn’t your average Joe who gets down on people for not buying into the idea that family and a career and a good 401k are all that’s important in life.
It doesn’t really matter if he was selfish or not he is one person and sorry to say but you as a person comes fisrt above all. Take care of your needs before you neglect them by taking care of someone elses. Its your opinion if you think I am selfish or he is selfish but I am a firm believer that you d what you wnat to first hence the reason for having a career and what not. All Chris did is what he wanted and if you think its selfish then I can’t change your mind I can only say what I have said…thanks for your time and I hope I didn’t offend.
To “me”
I read this book last year for my English class. We were also studying (at the same time) about Transendentalism. Transendentalism is mostly described as being “one with nature” and all that jazz, but there is acctually a lot more to it than that.
There was a Transendentalist (I forget if it was Emerson or Thoreau) but he was thrown in jail for a night for some reason. He wrote about his account in jail. He said that he had lived in that town for years and never heard the clock bells chime, until he sat down and listened in confinement. The point is is that his perspective had changed and that is vital in transendentalism.
I believe that Chris was a modern day Transendentalist, and often times that means seperating oneself from society and indulging oneself in nature. The nature doesn’t nesissarily have to be the most beautul thing, but it has to be pure for the person to find a like pureness in himself.
What man truely is is masked and burried under the demands of society. Chris wanted to escape from that. That might mean cutting some ties and breaking some hearts, but I seriously think that he wasn’t cut out for being burried alive. He did what he had to for himself, and that’s fine.
For what it is worth. Regardless of the outcome; or what people consider being “prepared,” for anything. Christopher’s story about being free from a society that sucks the life out of everything not connected to a dollar is worthy of being told. He didn’t do what he choose to do for fame. If you people that bash him think that was the reason you MISSED HIS POINT.
What someone chooses to do with their life is their business. If they choose to step outside of the norm and live in their own way, who are you to tell them they can’t?
I found this story inspirational and profound.
You should dream big, you should reach high, and you shouldn’t be told by anybody that you can’t achieve your desires and path in this world. We lack heroes in this world today, we lack hope, and judging by some of the comments I’ve seen on the web, some people lack basic human compassion, and empathy.
RIP CJM.. I am stronger now for knowing your story.
To “a Person”
You’re quite right, “Transcendentalism” is indeed much more than simple being at one with nature.
I agree with most of what you wrote. And Chris did separate himself from society – at times – to “be at one with nature.”
But after all I’ve read regarding his story, I’m leaning toward believing that Chris wasn’t so much trying to escape from society or be at one with nature as he was trying to test himself AGAINST nature. He even said he preferred to hitchhike to Alaska rather than take up Ronald Franz’s offer to buy him a plane ticket to Alaska. I’d call that a test. I mean what’s the real difference between riding in a stranger’s car and taking an airplane to your destination? Not much, except that to catch rides all the way there was a test to see if he could do it.
Please understand, this is only a theory.
Chris’ goal was to “live off the land” for a few months.” Again, that seems like more of a test than a way of life. Chris was always testing himself and I think his death was the final proof that he failed the test of “living off the land for a few months.” A series of unfortunate but also avoidable circumstances combined to create an obstacle that Chris simply could not manage to overcome.
I’m sorry that Chris died. I’m sorry that his family an all those that knew and loved him have to live their lives without ever seeing him again. I don’t think for a minute he was seeking fame – far from it. Chris chose a path that had an ending that came too quickly.
He was no hero though.
In my opinion, it takes far more than hiking into the wild and finding an untimely death alone in a discarded bus to be considered a “hero.” He was a dreamer who in his eagerness to test himself found the test to be more than he could pass.
Such a shame.
In closing, to “Justaguy”
I use the term selfish for this reason. My sister who is 5 years my senior lives about 5 minutes from me in a very well to do gated subdivision. She and her husband have money. My mother is now 87 and in failing health in another city in the same state. She live about 95 miles from me and from my sister. I call my mom 2 or three times a day just to check on her. I know she won’t be here forever and she’s had a difficult life. My sister hasn’t even bothered to pick up the telephone and call my mom in 15 years! You read that right – 15 years. Neither me nor my mom knows why. I used to go see them before they moved into the gated subdivision. Now I can’t.
They aren’t living their lives like I think they should and by that I mean I think that’s pretty damn selfish to not call your mom in 15 years!
That’s why I use the term “selfish.” Because like Chris wrote….”happiness only real when shared.”
To “me”
That is a very credable theory. It explains all the hitchiking. I thought that it was just a form of transportation because his car got wrecked. I just thought that Chris didn’t want to put other people out of his way for his troubles. A plane ticket is a lot more trouble (finacially) than a ride.
I don’t think he met people to stay in touch forever, because then he would have a reason, really an obligation, to return to society, which is exactly what he wanted to escape from. Simply, he probably just needed a lift. Ron Franz was his weakness, though, because he wrote continuous letters. He tried to do what he knew he needed to by refusing to be adopted by him, but he still found a friend in him, which I think he was afraid of.
Also, a hero can be different to different people depending on where their weaknesses lie. If someone feels like they’re in a rut at their two-bit office job (or bagging groceries!!! GAH!) then they might look up to Chris. It’s really all about perspective.
I believe we are all connected (people, plants, animals, etc.). And if we can try not to be so judgemental towards others and be more accepting, especially towards ourselves, we can move to a more peaceful planet.
Chris did what he felt he had to do. We ALL do the same. We are all “not very bright”. Maybe we should build web sites for encouraging peace and harmony and taking care of the earth.
Sheesh.
It seems every hundred or so comments, this has to be re-explained. The name of the blog has nothing to do with the blog-owner’s views of Chris McCandless. It relates to South Carolina politics (see comment 258 and the “About” page) and was chosen long before any mention of McCandless here. My very brief entries, almost a year ago, noting the McCandless story have taken on an all-consuming life of their own in this blog, for better or worse. His story is complex, but just so the record is clear, I find more to admire than criticize in his example.
While I find Mccandless’ story inspiring to some degree, I’d say the book and the movie romanticised his story in a way that appeals to many of the generation x/y era.
It’s a story of passion and foolishness, it’s unclear exactly what kind of mix it was, but all I know is that the point of living in the wild is to survive and live within natural selection. He made the wrong choices and died within it.
He obviously wanted to live. So instead of the dudes who go off and die like him people should learn from him. Outdoor skills are important.
yo yo yo.
i beleive that chirs mccandless was a crazy ni**a.
To “Piece of Time” finally I have found someone who understands what Chris did and thinks the same thing. People need to stop critisizing him for living his life the way he wanted its not fair and its not right. Thanks…
Chris did what we wanted to do for himself.
Isn´t the family selfish when it tries to impose a way of life?
I am really fucking tired of the 9 to 5 american dream, examples like Chris show us that it is possible to defy the “stablishment”…not without a risk.
I did not know of Chris story until the movie. I am a dreamer, I love adventure, nature and new experieces. I am an optimist and a forever romantic. I will always be a young at heart.
Like many of you I have fallen in “love” with the “story” that the movie tells. The movie was made exactly for that purpose and gives a somewhat distorted image of the real Chris.
More than anything, what Chris was suffering from was from mental illness. He chose to live at the edge of society, but the same society nevertheless that he despised so much. He was the happiest when he was around people and when he shared his experiences with him.
Like many of the homeless in skid row, some good psychotherapy and perhaps medication may have helped him to gain the insight and judgement that he was so deeply lacking during the last years of his life. Or, perhaps not. At the end, is a matter of choices. Mental illness is very difficult to recover from.
The fact that he died in Alaska, in august, the middle of summer !! ( he arrived in April) and of starvation (seeds found in the bus were found to be non poisonous) otherwise show how plain stupid he really was. Lets be real: No need to romanticize that.
He was ill. What a waste of a life.
To 698
mentally ill
plain stupid
If a person has mental illness, how can that person be “plain” stupid?
Addendum
Mental illness contributes to irrational behavoir and not “plain” stupidity.
we all have your own lives and one chance to live it.
he picked his path. his choice. his decisions.
i’m sure we could all nit-pick at others lives and their choices.
but all you negative poeple love to pick on people who dont have a voice any more.
whats there to say, but he did cause he wanted to.
and good on him.
I wathed the movie and loved it. But it was sad the way he died.
I read the post about the true story on him on outdoor mag online post.
I think the guy was tired of all the bullshit in life and just said the hell with it i am out here.
I find it so hard that people that are so smart that book smart are very common sence stupid.
How you go out in the woods with no maps of any come on.
I looking at land in alaska but where i want go got atleast have road to the land out middle no where.
Rember things that are in books dosent make you common sence smart.
Error is to be human and he was that but to bad he had pay with his life. People do dumb things all the time just watch tv jackass and anthing else on cable tv.
If anything comes out this good is someone that trys this again please take a map and GPS and some extry food. Keep contact with some friends if you hate family.
if the weather dosent kill you the bears will.
Ok peace to Chris and his parents
To truly understand why mccandless went into the world the way he did you would have to put yourself into his shoes. I have read all your comments on here and I have studied the life and death of Chris. The way we as society define people is exactally what he tried to escape from. When Chris had left home initially he had a mindset for adventure and self indulgence. I do not view him as a hero and nor should anyone in the world. He did not go into the wild to create a story for everyone to be jealous of or wish to accomplish themselves. He simply went on his venture accross country to be happy. Call it selfish call it stupid call it what you want. You must understand that he was not about impressions, he was not about conforming to the values of society. Chris simply wanted to be happy. Period. Sure he didnt know the wild he was approaching when he set out on his quest. That was the point. He wanted to be more in touch with himself and the true beauty of the world out side of this crazy civilization of crime and ignorance. He made some very wise choices through his journey and he made some very thoughtless choices. The point is that he learned from it. Everyone on here is not opening your minds wide enough to understand what would drive a man so hard to the point where he felt that being alone would truly help him understand how much he valued life. And for everyone wondering why he left his sister there with no phone call worrying and never left notes for his parents. If you were to ask his sister to this day about why Chris never called or why he left no notes to contact her she would tell you that you do not know Chris. He was not going to give in to simple guilt and call or leave notes letting them know he was ok.
He felt that each person in their own life must make their own choices to become the man they wish to be. He wanted to understand how man came to be on this earth and the true struggle to survive. If you take away the cars, the electronics, the so called necessities that has been deemed upon us you truly start to struggle. People belive they cannot live without their electricity or car or their job. He simply wanted to show himself that he can succeed in the wild and come out a new person. A person free from hate and free from the relience on material things of the world. In his journal he was actually happy when his Datsun was ruined. It was one less thing in his life he had to worry about taking care of and depending on. Think of all the people you meet over your life time. Would rather be introduced to people full of hate and greed or the peole that understand the spirit of man. The choices we make and the paths we follow will mold the true spirit that will shine within you. I feel no remorse for his family nor do I mourn his death. I respect the man to the fullest extent to take that journey no matter how little knowledge you have of what lies ahead. He did not set out a plan nor did he need to. He walked into real material ridden life and let himself be free. We all think we know what freedom really is. Freedom has had its meaning changed due to laws set before us. The Declaration has given us as society a set amount of rules that have limited our freedom. Go ahead and get upset about it but when you truly think about what real freedom is you will understand that setting “rights” or “rules” for society to follow limits our freedom. It keeps us in place so we do not run off killing each other or stealing from one another. True freedom is to make your own choices, to be able to walk into the world and not be defined by a certain religion, race, or even by the amount of money your bank account can hold. Chris was presented with the opportunity to have the freedom we all dread not think of.
He may have went his way in an idealistic dream but honestly would you dare to drop your college at this minute pick up your back pack, pull out your thumb and leave the materialistic world behind you in search of true self reliance?Of course not because we as a society are scared, we are unsure what the true earth will hold for us. We are lead to believe that if we do make our adventures happen we will be striken down for our personal beliefs and quest for happiness. You will remain in that state until you have enough confidence in yourself to break away from the teet of rules and regulations and start living for yourself. You must understand that happiness is the key virtue in our lives. Chris believed that he would find himself in the woods and be content with the choice he had made. If you havent noticed it wasnt until he had not seen another human that he realized that happiness is created from the world around you. At the end of his days he dreamt of his new life back at home who knows if he would have even gone home he may have tried to go live with Ron or meet back up with Wayne. At the end of your life when death is that close that is when all of us will truly understand our lives in which we have lived. The money, the house, the materials they will all be removed from you and we will all die alone with our thoughts and memories. That man did more living in his 2 year adventure than most people of the world will do in a lifetime. Do not patronize him for making foolish decisions nor idolize him for creating new ideas. Simply respect the man he was. Learn from his mistakes and Live from his ideals.
I have spent the last 2 hours reading these posts. In the morning I am to give a speech to my college class. The topic: “If I could speak to any famous person, dead or alive, who would it be, why, and what 3 things would I ask them.”
I have seen comments that make me nod in agreement; others that I committed to memory for my own personal philosophy; others yet that made me snort in disbelief for the seeming ignorance; and still those that I just simply laughed at.
Make no mistake: I am not above any of you and subject to the same fallibility of all Mankind.
I read the book (which I disliked for its disorganisation and repetition of an inaccurately illustrated sequence of historical events, no offence to Krakauer) BUT, I felt that this man, by whatever name he would wish to be known, was the dream that I had always carried.
I am young, call me foolish.
I am a dreamer, call me ignorant.
I am a rebel, call me selfish.
I am a human, call me what you will.
I have seen aggressive words that thwart McCandless and his dream. I have seen words that glorify him and his intentions. I have that which I agree and disagree with.
What will I say tomorrow in my speech?
“…The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” – Christopher “Alexander Supertramp” McCandless.
For me, my friends, experiences, whether it be seeing a bee farm for the first time, seeing a meadow that stretches out as far as the eye can see, seeing Amish girls in bonnets at the cinema, seeing a crocodile 10 feet from myself in he water, or seeing the sun glistening on the snow as it crunches under my feet, any kind of experiences, are what thrill me to the deepest core of my being.
I cannot say what this man set out to do; only interpret his words.
“And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage.”
He set out to conquer himself, to conquer his material needs, to yell out into the vast open air of Alaska and not fear being heard by the neighbours. He set out for himself alone. It was not for glory, for family, for right, or for wrong. But for himself.
I will likely never visit this place again; I do not wish to know what you think of me or my comments. But to all of you, remember:
I am a Sumpertramp and you are a super apple.
“Supertramp” had a Jesus complex like many hippies including Charles Manson! Just manifests itself in different ways.
Most of us grow up from our twenties have children, gain weight, and have to become responsible for others besides ourselves. Then there are a minority that never do, and that includes many from Hollywood who use their money going around and masquerading as responsible adults like Sean Penn while their nannies, housekeepers, accountants, cooks, and personal assistants take on the burden of reality, and responsibilities.
Someone on one of these blogs mentioned that one factor contributing to Chris’s ability to get himself dead was because of having the money in the first place to take that much time out without work, etc. Most of us that do graduate to becoming responsible adults have to provide for our families by working to contribute something to society other than being an egotistical director, or lay wilderness enthusiasts who go out of their way to inform the rest of us about their “higher” callings, or superior purposes for their existence, while criticizing us as worker bees of a mundane society.
What? This guy and Sean Penn thought the rest of us have never experienced these things, or had these thoughts or realizations? I always find it amusing when people who consider themselves operating on some “higher” level to become so shocked to discover that the mundane people who live by society already knew about this stuff long ago, and never even had to read other books, accounts, or novels by additional narcissists.
Sean Penn is a “reformed” wife beating radical with a deceased, irresponsible, drug addict brother, and Chris M. is dead as well, so we, the living out here with our kids and families are in fact entertained by Mr. Penn’s storytelling, but it’s not as profound and “relevant” as he’d like to indulge his egotistical mind into enlightening our mundane, “small brains” into realizing.
After all, he says Chris M. did more than any other Alaskan, ever did? Wow, Sean! What? Die a premature death at 24? Hey Sean, plenty of real heroes are dying in Iraq everyday for the rest of us, and not just to enjoy themselves, or to explore their inner beings, yet you don’t make movies about them?
Instead, the “great” Sean Penn went over to Iraq to meet with Saddam himself as if he could have single handedly averted the war as some kind of higher being, or prince of peace, rather than our entire U.S. Government. We don’t need a government, and a military, we just need Sean Penn! Give me a break!
One thing about the Hollywood types, they enjoy making movies about what they consider a rarity among us “common men” who prove to be as narcissistic as themselves.
Then again that’s what they do as Sean said. They tell stories, “just like a bear shits in the woods, Hollywood tells stories”. That’s right Sean, a bear poops in the woods, and you make movies for entertainment. Both of which are mundane things in their own right that the rest of us can actually live without.
However, the rest of us can’t live without things like food, or national security, which the mundane folks in society continue to always provide for you, and Mr. Chris M. (God rest his soul).
Good Day!
This story is a tradgedy.
Chris seemed a very troubled youth simply trying to work out his life and find hapiness.
I think he messed up though, and didn’t plan to die, or he wouldn’t have had to suffer all the starvation.
He could have shot himself in the end, but wrote a note holding on to the hope someone would rescue him in his last days.
As the wise Alaskan said, “Chris needed help not Alaska”.
That pretty much somes it up. The rest is all sad and also interesting, but that’s all it really is.
So much speculation (including my own.) The facts in The saga of Chris McCandless and his solitary journey “Into The Wild” can also be retitled “Out of the World.” I don’t believe for one single moment that McCandless was “seeking happiness” by going off on his own into the Alaskan “wilderness”if you can call that area true wilderness at all since Denali Park Road is only 10 miles away from the bus. By his own words he was only going to “live off the land for a few months.” Is that “seeking happiness?” Make no mistake, Chris found happiness in his relationship with his sister, Wayne Westerfield, Ron Franz (not his real name) and others he encountered on his odyssey. His Alaskan trip was only another way for him to test himself which if you actually read the book, you’ll see he truly enjoyed doing. The happiness came when he was able to share his stories with others – “happiness only real when shared.” I think he knew that all along, it wasn’t a sudden realization he made while dying in Fairbanks 142.
Here are some true facts:
1. He did not burn all his money and throw away his ID and walk off into the woods to meet his mysterious and slightly romantic and spiritual fate. While he did give away his trust fund. He had a wallet with $300 in cash and his ID in a hidden zipped pocket of his backpack, a clear indication that he did intend to rejoin civilization.
2. He had a map with him. This map showed the Denali park road about 10 miles away from the bus where he stayed. It wouldn’t have been an easy hike, but it was certainly doable … especially considering it’s over 20 miles to get to the bus by the route he originally took.
3. He poached a moose and let the whole thing rot. This means he was hiked off into the middle of nowhere, thinking he would hunt to survive, without any real idea how to preserve meat.
4. The bus is not actually sitting at the foot of breathtakingly beautiful mountains. The movie was filmed in Cantwell, well south of the true location of his death. The actual spot he died was a much less glamorous boggy Alaskan swamp … swarmed with mosquitos, with all the lovely mountains off on a distant horizon.
5. The river he crossed to get to the bus in the first place has a good seasonal run of grayling. He could easily build an effective device that would allow you to scoop fish straight out of the river. He did have a fishing pole. Even more baffling.
6. He tried to hike back out at one point, but noted that the water level had risen enough that he could no longer cross the river safely. This indicates that he wanted to get the out of there when he was still well enough to hike 20+ miles back the way he came … remember the map , and the Denali park road only 10 miles in another direction from the bus?
7. Less than a mile downstream on the river in question, there is a manual tram he could have used to cross. There is also a spot about a mile upstream where the riverbed “braids” and the water is much shallower … also a spot he could have crossed. He apparently walked neither up nor downstream while trying to cross.
8. There is no indication whatsoever that he ate anything poisonous. The wild potato seeds branded as toxic in the book turned out not to be poisonous at all. The book was published before the full lab analysis was completed. Also, he did not mistake the potatoes for wild sweet peas. He knew what he was eating.
9. He left an SOS note taped to one of the bus windows saying he was injured and too weak to hike out and needed help (while his autopsy revealed no sign of injury). The SOS note was conveniently not shown in the movie.
10. McCandless was at the bus long enough to starve to death naturally, and during the later stages of starvation, delirium, disorientation and physical weakness are severe (remember that he thought himself badly injured when he actually wasn’t). This means once you reach the “tipping point” of starvation, as it were, you’re unable to effectively hunt or forage any more, which greatly accelerates the final stages of death.
Maybe he was troubled (it certainly seems so) and maybe not. Maybe Chris thought the rules that govern civilization simply didn’t apply to him.
sry cuz of my bad english if i fckup something”
@ 707 u stole this last info from other site about 10 bad craps about man who just play own life
@ everyone else:u all doesnt have rights to spit around false words about one dead man, show respect if u are part of this civilization at least so shutup
and if u dont know whats freedom and u dont know whats meaning of life then why u all acting some “humans”…
prepared or not, thats not point of Chris life
if u learn one day what is freedom then u can undestand no metter if movie is product of “shity” hollywood or china/russian “utopia” movies or even very good black/white productions…here is point of fcken freedom of choice and fcken story how %99 population on this planet sux like hell cuz they are materialists and brainless…
rip Chris, respect from me cuz after your death u gief ONE MORE plus how to recognize retards even via forums like this…
What a truly beautiful story though. Sure, he was selfish in a way, but nonetheless he was a GOOD person, don’t any of you say otherwise. He did what he wanted to accomplish in his life, why must we object with such obscene judgments? He walked into the wild WILLINGLY unprepared, I’m not sure how many of you were aware. He WAS an intelligent boy and knew WELL the consequences of his actions, hence the remark in the letter he sent Wayne Westerberg, “If this adventure should prove fatal, I want you to know you’re a great man.” He knew he may not come out alive and so be it. Chris saw more of the Western World – in a matter of 2 years – than many of you will ever, before he was even 25. He escaped our corrupted societies to experience true freedom on the road, with no more than a penny in his pocket and that EXCITED him. My hat goes off to Chris as this story so beautifully chills me, and will continue to do so for many years. I truly admire Christopher McCandless, and may he forever inspire (philosophically, of course) thousands of people across the country and remain one of History’s most cherished young explorers.
just wanted to let you all know, might spice up the debate a little, that McCandless had ID with him, a map and $300 when he died! this was found 2 years after his death in a compartment of his Back-Pack!
I presume that Chris did not want to be found. That he hated this world and the organisations that governed it. Perhaps he wanted to be free from the 9-5 everyday rush and ‘plastic society’.
But Chris still partly relied on society, he was not yet ready to be fully self-sufficient.
I presume that Chris’s loneliness, not having someone to share the life with, contributed to his death.
Personally, I don’t see Chris as a Hero, nor a fool. I think Chris was just a guy who wanted to escape the world (his prison).
I believe having better survival skills and companionship with those with good survival skills, could’ve made his dream possible.
Maybe I’ll find out….
Just watched the movie. Great soundtrack. Nice job Eddie!
I did not know the story of Chris until tonight. It’s a sad story. I agree. Here are my thoughts. (Please note. I have read alot of very well written posts here. Please forgive my bad writing skills.)
We were all 23 years old at one point. Look back at your own life, and think about all those irresponsible things you did. When i was 23 i hitchhiked from vancouver, bc, canada all the way down to santa monica california. July 31, 1996 i hit the road with $40 in my pocket & a serious thirst for adventure.
I consider myself lucky i made it out alive. I was shot at from the highway, almost robbed by a drugged up gangbanger, almost killed by guard dogs, almost killed while walking on the highway at night. Day 5 into my trip. I was so weary about my next hitched ride, i pretty much decided to walk the entire way down. The further south i went, the more dangerous my adventure became & i knew it.
I too was at a point in life where my parents were expecting big things from me. I simply could not deliver. I was letting people close to me down & the pressure eventually got to me. I needed to prove to myself i could survive with nothing. I acomplished that goal thanks to my street senses & the good nature of a few good people i met along the way.
I’m 36 now & have a family. Would i do it all over again, knowing the potential dangers & travelling with no money? #$%^ no! I have two beautiful daughters that i love more than anything. I am so grateful i was raised to be smart enough to know when NOT to do something REALLY stupid.
Chris wanted out of society, but i do not believe he wanted to give EVERYTHING up, including his own identity.
If Chris TRULY wanted to achieve complete purity, he would not have lived in the bus. He would not have brought a rifle, or used anything man-made. He would have used the fur from the cariboo as clothing & used primitve weapons to hunt. Chris thought Alaska would greet him with open arms. He was dead wrong & probably realized it at the very end. What else would he have written on the note?
“I seriously screwed up & i admit it. Goodbye & God Bless”
If you watch the movie, you can clearly see he made alot of mistakes thoughtout the movie. Sleeping near a flash flood zone, not being able to save the meat, not realizing what he was eating.
Chris was the type of guy that needed to touch a hot stove in order to know it’s wrong. It’s that simple. He had not reached that point in life where he realized his own mortality.
If Chris got out alive just in the nick of time & you asked him 10, 15 years later if he would do it again..what do you think his answer would be? The same goes for River Pheonix & every other kid that thinks they are invincible.
He was a good guy, in a shitty situation. That’s all.
RIP Chris.
Chris McCandless grew up with a great love for the outdoors, hiking with his family, around wildlife, taking summers off to travel the U.S., etc. His choices of literature later in his life are testimony to that. As was his desire to travel and live within it whenever he had the chance.
His family on the other hand (father and mother) were very driven and materialistic/idealistic. They expected the same from their children, regardless of what would truly make their children happy. Chris wanted to help the poor, had great compassion and empathy for homeless, the plight of starving people in thrid world countries, etc. His free time spent walking among them, him housing a homeless man in the family’s RV, etc. And he had a really hard time understanding how others (his parents included) could not feel the need to help. Why wasn’t this important to others, but acquiring material things, social status, a huge paycheck were. A very empathetic young man, especially when he was born into circumstances that were totally opposite to this way of thinking. I wonder what or whom influenced him in this regard??
Chris also found out that his father was still married to another woman when he and his sister Carine were born. And also that his father had another child with this first wife at the same time. And only later left her and married his mother. It just blew Chris’ mind. His parents’ perfect little world that they insisted he emulate was not so perfect after all. And he chose to never let them know that he knew. He just lived with that knowledge. But his sister made it extremely clear that this was one of the issues that he could not come to grips with regarding his parents.
Chris wanted to join the Peace Corp or a similar world relief organization when he was younger. Instead of nourishing this dream and encouraging/supporting their son in this endeavour, his parents tell him to go to college because “it will make it easier for him to accomplish this” or some such drivel. When all they wanted was for him to climb some corporate ladder somewhere, as evidenced by their sheer delight when he tells them he’s thinking about law school after college. And then they offer to buy him a new car, when he’s perfectly content with his Datsun. He realized that they were never going to be satisfied, that each thing he accomplished to please them would just lead to another, and that his entire life would be spent trying to live up to their expectations of what an acceptable life would be.
I think he felt so suffocated by their rules and expectations, and the regimented way he had to live his life, and the confines of the college classrooms, etc., that he wanted to just get out into the world and LIVE! He had gone off the summer after high school graduation and driven across the country for three months and clearly this was something that gave him comfort and excitement–getting away from the life he was expected to lead and finding the life that he truly wanted to lead. I believe he clearly intended to return to his life, whatever that new life would be. And he probably would have done extraordinary things in the way of helping others less fortunate. Or perhaps he would have stayed living in one of the states he traveled through, near the people he had met and clearly felt a close connection with. His sister said that if Chris had survived, he would never have returned to Virginia to live, as their parents had thought he would have.
I don’t think he was crazy, mentally ill, suicidal, or intending on never coming back. I think he was trying to experience life the way he wanted, always preferring basic necessities, new adventures, people’s life stories, and what nature has to offer over money, social posturing, and man’s materialism. Clearly he was testing himself in ever more harsh environs, thinking that he was ready or could handle what was thrown at him, probably to prove it to his parents as much as to prove it to himself. Alaska was the culmination of this, the final act of throwing off everything in his past and ridding himself of it before he returned.
I think the reason he did not contact his family during the whole time is because he knew they would not leave him alone, nor would they understand. And the first thing his parents did was hire a private investigator to find him. I mean, this is not a 15 or 17 year old kid. This was an adult, and like it or not, he has the right to travel anywhere he chooses, without contacting anyone for that matter. I think he fully intended to see them when he got back, but did NOT want them interfering with his life any longer, and certainly not when he was trying to figure out what he wanted to do with the rest of it, and how to separate from them once and for all. They needed to let go of him, support him in any decision he made for his future, and stop suffocating him with their own expectations. If they were capable of doing that, I’m sure that he would have contacted them or told them beforehand what he was going to do.
I believe what he wrote in his journal entries–he had no reason to lie, and he seemed to be recounting his days for future telling. He talked to Wayne Westerberg about writing a book at some point. I don’t doubt for one minute that he had injured himself trying to recross the Tek River, and he probably just wanted to make it back to the bus, recover, gain some strength back, and would try again later. He probably thought he had more time, and that the game would be more plentiful than it turned out to be. I also don’t doubt that he ate something poisonous, or moldy, or just plain disagreeable with his digestive system. This would have taken a toll on an already weakened immune system, and a slightly emaciated body.
I think it is truly amazing that he survived for four months with what little he had–and have no doubt that he would have walked out of there if a couple of unfortunate events hadn’t taken place (injury and poison/indigestible seeds) He paid the ultimate price. But I think that in the end he was at peace with that. He knew the dangers and how high the stakes were before he went into the wild. He wrote a note to Wayne Westerberg that if he didn’t make it back, that he wanted Wayne to know what a great guy he was.
Chris was a bright young man who wasn’t afraid to go wherever his heart led him!! Truly amazing!!
When I was younger we had a name for men that only worked meaningless odd jobs that paid little and required even less responsibility. Their focus in life was to hop freight trains day and night on a pointless, continuing voyage to nowhere…
… bum, vagrant or drifter.
And no, I’m no confusing them with the “homeless” because McCandless was not homeless. Far from it.
Where did they end up? Where did they go? No Hollywood films or well-written novels or glossy magazine articles documented their journey. So, they simply disappeared.
No one poster on this blog actually knows what was in McCandless’ mind when he left. It’s all sheer speculation and guesswork. That will forever be his legacy, his secret.
You’d think that since he was such a “great guy” and so in tune with his surroundings and so disgusted with society that he might have been able to find a small portion of forgiveness for his father’s mistakes and try to make a difference in the world rather than skipping out on it. McCandless certainly made a few of his own that I have no doubt he asked forgiveness for.
Make no mistake – McCandless DID NOT die doing what he wanted to do. He wanted to “live off the land for a few months” not “die off the land in a few months.” It seems that everyone misses that. He made a series of errors that when combined proved fatal and he was unable to save himself ahd had placed himself in a position that made it difficult for anyone else to help him either. Even though there are steps he could have taken to call attention to his plight, he, for whatever reason, did not do this and ultimately caused his own death or at the very least, certainly contributed to it.
However, he did not blame anyone for it. He accepted his fate and the responsibility for his untimely death. And In my book, that proves to me that he as not stupid, or insane. It almost says that he was ready to take the next step in his journey, the step from which he would not be able to return.
As for the bums and vagrants I remember? They will only be wisps of memories, nameless, faceless ghosts of the past that faded away along with my youth.
I just watched this incredible movie.
WHICH MADE ME WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS PERSON. I HAVE KNOWN PEOPLE LIKE CHRIS A.K.A ALEX WHICH EVER.
WAS HE REALLY TRYING TO ESCAPE. IF YOU READ, HE HAD TRAVELED TO THE WEST BEFORE. LIVING IN ARIZONA, AND IT’S WIDE OPEN PLACES, A PERSON CAN GET LOST IN THE PEACE.
ESCAPE FROM THE CITY LIFE AND THE CHAOS. I DON’T BELIEVE THIS YOUNG MAN HAD A DEATH WISH, HE WORKED VARIOUS JOBS TO “EARN” HIS WAGES.
HE CHOOSE TO LIVE THE WAY HE DID, AND PERHAPS FOR A SHORT TIME TO FIND “HIMSELF” AND HIS “TRUE” BEING. ESCAPING HIS CONSERVATIVE FAMILY LIFE WHICH BROUGHT HIM HIGH EXPECTATIONS.
WHEN YOU LIVE FROM DAY TO DAY, AT YOUR OWN MERCY AND THE MERCY OF GOD, THERE ARE NOT EXPECTATIONS.
NO COMMITMENTS TO “DO THE RIGHT THING”
HE WAS A WONDERING DEEP THINKER THAT COULD SEE OUT SIDE THE BOX WE ARE ALL TRAPPED IN FROM DAY TO DAY.
I DO THINK HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER PREPARED IN HIS FINAL JOURNEY, EVEN HE STATES IN A WRITING ON A POST CARD “IF” I MAKE IT BACK.
HE HAS BEEN CLOSE TO DEATH BEFORE, HOWEVER, IF HIS PARENTS WERE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT HIS DISAPPEARANCES IN HIS PREVIOUS TRAVELS. PERHAPS THAT IS A WARNING.
HE WAS A YOUNG MAN, ESCAPING HIS REALITY FOR A WHILE. THAT IS OKAY. BUT TO TREK INTO ALASKA TO “LIVE OFF THE FAT OF THE LAND” QUOTED FROM A BOOK OF mICE AND MEN IS NOT SANE.
HE WAS LUCKY HE FOUND THE BUS FOR SHELTER. HE KNEW IT WAS A RISK. HE PROBABLY THOUGHT BY SPRING HE OVERCAME THE ODDS.
SADLY, HE BECAME A STATISTIC, AN NUMBER OF DEATHS LOST TO THE WILD. LIVING WITH A BAND OF VAGRANTS AND GYPSIES IS “NOT” INTO THE WILD, IT’S BORDER LINE MENTAL ILLNESS, OR AWARENESS. WHICH EVER SUITS YOUR NEEDS.
FEEL SAD FOR HIS FAMILY WHOM LOST A VERY SMART, HANDSOME, WELL LIKED YOUNG MAN. FEEL THE POINTS HE WAS TRYING TO SHARE WITH THE WORLD.. HAPPINESS.. FEEL THE COMPASSION HE SHARED WITH OTHERS.
GOING ON A JOURNEY REQUIRES MORE THAN A BAG OF RICE.
GOD BLESS,
ARIZONA DREAMING.
First of all, I just want to say how shocked I am that so many posters criticized Chris. Whether it be for “what he did to his family” or “his stupidity for not preparing better”
I’ve been through some very traumatic events in my life, many of which involved family memebers and/or close friends. None of us really knows what happened behind closed doors in this family, only what their lips have shared. I can only imagine the events in his life that drove him away from those we’d expect him to be closest with and hold most dear. I’m sure you’ll agree that regardless of his intentions for leaving them behind, the fact that he did so and without any correspondence speaks volumes about his mental health. Keep that in mind.
His abandoning the family, could have been a blessing. He may have been afflicted with same rage as his father. He may have fled out of fear of this rage was capable of. Such as the horrific stories where a man kills his entire family, then turns the gun on himself. We say under our breath. Why didn’t you just kill yourself, why did you slaughter your innocent children, and wife? Why does everyone have to die? I’m not saying this was the reason, nor am I saying he was like those who came before him and since him, seeking a deeper understanding of self and purpose. I don’t know WHY he chose to leave, but whatever the reasons, they’re his to posess with judgement from us.
The lack of communication with his family for nearly 2 years.
The abusive home.
The deception of his parents marriage.
Even the damned movie painting him out to be the most likeable guy in the entire world, happy go lucky, loving life kind, generous. They didn’t portray any character flaws. He was human after all– the movie martyrs him
Was the 24,000 gift simply a donation? Maybe it was in part while conveniently disguised as a final up yours to his father.
It’s just sad, the pain surrounding this family, the series of events which led to this mans isolation, and a death that prevents parent and child from apologizing or receiving forgiveness for wrongs. No peace. Sadly, he finally realized that happiness means nothing if it’s not shared– and died alone (apparently without happiness, since there was no one with which he could share “it” with).
Christy B.
Atlanta, GA
CHRIS DIDN’T DIE INVAIN. JUST LOOK AT HOW MANY PEOPLES LIVES HE TOUCHED. I KNOW THAT HE INSPIRED MINE, AND FOR THAT I THANK HIM FOR HIS ULTIMATE SACRAFICE. JUST REMEMBER EVEN IN THE FACE OF DEATH HE STILL HAD A GREAT SMILE ON HIS FACE. CHRIS LIVED MORE IN THOES TWO YEARS THAN MOST DUE IN A LIFETIME.
I am back
All of you inspired people please go and do what chris did and if you make it back you can enlighten us reasonable ones, impress me!
This is such an interesting story Theres so many different perspectives and points of view on Chris’s life. The majority of the posts seem to be trying to give a right or wrong answer to why Chris did what he did.
Each person in this world has come from different walks of life. Some of us have similarities and common interests, and i think its human nature for us to try and find other people like “us” to be around. So to watch Into The Wild or read the book its natural to try and identify with a character. However when we cant identify with a specific character we tend to try and figure out why. Especially if that particular person is hard to understand or different from us. Thus begins the break down and analytical process for self reassurance. How can i give this person a label or title that makes me fell safe i.e weirdo, idealist, moron, drifter, etc. This gives us feeling like our lives are just and more self assured. Then comes along a story like Chris’s and makes us question our own reassurance. For example “Chris was just some stupid hippy that killed himself” or you have “Chris was just a person trying to find himself,
Two completely different perspectives but both relevant to the reader or viewer when trying to figure out where you stand and where you might be going with your life. So let us not tear Chris’s story apart with such literal per scion but look at it objectively so that we may learn from it. I believe you always have to ask yourself. How can i learn from this? Some people obviously look at the story and see stupidity while others look and see inspiration so with all that being said there is no right or wrong answer to Chris story but only knowledge to be gained in order to further our own lives as we see fit
To Wake up
So If Chris had survived and made it back, there is a remote possibility you would be enlightened and impressed? I do not think so.
There are some things Chris had done that inspire me, however, I would never do what he had done to the extent he did, reason being different upbringings, different mindsets, different perspectives.
Chris picked a path…his right to do so, as I pick my own path.
Chris McCandless.
What is the deal?
Why do some people just idolize this guy for dying in a bus? What about those folks you hear about that had unhappy childhoods and jump off buildings or bridges…. oh, wait, that’s right, there’s no glamorous best seller to be made into a Hollywood movie to build them up into something they arent. there’s no MARKETING DEPARTMENT!
May peace prevail
Ones that found Love in their core won’t feel the need to make Chris his story better or worse than it is. It is his story and I would be proud if it were mine.
Don’t make anything of someone elses story, make something of your own.
To RealPerson:
I believe you’ve hit the nail on the head. Well thought out and written. Good insight.
Thank you.
I watched this movie and was in awe over the ridiculous idealism and pretentiousness this guy showed throughout. Perhaps the part of the movie that exhibited this the most was when Supertramp was lecturing an 80+ year old man, who was an army veteran and who had experienced more “life” experiences in the pinky of his finger than McCandless’ whole body, about the meanings of life.
To MOW
you’re right.
McCandless was not pretentıous. I dont thınk he was doıng ıt to ımpress anybody. He dıd what he felt was rıght however ıll conceıved that may have beenç He has also been labelled selfısh. Poınt to one of us who has not been. We all hurt those that love us and those that we love – often unknowıngly. The reason he dıdn´t conact hıs sıster was maybe to keep her from gettıng grılled. If she had known where he was or where he was headed hıs folks may have got ıt out of her and that would have been the end of hıs plan.
He walked ınto the wıld as best he could have – of course he had modern day thıngs lıke soap and bullets. He wasnt tryıng to be a neanderthal, he merely wanted to experıence nature at ıt´s extreme. I thınk he acheıved that.
Chrıs has also been ıll prepared. Maybe he dıdnt have a map etc but he must have worked on somethıng. I doubt I could have lasted that long even wıth preparatıon, maps etc. I have ben on the road many years myself and many people have so much equıpment they may well have stayed at home.
As for lecturıng the old man. Ron Franz had alot of lıfe experıence but maybe he had settled for the routıne lıfe. McCandless must have made a mark on hım as not only dıd he want to adopt hım he eventually dug up hıs roots and went to lıve ın a traıler.
The Alsakan s that seem angry at hıs foolhardıness I cannot understand and th emedıcs park rangers etc that feel hard done by. Well why dıd they choose the job. Apart form hıs close famıly he dıdn´t harm anybody and he obvıoulsy touched alot of souls
Of course most people speak well of the dead but ıf Chrıs was half the man people saıd he was he was basıcally a sound person.
Mr Mc CANDLES s was a candle that shone brıghtly and we all know the brıghtest candle burns out faster.
RIP
I am writing this post in conjunction with viewing Penn’s adaptation of McCandless, with no other supporting information which validates the adventure which Supertramp embarked.
This being noted, I do wish to read the book and other valuable sources which can bring me closer to the story, the purpose, the tragedy and the accomplishment which so many (as I have found thus far) are intreged by or at the very least, opinionated toward.
Which brings me to my point.
Perhaps Penn’s version was overwhelmingly presented from his own personal interpretation of Chris’ story, however even if it were told in a different way, the fundamentals remain; AN individual longs to escape the social confines in which he exists and search for himself (or fulfillment) without the influence of opinion, rules, judgement and hypocracy.
What better place to do this, than in the wild? Alone, with oneself.
I’m sure I will find an abundance of information on Chris’s (aka Alex’s), but I think one place that I would like to visit (with completely different intentions to that of Supertramp’s) is bus 142 in the “sticks” of Alaska. I think that place may tell a story that a movie and a book cannot present.
As for my overall opinion of Chris McCandless; I think he was an educated man, looking for something more, and actually went about being proactive toward it. A kind-spirited and generous individual (as the savings handover to oxfam suggests), he should not be criticised at all for doing what he felt he needed to. He may not be a hero, but he does provide us with information about a journey with purpose. No matter how you interpret the last few years of Chris McCandless, what he did with those last few years counted FOR him. Extraordinary to most, irresponsible and wreckless to others, I’m sure we all have moments where we just wish we could escape, or explore. Either way we can all adapt the journey of McCandless to our own lives and even if we don’t see the purpose in how he went about things, we can still acknowledge and respect the drive behind it…In my case, relate to it.
I watched Into the Wild last night after having heard all the hype and with nothing better to do on Thanksgiving Night. It was either that or sucumb to a food coma. In case you’re interested, here are my observations: I thought movie was very good and well made. However, Chris McCandless did a very stupid thing by going into the Alaskan wilderness to live as a wild man with no prior experience and minimal preparation. As a teenager, I spent two years living in the Aleutians. Alaska is no picnic even under the best of circumstances (proper housing, heat, food, water). And Chris couldn’t even make it through the summer (which by comparison to the other seasons in Alaska, quite mild) .
If Chris is your inspiration to follow your dreams and escape your current situation, I hope he also inspires you not to make the same mistakes he did. Don’t go into the wilderness unprepared and alone. Don’t burn all of your money. Don’t assume you know what is good for everyone you meet because chances are, you don’t. Not everyone wants to give up what they have to travel the world as a homeless and penniless bum.
I too am a world traveler and adventurer. I too came from a broken home with parents who lied to me constantly. I too have emotional and physcial scars from an abusive childhood. I too chose to escape my life situation at 22. But I have worked very hard to get where I am and still follow my heart, hopes and dreams. The people who have inspired me are those who took calculated risks, made smart choices and made it through alive.
A friend of mine named took a road trip (alone) to Alaska many years. She bought a jeep and drove from California. I always admired her for doing that. Because she did a lot of research, made good preparations and didn’t do anything stupid, she made it back two months to tell the tale. She is someone who inspires me to follow my dreams.
“made good preparations and didn’t do anything stupid”
You are so sure that she did not do anything stupid? If so, wow.
Out of some of the stupid things I’ve done, I have learned the most. To my knowledge, this is not anything out of the ordinary.
“made smart choices and made it through alive”
Making it through alive is not always a given when smart choices that we perceive at the time are made.
Really… every person that just glorified his name…. that put praise to his actions should honestly reflect on the homeless people… the people that were never given opportunities and chances or never will, and the people that are dying everyday cuz of lack of money. You think this man is a hero??? Does a hero give up his resources that he can use to save the world? No… but then again, the only attempt he did at saving the world is giving his life savings away, and a few burgers to a few pimps and homeless. Those couple pros to the hundreds of cons that can be found. A hero? These days people find any way to make any person feel good about themselves.
First. This so called “hero” ignores everyone’s suggestions, he does what his parents want for the mere fact that he is helpless with no control. He honestly could have had any parent and nothing would have changed. His dam pride is the only thing that came between him having a nice normal life to living like a bum. He should have made something of himself, if he truely wanted to help people he should have done it through ways that could actually help… instead of increasing the numbers of the unemployed by joining forces. A man that does nothing but hitch rides and take money from people after he burnt every last penny to a pile of ashes to survive. Which lets face it, those 10lbs of rice weren’t going to last him one year. Thats practically 1000 pieces of rice a day. The only reason he never died early on in the trip was cuz of people helping him.
Second. The fact that he thinks he is so high and mighty that he can do what no one else can do. Survive a winter up in the North. Considering that I live up in the North I already know that a sweater, a pair of uninsolated shoes and some old torn jeans are not going to keep anybody warm in under minus 40 degree weather and about a minus 20 wind chill. What makes this man so different from everyone else? What gives him the feeling that he can survive such a climate, where you must live off of outside resources, on nothing but some rice and “the land”? The man obviously didn’t know what he was getting into. Its like reading about war and actually experiencing it. Unless you’ve experienced, words and pictures do nothing to give off the true meaning. A few brochures, all the books in the world about Alaska do nothing in comparison to what its actually like. And yet you feel that “oh… well at least he tried, he did what he wanted in life for more then a month”… GOOD FOR FREAKEN HIM!! you can do the exact same thing…. WITH MONEY!!! imagine that…. to survive in the wilderness with… i don’t know… maybe a guide? some items that could actually help? Anything is better then what the man was carring. What was he thinking of killing with that .22? A couple of gophers? a few small birds? Heck even with small birds a .22 wouldn’t do the trick. Since he’s from the US you’d think that he would know that. Just goes to show that some people just help the stereotype that Americans just aren’t all that bright.
Third. The book itself is terrible. Its not a story, its not an autobiography…it doesn’t tell his life but yet it does. its about 1/3 of his life and what he does and all the event up til he dies. Another 1/3 of random people that did similiar things to what he did. And the last 1/3 is about random facts… really…. its like he was trying to write a novel, got all the notes, realizes that it would be barely enough to fill up 70 pages, and fills it in with anything and everything. Just to reach that 200 page quota. The man should go back to college… lets face it, he’s not good enough for university, and take some kinda english course if he hasn’t already. Learn to write something decent, and then rewrite what the book but apologize for putting all the useless bits in. The book is joke, and how it even got published is beyond me.
In conclusion… glorify his name all you want. Its what society today is based on. You may have came in last but good for you, you’re a winner too. The man is an idiot and for any person to say that he is anything but is probably doped up and some kind of of drug or just too stupid to know good literature when they read it.
To Kris,
How is anyone going to know whether a homeless person was never given opportunities and chances or never will, without having the facts surrounding their circumstances?
So if you are homeless = you got a “raw deal”?, or perhaps in someway some homeless people are actually responsible for situation they are in? Gotta know the facts.
Seems to me, homeless folks can make the same mistakes or wrong choices as anyone else.
I had the same desire to leave society. In the early 90′s I lived in my car in the SF area for a while before moving into a house in the Glen Park area. I eventually moved back east. What strikes me most about Chris McCandless tale is that in his desire to live off the grid, he still needed the grid in one way or another. He worked at a McDonalds and the grain elevator in SD. He still needed those who were “society.” Can you imagine if the majority of ppl did what he did? It wouldn’t work. Sometimes it takes more courage to stay in one area for an extended time and work crummy jobs than to live off the land, so to speak. What’s ironic in the end is that people made the same money about his life that Chris burned and gave away before his journey. It’s a shame he didn’t live through the experience and make peace with his family though he seemed to make peace with himself.
I watched the movie and kept wondering where is he now, will he find what he is looking for? But no he dies! The world is so bad to him that he stays away and would rather die. This guy was not crazy, he knew exactly what he was doing.
To Julian:
“… he knew exactly what he was doing.”
Uhhh, no Julian, he didn’t.
He only thought he did.
That’s why he died.
You see, that’s the curse of youth… thinking you know more than you actually do. That comes with experience.
And while Chris did indeed have SOME experience, he obviously didn’t have enough.
Has anyone stopped to think that maybe Chris fullfilled what he had wanted to in his life, and just gave up? Maybe he knew what he was doing, and just didn’t want anyone else to know it. Do some research on the guy (besides watching a movie that most likely depicted his life much worst than it really does) before you jump to assumptions.
Has anyone stopped to think that maybe Chris fullfilled what he had wanted to in his life, and just gave up? Maybe he knew what he was doing, and just didn’t want anyone else to know it. Do some research on the guy (besides watching a movie that most likely depicted his life much worst than it really does) before you jump to assumptions.
Dont any of you act like you knew what he was thinking.Maybe he didnt want to live in the mundane society that we call home. Who are we to judge him, saying he is an arrogant selfish brat. He just led a different life then what we live, and i dont think we should disrespect his aspirations as a human being.
To everette:
Isn’t it odd how people faced with their death almost always want to keep living in this “mundane society?” Even Chris left a note begging whoever might stop by to wait for him. We don’t; have to act as if we knew what he was thinking, he wrote it all down all over the place. If he didn’t want to be a part of society then explain why he left notes and graffiti for people to see. His writings scream ” I was here , see what I wrote?” No, he very much wanted to be a part of this world, he just wanted it on his own terms
Yes, he definitely led a different life than we live but that was of his own choosing. And, out of curiosity, what exactly were his aspirations as a human being? Do you know? If so, how? did you know him? did he tell you? Or did you read it in a book?
Personally, I think we should simply leave him alone. He is with Amelia Earhart, the pilots of flight 19 and all the others who left this earth in mysterious circumstances. He know the answers now and we don’t.
I think Chris found what he was searching for but I’m not convinced that it was what he wanted.
I guess his legacy of being “london-esque” came thru. There is a book about him and a Movie
Whoo! It’s been a while since I posted and boy are there tempers flaring…. Lets look at another aspect of this.
Chris was a young guy; very young. Everyone is trying to decide the complex workings of his mind and what not, but how many of you, just coming out of high school, really had an intricate, fool-proof philosiphy on life? How many of you even knew what you were going to do coming out of college?
Chris was a person, like you and me. And I, for one, am not all-knowing. I have questions, uncertainties, and straight up fears about the future and I’m sure most of you do as well. I’m sure Chris did. Fearing the unknown is what makes us human.
Really the only thing that makes Chris different (idol or idiot) is that he feared a certain type of future, just as some of us fear certain types of futures. For example, I am absolutely brain damaged when it comes to math. Wouldn’t I then fear becoming an accountant or an engineer? It’s the same thing. Chris might have feared a future of being tied down to a demanding society.
He did what he thought was nessisary to escape that future, whether he chose wisely or not. He was a young man who is entitled to make mistakes. It’s so easy for us to cast the first stone because OUR stupid mistakes didn’t have us killed.
I certainly don’t think this young man was ever seeking national media attention. This story may, or may not be interesting to some. That’s just how it is. For everyone who seems to be so critical and angry of this young mans personal experience and tragedy, I ask why?
I sure don’t get it. He wasn’t asking for a movie. If your angry about the movie, direct your anger at Hollywood. If your angry about the publicity of his story, direct your anger at Outdoor magazine and Jon Krakauer.
The facts are that Christopher Johnson McCandless was a bright young guy who graduated from college with honors. He was also an athlete and someone who gave away a lot of his own money to a very good cause. He did not ask for anything or expect anything in return. He worked hard for what was was important to him. He became totally self reliant. Extraodinary no, better than a lot I know, yes. How about you? In my book he deserves some peace.
He did what he believed in. Right or wrong. Who is anyone to judge his destiny other than himself.
Ask yourself this – What have you done with your life lately? What have you done worthwhile for a good cause or for something that you really believed in? Anything? Does it scare you?
Be Honest.
If this story gets under your skin then you desperately need to get outside more.
Yes lotsof opinoins and judgements about chris, Alaska and his unfortunate adventure. I think the intent of the film was to prove that we has humans need love. It would be a challenge to most of us to live without the love and companonship of one another indefinetly.. His ability to walk away from love showed much hurt and frustration with his past. Chris was loved by his family and many people he touched in his travels. Most found him inspiring and even divine. He left many mourning his departure. Chris however, walked away more empowered to push ahead with his adventures. Did he truly love in return and long to be reunited with those he left behind? In his end, he finally realized that without shared love there is no happiness. I found the story emotionally captivating and a lesson that as confused as we all are living in a society with so many problems, most of us would find it a spiritual challenge to live without the love and companionship of one another.
How can any of us Judge or criticise anyone else everybody is affected in different ways during our upbringings some children are mentally tortured by their parents til they leave home others are physically abused the list goes on, And just because we all watched a movie or read the story does not mean we have complete insight into this one persons life and how they felt the way they were affected on a emotional and physical level during childhood and no matter the level of intellect people still malfunction and act out of place or irrational, So all these people judging one person harshly calling him selfish I guarantee that once in their life that they have done one selfish thing they have regretted that has affected people they love, Is that really what we are remembered for what others think is one selfish action if so I hope The Human race is destroyed very soon we all deserve it.
To Marty:
Well said. I agree with you, and your insight. Right or wrong, he did what he set out to accomplish and paid for it with his life. However as a parent of three, I had “issues” with what I SAW as his selfishness twords his family. Even if he hated his parents, he (according to the book, movie, and article) loves his Sister very much. Wouldn’t have taken much to let them know that he was OK.
Speaking for myself I would feel irresponsible taking on the Alaskan wilderness with what was listed as his possessions. Of course that is just me, and my own judgment.
I found Chris’s story remarkable, sad, tragic, inspirational, and narcissistic all wrapped up in a nice Hollywood package in the end.
RIP Chris!
I enjoyed the movie, “Into The Wild”, but I think that the guy was not thinking all that right. He should have kept in touch with his family, or when he discovered that he ate the Wild Potato Root, went for help immediately. Again, I don’t know how far from civilzation that he was, but had he got to a hospital in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, etc he would still be around today.
I had never heard of this story until my boyfriend brought it home from the library. I am a teacher, the mother of four, a survivor of many things, and a true lover of books. I cringe when i see a program on book burnings that have taken place throughout our history of text. I have also been completely outraged by any written word in the form of books and other text is the right of every author. But, Into the Wild Changed my opinion on one book, this one. Burn it!!!!! I read the book after i was moved to extreme anger at the movie. John K. the author has spent his life as an author, by taking true stories and twisting them to his will, in order to cause controversy, and also to force feed his own opinions on the stories he is writing from human life. JK is an irresposible writer. You cannot and should not publish a book as nonfiction when indeed you have added your own thoughts, and own ideals, and your own preceptions, and obsession to the story and still call it truth. Sean Penn was just as guilty when he was one of the writers of the screen play. Shit happens to all of us, certainly worse things have happened to me then finding out that my parents were liars. Chris spent his life not liking his life, or who he was, the objects of his blame were his parents, were they guilty of not being perfect parents? YES!!! But no more or less then the rest of us, there is no such thing as perfect parenting. Most of us do the best we can. He was a selfish little boy, who chose to wrap himself up in Tolstoy, and Call of the Wild, and his own arrogance. Not a hero, a anti-hero. Many of you pick on others up here for saying Chris was a selfish uncaring bastard, and why he was smart on paper he lacked any kind of common sense. He didnt do any of his adventerous journeys to calm the lust of the free ad wild world, he did it to punish his imperfect family, well he won. But you see all of you who see him as a hero do not understand one thing, his story is dangerous. I am sure Chris had no idea where his story would end and how many of us would hear about it, still he was irresponsible, cruel, without empathy, and caused his own demise. However we are each given a life, we each make our own choices, and sometimes without the possibility of knowing what our choices would do to others. THough Chris didnt realize what he would cause he hurt others, the many foolish people who hold him up as something of a myth, travel into the Alaska wild in search of Chris’s magic bus, with the same amount of food, often the same kind, with the same utter and inexcusible ignorance. So is he responsible for the fact that there has been deaths and injuries connected to his many followers who try to walk in his shoes? Yes, he is, but Sean Penn and Certainly author and complete ass, John K. is responsible for negligence in creating a myth out of a sad pathetic life. John K. altered so much of Chris’s life that he might as well have created a cult. JK was just as ignorant and dishonest when he wrote his version of Into Thin Air, yes he was present for that actual story, others were too, and have always maintained that he lied, and sold out those who died on Everest to further his own career. Chris makes me angry, his story, his followers. To me, i look at a young child full of hope, and a lust for learning and i fear that people like the dishonest JK will continue to write books about total fucking losers who hurt everyone that ever loved them, and that these ideals, lies, and myth building stories will send more and more children into adult hood angry, cruel and what Chris Mccandless is most guilty of, without empathy!!!!! To me his life only hurt the world, as well as his death, and although he couldnt have known the impact of his actions on the world, he indeed is guilty!!!!!!!!!!!!
I, too, have read the book “into the wild” and had, in doing so, not even the SLIGHTEST thought to burn it!!! Whether a fiction or non-fiction novel, even the IDEA of a person such as christopher mccandless is inspiring to me! You will argue I am young and ignorant in my views but this is the way I see things…
Chris grew up in a rough environment. Surprise surprise, a LOT of us have. In todays society it’s nearly IMPOSSIBLE to find a family without a divorced couple, SOME sort of clinical disease, an addiction, or even simply, dislike and deceit. You can’t tell me you haven’t had one day, sitting in your cubicle, where you have thought “If only I could get away from all of THIS.” But once again, in this day and age, who gives us even the time to plan and execute such thoughts? We have to work for vacation time and consider someone responsible enough to watch the house. Then there’s the thought of to take the kids or to not? Where do we book a hotel? Which restaurants do we plan to go to? The sites? And how much is this going to cost??? Which takes us directly back to WORK, where we started in the first place!! Wow… isn’t this sounding a lot like worrying about our materialistic needs? It’s impossible to escape!!! It’s practically a miracle that even ONE person could escape!
Beyond that he donated $25,000 to OXFAM!! Imagine you finally find time to plan and take that trip but now take your whole life savings and give it to a starving third world country! I don’t know about you, but NO WAY do I have that type of disconect from my financial dependence!!
I agree, I can’t comprehend why he would leave his family or refuse to even contact them through letters or phonecalls. But how can any of us stand back and say what he SHOULD have done when we didn’t live his life? As audrey B. has pointed out above, we barely know if J.K. or Sean Penn’s work is complete non-fiction, so how could we say he TRUELY had a strong relationship with his sister? Or maybe, on the other hand, he was a selfish jerk. So what? All the better he seclude himself and not bother the rest of us with his “rudeness.”
Further, he DIED. Whether he was stupid, or a poor excuse for an “adventurer” we still should RESPECT him as being DEAD. And rather than bashing him or putting him on a pedestal, can we not listen to his story and if nothing else agree he lived his life the way he chose.
Yes, he is dead, and i didnt live his life, but he didnt exactly act sane! So who is to say whether or not he was even mentally stable enough to have made the decisions, and choices he did. However, dead or not, i will always stand by my opinion that sucide is the most selfish and unempathetic act there is, it tortures those who survive, and its with but one excuse, weakness. i do feel comfortable about stating my opinion. Although i do understand your opinion is also important mle, that’s why we have places to leave our opinions on line. And i dont blame CHris McCandless for creating his mythological legend, that is JK & SP’s fault, and the many who do follow Chris’s lead without looking at it from all views. Creating Chris into a myth or legend is wrong, dangerous and utterly stupid! And i stand by my opnions on this matter. Live longer, have many children (if you dont already), then come back and tell me if you feel the same? I would be interested to hear your views from that point. Relax, this is the place where everyone’s opinion should be aloud!
To Audrey B.
I am curious:
How are you so sure that it was actual suicide?
Where does mythological legend come from?
Last night i watched ‘Into the Wild’ for the second time, I think there is a bit of Chris in many of us outdoor and adventure seekers… I do not look up to any man except myself but I found myself running just that bit harder up the hills and mountain tracks this morning…
I agree audrey, thank goodness the internet is around for opinions! :) sorry if I came off too extreme!
…
On the other hand, mow beat me to the punch on asking where the suicide ideal came from? I know most of his story is an askew perspective but not even the “true” story points to him killing himself. Medical examination of the body pointed to some sort of starvation, whether flora and fauna induced or not.
Also, I don’t know if having children will change my perspective on this or not, but I don’t think “creating this mythological legend” was completely wrong. So many of us locked to our computers and electronic devices need a little outdoors now and again. (not trying to sound too hypocritical sitting here, online, making yet another addition to this blog. ha! Don’t get me wrong- I LOVE technology) But we all need to get off our butts and go see something grow!! Seeing things like Christopher’s story SHOULD be some incentive to do so- climb a mt., camp out under the stars, go somewhere you’ve never been- but USE YOUR BRAIN!! Survive the excursion rather than creating all of this- again!
Plus from the things I’ve read about Chris before his “last hoorah” it seems as though surviving all his crazy adventures gave him some false comfort… so, personally I take away the fact that the wild is the wild and we need to be careful without getting frustrated with people like SP or JK or Chris. (not saying it is not frustrating to see inexperienced people being injured and dying over trying to follow in chris’s footsteps, or the illusion they have created)
Christopher’s story reminds me of another movie. The Edge with Anthony Hopkins. Mr. Hopkins is a corporate stiff, billionaire. He is portrayed as slightly bored, and always trying to pump more useless information into his brain to combat the emptiness inside. His plane crashes in the Alaska wilderness. When Mr. Hopkins realizes he will get out of the woods alive, he turns to Alex Baldwin and says, “Can you change your life? Is that true? Because I actually never knew anyone who has changed their life. I’ll tell you what. I am going to start my life over.” Christopher changed his life from the beginning. Instead of doing the usual living life in quiet desperation until your mid-life crisis as many people do, Christopher was bold and lived the way he saw fit. I think this is why people admire and envy his bravery. On the practical side, Christopher only knew one way out of the Alaska wilderness, the way he came in. When he got confronted with the swollen river, he panicked and did not think things through. He had two choices; follow the river upstream or downstream to find a way across. Even if he had to travel 10 miles upstream and then hike 10 miles downstream to where he left his hat as a marker, he would have made it. Alaska has braided rivers. The can be two miles wide some places and just deep narrow torrents on other places on the river. Being brought up in the suburbs does not prepare you to be mentally tough to get over what seems to be an insurmountable obstacles. I am saying this because I have lived entire summers outside. I did several multi-week backpack trips by myself. When I first started doing things by myself, I remember panicking and hiking straight out to civilization the next day, a 25 mile trek. I grew up in the suburbs did not prepare me for being alone in the woods. Chris was brave despite not being prepared. I think if Christopher did not panic and walked up river to find a crossing, he would have survived.
He obviously had his reasons for doing what he did. Everyone here can give their opinions on Chris’ life but, that’s what they are, “opinions”, a guess at best.
All of us at one time or another have probably felt that same wanting that led Chris on his search but were stopped by other “things”, jobs, schools, girlfriends, boyfriends, money etc.
What Chris did in my “opinion” was to set out to find something in himself that was lost or missing.
Did he want to intentionally distress his family? I doubt it. I believe he just got caught up in his search and that he did have the intention of coming out of the bush at some point. I don’t believe for a second that he ever thought, until it was too late, that he would never come out.
He lived the latter part of his life as himself. How can we arm chair quarter back that?
Wouldn’t it be great if we were all as free to be who we are and not what we’re supposed to be…at least once in our life?
Dear Mow
….SHUT THE HELL UP. If ya read the book you would know that pretty much Audrey B. has it got down pat. The guy didn’t know what he was doing obviously as he was a city slicker trying to fit into a nature fanatic’s body. Sure he got by for like 2 years… the kid has dumb luck on his side that anyone would be even remotely nice to him. So for him to go into the wild unprepared, which is the number one rule what NOT TO DO, its setting yourself up to die. Hence he committed suicide.
Kris
What does SHUT THE HELL UP mean on a blog?
You haven’t a clue as to what I have read or not read.
Mow
I have thought about Chris’s situation a bit more. During his travels in the lower 48, he became used to asking people where were the the best places to stay for no money. Chris spent several days in Fairbanks. I bet he asked around to see if there were any shelters he could stay at for free in the woods. Someone told him about the bus. He just did not discover it in the middle of the woods as you get the impression from the movie. He requested Jim Galien drop him off at the Stampede Trail above Healy, Alaska. He was not after a true “wilderness” experience. Wilderness means untrammeled by man, but he followed an abandoned mining road now used as an off-road ATV trail now. He was after solitude. If he really wanted a wilderness experience, he could have walked off into the bush at any point along the George Parks Highway. Chris knew he needed a shelter to stay in because he did not have a tent! Imagine, walking into the Alaska bush when it is below freezing at the end of April without a tent? Unbelieveable. I have come to the understanding that Chris was an extreme minimalist. He wanted to push himself to see how little material possessions and food he can survive with. It said in the book that Chris used his trip down the Colorado as a gauge of how much rice he consumed in one month, five pounds. I think Chris thought Alaska is going to be colder so he just brought double the amount he used on the Colorado trip, 10 pounds. I don’t think he thought about how many calories he would burn a day in a cold climate compared to the desert. A person who has adequate clothing for the weather Chris encountered in Alaska would be burning at least 3,000 to 4,000, sometimes 5,000 calories a day. With Chris’s inadequate clothing, this put him on the road to starvation the day he stepped into the woods. He did not realize the minimum to survive needed a safety factor of 3 to 4 in Alaska. If he carried 40 pounds of rice, he would have made it into September where the moose hunters could have rescued him. I also read that someone found his backpack around the bus about a week later after the hunters found Chris’s body. It had his wallet with $300 in it. He could have afforded to buy a good tent with it, but he was a stubborn minimalist like Thoreaux.
I am reading The Accidental Explorer Wayfinding in Alaska by Sherry Simpson. She says that we all learn by stories. I have certainly learned a lot by thinking about Chris’s experiences. I also read The River One man’s journey down the Colorado, source to see by Colin Fletcher. Reading it has been a tribute to Chris due to his trip down the Colorado. The book was published in 1997. I am sure Colin was familiar with Chris’s story, but Colin has passed on.
In my opinion, Chris did not commit suicide. I think he had
– IN HIS MIND – positive intentions, knowing from the “get go” that his body was healthy and in a good state of nutrition. I agree, he was on the road to starvation from the start of his trip on the Stampede Trail; or in other words, at high risk for malnourishment – secondary to his
-what turns out be- inadequate food supply and the unrealized degree of environmental challenges ahead.
I do not believe that he was aware of the potential for a “nutritional tipping point”, where “suddenly” your body is compromised to the the point of death. Through the phases of starving, there’s all sorts of things that happen that are not easily apparent to the starving person…”Yeah I”ve lost a lot weight”…but it’s the altered metabolism on the inside, the electrolyte imbalances that occur that affects your whole body including mental status.
Regardless which school of thought you belong to, hate him, love him, indifferent… who that knows the story of Chris McCandless, hasn’t learned something, some little tidbit of knowledge from it?
Yeah, I thought so.
“Coulda, shoulda, woulda.”
This may come as a shock to some of you but McCandless wasn’t very good at his chosen way of life. Hello! He’s DEAD!
It killed him.
And, left a lot of people heart broken because of it.
How the Hell can you turn this kid into a saint?
“He gave his money to Oxfam.” So what. He did that to rebel, not because he gave a shit about helping the hungry. If he did then why didn’t he go to Africa to help out, or someplace else and volunteer to help instead of “tramping.” Yeah, that really helped a lot!!!
He used the people he met to assist him in HIS wants and needs, then he simply took off.
“He wanted solitude.” No shit! What better place than a rusting bus used by hunters 20 miles from Healey? C’mon, the world isn’t perfect but it’s the only one we have. ADAPT dude! Everyone else sure does! Every one of you reading this had adapted in some form or fashion. After all, you’re at your computer, not out looking for a world totally devoid of people…. oh, until you need money or companionship that is.
Give me a break. That’s not “searching for solitude” that’s “self-centered poor poor pitiful me.”
“He came from a bad childhood.” Uhhhh… not any worse than 90% of everyone else – and a heck of a lot better than most!
Nah, McCandless was a spoiled brat that took himself and his abilities too seriously and painted himself into a corner that he couldn’t run from like he ran from everything else.
Sorry if I seem angry, I’m really not, but gosh, READ THE STORY AND DO SOME RESEARCH.
To me,
This is a blog, all opinions accepted, there is no need for you to advise people what to read or research just because your opinion is different.
Take comfort…I doubt anyone cares if you seem angry.
Chris McCandless was doing something a lot of people have trouble with, actually doing what they want no matter what society says. He was different and I applaud his will to achieve his dreams. I don’t believe he was trying to die out there. He was focused on taking his Alaskan trek and that’s what he did. He didn’t want to live the life that his parents gave him. He didn’t want to get caught up in the horrors and sometimes meaninglessness of civilization. McCandless was more concerned with knowing what is real and what is important. I love his story and I think it’s awfully sad that he had to perish the way that he did, but I do believe he is a hero.
Chris is definitely a hero and someone to be inspired by. His ideals and mindset are exactly the opposite of many of you that have posted on this blog. He was not an idiot and would have lived if it weren’t for the moldy seeds. The reason he was driven out into the wild was to escape society and people that are fake and cruel to each other.
I find it interesting that critics of Chris jump on the bandwagon of him being an “idot” simply because he didn’t bring a map or a compass. Native Alaskans seem to get very angry over this story and i have to ask myself why??
Looking at this story from a point of practicality is perhaps missing the point entirely. I believe it was clear in the book and the movie that being ‘practical’ was in part what Chris was attempting to leave behind by setting out on his journey. Chris was an Idealist. He obviously didn’t want to fit into the confines of structured society. People feel attacked at this somehow and i have to wonder if they are simply comparing their own lives and lack of wonderment & adventure overall. This movie does make one ‘take stock’ of their own life and for that i applaud Penn and Kraukuer. Chris DID prepare for his adventure…it’s not like he set out with the shirt on his back and a candy bar – but he wasn’t practical about it. He didn’t stop and pre-think all the ‘what if’s’ that could happen along the way – But that wasn’t the point for him! He was going on a journey – a physical and emotional journey to better understand his own life. And the yahoos who have called him a spoiled brat or irresponsible astound me. I don’t think a spoiled brat would donate $24,000 to charity AND perhaps he didn’t tell anyone where he was because he didn’t want everyone to FEEL responsible for him. He wanted to TAKE responsibility for his own life, choices and fate. From where i sit..he did. He did what most of us wish we could and he was responsible for himself. And for those of you who think he owed it to his parents to call them – remember the home he came from – money yes, but also a lacking of emotional support and occasional violence, lying and deception.
It’s easy to look at this story from an angle of practicality. Most of us wouldn’t take a vacation without packing the right number of underwear, booking our tickets beforehand and so on. But, this is the exact structure that Chris didn’t want. He wanted to live off the cuff, test his abilities, live off the land and discover something about himself. There are no rule books for that – provisions yes, strict outline…no. The Critics have a hay day with it but they are the ones who would never be caught without their structured life that fits nicely into a box either.
If Chris were better prepared perhaps he would have made it out. Perhaps not. We can speculate all day and in the end Chris is still gone and his life still happened and i for one am glad it did. I hope in his 113 days away he found what he wanted. He was a visionary i believe. I for one admire his gusto. He was intelligent, compassionate and believed in living simply. In a world of cell phones, 9-5 schedules and critics, he stepped outside the box and forged a new direction.
How did McCandless hike from Salton City to Fairbanks (i.e. across two international borders) without a passport or ID?
To Amy:
“He wanted to live off the cuff, test his abilities, live off the land and discover something about himself. There are no rule books for that – provisions yes, strict outline…no. In a world of cell phones, 9-5 schedules and critics, he stepped outside the box and forged a new direction.”
Yes, you’re right. McCandless didn’t want to live his life in a “structured” fashion. He wanted to do what he wanted, when he wanted, how he wanted, regardless of laws or rules.
That makes him a “visionary” or “hero?”
No, it made him die.
To HBP:
Don’t you know? The laws and rules that govern us didn’t apply to Chris. He was completely above the law.
It’s my belief that as we go through life, we all have the potential to be heros and visionaries whatever our circumstances whether it be following a structured, non-structured, or in-between life style. We are all visionaries by virtue of having opinions. Living a “safe” life does not gaurantee life.
To me, Chris is not a hero, but a guy that was adamant about choosing a certain path…in the end, death came about…an although I would not have made all the choices he made, I can relate to his life story, or so I think so being that who really knows all the details?….his life as it happened happened.
Warmly, Mow
Which denotes more strength? Running away or facing your personal demons, tragedies, problems, & being better for it? While all of us dream at times of escape, we have responsibilities to others, to our children, our parents, our spouse, etc. The word “responsibility” does not have to imply a burden. Much can be learned by having responsibilities, by seeing something through to the end, no matter how boring, mundane, heart-breaking, or whatever else. Chris eschews routine & living a life of “security”. He told his one elderly friend that he must give everything up, take to the road, and be adventurous. There seems to be a “hippy” mentality that criticizes those of us who live standard lives. Well, if we all lived like Chris, who would manufacture the camera he used? The paper? The guns, knives, clothes, etc.? Spiritual fulfillment can be found within, regardless of one’s environment. Chris was looking outward for what he needed to find within. Seems like a passive-aggressive suicide to me. Again, running away doesn’t make you a hero.
I as a tree hugger type of person who leads both a responsible and bohemian type of life take the comment about Chris being a hippy as an insult. Look back on what the word hippy means to our history. The hppy mentality was about moving in groups, communes, togetherness amongst the members of that society. Chris was about himself and not anyone else, the issues with him were obviously borderline, he not only ran from those he felt were guilty of letting him down, but he ran from the innocent people who truly cared about him, whether his name was Chris or Alex, he met many along the road who cared about him, he seemingly used everyone of them. I hate what Chris’s story says, i hate what he stood for, and i hate the fact that although i can see why his choices have created a cult like figure of Chris, and i certainly dont think anyone should worship his story, or his ideals
Robin and Audry get it.
I am very upset to have heard that it is possible that the state of Alaska is thinking about removing the Fairbanks City Transit System Bus 142. In an article I read it said that hikers and professional outdoorsmen are sick and tired of rescuing “McCandless followers.” And what made me even more mad is people calling McCandless an idiot just because he lived the way he wanted to live not neccessarily dying however.Not everybody wants to live in this sick society we call earth. It’s not stupid to try and break away from that for awhile so it’d be nice if people would stop bashing Chris. I intend to revisit all of McCandless’ destinations and as well as living my life. Like Chris I’d hate to leave this earth not doing what I intended to which is live and live my way and not stick myself into a box like the rest of society seems to do. Live bigger than that…
To Kristen,
It seems that the people who bash….why the harshness?…..He was young, picked a path, had he survived ..it’s in the realm of possibility that he would now think….hey I was young, had some issues I was struggling with, decided to go on a voyage, taking advantage of not being tyed down at that time in his life, but I’ve come to different realizations though experiences, growth, maturity etc….
Just because you relate to something or a person, does not mean that you worship them or make them a hero.
However, it’s a good thing that we can take comfort
knowing that we can freely voice an opinions.
I can relate to your comment above…..I do not consider that Chris was an idiot….he had “a fire burning” in him.
As for sickeness with our society , I think that there’s a lot of good out there also….and that goodness gives way to hope.
Kristen,
I wonder if you know why they are really removing the bus, you see they have had continous problems in the small town area where Chris’s body was found. They have alot of the cult of chris hiking in there with the same amount of rice etc. to walk in his shoes and to find some spiritual awakening or something and that little Alaskan town has to foot the bill for many rescues in that area every year because Chris made the choices he did. I agree he had a right to do whatever he wanted sane or not, but his legacy twists some minds and they want to walk where he wlked, live like he lived and we all know chris lived his life in a way that ended as some risky behavior does, in tragedy. So if the bus being there is going to cause a small town fiancial distress, people to be hurt, and i dont think it has happened yet (i will have to research it) but sooner or later someone will caught up in his legend and die there too. I think they are doing the best thing by removing that bus, not to mention people have broken peices off it and sold them on ebay, people pro chris or not pro chris would probably agree that, that is not a very postive regard for CHris’s memory or the increased pain and upset for his family.
Instead of escaping this so-called “sick society”, how about doing something to improve it? Leaving many grieved persons is not improving it. I once heard a priest say the following in a sermon, “A man said to God, ‘God, this world is so awful, so many terrible things. Why don’t you do something about it?’ God replied, ‘I did. I created you.’” Regarding my earlier “hippy” comment, I did not mean to use that term literally, only in the sense that the hippies of the 60′s bashed society & all it stood for, telling everyone to live like them. Yet, as I said before, who would then manufacture goods, improve our understanding of science, etc.
It is so easy to sit on a pedestal basking in righteous indignation about what’s wrong with everyone else. Turn the mirror inward and let’s start with ourselves. Also, I really am put-off by Chris’s self-pity about his childhood. He had an education, shelter, food, was not abused, etc. He was so hard on his father for his transgressions & differences of opinions, but his father is only human. A great person can forgive, for anger only harms the one who harbors it. A humble person doesn’t go around thinking they’re better than others, thinking how unenlightened they are. Chris never even confronted his dad, he would only brood and let his anger fester. I feel so sorry for those who have promoted him to a semi-god. They are searching the wrong place for what lacks in their life. If you truly want to help yourself, start by helping others.
I am happy to see people reacted to my comment, but I am scared that people are viewing me the wrong way. I understand others opinions and such, but I am going to help myself and do what I can for myself first. I ask you this Robin if I truly want to help myself why would I start by helping others. Others should know who to help themselves. People need to start to realize that not everybody in the world is there to help them. You need to take care of yourself and life your life for you. I don’t want to die one day knowing I did nothing for me and everything for others. I am not selfish I am human and as for the bus removal comment I question as to why it was not removed many years before. If it was such a huge issue wouldnt it have been removed earlier? It is a monument a sacred spot and the last Chris has been it is like removing a headstone in a cementary. It is not right and I don’t believe it to be a financial issue. And I do think their is good out there, but society and our civilization has looked past that and focus more on greed and and taking money to the extreme. The world is broken and it needs to be fixed and by seeing how beautiful nature is you can begin to fix the rest.
it is not a monument, it is a sad, lonely, and pathetic peice of metal being used by people who are questing for a myth. i dont care if you have an opinion, i am the last one to say you shouldnt, its not your opinion thats the problem its that you are not accepting of others. People are getting hurt take the bus out!!!!! They didnt remove it earlier because they never dreamed that it would become the dangerous burden it has. And i have gone into many wild areas but still with my brain intact, i knew enough that i had no business being there without using my common sense and bringing what i needed. The man who drove chris close to there offered him all the supplies he could use but he didnt want them why? Because it wasnt a trip to convene with nature as much as it was a vindictive isolation directed at those who loved him, he couldnt see straight his eyes and his heart were full of vengence. And Chris was not anti-greed, and anit captialism, Chris got mad at his family and was completely in beleif that he was a legend in the making, he is not symbol to all that is good and the world and though the world may be broken i dont think being idiotic is the fix!!!!
Ok I think calm down is a good set of words for that comment. Everybody in the world is entitled to have an opinion and you telling me I can’t is ridiculous. You are clearly stating your opinion and what people are you talking about. I don’t care if you don’t like Chris, but I can and that is my choice not yours! I can say what I please and I don’t appreciate people I don’t know yelling at me via letter! Why are you so obsessed with a website about Chris if your just going to be anti-opinion and just mean? And who cares if he was mad at his family he did what he did with his life and thats the path he chose. But its obvious your the type to not listen to others and their sides of things your too wrapped up in your own opinion you can’t see other things. And I don’t need people calling me an idiot for doing what I want in life living in New Hampshire our motto is “Live free or die” and thats what I intend to do.
You need to just grow up, and read slower so u understand, i get that u have a right to your opinion, acting juvenile is not what this site is about, i am a mother, a teacher, and an adult, and i will feel whatever i want, live your state’s motto even when its not in your favor. I do not like or dislike CHris he is dead he didnt allow anyone to really know him or like him. I mean no cruelness or meaness to you, i think you should reread what i said and rethink it, i as you like to say do have a right to my feelings. I am very passionate about this subject because people follow chris like he was a supreme being, they are blind to much of the dangers his choices caused and could cause followers.
for the record i wasnt calling YOU an idiot, read it again.
I don’t need to grow up and I have read comments of yours and I don’t understand where you get off thinking the book Into the Wild should be burned and that Jon Krakauer is a horrible author and that Sean Penn is guilty of it too. Just because your an adult and a mother doesnt mean I am being juvenile and need to grow up. Also I mean no harm either, and also if people want to be inspired by him they can. When I first came across this blog site I figured it was a place to safely voice my opinion, but it appears otherwise. This site should not be used as a lets bash every person opinion site. People should write what they feel and not be told other. Also I don’t see Chris as a supreme being I see him as another human that made an impact on my life. There are things that Chris did that I don’t agree with, but I’m not going to write all the horrible things about him. Unless you really knew him don’t go around writing horrible things about him. Like others I just want Chris to be remembered as something good and I will stick to that forever…
One more time, I DO NOT CARE IF YOU VOICE YOUR OPINION I THINK YOU SHOULD.But you got upset when i voiced mine, and you may want to have the world remember chris as wonderful, but i dont think it is true. However please always feel free to voice your opinions, but dont get upset when other people want to voice theirs too, you see i did not have the problem, this is a blog, but your opinion caused you to have your feelings hurt because mine was different then yours and when i said what mine was you cried that i was being mean to you, but that my friend is another opinion. I do understand peoples’ needs to see people as heroes and wonderful for whatever reason, i simply disagree with you on CM. And feel free to always voice your opinion and always be free to letting others do the same.
I have just finished listening to the last part of the audio book. I really think Chris was just young, idealistic, and in “search of”. A lost soul. When I look back upon my youth (I am 49), I have changed and grown so much. So, despite having a very different perspective than Chris, I realize that I gained this perspective by the trials, errors, & tribulations of life. Life is a journey & as long as we continue to grow & learn, all is not lost.
Helping ourselves by focusing on others is key to the healing process. It gets the focus off of one’s own problems & helps one to see the bigger picture. “Change your thought & you change your world.” It’s all a matter of perspective. One also feels better about one’s self by helping make the world a better place. As Mother Teresa said, you don’t have to do great things, just small things with great love. Each little act of kindness is like scraping a little bit of scum off the world. Anyhow, I think Chris was coming close to this new perspective near the end of his days. He highlighted passages and wrote things that indicated this.
He probably would have made a wonderful contribution to this world once he matured some more. I just have concerns with how some have elevated him to a semi-god. There are heroic people all around us that will never receive any recognition, which is OK. Humility is a great virtue.
By the way, all of you make good points and show passion for your feelings.
Ok I get it I was just standing up for what I believe in I think that is the whole point in having an opinion. I did not “cry” that you were being mean I’m just standing up for myself. I apologize for reading the message wrong it just came across that way to me. I have reread it and now understand. I also get that others can have opinions and I have a tendency to get defensive when it comes to these certain subjects. I was unbelievably moved by Chris McCandless’ story and I stand up for someone who has died in trying to find himself. In my opinion I just want Chris to be remembered as someone good it doesn’t matter if he was disliked or mentally ill as some people may think, but he should be remembered so as nobody repeats what happened to him. I just want to tell people about his story and let them know the truth. I once again apologize for what has happened through these letters. Sincerly Kristen.
Chris definately should be remembered, he is a precautionary tale in many ways. They say he became obsessed in college with tolstoy and jack london, for what ever reason he became convinced that his jorney should correlate with tolstoy and london’s writings. The odd thing is if you really research the crap out of Chris and his story you will find that there were more like him. There are several stories of young men doing similar soul searching journeys like Chris, the one i am thinking of off the top of my head was in a desert area and he was never seen again (beleived to be dead). On Chris, although i feel extremely awful for his parents, and his sister, it seems to me that he created new families wherever he traveled, Jan, Wayne, etc. He continued to write to them and maintain relationships until Alaska. Seems like he was searching for family even when he had been disenchanted by his own family. I think he was very lost and i think he did have regrets at the end of his life. As far as the bus goes i dont think anyone should have to bury another son, or daughter simply because a monument with all the confusions, misunderstandings, and unanswered questions that Fairbanks 142 stands for is left there to tempt some people who probably do not really understand what they are doing and that is unresponsible and dangerous, and that is scary.
I agree with you and I am reading Into the Wild and there were a lot of people like Chris like Rosellini and Mcunn and Jon Waterman. I too feel extremely horrible for his parents especially Carine. I wish he did leave notice and such with them. I think Chris was just lost in life and needed to fill holes in himself. He found people along the way, but I don’t think he filled those holes with human relationships. He found it in his nomadic experience and in Alaska, but he was not truly happy in the end of his days. He wrote in a journal entry near his death that “happiness is not real unless shared.” As for the bus it would be nice if it remained a monument and freeloaders shouldn’t be allowed to just traipse through there. It would be awful if someone else had Chris’s outcome, but if people are willing to take that risk then it is mere suicide. I hope to visit there one day and I’d be completely distraught if it was gone because people stupid enough to copy Chris died. It has lost its purpose over the years and people have gone too far with its main point.
kristen
Maybe it is still there i am unsure but i think when peices of it started showing up on ebay and such it destroyed that place that is important to you, because the authorities started seeing it as a threat, there are people who ruined it for people like you, and i am sorry for that, there is always going to be macbre nuts who looked at it not as a danger like i feel, and not as a spiritual resting place as you do, and those are the people who ruined it. If i were his parents i would have been horrified by the ebay thing. I think Corrine suffered when she didnt deserve to thats why i think he was so lost, everyone said he and his sister where extremely close so why did he hurt her?
Come on guys! There is way too much fancy, idealism, & romance in all of these responses. I found the story to be touching, but Mcandless was selfish, & spoiled. I bet some poor kid would not have done what he did. Get him off this pedestal that some have put him on. He seemed very bright but he was useless to society, simple as that. I know many people more idealistic, & brave who decided to “stick it out” in this cruel world, & they didn’t just runaway from it, they are actually doing something to improve it. Mcandless was a waste to humanity, he could have done great things, instead he just evaded…..life.
audrey B,
I feel completely horrible for his family. Yesterday I got to the chapter in Into the Wild that talked about Chris’s father and looking back when Chris was a kid. His death was very preventable; he could of told his parents and especially his sister and/or he could have told Jim Gallien that if he wasnt out in a certain amount of time to tell authorities and that he was in trouble. I don’t believe that he committed suicide it was just he thought he could stick it out he thought he was strong enough but his problem was that he was extremely ill-prepared. Though it has been over sixteen years I wish the story changed, but the whole mystery is that he died and having people trying to figure it out. And I see where your coming from totally on how the “Magic Bus” has been ruined for people and his family.
what an emotional rollercoaster ride this blog is taking…wonder what Mr Chris the subject himself would think of all this banter over his deeds and doings and speculation regarding his personal feelings and reasonings… would he be amused, embarassed or just indifferent?
Just incredibly sad how some people want to make Mcandless into a demi-god status. Get a life folks. The dude was a spoiled brat who never contributed to society to improve it. Krakuer tries to make him mythic. Funny how Chris idolized London & other writers who lived their lives contrary to their writings. What a dope!
The arguments in this blog are quite cyclical.
This is just a place where people with varying beleifs regarding Chris say what they feel, and sometimes that means toes get stepped on and sometimes some of us end up having a meeting of the minds with some element about Chris that we can agree on, often we agree to disagree. That is what kind of place this is, i find it funny that sometimes someone new leaves one line putting down the blog or acting like they are so above it all, but that is okay because we love all opinions here even when sometimes they get us fired up and mad. You see this is a place where we can say what we want about this story, and its okay, no judgements. THis story is unique because we all get so passionate about what Chris did, and his life and death that we feel the need to say why we agreed with his choices or not. I dont blog anywhere else except one teacher’s site and the reason is that the case irked me, and intrigued me too, as is true with many others who blog here.
Oh, well, I didn’t mean to hurt anyones feelings or put anyone down. I try to be a peace maker as much as possible.
I’ve actually read most of the posts and made a few myself (just not in a while). I just noticed that there are a few main points of interest in this story that keep coming up. That’s why I hadn’t come back for a long while in the first place. People were just saying the same things.
I meant no harm, but was just voicing my opinion.
This blog has been interesting in the past couple of days. Everybody is making good points here and there and they are all very understanding. This site is a very good one and I like how people can feel pretty free to write as they wish. I hope this blog can continue on this path and people can state their own beliefs without any harm intent.
PEACE everyone, peace. Hey Kristen you put some names up before like jon waterman, mcunn, i have heard it but would like more information on the others, i have heard about the one who live in a desert area, etc. i cant find anything when i search on it, do you have any sites or anything on waterman? I am actually using chris and others akin to him for a graduate paper. Thanks for anything you have on it.
audrey B.
I did find a wikipedia site actually. The link is http://www.wikisummaries.org/Into_the_Wild and it gives a brief summary of each of the characters. It talks about Ruess and Mcunn and Waterman. Also if you have the book Into the Wild there is a whole chapter dedicated to Waterman, Ruess and Mcunn. Also on Everett Ruess I found this link http://everettruess.net/ and there is also a wikipedia site all about his disappearance and his life. I hope these sites help you out and good luck with your grad paper hope this stuff helps!
copelandcrl…
shut up. alaska is not YOUR state. You are the people McCandless was attempting to get away from.
why does everyone on here think they know exactly why chris did what he did or what he was thinking when he did it? everyone says this and that putting him down but i sure would love to see you do it.
and he would have lived had those potato seeds not been moldy. he hit some bad luck…shit happens
first of all anon the potato seeds were later found not to have been cause of death or moldy, or injested by chris, but JOn. Kraukauer who wrote the book didnt wait for those test results that were not done right away, so it was a theory that he had, it was not fact. The point many of us are trying to make is that we wouldnt do it and none of us think we know what he was thinking and why we just are giving our opinions on a disturbing case to some, and a legend to others. We happen to enjoy having the freedom to state our opinions, thats all.
We all can never truly know what Chris himslef was thinking. Only Chris would know that and I don’t think people on this site think they know what he thought they would just like some reasoning or meaning to why Chris did what he did. I don’t pretend like I know everything about Chris because I don’t, but I know enough that he knew what he was getting himself into and he wanted to make some sort of impact on someones like. We are all here on this blog for a reason; to state what we know base our opinions and feel what we like about Chris’s compelling story.
For anyone that thinks Chris McCandless is crazy-
Chris and his lifestyle were far from simple. To judge him simply based off of an observation that he was “ill-prepared” and “selfish” is taking the easy way out – something Chris never would have done. If people started paying more attention to the things presented to them and analyzing them enough to be able to form an appropriate opinion, we would all be better off. Chris CHOSE to be ill-prepared. He decided what was absolutely necessary and what was just a “want.” Breaking free from society’s norms does not make chris crazy in any way. In fact, it makes him heroic. He took a stand and did something almost 95% of human beings would never do. I’m not just talking about going into the wild….i’m talking about his ability to see past the manipulation and corruption of our world, and make something of his life. People who spend all day working and obsessing about making money or being “normal,” are only living a lie. NO ONE IS NORMAL. there is no such thing as normal! EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. Yes, you are entitled to your own oppinion, therefore, i am not trying to make you change your mind, BUT, i do want you to at least recognize that what chris did was incredibly beautiful. The only reason he ddint survive is because he ate a poisonous plant that looked almost identital to a non poisoness plant. Chris was no where near stupid or naive…he was actaully INCREDIBLY intelligent. So, basically, he shoudl be regarded as heroic for taking a stand and embracing his differences and being proactive about his life. He should also stop being criticized for being “ill-prepared” because HE WANST. He chose to live with as little as possible, to fend for himself….and he did actaully survive a long long time and probably woudl have made itout alive if it wasnt for that plant. Stop b*tching about how crazy he was and start realizing how crazy you are for not listening to him. He’s teaching us a lesson. Our socity is so infatuated with money and it makes us greedy and stressed. No one can ever TRUELY be happy when you live that way. ask yourself, am i truely happy? becaus ei can gaurentee youre not and that you actaully want something more meaningful out of life. we’re all here for a reason.
Aly Supertramp, you make some excellent points. I, too, believe that materialism, greed, and a desire to look like magazine covers is ridiculous. There are so many pretentious people who believe by presenting a certain image that they will impress others & thus be “happy.” So many think that if they get a certain car or house they’ll be happy. Then, when the void is still there, they get a bigger car or add a pool to the house. Happiness is not getting what you want but being content with what you have.
It is this part of Chris that I admire. He was not impressed by “things.” He looked within and strived to develop insight.
Do I agree with what he did? No way. But, he was young. I am put off by this idea that he was miserable with his family. He had no idea of what “rough” is. He had the liberty of running away because he did have a privileged life. Perhaps he felt guilty. I don’t know. I also do not like the way Jon Krakaur seems to have put Chris in a pedestol. He himself states he probably over-identifies. Anyhow, as Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
The change i wish to see in the world is to rid of this greedy capitalistic society of which we are surrounded by.
^^what better way than to rebel right?.. well it got Chris killed
“Chris CHOSE to be ill-prepared. He decided what was absolutely necessary and what was just a “want.” Breaking free from society’s norms does not make chris crazy in any way. In fact, it makes him heroic. He took a stand and did something almost 95% of human beings would never do. I’m not just talking about going into the wild….i’m talking about his ability to see past the manipulation and corruption of our world, and make something of his life. People who spend all day working and obsessing about making money or being “normal,” are only living a lie. NO ONE IS NORMAL. there is no such thing as normal! ”
~Aly Supertramp
What a load of bullshit. “Heroic?” Give me a break. No, it makes him dead. I’m sorry, but there it is. He did take a stand and do what most would not do…. die in a bus 20 miles from civilization.
I think most of us have completely overlooked what the whole movie was about and missed the entire point. The movie is about family dynamics and how they play out in real life.
Each person deals with things differently and the fact that this guy went on a trip out west and eventually to Alaska is somewhat beside the point. The fact that he separated himself in such a complete way from family and his previous life speaks to how some people deal with pain in their lives.
Some have to separate themselves – whether they physically leav town, quit their jobs or stop attending family reunions or not – something changes and they are no longer available – and they move on with their lives.
What they do after the fact might make a good movie – but it is really about family dynamics. It is a real testimony to how clued out family members can be about one another.
he was a stupido person and wasted his life , not normal
No, the movie was about a guy that liked to bum around and do what he wanted to do regardless of the consequences. It was about a guy that died about 20 miles from Healey, Alaska in a rusting bus because he misjudged his in favor of being by himself and living like a bum.
Yeah, he was a real hero. A true role model.
Oops
“It was about a guy that died about 20 miles from Healey, Alaska in a rusting bus because he misjudged his ABILITIES to live off the land and discarded his family life in favor of being by himself and living like a bum.”
I just get so mad when you people say “It was also selfish, he didn’t set out to change the world or to help others.” Chris was a remarkable person, he could teach us all a great lesson. We can all learn that life is what you make it. you can just sit and go to a job or go and accomplish a dream. Later he ended up understanding that he made a mistake and tried to go and life with others. He realized that “Happiness is Only Real When Shared.”
I hope that I can go and relive some of his experiences someday.
-A 14 year old kid
p.s. it wouldnt hurt to get off your asses and enjoy life, its short and you only get one!!!
I saw the movie twice and couldn’t watch the end the second time as I was too upset. I truly believe Chris was a great guy and lived a full life – say what you say and you will – I admire him. There are those of us who have this “agitation of the soul” – and there will be those in the future who’ll be breaking out and tramping just like he did. What he did was his own thing – unique to him.
Now I’m a 35 year-old man who’s travelled and made some pretty stubborn mistakes trying to find some truth in my life. I was bullied at school – and you know what? Those fucking bullies are now cops and corporate wankers! Ha! That taught me a good lesson – those who conform often climb the career ladder and many end up asking themselves many years later – often when too late – “Was this right for me??” I’m glad it happened to me now. Why? It veered me away from conformity and into life, and I’ve been around and seen a lot of the world. It’s instilled in me a bit of compassion and acceptance that I wouldn’t have got if I worked for a company. I won’t compare myself to Chris, but one thing – having travelled and done some hitch-hiking, English teaching, botanizing in the bush, been broke – it’s all good ’cause I wouldn’t trade it for anything – and I’m still doing it! And I feel sorry for the bullies ’cause being power-crazy and feeling the need to intimidate others always leads to misery. Stalin was still cursing those around him on his deathbed!
Mates Chris had angelic qualities, and flaws too. I admire his guts, his love of life and drive. I’ve had issues with my dad for sure and I’m still angry at him, yeah at times I’d like to cut contact with my parents, but that would be hard and I don’t have the heart. I’ll find my own truth as long as I keep on doing what inspires me. Peace to Chris and all those brave ones out there. Love
“p.s. it wouldnt hurt to get off your asses and enjoy life, its short and you only get one!!!”
Sure is…Chris’ was pretty short wasn’t it?
” hope that I can go and relive some of his experiences someday.”
Find a rusting old bus in the woods and starve yourself to death?
nah… instead, why not actually make a difference and do something constructive to make the world a better place.
Those of you who read the book will recall that an adventurer named Everette Ruess was the subject of a lengthy Krakauer digression. Ruess was shown as a sort of prototype, a forerunner of McCandless.
It was announced yesterday that Ruess’s remains have been positively identified. Read more here.
Thank you NVB for the link. Yet another very interesting outdoors story with sad ending. I always love reading these stories.
Amelia Earhart anyone?
Chistopher McCandless ripped his mother’s and sister’s fucking hearts out. That’s no hero, and fuck all of you who think he was. It’s possible to escape “society’s bullshit” without destroying the people who love you. Christopher McCandless was a selfish, narcissistic, pretentious ass who in the end may have found “freedom”, but did the same thing he and his sycophants accuse all of us poor conformists of doing: he pissed it away.
Hi,
I don’t understand why people can criticise Chris/Alex. They probably don’t understand, that Chris was able and had the will to fulfill his desire, unlike most of us.And that it’s easier than we want to believe.
Ok, he probably should have let his folks know that he’s fine from time to time, but he actually did the only possible thing for him.
He was certainly not stupid to let himself starve to death, and that was probably not his plan, although i strongly believe, that one can get deepest satisfaction in such a life, and taken into consideration that Chris needed to explore life as such, he might have come to a point to accept everything, nature offered to him. And even Death is Part of life. maybe at the end, he also just accepted death the same way like everything else, Nature gave him. The ultimate experience of life…
To Ben,
We should give thanks that people in this country have the right to “voice” opinions about any topic whether it involve giving praise or denigrating a person, thing, or action.
Too bad that some people have to use foul language to express their hard felt opinions.
For example, it’s my opinion for someone to say/write “f… all of you who think….” is a total waste.
“He was certainly not stupid to let himself starve to death,”
Uhhhh.. yes, he was!
zippy,
you crack me up, but you cant argue with a fourteen year old kid, like the one above ANDREW) of course he is going to have an ideal where adults are wrong and could never understand the freedom trip Chris took, but i think that actually says alot about Chris himself i dont think he had the maturity that he should have had at his age. i feel he was very child like still, he never had a relationship, at least not in any of my research did i find that. The real tracy tatro gates did an interview on him and said she had a crush on him but nothing came of it. I think u r very insightful zippy, and tell the 14 year old kid that just because adults are responsible doesnt mean we dont have our own heroic moments, or our own moments of greatness, the difference is we are normal responsible human beings and we dont cause our own deaths by being silly, so our small heroic acts go unnoticed!
Just recently watched the film and found it very thought provoking and inspiring. im not going to explain my beliefs about the whole saga but there are some good comments on here. does anyone know of what happened to his diaries? I would love to read the whole thing if it exists somewhere.
To Mow
This is a topic about Chris not you and about voicing your opinion. Give your opinion and back it up. Stop going on random events about living in a country that lives in a place that gives you the right to freedom of speech. Plus not to mention I guarantee not everyone that has wrote on this blog is from the same country so for you to say thank goodness we live in a country…. who is we? I’m not with you, people that probably live in countries that are very close to mayhem with dictatorship rules are probably not with you. What happens if someone wrote on here from china…. really…. thank goodness for freedom of speach? Think before you talk next time
To Kris,
Your appreciate your comments, what I wrote was truly stupid, I obviously wasn’t thinking.
This is my last entry on this site, and it’s one I have written before…
Being prepared, not being prepared, taking precautions, not taking precautions, understanding the Alaskan wilderness, not understanding the Alaskan wilderness….
….I do not believe the book is about that.
The book was written out of John K’s curiosity to delve into the mindset of Chris, his adventures and travels that ultimately ended with his death.
The truth of it all, we can never delve into someone elses mindset to the extent that we can truly come up with explanations in full (I believe the author John K. would not disagree)…. we experience, we observe, we draw conclusions…..conclusions and perceptions based on our own life experiences and beliefs.
Had Chris survived, I choose to think that he would have…….the possibilities are limitless, perhaps forgiving his parents knowing that we all make mistakes at one time or another.
audrey b
You’re right. The thing is, I’ve been following this story since it actually happened and was a published book by J. Krakauer. I was actually pleased that a movie was to be made. Somewhere in all my reading though, I realized that Chris wasn’t the “enlightened wanderer” that some make him out to be, nor is starving to death in a rotting old bus.
He had the necessary “ingredients” to make something of his life, much more so than most people and he just pissed it all away. Such a shame to squander a life.
Also, if he was the “wonderboy” that some see him as, he would have been a little more forgiving of the mistakes his father made. We’re all human and prone to mistakes – as was Chris himself.
Thank you Audrey!
Hey Audrey, the “anonymous” post before this one was from me. I posted too fast and forgot to put my “name” . I couldn’t really complete the post because we were closing and I had to leave. so here’s the final in it….. just add this to the post prior to this one:
There’s no doubt that Chris’ father made mistakes. Show me parent that’s made no mistakes and I’ll show you you’re wrong. What Chris seemed to be impressed with was people that tend to stray from the norm and “bend the rules” to suit themselves. Now, I don’t know Walt McCandless (obviously) but from what I’ve read about him, he never deserted Chris nor did he ever abuse him. In fact, quite the opposite. I don’t think Chris really went without too much in his life. His story seems to bring to light the fact that he was rather “privileged” and pretty much was allowed to do however he pleased. And, Chris did precisely that – what he pleased, regardless of rules, laws or feelings of others.
As I’ve followed this story over the years, I’ve come to change my mind about Chris. Rather than see him as a visionary that had all the answers to a wonderful and fulfilled life, I now, in my older, wiser and more informed guise, see him as a person who was lost and unable to get back on track to appreciate all the “other things” that life offers. He never managed to obtain the “life experience” that only comes with age and realizing that you are completely capable of making grave mistakes that even though it’s not meant to, will occasionally hurt others.
I’m not saying Chris shouldn’t be idolized by the younger set. If starving in a bus 20 miles from Healey, Alaska or a few miles from Denali State Park is what it takes for that, then go for it. How about this, stomping off into an area you’ve never been to before without proper preparations to “live off the land for a few months” when you haven’t got a clue just how difficult that can be and dying because you failed at it MISERABLY (yeah, he made it quite a while, just not long enough!) make a hero out of you, then go for it.
Personally, I think using your EXPENSIVE college education to better mankind or even spending a few minutes saying “Hey Dad, let’s talk about what happened and figure out what we can do to get the Hell over it” would have been better than just taking off like some spoiled brat.
zippy, you rock and i like what you said. I fear that young people see him as a iconic idol with a free spirit and free mind, and some sort of person they wish to be like. In short choose to be like the true great heros and heroines that have walked our earth and did truly great things, it does not take a great man or person to starve to death especially when all evidence says he did have choices on that matter, what i mean is he had the choice to walk into the wild with supplies adequate, but i have the feeling he was out to prove it could be done his way, with his amount of supplies, and so on, sadly he proved himself wrong. This case is disturbing to me, as a mother, as a person who is imperfect, as a teacher of the young, and as a human who has overcome much more difficult obstacles then CM, yet i survived myself and the trauma, drama, and trials and tribulations of my life, what a waste of a life CM is a tribute to. I truly feel there were many more demons in his closet then we wil ever know there were many more journals he wrote then the one found with him and john kraukauer practically became a member of the MCcandless family when he was researching for the book into the wild, whose to say he didnt write what they more or less wanted him to, and left out what they didnt want the world to know!
I actually agree with zippy completely. when you actually take time to think about what he did it doesnt seem that much of a good thing afterall. when i first watched the film i envied his courage and thought he was doing it for all the right reasons. I guess he is still a great inspiration because we are all still writing about him now. However, I feel that if he didnt die and lasted 3 months or however long it was and returned home he wouldnt get the recognition he gets now. Its funny how people who die doing something get a cult/hero status whereas i bet there are hundreds who have done similar and survived who knowone even knows.
At the end of the day, this guy was selfish. He put his family through hell. What is the point of being so idealistic & intelligent when you cannot use these traits to improve society, or help fellow man? What a waste. I know many more people with greater qualities who have touched many lives in positive ways; they are heroes, & deserve more attention than this spoiled brat. In an idealistic way, his story is romantic full of hope. In reality, his story is one of a selfish young man who was not willing to help society, but rather shun it & run from it. Why do some morons make him to be mythic, iconic? Don’t know. That they do, is a testament to how gullible society really is. How depressing. I must say this, I love the soundtrack to the movie.
i once heard that mr. and mrs. McCandless has said that Chris’s story was a precautionary tale for parents, and that if they had only listened, and aloud him to be who he was then they wouldnt have caused him to runaway and do what he did. But i think they are too hard on themselves, it is more a precautionary theory for those who quest for more meaning, for isolation, for braving the wild or anything in a risky way ad surviving, the precaution isnt that people like this shouldnt live some of their ideals and dreams, and even quests and journeys for those quests, but it is assinine to do those things without having equipment and for christ sakes more than a bag of rice, it is not the ideal i wonder about with these people it is how does someone think they are invincible in the way he did!I certainly am not invincible and i do not see chris as a hero or legend or anything like that. I mourn for his parents, his siter, and most of all i wish i could ask him one thing? “Chris i am 43 and losing my life to disease” You were much younger, had a choice, many choices that would have saved you, but you through it away, how is that fair?” “How is that heroic, or brave, or anything like that?”How does that make sense, whatever religion you beleive in, chris was given the gift of life and threw it in the garbage, yet so many of us would give aything to have the choice, and control to stop our deaths and choose life!
And one more thing, we have people who love us, all of us do if we are lucky, and he did too! Yet i have always said that the most selfish, cruelest, most insane, and most murderous thing you could do to people who love you is to commit suicide and in essance he did that, and it had a rippling affect, it murdered the soul of everyone of his family, and that is disgusting.
I ordered this book tonight, I watched the movie when it came out. I can feel in my heart, my own form of what Chris felt. It was an odd thing to watch and hear about this story, the idea of picking up, leaving, and figuring my life out without the non sense that society and I hate to generalize but and what most people bring to the table. Has been a dream of mine for a few years now, well a few years before it came out for that matter. But even me looking this up, writing this, contributes to the cycle I wish not to be a part of. I have led an unhealthy life, filled with materials, bad nutrition, and lack of confidence in life. I have a year plan to change that, and once I do well, we will just have to see what I do. I admire this man for doing what he did, he had a dream, a passion, a soul driven desire to live in this moment and no other. My perception of his goal is a reflection of mine no doubt, so perhaps a more reasonable statement here is my passion. I have a fire in my heart, and it yearns to blaze on every path my feet are capable of taking me on. I aim to meet the standards I set for my life, those standards are different from others and will be set apart by the words I associate with them. My passion seeps through my bones and floods out of my limbs and mouth, I wish to show that passion to the nature that has given it to me and to those whom if not for the trip I seek, I would have never met. My soul’s desire is to experience this life as I aim to, and the moment I find the beginning of the answer I have always looked for, the next question will be there to take its place. And I would share with whom ever wanted to know, and continue. I ache with the possibility.
Life is an individual occurrence Audrey, your perception is yours, and yours alone. You say he threw his life away, yet you do not read his words. And if you do, you ignore what is not convenient to your point. Thoughts of invincibility, I highly doubt it. Thoughts of living the life he chose, ask yourself this. You say he threw his life away because of the way he lived and died, but tell me how has he thrown his life away if he has come to understandings most do not comprehend the questions to. His goals, dreams, and aspirations were met in his life there is exactly the right amount of time in every single life to do everything they wish to do. And if they didn’t do it, then they chose not to. You have the time to sit here posting attacks on a person who was brave in living HIS life the way he saw fit. Instead of putting all that energy towards your well being and your human experience, tell me where is that appealing? You call him disgusting for hurting his family the way he did, I call you disgusting for having more incentive then him to be doing the things you desired most in this life instead of posting here. I have set in motion to plans to live my life according to my plan, when will you start? The week of your death? Mortality is something we all have to accept, no matter the person. I accept mine and have for some time. I am 20, does accepting that I will die mean I wish for it, no. I say I know it will come, but until it does I will dream, I will live with passion, and I will show my equality to everyone in the world. Because we are all disgusting in our own ways, we are all brave in our own ways. You, Chris, myself, and everyone on this planet are an equal to the other. What puts you above another human, nothing.
I read up, and up and up…in this post.
I am a privileged child.
I have had things my way.
I had money half my life so far.
I disregard judgments.
I hate money
I think everyone should be capable of having ‘their way’
Life is a privilege.
I believe, in the pure potential of every single person to be everything in this world. I do what I can to try and show others, what I see in them.
In the end, you cannot change anyone if they are not willing to change.
I don’t give up, I will continue to show my everything, to anyone I can. Chris helped the people he met in his travels. Is that not helping society, helping the people in it?
Helping does not have to be, donating, giving a job, creating jobs, or letting someone live with you, etc. Helping someone, can be something as small as a waitress over hearing passionate words about how people being bad to one another, hurts him personally.
It hurts me, to see bad things happen to anyone. It personally hurts me though I have no attachments to that person besides they are a natural being, as am I.
I will change the worlds I come into contact with, and they will the ones they contact with. Change cannot be done by a single person people, every single one of us has to change. So remember, when you point the finger at someone, there are always 3 pointing back at you.
William, firstly this is a discussion FORUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Opinions are allowed and in your case so is babbling on and attacking me for my own perceptions and opinions on this matter. GET OVER YOURSELF! This site is for everyone not just the chris cult members!!!!!!!!!!This story has hit a nerve with differing people, with differing opnions. And i do not care what you accomplish by your early twenties, spiritual or otherwise, one who dies in their early twenties due to stupidity, has not lived the full life that they were given. I have read many of his words, he was confused and confused people sometimes think he was prophetic, but he was just a person with way to much anger bottled up inside of him, vindictiveness is a bitter pill and never brings anything good. In other words he became bitter at his parents seeing them as frauds, blah, blah, blah. The result was running away, and allowing the bitterness to eat away at him. I think he was a good person in his own way, but he expected perfection in others and did not realize he lacked it in himself as all humans do. Worship him if you want, dislike him and view him as idiotic if you want, say, think, and feel, what you want william, but let the rest of us too! OKAY?
William, you say i am up here wasting my time instead of using my energy for positive issues!!!!!!!!!!! How Dare YOU!!!!! You are up here writing too!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And William, i do change lives, i do contibute to the human cause, i am a teacher, and i am also a mother, and a grandmother. You are rude and judgmental, this is a forum to discuss both sides of CM’s life, it is there that we are free to have our own opinions. But this forum is not for you to have opinions on how each of us live our lives, and you have alot of nerv judging me and saying that i do nothing but type up here, you dont know me!
To William Zombie:
Like Audrey says, this is a “forum” and all opinions are certainly welcome, even those highways of rambling, nonsesical, “prose” that you are obviously intent on forcing us to wade through. What the Hell are you talking about anyway” For example:
” I aim to meet the standards I set for my life, those standards are different from others and will be set apart by the words I associate with them. My passion seeps through my bones and floods out of my limbs and mouth, I wish to show that passion to the nature that has given it to me and to those whom if not for the trip I seek, I would have never met. My soul’s desire is to experience this life as I aim to, and the moment I find the beginning of the answer I have always looked for, the next question will be there to take its place. And I would share with whom ever wanted to know, and continue. I ache with the possibility.”
Or this:
“I will change the worlds I come into contact with, and they will the ones they contact with. Change cannot be done by a single person people, every single one of us has to change. So remember, when you point the finger at someone, there are always 3 pointing back at you.”
By “pointing the finger” at Audrey, I’m pointing back at you (your own words) and while I’m quite sure Audrey B doesn’t need (or want) anyone to attempt to “protect” or “stand up” for her, I’m certainly going to stand with her!
By Chris “living the life he chose” I presume he also died the death he chose… or am I mistaken?
I wouldn’t judge someone like Audrey B, who has LOTS more life experience you do at the tender age of 20. You strike me as a rude, arrogant little prick with your highways of nonsesical, meaningless ramblings that say nothing.
Please notice, that I haven’t once offered you any advice on how to live your life. It’s obvious that you already have that so screwed up, it’ll never make any sense to you or anyone else. I’m only giving you my PERSONAL OPINION of you based entirely on your own words (???)
Here’s the bottom line… (my opinion) if you want someone to “look up to” look for someone who has dedicated their entire life to helping others by researching cures for AIDS or other diseases that are seemingly incurable. Look for someone that has made the ultimate sacrifice to save someone else’s life. Or even someone who has marked the “organ donar” checkbox on their driver’s license. What about the soldiers that face death every day just so you can be free to spout off how you can be free to “hate money.” How’d you buy your computer anyway since you “hate money.” How do you eat or watch television or even have internet access without money?
I could go on and on but I’m tired and I have work to do.
Leave Audrey alone, You could only hope to be a fraction of the person she is! She is allowed her opinions just as you and I are…. even if yours are wrong.
I’m sorry but I just can’t pass this up”
William Zombie wrote:
” I have set in motion to plans to live my life according to my plan, when will [Audrey B] start? The week of [her] death? Mortality is something we all have to accept, no matter the person. I accept mine and have for some time. I am 20, does accepting that I will die mean I wish for it, no. I say I know it will come, but until it does I will dream, I will live with passion, and I will show my equality to everyone in the world.”
Ok, so I guess your plans are to post here?
You know your death will come? Yes it will. Gosh, what insight!
“everyone should be capable of having it ‘their way.’” Sorry, that’s only at Burger King. The rest of us have laws and rules to follow. You see, if everyone had it “their way” then killers, dictators, pedofiles, rapists, looters, etc. would really have a field day don’t you think?
One statement you made is “what makes you above another human, nothing.” I think you meant to say “all people are equal.” In that respect, yes, all people are equal! But a Lt. Colonel is definitely “above” a private first class.
Dude… you definitely don’t need to cast stones!!!
zippy, thanks, thanks, thanks, for standing along side of me! One thing about the story of Chris it certainly gets all different sorts of people thinking.
I also want to say that many people put way to much creedence in JK’s book and the movie which was based on the book. Maybe that is why there are some who feel Chris was heroic or whatever. The facts are JK practically lived with Chris’s family while he was writing and somewhere along the way he wrote it with their wants regarding the story of their son. JK also did not talk to most of the people Chris met when he wrote the book, Sean Penn talked to most of them, but not JK. Also he never burned his social security card, he was found with over 300 bucvks on him and that card. JK wrote into thin air, many people who would know say he blurred the truth alot in that book, many same the same about into the wild and that newer book (dont know the title) they he wrote about a real life murder. But as far as Into The Wild goes he becames to close to the MCcandless family to really produce a truthful, honest book. JK tends to write nonfiction and add fictitious items to his books, and his own assumptions, beleifs, etc.
There is no doubt that Krakauer is a truly gifted writer. I’ve read several of his books and Outside articles. In fact, he’s one of my favorite writers. However, you have to keep in mind that no one was with CC during his foray into the “wilderness” therefore the entire story is basically conjecture. But, bear in mind that Krakauer DOES HIS RESEARCH and backs up his story with sources…
…most of the time.
After the book, we discovered that he did in fact have money, a wallet, social security card. etc. ( http://tifilms.com/wild/call_debunked.htm ) As with “Into Thin Air” the McCandless saga began as an Outside Magazine article ( http://outside.away.com/outside/features/1993/1993_into_the_wild_1.html ) and generated so much mail for the magazine that it was inevitable that it become a book by, you guessed it, Jon Krakauer!
Penn, found and read the book then tried over a period of time to secure the rights to make the movie from the McCandless family but didn’[t succees for quite some time. To Penn’s credit, he did not give up and finally the movie was made. But given that Hollywood only allows approximately 120 minutes to tell a given story, a lot was left out. True to fashion, other things were added that we know didn’t really happen.
The thing is this: Krakauer presented us with a tale of adventure, written as only he can write. And we LOVED it! But remember, it’s a story of adventure that ends in tragedy because Chris was not only ill-prepared but arrogant and bull-headed about doing things “his own way.” it is not a tale of a young man romantically swashbuckling his way through the wilderness and finding his true identity. It is a tale of a disturbed, heartsick vagabond rejecting all that society offers and running from the responsibility that life has a way of tying us down to only to take his final breath all alone in an old, rusting hulk of a city transit bus. Ironically, a symbol of exactly what he was trying to escape from.
What really happened, only Chris knows.
Here’s an interesting note. I recently found the bus (Fairbanks 142) on Google Earth. It’s there. I marked it.
Incidentally, Krakauer’s new book is entitled “Under the Kingdom of Heaven” an enlightening book about the Morman religion and the 1984 murders of Ron and Dan Lafferty’s murder of their brother’s wife and infant daughter. It delves deep into Utah’s Morman Fundamentalist faith.
I’m a new father, and after watching this film, I really hope that my son never turns out to be like him. Once he’s of age, I will do my best to guide him on his life journey, so he doesn’t make the same mistakes Chris made.
The movie romanticizes his journey, and I have no doubts that a lot of young, naive college kids will fall in love with the persona portrayed.
The man seeks “truth”, in that he’s admirable. But he fails completely at the understanding of that truth. He pursues an ideal where man is only truly free in the wild, but his ignorance, and in turn lack of respect of it is astounding.
He balks at the so called corruption and materialism of society, but at his ripe old age of 24, did he really understand it? He saw the ugliness, but failed to see the beauty, and assumed it to be the “truth”, when he had little first hand experience of it, and ranned away like a spoiled brat.
I’m an avid hunter, and have spent plenty of time out “in the wild”. But never at any time did I forget the #1 rule of nature, survival of the fittest. Fit, not only physically, but mentally as well, which only comes from experience, first hand or passed down, and adequate preparation.
Walking into the wild armed with nothing but a few books and youthful exuberance is a formula for disaster. Nature, unlike society, is unforgiving. One couldn’t help but think how short his sojourn would have been if this was say, war-torn Africa, instead of the comparably mild environs of the American west, part of a peaceful country protected by this society he has so much distain for.
Sit on our butts? Experiences? Gotta love how he just assumes that the lot of us do nothing all our lives but go on about the daily routines of “life in a society”. I’ve seen life in all continents of the world, fought in wars, experienced many cultures, and trekked across the different faces of nature.
Whereas he managed to get about 20 miles from civilization before dying of starvation at the ripe old age of 24, leaving his family struck with grief and to pick up the pieces.
Its ironic, that someone who thought to get away from society, died in a product of it.
This movie should be viewed with caution, especially if you are young. It is good to have dreams, but like someone said before, “Live the dream”.
A man without ideals is empty, but a man who blindly pursues an ideal without tempering it with wisdom, without a full understanding of what he’s seeking, is foolish to say the least.
I agree with many of the comments posted above, i just finished the book for one of my english classes and i have recently watched the movie…i must say although I felt that Chris in many ways was ignorant and condescending he inspired me…. atleast he followed his heart and unlike so many others refused to conform with the ideals of society, he was a unique character and thats what gives his story such meaning. just to clear up any confusion by ignorant i mean that Chris, not being the only one had underestimated mother nature, i understand he wanted to live and connect to nature and himself but like so many who have embarked on treks like his before, he thought that he was strong and witty enough to out smart nature…..
There is an article online from a billings newspaper about the real tracey tatro, her married name is gates. I found it interesting, she had some things to say that provide a different point of view of someone who knew Chris during his journey.
I’m not so sure that Chris intended to “outsmart” nature as much as he underestimated it’s sheer power. Nature is a force to be handled carefully. Many would be adventurers and daredevils have underestimated nature and have met their demise at inopportune times.
There are the ones that go to live in the wild like Chris (Everett Ruess), those that attempt to climb mountains only to face nature’s fury (Scott Fischer, George Mallory), those that believe they can make nature accept them (Timothy Tredwell, Steve Irwin), the list is endless, In fact, I’ll bet all you posters can come up with thousands of listings of people who were killed by nature’s forces.
Some that come to mind are the crew of the Essex, The Titanic passengers, The crew of the Lady Be Good and those killed by Hurricanes, Tsunamis and other weather-related disasters. I’m not including anyone killed by means other than exposure, starvation or nature-related.
Read this: http://books.google.com/books?id=SpITMx_y9LIC&dq=Surviving+by+living+off+the+land&printsec=frontcover&source=in&hl=en&ei=zlw5SprlJ-iwtgedv4TkDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=13#PPA6,M1
Chris did what he wanted but it ultimately led to his death, something I seriously doubt he intended to do. He had many more adventures to take.
By the way, had Chris tried fishing, he would probably have made it.
The man was an idiot who decided slow suicide via arrogance and ignorance would be a fun adventure.
Darwin was right and McCandless proves it.
And those of you that idolize him aren’t much brighter.
Let the flames commence. They only serve as proof to me that the truth hurts.
I sold all I had when I lived in Dallas, Texas. One, I was working for a glass company and the ropes holding all the glass to the sides of the truck, tore and all of the glass shattered on the middle of an interstate. I was in my twenties, like Chris, and chose to give my Chevy BelAir to the owner for one hundred dollars for my trouble and head out on the road. My girlfriend at that time, who was an artist painted a picture of a mouse hitching a ride on the back of my guitar. I used it many times instead of my thumb.
I hitchhiked through the Arizona desert to California, where I thumbed north on Interstate one to San Jose, California. My sister lived there. It was freezing cold outside and a van picked me up. There were four Jesus people in the van who covered me with a blanket, asked where I was heading and elected to drive me to the door. I crashed five minutes after getting into the van. I will forever be thankful to them.
I knocked on my sister’s door and her husband answered and showed distain for me being there. It was eleven pm. When I woke at six am I was excorted out the door by him and driven out of town, where I was quickly let out of the car and it was made plain to me that I was not allowed back.
I hitched out of town and could not catch a ride east, just outside of San Fransisco. I did see Fisherman’s Warf first. I was forced to desert street and return back west where I thumbed to Eugene, Oregon, where I started east again. I jumped a fence and slept in a field and woke up to half a dozen long horned steers staring me in the face. I was a bit frightened and grabbed my gear, jumped the fence and headed east. A lady picked me up and took me to her home in Boise, Idaho. She fed me, did my laundry, let me sleep on the couch. She wanted me to stay. I opted to travel instead.
There is so much more to the story and this isn’t the place to write it. I know what it is to be out there, all alone, new territory to walk through, needing a shower, not knowing where I’m actually setting up roots. I’ve been there.
zippy your last little statement mentions if Chris fished he would be okay. I have seen alot of live video of the bus and its location near the river, Alaska has numerous amounts of fish in every water area. I have been asking myself that question for so long, why didnt he fish? It was practically on top of him, and is much easier to deal with then a moose. I think that has always been my biggest question about him, as it has come up with others too. Anyone who has ever been to Alaska can tell you it wouldnt have took that much to get a fish, and certainly less trouble then trying to preserve meat. Also i was born and bred in the Adirondacks and i question the accuracy of the movie, where the moose factors in. The movie seems to make the act of skinning and preserving meat to have to be done in such a short time or flies and maggots would form. Well the Adirondacks is not as cold as Alaska and beleive me my father and uncles skinned alot of deer and bear, etc. and the accuracy of the amount of time one has before the meet is tainted by flies, and maggots. It is not as quick as that, if it were my family would have starved during the 70s when my relatives were constantly on strike in the local factories, and we didnt starve. Meat does not taint that quick in processing in the Adirondacks in fall so it certainly doesnt do that in Alaska either. The fish thing has always left me scratching my head, i simply do not get that.
Link to the real tracy tatro and what she has to say about the authenticity of her character in the movie
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/11/16/…/30-webb.txt
I’m astounded and shocked to see all the bickering going on in this forum. Indeed, people are entitled to there opinion, but for goodness sakes the young man died doing something he freely chose to do, to explore and experience life out of the ‘norm’. Chris McCandles died at a young age, but in his small journey in the wild, he experienced more than most will experience in an entire lifetime. For that i respect Chris. R.I.P. and god bless.
inspired:
Bickering is not what is going on they are just differences of opinion, which last time i checked i lived in a country with the right to freedom of speech. You see i feel that when we glorify CM then we are saying what he did was okay, i dont think he lived his life to the fullest simply because i dont think he was sane, he let things that other people deal with in a positive non-destructive manner, destroy him. His story is sad but also it is full of lessons on life and a precautionary tale.
the link i put up for tracy tatro gates was not correct here it is
BillingsGazette.com :: Weekly Webb: Absarokee woman portrayed in new …
A scene in Sean Penn’s film “Into the Wild” has a long-legged Tracy Tatro Gates strumming a guitar and putting her poetry to music a la Joni Mitchell. That’s the one scene that the …
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/11/16/entertainment/enjoy/30-webb.txt · Cached page
To Audrey B.,
Chris has inspired me, however, I do not agree with all he had done…I feel he was too extreme with his judgement of society, there’s always pro’s and con’s along the way of life, I believe, always move forward, live life, be responsible for the consequences of your actions.
And if he was not sane as many believe, then perhaps that’s the answer, and he should not be compared to sane people that devote their lives to all that is good.
thanks for your opinion shsta, all opnions should be heard
“He wanted to escape from all of the corrupt..”
“He wanted to find truth in himself, truth in the world.”
“He didn’t want to be prepared, he wanted to be completely independent,”
“he didn’t want a map because he wanted to explore for himself.”
“I think he wanted to find his own. ”
“He wanted to get away from people and go on a spiritual adventure.”
“He wanted to feel conected with nature and his own spirit.”
“i think he just wanted to test out this lifestyle”
“he wanted to taste something he deemed more natural.”
“Chris mccandless wanted freedom from this. ”
“CHRISTOPHER WAS DOING WHAT HE WANTED TO DO”
“He found happiness doing what he wanted to do”
“He wanted to leave behind the control ”
“His purpose was to see the world, how HE wanted to see it. ”
“,he just wanted to break away from it all”
…. and so on.
He wanted, he wanted, he wanted, he wanted. That’s all his life was. What he wanted, when he wanted. I’ve never read of a more selfish person in my life.
He wanted to go into the wild, but he had no respect for it. You can’t read about him and not come away with the impression that he was just unbelievably narcissistic and selfish. It’s really rare in life that people get exactly what they deserve.. but this seems like one case. How can you deserve anything else when you are so self-obsessed that you think you can walk into a harsh environment like that with almost no preparation or training or planning, and be fine?
The real victims are the family and friends that spent two years looking for this selfish twerp.
backslider
so true, what you wrote. You hit the nail right on the head!!! CM is a disturbing life and that is why there is so much emotional response to him and the things he did….in the end though his family did indeed pay and i dont think they deserved that either.
In this world, there are individuals that have “issues” and “mindsets” that are not considered “norm” by “sane” people, “reasonable” people, people that “see the light”. There has always been and always will be people that venture on their own path whether it be smart, stupid, or both. CM’s life was certainly interesting, with good parts and very sad parts involving him and others. Why the suprise? and “oh my gosh” he was not sane, he should have been smarter, he was a fool, he did what he wanted…how wierd! SO WHAT! Chris lived his life, a story was written.
“So true” What is “so true”?
To Backslider…
… Absolutely right!
Those of you who romanticize his fate, more than likely lack the same common sense that he lacked. He chose not to bring a map and a compass, two simple items that could have saved his life, not to mention just those items alone are considered essential to even the novice camper/explorer.
what he did wasn’t even particularly daring, it was just stupid, tragic, and inconsiderate. First off, he spent very little time learning how to actually live in the wild. He arrived at the Stampede Trail without even a map of the area. If he would have had a good map he could have walked out of his predicament, Essentially, Chris McCandless committed suicide.
I do not understand how anyone can look up to a guy who basicly killed himself, he was running away from family problems, he was a coward, I call it like I see it, there is no other way to look at what he did. He could have bought the right equipment, and books, training, and done what he set out to do the right way, thats what anyone in their right mind would have done, and I wonder what is the real reason he gave his money away?
Did he know that he would not be going back, was he going to kill himself when he got to Alaska, I mean any dumb ass knows that Alaska is nothing to mess with, I considder my self a hell of an outdoors man, but I’m not dumb fucked enough to goto Alaska and rough it with out some top notch equipment and food, what he did was show exacatly how immature he truly was. Why people praise this asshole is beyond me.
I guess you can say he had drive, but I say he had no common sense, there is no other way to explain it. I would like to go to Alaska and brave what it has to throw at me, but I damn sure ain’t going without the proper equipment, to go with anything less is suicide, as Chris showed us, so if you want to praise him for anything, praise him for showing us what being stupid can get you.
Posted 7 hours ago. ( permalink | delete | edit )
I’ve never read where anyone noticed this but McCandless coined the name “Alexander Supertramp.” Ironically, the band, by the name “Supertramp” had several songs that I can’t help but wonder if they imspired McCandless in some way?
Song names are:
“Take The Long Way Home”
“Dreamer”
“Goodbye Stranger”
“Free As A Bird”
“You Win, I Lose”
“Listen To Me Please”
“Give A Little Bit”
“From Now On”
“Forever”
“Land Ho”
“I’m Begging You”
“Ain’t Nobody But Me”
Album Names:
“It Was The Best Of Times”
“Is Everybody Listening”
“Slow Motion”
“Free As A Bird”
“Brother Where You Bound”
Here are the lyrics to “Goodbye Stranger”
“It was an early morning yesterday
I was up before the dawn
And I really have enjoyed my stay
But I must be moving on
Like a king without a castle
Like a queen without a throne
Im an early morning lover
And I must be moving on
Now I believe in what you say
Is the undisputed truth
But I have to have things my own way
To keep me in my youth
Like a ship without an achor
Like a slave without a chain
Just the thought of those sweet ladies
Sends a shiver through my veins
And I will go on shining
Shining like brand new
Ill never look behind me
My troubles will be few
Goodbye strange its been nice
Hope you find your paradise
Tried to see your point of view
Hope your dreams will all come true
Goodbye mary, goodbye jane
Will we ever meet again
Feel no sorrow, feel no shame
Come tomorrow, feel no pain
Now some they do and some they dont
And some you just cant tell
And some they will and some they wont
With some its just as well
You can laugh at my behavior
Thatll never bother me
Say the devil is my savior
But I dont pay no heed
And I will go on shining
Shining like brand new
Ill never look behind me
My troubles will be few
Goodbye stranger its been nice etc..
I just thought it rather ironic……….
Zippy, I am a Mobile Disc Jockey, and when I saw the name Supertramp, a few of those songs came to mind, it’s really making me ask myself was this boy just really caught up in the thought of living on the road living like a drifter thinking that is was some sort of glamorus life, or was he mentally ill in some way. The choices he made don’t reflect a person with sound mind…
chris inspires me a lot about how important life is. maybe lessons learned is what ive got to him, learn to forgive to love and to be happy. i dont wanna put my self to a situation that happens to him that in the middle of the wilderness, i just wanna woke up and meet again my family and just wanna live. i like his story a lot and when i was watching the movie i just cry, and when end comes to him and i just wondering if he does live and how his life will change by moving to his family again ive just wanna control his story. chris inspires me lot to write because i often watching inspiring real life movies like aya kitos one litre of tears they inspire me to live on and live to the my life to the fullest today like theres no tomorrow.this is what ive got from him…. “Happiness is Only Real When Shared.”
i dont wanna be alone even if im a loner i wanna share my happines=)..
Yes you are right Audrey, BUT, i did state that everyone are entitled to there opinions, i wasn’t denying that. I was i guess, a little astounded how people are dismaying his actions as if he did something a ‘normal’ person wouldn’t do in this society. However, like you say, they are just mere individual opinions, which in my country are also welcomed.
But, my PERSONAL opinion is plenty of people in this day and age, not only Chris, like to get out of the hussle and bussle of the city, out of sight of technology and everyday occurences, and explore the world like the world used to be lived before the revolution, that has in a sence, ruined this world with corruption and evil defiances all stemmed purely from money, the thing we as humans rely on all to often. And for that, i respect him as an individual.
However, I do believe like others though, that he could of been far more prepared and equipped than what he was, for the conditions he was about to face. For that, he was foolish.
But, I don’t dismay his actions. He was a young man who was purely frustrated with society, and the world around him, and wanted to live his life with nature and explore.
There are too many people in this world who take things for granted. They sit on there rears playing playstations and watching tv, and completely forget how us humans once used to hunt for food, and not have the privalage of going down the road in a motor vehicle to a local supermarket that stocks anything you could possibly want! Maybe in MY opinion, everybody should do what Chris McCandless did atleast once in there lifetime, and explore this magnificant world that was created for us and live the way our ancestors did once upon a time… Just be more prepared! =)
my dream is to become a ufc fighter.
From Chris’ own words in his letter to his friend Wayne, I do believe he felt there was a very good chance he wouldn’t be coming out alive.
In no way do I question the fact that Chris was a brilliant and extraordinarily talented man. However, he lacked even the most basic preparations for what anyone should know would be a brutal undertaking — he didn’t even have proper boots (though he was given a pair by a sympathetic driver from whom he hitched a ride), his only map was a road map from a gas station, he knew nothing of the terrain or the fact that there was a wire pulley less than a couple of miles from where he gave up trying to cross the swollen river. It seems he was either so clueless about what he wanted to do that he was willing to die, or he simply did want to die.
What continues to puzzle me is his inability to forgive his parents for some unnamed sin, and his ability to drop out of sight and let those who adored him go without word for months and even years at a time. His final words were not ones of love to his family or friends; he spoke of blueberries. He had nearly died once before, in the sea off the coast of Mexico, but that experience did not phase him at all. There was something of a death wish in him, it would seem, and an ability to block out the anguish of his loved ones to go extended periods hearing no word at all. Chris truly did live a monastic life, but it had to be hellish for those who loved him, and it’s understandable that there were — and still are — many.
I feel no real sorrow for him, because he knew going in what he was facing, and I believe he felt it would be a hero’s death. For those who lost him, I can’t imagine the pain. He not only chose the way to go, he didn’t even say goodbye. However, it’s hard to say what he could have become. The world lost someone who could have made a wonderful, loving impact on the lives of many as a doctor or teacher or artist. He’s someone I’d like to have met. But I think it would have been on his terms, on his timeline, and no one would know if he would even show up. If there were no adrenaline rush involved, he may not have at all.
I can’t recall who said this, but to paraphrase some writer, “In the final analysis, nobody really cares or understands what the other person is doing.” As regards Christopher McCandless, it seems a lot of us care; we just don’t really understand much of it.
Well said Jo. Well said.
Zippy
Umm.. Kris?
Chris McCandless offered his entire life savings to feed the hungry and the homeless. What more were you expecting him to do with that money, hmm?
He never pursued heroism, and more than likely would have been the first to attest to that, and openly and publicly reject the idea.
He set out on foot with next to nothing so that he could get as close to shucking society from his shoulders as he could; so that he could remove himself from as many worldly comforts as possible, and immerse himself in the experience of nature. We all react differently to anguish in our lives. I can personally identify with his situation, as I faced many of the same demons growing up as he did. The big difference was that most of my life was spent in poverty, defending myself from an alcoholic who lost his life to the drink when I turned 19. After reading his journal entries and seeing the movie, it seems to me he was in pursuit of a spiritual cleansing and healing.
He paid a high price for his idealism (as did his family-and I do believe a short note explaining himself as briefly as possible would have been the least he could have done for his sister), that much is certain, but he did not intend to blaze any trails for glory or fame.
You do not make any compelling arguments here. Instead you seem rather bitter and childish during your long-winded diatribe. Have you given any pause to consider why that might be?
To the rest of you who make arguments that he was selfish…how many of you have ever donated 24 cents to feed the hungry, let alone 24,000??? The human condition; the need to cleave unto one another was something he discovered only too late, and that is a tragedy…but he worked out his rage and his confusion over his past in a much more open, brutally honest way than many others could claim.
As for the comment regarding his mental instability… to the author of that post: you take comments he made in the third person and his wanderlust and call that schizophrenia…? You need to read up on mental disorders of this sort a bit more, dear. You are grasping a lot of straws there, and none of them are nearly long enough to support your theories.
He did it to punish his family? Hmmm… lot of anger and hostility in that post of yours, Audrey. We all react to pain and anguish differently. Some of us immerse ourselves in experiences we are certain will heal us. Chris may have walked into the wild, but if you read carefully, he had every intention and desire of walking out. His last thoughts were of his family. It is a shame he did not establish contact, and he should have, through a friend or acquaintance. I really believe that would have been the humane thing to have done.
As for book burning, I would think that as an educator, you would understand that freedom of speech is a right all who reside in this country possess. If you really feel that the author distorted the truth or tainted it with his own opinions, that is your feeling, to which you are entitled. Stifling authors by burning literature is a direct violation of everything any true educator should defend.
Shame on you.
J:
If Chris was in search of a “spiritual cleansing.” then why do you suppose he chose a few miles from Healey, Alaska to camp rather than apply what he learned in college and actually do something to help the starving in other nations as well as right here at home?
The $24,000.00 he “donated” to Oxfam was not “his” money in that he didn’t actually “earn” it. It was what was left of $47,000.00 given to him by his family – the family he detested so much – for his last two years of college. It seems to me to be more of a statement he was making then the true desire to help the hungry. After all, if he were attempting to feed the poor, why give the entire amount to one charity? Why not spread it around some. He didn’t because it would have been to much effort and it would have interferred with his plans to travel. I’d call that a little self-centered.
“He never pursued heroism, and more than likely would have been the first to attest to that, and openly and publicly reject the idea.” Then why do you suppose he continuously wrote prose and graffiti under the “Alexander Supertramp” name? You don’t see that as a “look at me, I was here and I’m deep!” statement? He could have left notes for his sister, but no, that wouldn’t fit the mold he had made for himself. I’d call that a little self-centered.
He seemed to deal in the here and now rather than the past or future. I think he just plain didn’t think to contact his sister because she wasn’t a part of his world at that time. He preferred to write to people he met along his path. I’d call that a little self- centered.
To Zippy
1) Spiritual cleansing can be accomplished anywhere & under any conditions. There are no restrictions that I am aware: “to each his own”. So what if he was just a few miles from Healey?, his choice, his life.
2) Although the money he donated to Oxfam was not earned by him, it was in his account, therefore, it was his money. His choice to donate to one organization.
Seem to be a lot of speculation within your entry.
Shasta:
Chris’s story is full of speculation, especially about his death, and even his life for that matter. No one really knows what Chris was after. It’s almost all speculation wouldn’t you say?
Do you think then that Chris sought his spiritual cleansing at the bus and not any place else he traveled?
If you will notice I made sure I said he didn’t actually “earn” the money, it was given to him by his family. By that I meant that it’s POSSIBLE that his donating it to Oxfam was a form of rebellion.
I do agree with “to each his own” but I disagree with “his choice.” To die like he did is a huge waste of human life. Living off the land as he wanted to do is extremely difficult even for those trained for it. He did make it for 113 days which is quite a feat, especially for someone completely untrained and unprepared to attempt such an undertaking. I think he made some bad decisions and it cost him his life.
To Zippy,
I agree it’s all speculation with re: Chris’s decisions (mindset)
I bet a lot of organizations would not mind folks rebelling by donating money to a worthy cause. What a way to rebel! Not so bad in my eyes. I see myself doing the same, but then down the road thinking “what the hell did I do? Maybe I should have only donated 1/2?1/3 etc….”
He certainly did make some not so smart decisions, I wonder if perhaps he had made a few less bad decisions and had survived, would there be so many opinions that he could have contributed more to society during the approximate 2 year “rebellious” venture in his life, and after that adventure reconnecting with family, friends?
As far as spiritual cleansing…I do not know if Chris thought it (rebirth, reawakening, cleansing of the soul, life clarification) could be done anywhere…He was determined for that “big
Alaskan adventure” that turned out to happen at a bus a few miles outside of Healey. Isolation can happen anywhere, in town, out of town, 10 miles away, a 1000 miles away. Perhaps, we all have a “bus”?
Peace!
Shasta:
Yes, that could be true. We all do (or should, perhaps), have our own bus. I like that comparison.
As for the donation, I meant he was, in his own mind, seemingly rebelling against his father who was so adamant about him getting a “proper” education. I meant, perhaps in Chris’s mind, donating the money, all of it in one fell swoop, to one organization, he thought he was “sticking it” to his father by 1. Ending his college education there and 2. Not using the money for what it was intended for and 3. Determining himself what he would do with the money without outside intervention.
A small bit of proper preperation on his part and he would be alive and (hopefully) happy today. It’s just that to do what he attempted with a little preparation as he made seems to be such a recipe for disaster to me. Life has a way of teaching you the things you need to know so slowly… for example, if I knew when I was 17 what I know now, I’d be much better off. LOL
For
Yes Christopher lived his dream, but his reach fell short. Even if he wanted to NOT use a map…Better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it. He wasn’t preparred for that journey! Everyone has dreams, but most know what they need to make those dreams come true. Yes, he had spirte, but that can only get you so far.
One thing I rarely see mentioned is the fact that Chris left a note tacked to the front door of the bus that read: “S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August?”
This tells me that he wasnt crazy, he was well aware he messed up and needed help. At the young age of 24 who of us hasnt felt like we could get over any sickness, like we could pull out of it on our own. Maybe by the time he figured he couldnt get well on his own it was too late because he was too weak to get back to the highway so he left a note as a last resort. I dont think he was crazy, he was just ignorant. He didnt prepare well. He was foolish but crazy? No. I wouldn’t do what he did even if I was well prepared and equipped but I can admire someone from afar that has the mindset to give up everything and try. I think somewhere deep down inside of us we all would love to just break away and do that very same thing and thats why when we read this book or see the movie we experience his journey with him because we want to and somehow… we need to.
Honestly:
You wrote:
“One thing I rarely see mentioned is the fact that Chris left a note tacked to the front door of the bus that read: “S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August?”
This is true, however, Chris spent 117 days there at the bus without seeing one other human being.
Not one.
Yet he assumed (hoped?) someone would happen ONLY when he needed them. This is a good example of what I mean by he seemed a little “selfish” to me.
The bottom line is that regardless of how good a person he may have been or how high his ideals were, to go into the backcountry with as little knowledge, preparation, experience and equipment as he had, is simply irresponsible and a recipe for disaster. I’m sorry but I cannot look up to him for that or consider him to be a visionary. Indeed, he may very well have been searching for a spiritual cleansing, but it was still one of the most irresponsible actions I’ve ever read about. Like going over Niagra Falls without a barrel.
It’s obvious from his notes and letters that he did take into consideration the fact that his Alaskan Adventure might provve to be his last but I’m unclear as to whether or not he was being dramatic or really believed that. Seems that if if actually believed it, he might have been a bit more inclined to carry along things like medical supplies and perhaps a little more food.
Let me say that I dont look up to him perse’ nor see him as a visionary as you say. I see him as a wandering person who didn’t really know what he wanted out of life, that I can relate to however that dosent mean I idealize his actions although I may sympathize with his feelings. Im not certain he was selfish, afterall his own sister explains how she sort of knew that he would dissapear and do what he had to do sooner or later and even explains a few examples of him doing so as a child. So this isnt something new that he did and tried to hurt anyone. Is that selfish? I cant really agree it was. I think his family accepted the fact that he would do this as it was his nature even though it was hurtful to them it wasnt out of the blue. Clearly he didnt plan on dying so it wasnt a selfish act such as suicide. You could argue that selfishness is only caring about yourself but that isnt the same as having the need and feeling to do something for yourself as this journey he took. Yes if you believe he hoped someone happened along only when he needed them then I defy anyone to not feel that way on their deathbed… but he also wrote he lived a good life which dosent indicate a desperate plea for help in his dying hours, rather it would seem he accepted his fate that he caused for himself. We can never know what went through is mind but I do believe he had the right intentions but lacked the know how to achieve what he wanted. And its not a sense of looking up to him that I feel but rather a sorrowful feeling that he wasnt smarter in his preparation for the task.
Everyone should stop judging Chris……and start to judge yourself.
Well said Honestly.
Just listen to his story…
Chris McCandless presents an opportunity to ponder the story of his human condition as he identified it and the choices or way he went about seeking his answers…though decisions made his way.
Is it possible to suspend ourselves and just listen …to learn from his story something about ourselves and apply any judgement that comes forward to our own lives ? From what is filmed, journaled or reported, it seems he felt conflict and pain about his home, family, and societal frameworks… with a desire to sort all this out. He reports the societal frameworks we abide by as constricting…to the journey, vision quest, or path he wanted. He chose to burn tangibles of identity away and become free according to his framework of thinking at that time in his Life….as he said he wanted to experience the the freedom of “life in the wild”
Some say “He should of done this or that “…”he could of”….”he did’nt”…”why did he” ….”why did’nt he…”what was he thinking” “he is unique “or “He’s not so unique” “selfish not selfish” or “he was not prepared enough…he was prepare as he wanted to be” SOme hear of this story, some read it, others view the film, some deeply research it, while most skim the surface. For we can only surmize what occured for him out in the bus or during his primary and early adult life experiences and identity development that held him. Many fellow travelers of Life are compelled to respond, stating strongly differing or agreeing responses.
Our responses about him stem from our own LIfe points of reference. A boy scout would say he was “not prepared” possibly that was some of the wisdom Chris was learning but he seemed to willinging not want to be prepared and was seeking just experience. A therapist would say “unresolved issues leading to identity development conflict” a Park Ranger would say “do you have a map, what is your location, do you know your nearest ranger station? ” It seems to many Chris was making some big mistakes while making decisions about his Life.
It is a human story about mistakes and choices that took place within our American framework of living, in a global world with a financial system most of us have to struggle to make sense of, add geo find, instant communication, and internet blogs at our fingertips in a nano second. Right or wrong I think he wanted to put it all on hold and just experience. Just think, an aboringine tribesman, would probably have a different response than an “average” American sitting at home, or imagine the responses of street smart youth of his same age, who out wit many in the tent citiies of Singapore Uganda, New Delhi or the asphalt of NYC LA Chytown Philly etc.
Sean Penn made a committment to bringing forth Alex Supertramp’s journey, using Chris’ own words, working with family, and the author researcher of the book by Jon Krackaur. Penn was most likely responding to how the story touches a human cord about being “displaced” and a story of survival in one of its manifestations… and of course he takes on positive and critical responses for his artful interpretation.
In the spirit of just listening to Chris McCandless … he made a committment to finding out what he felt he needed to know…both right and wrong choices can be cited as to why and how he went about this. The McCandless decisions and choices made were his, his way of making sense of his Life..his wise and unwise moments exist for us to absorb…and hopefully check in with ourselves …about our own convictions and wether we act upon what we do in our own lives from a wise or unwise place within, what will we do to breath in Life …. all of us making the best choice we know how even in the moment it is not a good or right choice. One way wisdom enters our Life…is through the lessons of our unwise choices, hard knoxs, near death experiences, overcoming of something….usually not an easy passage and requires courage. Alex or Chris, summons some big courage to go about doing something to help himself get right with himself and the world…a difficult path he chose.
What he mirrors is that every Life at some point faces a conflict or trauma.beauty pain the good the bad and ugly… and how we respond becomes our own very personal journey…seeking to find the something we look for….taking a path that could lead to a necessary change or find ourselves dead or possibly lead to enlightenment. It may be at the expense of our physical death…but hopefully at the “death of” or “transformation of” the part of our self that we seek to or need to reckon with, make sense of, kill off the pain of, create the change, so we might try to become that undescribable something we look for, that missing piece or peace.
There are so many paths he/we could take…his choice was “in the wild” and alone. He could of gone…to a clinic for months of therapy…on a Mt Everest Expedition and Buddhist monastery…to a kibbutz or Christan organization…to the Peace Corp…or work for Oxfam…etc. but he chose the wild of Alaska and to be alone. I imagine and envision a different ending for him..one that I think he was close to achieving …that he would have made it out scarred but alive…informed by and wiser for his experience, able to tell a story of survival that led to reconciliation with his family, and tolerance for what he could not tolerate, etc. possibly ways to help others. I do believe in his death he does achieve this in the legacy of this story.
On August 12, McCandless wrote what are assumed to be his final words in his journal: “Beautiful Blueberries.”
He tore the final page from Louis L’Amour’s memoir, Education of a Wandering Man, which contains an excerpt from a Robinson Jeffers poem titled “Wise Men in Their Bad Hours”:
“Death’s a fierce meadowlark: but to die having made
Something more equal to centuries
Than muscle and bone, is mostly to shed weakness.
The mountains are dead stone, the people
Admire or hate their stature, their insolent quietness,
The mountains are not softened or troubled
And a few dead men’s thoughts have the same temper.
On the other side of the page, McCandless added, ”
“I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD. GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL!”
Perhaps a reminder…no one escapes being human. and wandering about a bit in Life before death…reminding us of the “what” happens when faced with conditions that cause feeling lost wanting to be found. How many times do we hear individuals say “let me do it by myself” or “dont tell me” “I want to get the answer by myself” “let me do this my way” and at 22 Chris had reached the age where he was “on his own”….His choices brought him realizations we can only conjecture, but not fully know…. for they belong to him and are a result of his sacrafices to find them.
Chris reminds me of many things about Life, especailly that it is precious, and that smart and not so smart choices exist and warning does come before destruction. I notice each of the relationships he created share cauationary statements with Chris at least on three occasions.
We will or might make the wrong choice in any given moment/moments ….even with the best of intentions and gifted intellect, lets hope we can hear then apply the wisdom of others too.
I get a stop think listen pray message….it would be good to have the best wisdom available when making important decisions that means you have to hear it see it …in order to know what choice to make in any given moment iespecially the difficulut ones..this would be a gift for any one of us at that find ourselves in a critical moment.
Chris gave his Life to following his path on his own terms…he achieved what he wanted in that sense…I do believe he found the wisdom he searched for during his final days last moments…I think he did see his mistaken judgements…and had to forgive himself maybe noticing the mistaken judgements of all people…his parents and others… possibly learning to forgive all that been fueling his plight. When all was said and done his final words were about a happy Life , thanking God, and may God Bless ALL.
Andrew K….. No one is judging anyone here, we are merely explaining how his actions effect us. Surely no one, not even you can read or watch this story and not feel something about how it effects you. That isnt judging… thats learning lifes lessons and processing them for ourselves, its what everyone does on a daily basis, its what makes us human … a desire to understand. That desire if far removed from judging.
Meg… Your deep. I agree with you.
Zippy… Thanks… I wasnt sure I even understood what I wrote…lol
J
So what your saying is if someone gives all their money to the homeless that they automatically become a hero? If Hitler gave up all his power and money to all the homeless he would be considered a hero? To classify a hero everyone must fit into the same rubric.
Same thing? You know what he went through? k The man practically had a life of luxury, you didn’t. The man was sent off to a great college with the offer of all his expenses paid… can you say the same? Neither of his parents were alcholics and coming from a family of alcholics your background and his is nothing alike so to compare them and say they are the same is like calling a cat a dog.
Childish? Frick I live in the North, the fact of the matter is that I know how freaken cold it gets up here and if someone isn’t prepared then they will surely die. Now can you say you have this same experience? traveling in minus 40 DEGREE weather (making sure you see its no F) plus another added minus 40 DEGREE windchill? Thats frostbit within a matter of seconds… and you think that this guy was properly dressed for the thing? He came prepared for this trip? And just because he is in search of “Spiritual Cleansing” doesn’t mean he has to act like an idiot and ignore all help that is offered. Thats ather being stupid or reckless… both end up in the same place… death. If you want to do Spiritual Cleansing go to a church, go to a Buddhist temple, do something other then commit suicide.
And how do you know he didn’t do it to punish his family? Are you him? In the book it stated him and his father didn’t get along and you have the knowledge that everyone else doesn’t that allows you to know that he didn’t? Your a physic now? The man wasn’t in his right state of mind for gods sake and his dead body can prove that. It seems that I have the support for my statement. All you muster up is to put down other people’s opinions and give nothing to show for it excpet…. it was his right in the countrty. Try some more research before trying to back up an agruement you clearly think you know about but truely show you don’t.
And if he didn’t mean for glory or fame then why the hell do people consider him a hero? Idealism? So I walk out and make a mission to cross the ocean on a raft after giving away every chance at having a successful life in which I could help the homeless more…. with nothing but a bag of rice and hope to discover new land… or a place to die… thats considered idealism? The fact of the matter is that he didn’t have a plan, while idealism is the process of following out a plan. Don’t use words that don’t fit next time.
Well I just saw this movie. I loved it. There seems to be lots of chat on weather Chris was a hero or not. I am surprised to see so much hatred towards him. I do not think Chris is a hero. He is a story of inspiration to follow your goals. That is why people admire him. He was a good hearted person. He did not run away from life. He took a journey away from life. The reason why he did not call his family was probably because he felt bad. If he would have called. He might have heard the pain and maybe was afraid of being convinced out of his dream back to reality. Remember he was not going away for good and he was not planning to die. He was 23 years old. Sometimes people are lost and to find them selves they need a major change. He was planning to see his family again.
It was sad to see him make so many friends along the way and leave them. He was trying to live life with out depending on others. I do not think his abandonment was personal. Chris was human and I am sure he had many thoughts of returning home or staying around the friends he met. He was devoted to accomplishing his goal. So he continued in his own direction.
To me the movie did not try to make Chris look like a hero. It was a lesson of the mistake he made. Along the way God threw people in his face that developed care for him. But he kept leaving them. During his journey. God was trying to show him the beauty of friends, family and love. Everything he was trying to avoid to reach God and his inner self. The answer was in front of his face the whole time.
When Chris was going to leave the bus. He mentioned family and kids. He finally figured out that he needed people and family. He could not leave. It was to late. He made the choice to chase independent love and his fate was sealed. This was a lesson that God taught him. He abandoned his loved ones so the world abandoned him. Chris made a mistake and he paid the price. So I do not think we should hate him or continue to put judgment on how he lived his life. He experienced a miserable slow death. He wanted to meet God one on one and he did. Remember he wrote in the book happiness can not happen unless it is shared. So he learned his lesson. I am not sure why he did not write a note to his family. I am sure he cared.
I think it is really sad he died. I am sure he had a lot of Love to offer this world. I think god loved him so much he decided to take his life and bring him to heaven. I am one to think when someone dies. It was meant to be.
To Kris,
You know, there are many products to buy over- the- counter to relieve constipation. Ahh, to let go of all that sh___. Your choice, fast relief or take the mild route, it’s all in the planning., your choice. Take the load off Jack!
The crux here is that so many of us get caught up in having our status and position and career and clothes and posessions define who we are. So many of us feel that way in fact that when we happen upon someone who abandons all that we take as “normal” we cant seem to figure it out. We live in a polluted world that turns us into machines day in and day out, its not the foolishness Chris demonstrated that should be dwelled upon but the independence from the external crap of everyday life that he displayed. I’d take that way of life that Chris experienced any day. I tell myself there is no way I could ever do that … but he didn’t. And since I can’t then I realize I have become just another number trudging through life like we all do.
Kris
1) “It seems that I have the support for my statement.”
IT SEEMS THAT I…what does that exactly mean? SEEMS like maybe? SEEMS like perhaps, SEEMS per my opinion????
2) “All you muster up is to put down other people’s opinions and give nothing to show for it”
Wow, this comment from you?
3) “Frick” — Childish babble
4) “they automatically become a hero” – J made no mention of Chris being a hero.
5) “Are you him?” ???????
This is a BLOG, you need to chill!
Wow, what’s happening here? C’mon everyone, it’s ok to have your own opinion regarding this story and event to post it here. there’s nothing wrong with that. Let everyone have his or her say then if you have valid points that you want to post, by all means, please do so, but let’s leave out the mud slinging. It’s really not necessary. I certainly don’t agree with every posing here, but I do believe they’re entitled to let us know what their opinons are.
Shasta is right, it’s a BLOG.
You’ll see some posts above where I will post my differing opinion on certain posts, but I refrain from telling someone they’re full of sh**.
Well…. People feel strongly about this obviously. Either that or its so easy to dismiss other people by way of words on the internet that some dont care. I guess it somehow replaces what you can’t actually do in real life. weird.
Wow… a lot of comments here! I’m going to save myself some time and just say what I think about this :).
I really think that the question of whether or not Chris was an idiot or not for venturing into the wild is irrelevant. I think that he should be remembered as someone who INSPIRED people. In that two year period, he made so many strong friendships and influenced so many people with his vibrant personality and intelligence. When I first read Into the Wild, I was shocked at Chris’ influence over Ron Franz. I mean, the guy turned his entire lifestyle around for the kid and even gave up Christianity when Chris was found. That’s something I want to do in life… be intelligent enough to change peoples’ lives for the better.
Of course it wasn’t the smartest decision to go venturing into the wild alone for several months. But I don’t think that should keep people from remembering who he really was: a intelligent kid who had the kind of passion that could inspire people to change up their lives.
Only a retard would travel into the unknown as unpreared as he.
All my childhood I had dreams of such a thing that Chris McCandless did. I had dreams since I was little of me, an older me, wondering the forest. That life has always called to me and once I read Jack Londons White Fang and Call of the Wild I understood where this call came from. I too am planing a trip to alaska the magic bus 142 on the stamped trail. Like him i will have a .22 and a bag of rice (just for fun of course) but unlike him I plan to have a companion with me. Which might be a good idea considering I have never shot a gun before in my life and this person has… so he is a bit more adept to this than me. like chris im going right after college and only my closest freinds know
To trek to Fairbanks 142 in the hopes of being like Chris McCandless is nothing more than mimicking him. As much as I think he was wrong in what he did, I do have to say that he did do something on his own and now simply copy exactly what someone before him did. Chris made his own adventure and then carried it out, although we all know the end of the story.
I truly believe that even Chris would strongly suggest that you come up with your own adventure and then carry it out. Chris may have been influenced by Jack London but at least he was original!
Go wander the forest but for God’s sake, take food, a GPS, a GMRS two way radio and extra batteries and TELL SOMEONE WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND WHEN TO EXPECT YOU BACK.
The bottom line is that Chris was searching for his own truth and found it. It is really sad that in discovering that truth it was too late, it took him a little over 2 years to find that truth, while most of us will spend our lives never finding it. That is why he is an inspiration. I feel horrible for his family and pray that my children never put me through that worry …but I think everyone can plainly see that boy found happiness, and was completely at ease even at the brink of death.
All of the responses to the Chris McCandless story, no matter what point of view taken, are awesome … in that McCandless has caused individuals to “reflect ” maybe to recall a similar place in self in Life …or admire his travel …or find the flaws in his Life…or see the courage…or see the mistakes…It has just got people thinking about Life and what it takes to follow a dream, find one’s self, try to become whole, not because of how others define it, but rather to be able to define things in one’s own way, even when that way is flawed tragic inspired like McCandless… God came for him, that is what is awesome for me, that is what happened in the end in the bus… making it all worth the trip.
Chris was running from his gayhood. Anyone can face the wild right where they live.
My brother once woke up from a wild acid trip in Edmonton with blood all over his cloths and vaguely remembering breaking into a rabbit pen and tearing one’s throat out with his teeth.
Anyway – back to Chris. He chose to go into a cold unknown environment with little preparation hoping that he would discover himself or fate would run it’s course and make things right. Fate did take it’s course. It did not make it right for Chris and his family.
I like the dramatization that Penn did. Penn did put his own views there about our society and how it’s all fucked up. I agree with this and with that need to go to the wild. We all have that in our hearts at times. Penn would have had the same story with any other wanderer.
It was just kinda sad but convenient that Chris died so we can look at it more mysterious and spiritual versus running into Chris later (if he survived) and him say on Letterman – “Oh man I was so fucked up, I thought I was a goner there for sure . I had no idea there was fish in that river. I was totally hallucinating. It’s a good thing those Moose hunters found me. And it’s a real good thing they did’t know that I poached one…. and let it rot – or they would’ve left me behind and I’d have no story to tell. But that’s all behind me. I found my true calling being a producer of the new survivor reality show – How to survive in a magic bus for 3 months when it’s 40 fucking below”
Shasta,
yeah… that comment was from me. I back my opinions up. All you manged to do was pick about 5 sentences out of about 50 and decide that those 5 sentences made up my entire argument. Analyze the entire structure next time.
No, frick is not childish babble. I just rather not swear. My opinion, I believe this is your belief? Since this is a blog i have the opinion of not swearing and so demonstrate by not swearing.
“5) “Are you him?” ???????”… really… this is your argument. All I ask J is the same question… and yet you feel that asking me the question when I clearly don’t say I AM him, or that I know what he was thinking is a good argument. Yeah… way to back up your opinion there.
So if its a blog, and my first comments were cut down, and so I back them up with a second comment… and you feel the need to come in about three quarters of the way to remind me that its a blog when I fully understand this concept?? After that I just chose to create a statement that went against someone elses just to make them think from a different point of view. Thus making someone thinking three dimensional instead of two. To make someone think of both sides of the fence. Again, what did you just do? You took 5 sentences… tore them down with also just… 1! sentence, and then feel you just backed your opinion up. At least I can say that I gave an opinion, backed it up, looked at it from someone else’s point of view, and gave the opposite opinion. All you can muster up is “I tore someone’s and again I quote you “Opinion” down when it is indeed THEIR opinion.
Yeah, its a blog, I think you forgot about that.
The only thing that you seemed to be able to get right is that J didn’t call him a Hero. Then gain, calling him a motivator can be considered a role model, who in the eyes of many can be associated with hero. But since he didn’t say Exactly Hero, then I admit that I jumped to conclusion on that one sentence. Break the other 45 sentences down too next time.
Kris,
“Are you him?” I was not asking you that, it was in reference to you asking J.
From Kris to J: “It seems that I have the support for my statement. All you muster up is to put down other people’s opinions and give nothing to show for it excpet…. it was his right in the countrty. Try some more research before trying to back up an agruement you clearly think you know about but truely show you don’t.”
It seems to me that you believe that you are a top authority on this interesting story secondary to your back up. I see your opinions, however, I do not see your back up.
Have a great weekend!
Whether he was a spiritual pilgrim in search of purity or personal fulfillment, or an idealistic and arrogant boy acting in spite of member(s) of his family, I do not think any one can say with any more correctness than another – “Is the glass half full or half empty?”
But beyond any personal opinions on the character or intentions of Chris McCandless, alias Alex Supertramp, I find it extremely telling that his story has inspired such impassioned discussion and debate on this forum and others. I find it beautiful that, for whatever his intentions in life, be them true of intention or misguided, his journey has touched millions upon millions. In life and, sadly, tremendously in death, he has incited in us emotions all along the gambit, from anger to admiration. I believe, and this is a belief echoed throughout this forum and other postings, that his effect on many of us is a result of the fact that we all, to different extents and with different reasons, identify with his story.
That’s in itself is quite inspiring for if we share some common convictions or qualities with him then we must also, to a degree, identify with each other.
I am one more person that has been totally inspired by Christopher Johnson McCandless. If I ever had met him we would have been real good friends. We have basically the same outlook on life. But what sets us apart is that Chris got out of the lifestyle he lived in, and started his own way of life within the beauty of nature. For I am trying to accomplish that same dream. McCandless didn’t try, he lived by doing. So many people look down on him for dying of starvation. They need to realize the actually difficulty of his situation. The back-country is a beautiful and majestic place, but danger is always looming in it’s shadows. It does not matter how skilled you are, but of course skill helps. I watched an episode of Survivorman where Les Stroud went up into the Yukon. For five days he was unable to find enough food to survive off of. His only hope of course was the helicopter out. For me the legacy of Christopher Johnson McCandless will always be a part of my hopes and dreams. For his reality is my inspiration to see more of what our great land has to offer. “We shall not stand down in the midst of this world that lies beyond the site of our lives!” Get out and live!
“It does not matter how skilled you are, but of course skill helps.”
No shit!
Chris McCandless deserves all of the praise he can get! By venturing out into the wild, and finding a sense of serenity and peace is a truly accomplishing goal that many of us strive to attain but NEVER actually succeed. His courage absolutely astounds and amazes me.
He was not by any means looking for a death wish, but ironically death came upon him. Although I do feel that in the end he would not have made as deep of an impact on as many people as he did, if he hadn’t died.
I sympathize for him, in that just when he discovered what he went to Alaska to search for, his time came. Just when he was ready to forgive his parents, just when his mind had found simplicity and beauty in the natural environment, just when he realized that relationships provide us with all of the happiness we could ever need- he died.
There are many excellent posts on this forum, so I don’t want to cover old ground here. I would like to add just a few personal comments concerning the life of Chris McCandless and how he has effected me.
I just saw the movie “Into the Wild” tonight and, truth be told, it is inspiring. Whether you believe that Chris was a hero or a fool, you have to admit that he had the courage to pursue his dream. Most of us, at some point, have either wanted to or actually undertaken an adventure of some sort, usually in order to “find ourselves”. However you went about fulfilling this desire, I hope that part of you can identify with Chris.
Wanting to divource himself from what he perceived to be a materialistic society, Chris threw off the majority of worldy concerns and began a trek across the U.S. which eventually led to the wilderness of the Stampede Trail. He did this to see if he could truly exist without modern society, without material need. Does this make him a hero or a moron? Chris’s adventure ended tragically, a outcome made even more tragic by the fact that it could have been avoided. Does this make him a fool or a saint?
I, for one, find him a bit of both, but in the end, I am unable to judge him because I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing him. I am inspired by his courage but at the same time, baffled by his naivety. I, too, feel that American society is much too materialistic, too concerned with acquiring wealth and consuming goods. In “protest” I have spent time alone or with my huskie in the North Dakota woodlands and the Texas State parks. But juxtaposed to this, I find that trek to the local supermarket convenient, as I now have a child to feed, and God knows I love watching NCSI on my dad’s big screen TV.
What I take away from Chris’ experience is the wisdom of moderation. I can moderate my own materialism and nihilism so that they balance each other. Balance is a state that we all desire to attain, whether we realize it or not. I believe had he survived, this is the lesson he would have preached. So I encourage you all to use the lessons of Chris’ life and find your equilibrium, your center, in a manner that won’t cost you as much as it cost Chris. God bless you all.
How many of you live your lives everyday thinking only of what you should think based on what others do? go to school get a job, work for most of your years retire then die, only to make some money to live off of and get yourself some pleasure. Chris Didn’t care what people thought, he wanted to do what inspired him and he went out and did it. People constantly call him selfish and stupid because of this. We all die, why not die pursuing your dreams instead of living a recycled life.
I don’t consider my life to be recycled. I also know that I will die one day but see no reason to rush headlong into it by doing something I’m clearly not qualified to do like making a foolhardy attempt at flying off a mountain top or trying to living off the land.
Your statement: “We all die, why not die pursuing your dreams instead of living a recycled life.” concerns me… A criminal may dream of killing a family…. should he live his dreams? I won’t even go into the dreams of leaders of countries that desire nuclear weapons.
Just because someone dreams of doing something doesn’t necessariy make it right or good. Yes, I know that Chris didn’t have dreams like that but like it or not, society is what it is. The secret to life seems to be an ability to adapt to the changes it forces on us on a daily basis. An anability to adapt to these changes can be disastrous . The weather gets cold, put on warm clothes. We get thirsty, we drink- adapt.
Chris preferred to leave society behind and run from what bothered him rather than adapt to life’s changes.
If a million people read this blog, you’ll get a million different opinions about his story. But I simply cannot put someone on pedistal that heads off into the underbrush with nothing and dies of starvation because of being ill prepared.
If you want someone to look up to that loved the wilderness and actually did something to make changes in the world, read about John Muir. this guy was someone to look up to!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir
I have only begun the book written on Chris McCandless, The Wild. I can ony say that after reading the initial chapters (maybe 6 or ) that I think Chris M. was a one of a kind type of man. I respect his inclination to be fiercely independent, however naive he was about surviving in the wild. I’ve read comments here about his being not very smart about refusing help with maps and so on, but I think his purpose was to survive on his own with no help from outsiders. In his own words, it would have been cheating. I guess he wanted to prove to others he could accomplish this tremendous feat, and I believe he knew he might not make it, as the book points out, yet he wanted to. It’s rare to find an indiviual, who had all the comforts he did at home, and yet want to separate himself from all this and wanted to taste being on his own in the wild. Perhaps he just wanted to prove this to his father. In spite of what he is said to have written to his sister about his father and parents in general, I believe he still loved them and would have communicated with them eventually. So rebellious was he toward their lifestyle and that of the majority of people, that he wanted to try this. Unfortunately, he was naive and unprepared for this venture, and I believe he knew this in the end. I hope he is at peace now.
Still
Alexander Supertramp transcended beyond all of disgusting you materialist scum bags. Unlike most of you robots, he followed his dream which is not selfish at all. Why is that selfish?. . He sure as hell didint owe any of you anything. Almost all of you will end up pushing aside your dreams, (if robots even have any) and getting nice and cozy in society and just following unnatural laws and rules created by . Most people are slaves until death, always afraid of not having a plan set out in front of them. Thats what our society does to people and has done to most of you. Your afraid to leave the bounds of safety and security. He took the leap into a boundless world where he was truly free. I see some of these comments and i swear on life, death, and everything under the sun i would drag some of you out there and rip your blind eyes open, and then when you see what he saw i will tear your pathetic existence from you and look into your eyes and watch you wallow in your self disgust. Open your mind and live before it all passes you by..
Nick,
First off, this is a blog and you are certainly welcome to post your opinion, even if it is wrong. Now, that said…
… I’ll bet you get told you’re an idiot pretty often, huh?
You think people are “pathetic” because they happen to be at peace with their lives? Just in case you’re too stupid to see, Chris also had a plan… only his plan inadvertantly led to his untimely death.
Did it ever even occur to you that “society” just might be relative? Obviously not. In fact, I serioulsly doubt much occurs to you at all. Let me clue you in… even animals enjoy a society. It’s just the way things are. If you have such a distaste and desire to scorn society, then why are you bothering to post to a blog on your computer logged onto the internet (if that’s not society, then I opdn’t know what is!) when you could be outside living off the land.
Let me ask you a question… what in your VERY limited opinion makes a person become, how did you put it.. oh yes, a “robot?” Is it because they might conform to laws or they follow a certain set of rules? Understand this, I choose my own path just as Chris chose his. I choose to work for a living and provide for others. I choose to enjoy the company of others. I choose to believe in God.
Post your diploma sometime and I’ll read it to you.
i do agree with you. but there is some different things i may add. Robots, are just people who fallow everyone else in life; get a job, do all the rules, dont do what they truely want. think about it people! do you really want to do your boring (maybe) job for the rest of your life? anyways, nicholas is just saying that he is for christophers beliefs in society. as so do i. but why are we sitting on these computers??? EVERYONE STOP FIGHTING ABOUT STUPID SHIT AND LETS GO LIVE LIFE. im not staying in this hell of united states. im going to go across seas and explore different worlds. get away from the modern day man. the ROBOTS. not all of you should agree. this is an opinion. but we really should go live a awsome life. make the most of it. and hell yeah! bring a special friend along. thats one thing i would do different then chris. bring my love. like in the movie when he dies, he write, “happiness only real when shared.” i think that too.
and one last thing. the robots, read this (from the movie),
“MR.FRANZ, I THINK CAREERS ARE A 20TH CENTERY INVENTION, AND I DONT WANT ONE.”
-christopher mccandless (into the wild movie)
i think thats a well put phrase.
B U T
thats my OPINION.
:]
My mind to me a kingdom is. and a lost synthetic opinion of yours doesnt mean a thing to me
Non-robotic Nick,
If it -Eddie’s opinion – as you put it “lost synthetic opinion” does not mean a thing to you, then why respond?
Shasta has a valid point Non Robotic Nick.
i donno maaaaaan. u guys are so chill
I think that Chris was partly a lunatic and suicidal. He was selfish and arrogant; however, he was a brave man for following his dreams. He wasn’t prepared to follow those dreams, and he was disorganized. Chris was a disorganized but determined individual.
Chris was a lazy bum hippie.
Chris followed his own dreams and listened to his own drummer, like one of his heroes, Henry David Thoreau. He lived simply, but that led to his death. He was unsuccessful and, other than his death and the media that it generated, he didn’t contribute to society. He may have hurt a lot of people when he died, intentionally or not, but he did what made him “happy.”
Sometimes what makes you “happy” doesn’t make others happy. There is a medium where no one is hurt by your own personal needs or wants. Chris didn’t seem to care much for any hurt he may have caused those that he met in his travels. He cared primarily for his own wants regardless of any discomfort or pain to others. I hardly see that as the basis for considering him to be a visionary or saint.
Well played, Eddie.
First off i would like to say that anyone who thinks chris is selfish or crazy or any other negative things you callow people have to say you indeed are the selfish ones. Your pathetic enough to point fingers about all that is wrong with what chris did and yet you are the selfish ones. You are selfish enough to walk all over god and shove it in his face the beautiful life he gave you. You are selfish enough to think only about your self and let fear run yur life because if you think what chris did was seemingly selfish then you must be the ones staying home on your lazy asses critisizing because you dont have the balls to do it your self. You indeed are the selfish ones! You are conformists and you are to scared to break out of your shell ya thats selfish. You still have a life to live while others it was taken away from and instead of enjoying it your taking it for granted. You sicken me. Chris lived his life how he wanted, he did something for him self he did not set out on his adventure with the mine set of “hey let me hurt my family today” he set out with the mine set of “I want to see the world and make the most of the life I was so honored to recieve from god”. God did not put us on this planet to rot in an office building. I bet most of you have jobs that only allow you to help yourself and maybe your family, well reality check, there is more to life than what you see around you. I agree with wevz, Chris did live his dream and yes the hippies do respect the land more than you alaskans, so bodolay you have a judgemental way of life which is sad, i feel extremely sorry for you. Chris was not an extremist, everyone needs something in life but if he had a choice he would have brought nothing. Oh and D.A. Cline you are so wrong about God and chris did not piss his life away, he lived it something you should probably learn how to do so as well. Everyone who looks at chris as a selfish person you might want to stop and reread what he did and take a lesson or two from him on how to live your life because the world is a great and dangerous place but if you let fear stop you from doing what you want then what could you possibly accomplish in life…NOTHING!!!!
I completely agree with you liveyourlife. What you said was brilliant and i couldnt have said it better myself. chris was a truly inspiring person because he didnt let fear stop him from chasing his goals in life. we could all learn something from him
OH! So all of us owe eachother something? why when in the end we all die alone should i give a shit about what causes you discomfort? but If you had any relation with the core of yourself and the ideal of simple survival maybe your eyes would be opened. I dont and why does anyone owe anything to society? You’re the people he was ridding himself from (eddie mainly, i sure as hell do not want to be surrounded by people like him) You will never walk in his shoes or any close to his so you dont have the right to criticize him. Pig man Pig man, haha charade you are. enjoy the circus clown
Liveyourlife… The fact that you sit around and criticize people for calling Chris selfish means that YOU aren’t living the kind of life that you say you support. If you believe Chris is a hero, you should be in the wild, too. And maybe learn the difference between “your” and “you’re” while you’re at it. And how about some work on those run on sentences.
liveyourlife do you contribute to society? you obviously don’t because you can type a page long on a blog. you say don’t judge people, but you judged bodolay.
the reason this guys life story gets so many folks thinking is that , no matter how much money we stuff into our pockets or advance ourselves with technology,
We cannot escape our primal past and our need to be as one with nature instead of trying to control it..
We are here but once.. and most of us spend the best years of our lives slaving to pay for THINGS that we think we must have to for fill us, we build these fortress’s and fill them full of fancy crap, Then have to build gated communities to protect us from our selves !! We are consumers and we swallow every bit that they throw our way and then beg for more.
Just imagine for a moment what this planet would be like today with our influences removed..
Fucking superior, yeah rite, that’s why governments around the globe are scramberling to save the ozone from all the shit we have pumped into the atmosphere,
We have literally wiped out hundreds of animals and plants, polluted rivers, oceans and destroy landscapes in pursuit of personal gain.
But, will we stop, no fucking way, we will keep raping this planet till there is nothing left, and our answer is that one day will have the ability to migrate to another planet and do it all again..
We are a pack of fools, “yes, I’m talking to you” you are passively sitting there blogging or what ever the fuck it is, while the walls fall down around you, and you wont get of your fat Mc Donald’s arse to save yourself.
After seeing that 911 fiascos, who could blame someone lfor thinking like Cris, that prick Bush, (Leader of the free world my arse) killed thousands of his own citizens to advance his own family.. And you all sit there and take it, why aren’t you marching in the fucking streets strait to the white house and demanding justice???
He fucked you!!!
Why don’t the citizens of the US bother to asked, How did buildings fall that were never hit? Where is the footage of the plane hitting the pentagon? There were at least 7 cameras facing the crash site? No.. nothing? Where is the wreckage from the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania? They showed a hole in the ground but where is the fucking wreckage???
Terrorists with box cutters.. LOL.. Please… is that the best you can come up with?
And now they are in a war that they can not win.. But still you sit there and take it?
People are dying for no fucking reason but to make the fat cats fatter..
I’m with Chris; fuck the lot of ya…
Where do you get off Liveyourlife? Who the fuck are you to decide who is selfish? Just because somebody points out flaws in what Chris did and doesn’t see life the way Chris did doesn’t mean that person is disrespecting god. I mean seriously you don’t know anything about people who call Chris selfish so you decide to be extremely judgmental and talk trash about them. Oh yeah, by the way stop being a hypocrite because your disregard of other people’s opinions is selfish.
So after you’re done thinking about how stupid you made yourself look there, you should also look into spelling correctly before you try and make a valid argument you idiot. About your whole thoughts about conformists, I am going to guess that you think you are some kind of non-conformist that thinks you are superior to conformists because you aren’t afraid to be different. Just because you are different and you try to be yourself doesn’t make you any better than a conformist. Check this out, just because I wear Hollister jeans and an American Eagle shirt doesn’t mean I don’t think differently than some of my so called conformist friends do, or that I like all the same things some of my so called conformist friends do. The truth is no matter how you dress or what kinds of things you like; everybody is still their own person. However you completely fail to realize this. How do you know that these conformists take their lives for granted? Exactly, you don’t so why don’t you just shut up about that because your stupid judgments make me sick.
I also absolutely love how you automatically decide that just because people don’t do things they want to, it is because they don’t have the balls or fear stops them from doing it. You are such a judgmental scumbag. A majority of people probably have reasons that you don’t know about so why don’t you stop bitching at them. Some people just can’t walk away from everything they have, such as a family, because they are needed way more than they will ever know. Maybe your family doesn’t need you, but that doesn’t mean other people’s families don’t. What’s wrong with working to support you and your family? Just because you put yourself and your family before your dreams, that makes you a bad person? No, in my opinion it takes a much stronger person to support themselves and their family, as opposed to just going off and trying to accomplish their dreams.
Quick two questions, how many people do you know that live in Alaska, and how many hippies do you know that have traveled to Alaska? My guess is less than you can count on one hand, so don’t talk smack if you hardly know anything about something.
Oh my god what do you know, another hypocritical statement. I can’t believe you’re going to call Bodolay judgmental if all you do throughout your comment is judge people you don’t know anything about.
Maybe you should actually think before you write another senseless comment. Since captain adventure agrees with you, why don’t you two go judge people somewhere where people won’t stand up to you, but don’t pull that shit in the real world.
love the names to whom ever you are… but all i have to say is f**k McCandless he is a stupid idiot. He put himself to death by going out into the Alaskan Wilderness unprepared. I mean it would have been cool to tell a story like that if he survived but obviously he didnt… So don’t go around acting like he is heroic or anything. We all know he is a total moron for just leaving his family especially his sister to disappear in the wild and ultimately kill himself. He is a selfish idiot that nobody should praise. Cool he tried to live in society and died why is that so appealing to people. Why look up to an idiot? Ya he gave it a good shot but its only significant to people because he died. He is only a legend to people because he killed himeself for his beliefs. It is one of the rudest stories i have ever heard of. Everything he did to people was not fair. BEcoming close to them then saying well its time to go… later dude.. WOW uhm okay your a fucktard and arent cool. Everyone he became close with should have known he was going to die and should have stopped him.
Peace out Bend over and Bend over elital morpleez
AGREED! STUPID LAZY BUM HIPPIE
youre lame.
How could you people say that. Its easy for you to say all of this s*** sitting at your computers. He has inspired me and has inspired lots of people. So people who disagree with me. Get a life. get off your computer. and do something productive with your life.
FUCK YOU JASPER! PIECE OF SHIT
Anonymous Student –
You should NOT post profane entries in other people’s names.
i agree with hugh jass
i think its safe to say this blog might be dying
is our class still using this thread ms o?
Jasper
sorry the post above me was mine meant to ask jasper…
“its easy for you to say all this s*** sitting at your computers”. first off your on a blog wich means your sitting at a computer responding to what other people are saying and getting angry at peopole for stating their opinoins. You should respect other peoples opinions instead of making your oppinions as law second to evryone who is making this thread unreadable in our classroom with all of the swearing. a fool moves his audience with curse, powerfull statements are those that can move any audience and can be heard by any audience.
though i do not beleive him to be a hero and i beleive his actions to be selfish i respect his pasion and i wish i could have met chris mccandless. he would be dissapointed that his story has cause all of you to argue like children
Nick:
Just when I think you may be an ok guy you go and you remind me not to think that way. The big difference between you and I is that I can understand why you feel the way you say you do. I suspect you probably lead a pretty sheltered life, that’s why you’re sitting and commenting on a blog rather than going out on your, well, lets call it “Nick’s big Adventure.” I don’t see you out “being at one with nature” or making a difference in the world.
“Common Sense” well said.
To those that are getting off on the profanity. That’s not why we post here. Let’s try to keep Not Very Bright’s blog on a more intelligent level shall we?
There are several schools of thought at work here. They are:
1. The “Chris McCandless was a saint and a visionary”
2. The “Chris McCandless was a self-destructive, spoined brat”
3. The “Chris McCandless was just doing his own thing and to Hell with anyone that disagrees with his ideas.”
4. The “I appreciate what Chris McCandless was trying to do but I would have done it differently.”
There are probably more but these will do. Now, ask yourself this question:
“If you had the opportunity, would you mimic Chris’ life exactly the way he lived it and died the same death he did in order to experience what he exprienced?”
It’s a simple question with a predictable outcome.
We all enjoy the story of Chris McCandless but you have to put into perspective what you’ve read. Jon Krakauer who wrote “Into The Wild” is an extremely gifted writer and one of my all-time favorites. However, being a gifted writer also means having the ability to embellish and spin a story that glorifies things that may not necessarily need glorifying in order to sell books and make money. And, need I even remind you what Hollywood does to a story?
Bottom line is that what we know is what was told to us by gifted storytellers to sell books and movie tickets. My guess is that the true story is that of a lost soul desperately searching for a way to find happiness without having to deal with responsibility.
There is no right or wrong is the story. In the end, it’s just an unnecessarily tragic end to a life that was too short.
u people have to be comprehensible and know that chris didnt go into the wild to eat poison berries and starve himself to death. he went to alaska in order to discover his inner self and enjoys the beauty of nature. he at the end of his life wished that he had gone back to society and experience happiness because he wrote that “happiness is real only when shared”
it is sad that he died before living that happiness but u shouldnt sit and insult him because he is more brave and courageous than u all and also u have to know that it was his life not yours or a family member so if he dies that none of your business the least u can do is to pray for him.
Kristina:
You’re wrong. Allowing a book to be written and a movie to be made makes it our business. We paid to know about it and the family benefited from sales.
I can’t speak for everyone, but I’m well aware that he didn’t purposefully go out there to die. And, I agree that it’s tragic that his realization (if that’s what it was) came too late. But after years of shunning family, society, laws, etc, he waited too late to turn things around. Please don’t misunderstand, I certainly agree that he lived his own life, made his own decisions, went where he wanted to go and did what he wanted to do on his own terms. The thing is, sometimes that goes against laws written to protect us from ourselves. For example, do you think that Chris wanted Anarchy? It sure seems so since anarchy is a state of lawlessness and failure of government devoid of enforced authority.
I’ve never heard anyone mention what Chris, in his “no one will dictate to me what I can and can’t do” attitude thought about Wayne Westerberg being arrested for making and selling his illegal cable decoders. That must have been some kind of turning point for Chris and in all probability solidified his decision to turn away from society and seek an alternate universe in the wild. No one ever writes about that. It was put in the book and movie for a reason.
As for the laws, like it or not, poaching laws exist in Alaska for specific reasons and Chris repeatedly poached animals for his own personal consumption, wasting about 1500 lbs of moose for no reason whatsoever since he didn’t possess the skills or materials to propeerly process and preserve the meat. You don’t think that’s irresponsible and unlawful? C’mon!
This isn’t to say that I consider him to be mean or hateful, far from it. Just very, very inconsiderate of laws, feelings, certain values, etc.
I wish i had the courage to find myself, even if it meant dying alone in the wilderness, it would be better than always wondering what could have been.
lol thats not bodalay its too well worded to be him
First of all, its really immature how you keep swearing… calm down its just a blog… obviously we all have extremely different views on this KID. hes clearly naive and unaware of his surroundings and how fortunate his is. its awesome to get out into the wilderness to kick back and relax but at the same time its not so awesome to look like a moron by being completely unprepared. there isnt a thing heroic about how he abandoned a loving home, caring friends, and a bright future, to fulfill a spur of the moment desire. there are so many kids around this world who dont have the things that he took for granted, and he in my opinion- though i am sure many of you will OPENLY disagree with me- is selfish, arrogant, and severly depressed. chris desired a life some of us have to work for as he did as well. if anything i pitty a person who couldnt see the amazing things that he had in his life. if your looking for who you are then search inside of you because thats where you’ll be! you say that you wish you had the courage to die alone??? bryan you overlooked the fact that he wrote “happiness is only good when shared”. what are you suposed to take from that? there is nothing that is heroic about a person like chris. the only thing that i learned from him is that im lucky to never end up like such a lonely depressed loser. soul searching is an amazing thing but its worthless if you dont take it to heart and use it to better yourself. that is the perpose of knowing who you are right? chris’s family has been thrown into an embarrassing situation considering the fact that they will have to live with the fact that their son wasn’t happy with they way that they raised him and that they couldn’t change it and now everyone knows about it. i would never want my family to go through that. what a blind human being. im sorry for those who see my point of view as rash or snobbish but i tried to use some factual evidence to prove that i’m right unlike people who are basing their opinions off of feelings.
eddie… you said it perfectly.
Well put Bodolay,
Chris McCandless
Lazy bum hippy? perhaps
abstract? I think so
did he prove anything? No
He got a book published about him? cheers
It comes down to this… Did he accomplish anything?
It will be a cold day in Hell when I believe Chris accomplished anything.
LiveYourLife… are you doing anything to accomplish your dreams? are you going to be the Blogger Warlord one day or something?
G’day,
Cheers
Wookie Warrior
By the way, Jasper
What are you doing?
Sitting on your @$$ blogging?
wow sarah r from fist hour english way to long and boring I should go after you instead of live your life dou you have a life? wow that is just too long
happiness is only good when shared
woah I guess now I’m just as great as Chris now huh. Wow I’m the greatest man in the world
im sorry AMANDA HUGINKISS to bore you… honestly i should have made it a lot easier for you to read… CHRIS ISN’T A HERO. i do have a life and maybe you hsould reconsider yours because i had something meaningful to contribute to this blog where as you had nothing better to do than to insult me, which was a hilarious attempt. “amanda huginkiss” you certainly are the greatest MAN in the world.
and by the way i stand by what i say, and i will continue to because your comments are garbage.
So many of you feel too safe behind your computer screen, saying whatever you want, unbelievable. Majority of the people on here, would never even think about talking the way they do on this blog.
?
WOW…. what’s going on here? Is it the invasion of the English students?
Thank you Sarah, I appreciate that.
you are all weighing in so heavily on the issue and projecting your feelings about you lives onto the situation.
Look it’s not so deep. Chris was a kid who had years of trying to fit in and do the “right” thing by his parents and societys standard.
He had just wrapped up four years at college because he was supposed to go, He took a break! He needed – cliche as it sounds but what any young person understands, to”find himself”.
Selfish yeah but calling him a poacher, etc, wondering how he felt about the decoder boxes, anarchy, etc…. geez people.
He loved the sky at dawn and the sun setting behind the Alaskan skyline — and wasn’t prepared. Most kids think they are indesctruble anyway.
Mock it all you want for it’s simpleness but Chris found out alot sooner than some that happiness is only real when shared. He wanted to come home having had his time of selfishness. It’s a normal passage to claim ones own identity and seperate. Because Chris’s was so wrapped
up into his parents — he was just more intense than moving out.
He didn’t ask for the movie or book deal. It isn’t his fault.
If he is someones here and considered brave – it’s their right to think this way. If you think he was an idiot then it’s your right. Stop trying to change each others mind because it’s not going to happen.
In the end Chris lived a happy life and isn’t bound by your standards, mine, his parents and is now even physically unbound and can wildly go anywhere he wants too.
i realize so many people have different opinions. No one is “right”. simple as that.
yes, thats true. no one is “right”. none of us. we all have our ways, and opinions, and we all live very different lives. but its true about what is said, that christopher has inspired all of us in some ways to go forth with our dreams and free spirt. to just get away from the normal business man. personaly, i love his story and the way he inspired thousands of people. lots of people do things like this, its not just a rare human doing something none of us would do. i live with people like this. free people. we all have a little of ‘chris’ inside of us. let it out. let it roar. sream. go explore and meet beautiful people. just live a life no one else would ever have. love to you all.
(oh and it makes me smile when i see these comments started two years ago.)
xoxo
“… we all have our ways, and opinions, and we all live very different lives.”
~ BrookeLynn
And that, my friends and fellow posters, is the absolute truth. Well said BrookeLynn, well said.
I noticed a lot of people commenting about how stupid he was, not bringing a map or noticing some nearby park ranger, but has it crossed your mind that maybe he didn’t want to know? The whole purpose of his “Alaskan Odyssey” was not to find an easy way out or survive. He understood completely that he may not make it out alive, a “climatic battle” of his life. He accepted that and continued living on the principles of nothing but him and the land. If he HAD brought a map, yes it would be common sense, but that would ruin the purpose of his journey.
Excuse me? Did anyone of you personally know Chris McCandless? If you didnt, you have absolutely no right to say what his reasons were and if he was mentally unstable. I would reconsider your ‘knowledge’ of this man. Your statements are based on opinion, and in my opinion Chis was a traveler. He wanted adventure, freedom, and solitude. Chris is a hero in my mind. He conquered the unthinkable–he left everything to discovered what he deeply desired. In my opinion, Chris McCandless never intentionally ment to hurt anyone or anything. I admire this man, and so should all of you. No one except for McCandless knows what his intentions were. Respect him.
i remember when i was sixteen. i hitch hiked to florida with a friend. on the way back we split up in florida.. the return was during february…i will never forget sitting by the side of the highway in pennsylvania .. 20 miles from anywhere. light coat and sleeping bag draped over me. tired and worn out..hadn`t eaten right for days..no money….and the temps were in the teens. slight snowfall….that night i faced my death…hours went by…nobody stopped….i knew if i didn`t get a ride. i would die from the cold….and if i fell asleep. i would probably never wake up…coming to terms with my possible death that night…was both amazing and enlightening…first i ain`t never doing that again…second just being there and returning safe is an adventure of a lifetime…third…preparation…preparation and more preparation before i take on anything….i also remember the feeling of watching a volvo stationwagon pull over…two guys gave my a ride from there to within 1/4 mile of my apartment. in ithaca N.Y…and fourth sometimes you just get lucky…chris did not get lucky…but i think i know what he was looking for…to take it to the limit and cheat death and have adventures that are your own….always wanted to spend a couple years in a cabin in the north…jack london and others….the ideas sound stupid now…and no i don`t recommend this to anybody…but i do know one thing for sure…i want to live…of that there never will be a doubt…that was settled one cold night in pennsylvania…
I have a strong opinion on what Chris McCandless did, but the more I check in to this blog, the more I see that no matter how much we disagree on what his intentions were or may have been, we all agree that he was brave enough to set out to brave the wilderness of alaska, even if he was running from family troubles, he was at least brave enough to take the first step in living his dream, I can give him respect for that, not that I would attempt a wilderness like Alaska without basic tools such as a map and a compass, but hey, he at least did what he wanted to do, and on that we all need to agree…
damn you people have too much time on your hands. im only on here because im at school. get on with your lives and stop arguing about this shit. stop saying “oh he did what he wanted to o and what we all wish we can do.” THEN DO WHAT YOU WANT AND STOP SITTING ON THIS COMPUTER. jeez people. go have some adventures like he did. i mean, im in school, and i live my life to the fullest. go on road trips, hitch hike, explore new cultures. i mean really. i wish i met chris. but, i have friends and i meet new people each day that have a hint of christopher in them. the adventrue part. the willing part. get off your asses and LIVE!!!!
just go have some fun ;]
What he did wasn’t beautiful or romantic.
I’m brave – I don’t run from my problems. I go to work every day. I take care of my family and responsibilities. Just because I work in an office doesn’t mean I’m not brave.
It would be nice to wander around with no responsibilities never having to answer to anyone but that’s not how civilization progresses.
and he posted a note asking to be rescued? It’s like the people who don’t leave when there is fire heading toward their home. They are warned and don’t leave and then ask other people to risk their lives and spend millions of tax payer dollars to rescue them.
To me it sounds like he was bipolar or schizophrenic. Sane people don’t go into the wilderness without supplies or at least knowledge of the area.
There is a difference between intelligence and common sense. Ya, i like looking at pretty mountains and rushing rivers. However i have enough common sense to know that they would kill me if i went out there by myself with no intention to return. Going out there is one thing, going out there with little to no outdoors experience and expecting to survive is just ignorance.
For those who are new to this story or are just finding an interest in Chris’s story, it all began with a story written by Jon Krakauer for Outside Magazine. For your reading pleasure here is the link for the original article.
Enjoy.
http://outside.away.com/outside/features/1993/1993_into_the_wild_1.html?imw=Y
Chris McCandless is inside all of us, except like the rest of society he broke out of the mold and became Alex Supertramp. His alter ego, that will for ever be a great story of a dreamer and explorer to live of the land and become free from society. Chis was more of a man then any of us will ever be, im 24 and wonder what adventure is next for me. God bless Chris and his family and the rest of this world.
To Rocky:
Are you truly 100% sure that Chris was more of a man than any other human being on this planet has or ever will be?
He not only became free of society but also free of the land.
I have a little of Chris’s mindset within me, exploring and dreaming. I escape to the wilderness. However, I get great fulfillment with my job – yes it’s five days a week and more – helping folks. Without going into detail, I am a healthcare professional, I work in an inner city outpatient clinic…so, as for Chris being more of a man than me, I disagree. Life should not be a competition – who’s the best man/woman. To me, life – take responsibility for your consequences and respect “things” that we often take for granted. Many of those “things” required much work, time, & dedication.
Coorection:
…take responsibility for the consequences of your actions…..
To Rocky:
Dude! Did you REALLY say that McCandless was more of a man than any of us ever will be?
How can you say that? How can you even think that? There are a lot of people in the world, some of which are destined for true greatness in fields such as medicine and finance and technology. They may not be “great” right now but perhaps some day they will. If they stick to their goals of getting a proper education and dedicating themselves to something more than their personal likes or dislikes. Where would we be without people that “work” at such things as technology and medicine? They aren’t great in your book? They damn sure are in mine!
Society advances because certain people discover things and then apply them to real world situations. It’s searching for a cure to AIDS or cancer or other diseases that plague mankind. It’s discovering how to put the power of total communication into you hand in the for or a cell phone. Just think, if Chris had taken a cell phone with him…such a simple little thing…say, an IPhone, with a GPS and a way to call someone.
I fail to see the “greatness” in being a dreamer that accomplishes little more than having a good time. I think he COULD have been great and he certainly had the POTENTIAL but cared more for doing what he liked – hitchhiking and seeing the sights. He followed his dream alright. There’s no denying that part of the story.
His story is tragic on a number of levels.
I watched the movie and then read a lot on the internet. I am intigued by this story. Chris had a nice ideal to live life without the expected constrainst, especially those related to money. When he needed money he worked, so he understood the necessary steps to survive in this world and was very much a part of it.
But I feel that Chris was very selfish, everyone knows that parents are not perfect but many children believe their parents owe them something (a perfect life). They like to blame parents for their own negative feelings. What did his parents do but supply him with a good life and a great education, his childish (yes,spoilt brat) perception caused him to hurt them so, why? He could have given them a small amount of respect and/or forgivness Most people will not realize the pain he caused them unti they become parents themsleves. This is tragic story (no heroes here).
And as much as folks hate to hear it, I also believe there was some mental illiness involved here.
just to tell you, yes, he did have a mental illness…. schizophrenia.
I suspect that McCandless lacked adequate calories to survive when he arrived at the bus. The amount of game and so forth he killed and ate, and especially the type, implies gradual starvation from the get go. Fats in his diet were low at first, and eventually insignificant, and, obese America notwithstanding, he was living off his athletic lean mass from the beginning. In my opinion, by the time he attempted the return, and turning back after being unable to ford that river, he was likely near the end of his lean reserves and didn’t forage further upstream, or south, or do anything other than return to the bus because he already lacked the strength to do so. Regardless of what he wrote in—-he had made it 100 days or so on a little rice, some smaller creatures, no dairy or fish or significant meats that would have supplied needed fats—-he had cannibalized too much of his frame (as evidenced by the way he can’t fill up his shirt in the last picture) and was likely sleeping long hours and having dizzy spells. By the time he records the “fault of pot. seeds” he is likely beyond ketosis, having low fat and low sugar in his blood serum, and electrolytes were too low to keep his brain and heart functioning optimally.
You do not starve in a week. I.e., the “apparent” seemingly sudden turn to starvation had been coming on, unrecognized by him because there is ample blood fuel circulating when muscles are being catabolized. As lean tissue and fat stores are lost, the body gradually lowers it energy output to compensate. When available muscle and fat stores hit a critical low threshold, the latter stages of starvation suddenly set in. Study about diets and fats and starvation. He should have!
Yet, I feel for him, and sympathize with his conflicts, his aspirations, and even his dogged determination to follow thru. And I actually do believe that God took him open arms unto Himself in the final moment of his life.
I wrote this not to bash Chris, but to express my opinion on the actual events leading to this sad death. He starved to death because he could not tell he was starving to death–in the end he misconstrued what was happening and blamed the seeds.
He was a rash and conflicted young man on the one count; on the other count I believe he sought for higher spiritual enlightenment and moral excellence. Selfish in one hand; compassionate in the other. I believe had he been rescued earlier and recovered, he would have reconciled to his family and resolved many problems, and become a much wiser and cautious man. Sadly, the story of his life ends, if we are honest in our analysis, not so much tragic as pathetic. He died not from what he believed in, but rather from what he never took the time to learn about in preparation.
Chris McCandless had more balls than the lot of ya will ever have or can ever concieve of. You all are letting technology turn you into a bunch of soulless robots and you pretend like you are experts on everyone elses emotional state of being just because you watch Dr. Phil all day long.
Ole Chris McCandless did alright. God bless him, one of the last humans on this planet to actually have a soul and step outside of his little egosyntonic box and see a greater reality. The government taxes you idiots to death and steals it all from you at the end and you goofballs pretend like you are some great success in life because you were prodded around your whole life like a bunch of cattle.
chris mccandless was not in fact a hero! he had a mental illness….schizophrenia……. a rare mental illness…. one of the signs was that he talked in the third person, and the fact that he went out into the wild CHRISTOPHER MCCANDLESS IS A CRAZY CRAZY MAN
bitches suck me and call me daddy~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! chris was a great man with a big fat heart
If he wasnt eating macdonalds all the time and varied his diet more, then maybe he would have lived, it is a PROVEN FACT that this is not an acceptable diet!
After reading the book and seeing the movie it’s a shame that he wasn’t better prepared. He did survive for over 100 days in the bush but he would still be living today if he had been trained adequately in survival skills. What a loss, he seemed like such a wonderful person.
I have started to read lots of blogs on Christopher McCandless’s life, and the comments disscussing his stupidity and selfish nature. this has all shocked me. I realise the movie has somewhat been romantisized however, I feel that Chris’s story is a story that has been lived by everyone in some shape or form. The point of relaying back someone’s journey is so people can relate and find comfort. I know for myself being young 23 and growing up in a smiliar home environment, find myself having this feeling inside that is wanting to burst free, constantly questions society and the behaviour of the people in the communities we live in..chris was only trying to escape it to find peace…he was not trying to prove anything to anyone. it was his journey and this is how he chose to live it. He was inspired by the idea of nature and freedom and yes mayb he did not have a clue about the skills needed to survive, but this was his choice. so in response to all you punks who think that he was stupid, look in your heart find what truly inspires you, what frees you. an i hope you are living it everyday. whatver shape or form it is in or whether it appears ridiculously irresponsible to others..its yours and i think we should all choose our own paths..WOW i sound like a hippy … i hope i am able to give another perpective on this journey of chris mccandless
Summah:
I’M BAAAACKKK!!!
Ummm, yes, he was trying to prove something to someone, himself!
You see, I doubt very seriously that McCandless would go to so much trouble just to commit suicide. I don’t believe for a moment that he had no doubt he would walk out whenever he chose and continue doing whatever he chose to do. But he made a critical error and misjudged his true ability to “live off the land” as he planned to do. He didn’t possess the necessary skills to survive. True, he made it for a long time, but I’m afraid that doesn’t really count. He died because of several mistakes and failure to properly prepare for such an undertaking. Rather than packing so much literature perhaps more books and survival necessities would have been the wiser choice? You can’t eat a copy of “Call of the Wild” or “Walden”, regardless of how well written they are.
Quite right in that it was McCandless’s choice in making the effort to live off the land but do you really think he was seeking to be free? Or, was he just doing what he felt like doing? No one really knows.
I don’t consider myself a “punk” as you say, largely because I dont think he was stupid at all. Perhaps a better word would be “unprepared” or “foolish” but not stupid.
How can you not consider it foolish to purposefully place yourself into a potentially fatal situation simply by failing to think out the complete scenario?
For example, would you put on a blindfold and block out all hearing and then stumble down a well-traveled railroad track? Would you stick your thumb up a killer gorilla’s backside? Would you attempt to swim across the Atlantic Ocean? Would you run naked through a minefield?
Of course you wouldn’t because your chances of success are very slim. And you have more sense than to attempt such a thing.
You want to know what makes me free? The ability to breathe air and have the unconditional love of my dogs, to be able to go to the store and purchase whatever food I want, whenever I want. To find comfort and peace in the arms of a woman that I love. To feel admiration and appreciation for those who are willing to lay their lives on the line so that I can keep doing the things that McCandless felt the need to run from…
McCandless felt anger toward his parents. What kid doesn’t. From reading the multitude of information about his life I’ve got to say, it doesn’t sound much like he had a Hell of a lot to gripe about. I wish I’d had half as much as he had!!!!!
Far be if from me to make any attempt to suggest other ways for him to have lived his life. True, it was HIS life after all. And he made his choices.
Do you think it turned out as he wanted?
Chris McCandless was a college-educated, very intelligent young man with a healthy love of nature and the preservation of his own personal wants and needs. He cared little for authority, the law or the fact that laws exist to protect us from ourselves. He could just have easily channeled his intelligence to do good for manking (and womankind) by making a difference or contribution in some form or fashion rather than dying in a rusted bus in 20 miles from Healey, Alaska!
I think McCandless made a big mistake, in fact, a succession of big mistakes that finally caused his untimely and unfortunate death.
But “stupid?” No.
boy was like sean penn a fricking idiot glorified by even bigger idiots
“Ignorance is mere lack of knowledge. Stupidity is Ignorance with pride.”
So I vote brave, but incredibly naive and stupid.
As I’ve read “Into the Wild” the question I’ve asked myself the most is “Why do I care?” I’ve been confused as to why I have given so much energy and felt for Chris, even though I disagree with everything he did. I think it’s because I can connect him to so many people my age, even myself in ways. His romanticism overwhelmed his sense, and he confused what he felt with what he knew. Now that I’ve finished the story, I neither admire nor condemn him for trusting his instincts, I just regret what it led to (mainly, the hurt it caused his friends and family). I don’t think he was an idiot, I think he was young. Some people would say those are one in the same, but as one of my favorite quotes says, Chris was “Old enough to know it’s stupid, young enough not to care.” Actually, it is more likely that in his world of black and white he denied that his attitude was stupid and therefore didn’t care. The real tragedy is not that he died, it is that his stubbornness kept him from seeing any reason, and that THAT is a common theme amongst youth. I worry as a result, because though I wish it wasn’t the case, I’m friends with many Chris McCandlesses: people who are compassionate enough to be angry with society but not enough to forgive its flaws. The story has multiple chapters exploring Chris’ background, and his similarities with other tramps. The truth of the matter is, Chris was not that unique. There are few people who don’t want for some adventure, and only a few cultures meet this need through spirit walks and the like. I theorize that it’s a falsehood that these experiences are truly beneficial however. I don’t see anything special in his adventuring because I don’t think he learned anything that he couldn’t have learned within society (I know I’ve learned the most by associating with people rather than just thinking about them and making assumptions). What’s tragic about the story is that Chris’ sensibilities led to his attempt to sort out sense within the world, which is as impossible as theorizing about God. I don’t think I assume too much when I say that the world is inconsistent and because of humanity its flaws will never go away. What’s tragic is that with all Chris read and with all of his introspection, he couldn’t accept that or show true compassion, forgiveness, etc. I imagined Chris’ reasoning like a web stemming from the most volatile personality traits within any average American family (romanticism mixed with cynicism mixed with compassion mixed with a sense of social responsibility mixed with… you name it). Most of his opinions were of more passion than reason (pg.123), and he was at that point in his life when the world is most confusing; when you’re entering adulthood and thoughtful enough to try to reason existence out but one conclusion is contradicted by another because all things are relative etcetera etcetera and you just become overwhelmed and try sticking to one dogma to simplify it all, haha (I’m assuming a lot here of course, but I know this is what my friends and I have experienced and assume it’s why Chris just got stuck in his ways). I think given time, he would have realized that the most sensible people can’t consistently find sense within the world, and that sensibilities are usually what compensate for that contradiction. When I began this story I simply thought “His death wasn’t a tragedy, it was natural selection! He was horribly selfish.” However, as I’ve progressed through it, I’ve just been saddened by the fact that he was a stubborn, hurt/angry kid who just needed time to realize the facts of life… but died.
you dont care kelsey but you did type a page long blog which makes you kind or a ignorant human being acting out on childish behavior and stupidity. Chris was a very sophisticated young man and philosophical. Maybe a little to different for you to comprehend. So i suggest you look at yourself and actually learn to find the true meaning of life you blonde.
Anonymous offers us a weighty insight: to be blonde is to be ignorant of the true meaning of life.
Good to see you black- and brown-hairs haven’t completely abandoned reason and grace. Assholes.
Kelsey I thought your comment was excellent. “Why do I care?” is exactly the question I find myself asking. I suspect others are trying to answer that question (or avoid it) in responding here.
Celebrating or condemning the man is mostly pointless. Has the story inspired you to go live out some dreams? Does the story terrify you because you are not doing that and fear you’ll die not having tried something? Does it remind you to call your family and friends once in a while?
All good. I agree with a previous poster who emphasized that it was too bad Chris had not lived to see how many people his adventures inspired. On the other hand, one wonders if it isn’t the poignancy of his dying that makes the story so powerful.
Just to come full circle: blonde is beautiful, and dying your hair blonde to be like us is BS.
And Kelsey, I don’t care what color your hair is, do use paragraphs, hmm? I almost went cross-eyed trying to read your thing. Blonde and cross-eyes is a bridge to nowhere. Peace!
I’m Horny
Call Me ( 909) 549 3664
Ask for Lequisha
Chris didn’t survey because he left himself such a small failor margin. Bring only a bag of rice into Alaska might as well have been a death sentence. McCandless was already a tiny guy he need calorie rich foods to maintain his weight in so harsh a climate. When people climb Mt. Everest they bring tons of candy bars with them and still lose 20lb. McCandless should have brought a verity of calorie rich foods into the wild with him. He also needs foods rich in vitamins and minerals. These foods could have kept his strength up so he could have swum or hiked out when the river rose.
While reading this blog, “Chris McCandless, Not Very Bright” about Chris McCandless, there are many different opinions of Chris and what he did with his life in order to make himself happy. Because Chris wanted to leave society and live in the wild, people believed that he was stupid and naïve. Chris McCandless honestly didn’t know what he was doing like most people said in this blog but that doesn’t make him stupid. He was well educated and he knew what he wanted to do with his life in order to make himself happy. Chris wasn’t familiar with the area and didn’t want to become educated with what he needed to get to be prepared in order to survive in the wild. This made him extremely naïve, but not stupid. Even though he left his family to make himself happy, it might make people think that he is selfish and just wanted to hurt the people that truly loved him, but it was the right thing for him to do for himself in order to find who he was and be able to stay happy with his own life.
There was only one thing going through Chris’s mind when he was planning on taking his trip… to get away from society and his family. Although he was “friends” with his sister he wasn’t with his mother and father. He also wasn’t thinking when he decided to pack for his adventure. He packed only rice in his bag and thought that would be okay. When he was on the road many people offered to give him money and he didn’t take it. He also burnt money and ditched his car. Many people think that Chris wasn’t thinking about his family when he was doing this but he was doing what was going to make him happy. He wanted to be alone and thats what he needed to do.
Hey if you need someone to glorify’
try jesus read his life story . read what he gave up for others, not himself. Chris only did what pleased himself. and if doing what makes you happy is by killing yourself, think people if your dead your not happy your just dead !!!
I see lots of opinions and speculation about McCandless and his need to “get away” and “live off the land”, a difficult prospect even for those who are trained and prepared for such an undertaking. Clearly, McCandless possessed the desire but sorely lacked the ability and necessary knowledge to successfully pursue such a goal. And, as we all know, he was ultimately unsuccessful at his endeavor.
But, was he really?
After all, even though he lacked the necessary skills, equipment and stamina, he did manage to survive for quite some time. And, had he been more educated in nourishment and horticulture, he might have managed to realize the dangers in ingesting the molded seeds, providing that was actually what ultimately caused his untimely death. He made it almost 4 months! No small accomplishment for anyone.
It was his choice to make and make it he did. I seriously doubt he purposefully committed suicide by starvation as some have speculated, nor did he intend to die in the ‘wilderness” if you can call 20 miles from Healy, Alaska and only a few miles from Denali State Park the ‘wilderness.” In Alaska, that’s about the equivalent of starving three blocks from your house in a vacant lot.
But that’s neither here nor there.
“Enough” has the right idea (see above) in that McCandless did what HW wanted by HIS own wants, completely disregarding any laws or ordinances that are put in place to keep people like McCandless from doing precisely what he did – getting himself between a “rock and a hard place.” Then of course, “Enough” ruined it by the mumbo jumbo of the rest of his post which made no sense whatsoever to me.
In previous posts, I’ve made my feelings known about McCandless, but this post is not about that. It’s about what made him actually do this. And I’ve yet seen a post where anyone mentioned the word….
…Escapism.”
Escapism is mental diversion by means of entertainment or recreation, as an “escape” from the perceived unpleasant or banal aspects of daily life.
It can also be used as a term to define the actions people take to help relieve persisting feelings of depression or general sadness.
Forgive me if I missed it in a previous post.
In all fairness, I’ve seen people with a lot more reason to be angry with family members that McCandless had. Most of his anger was not necessary and was of his own fault. From what I’ve read, he wasn’t abused or mistreated or sexually assaulted, ot forced into poverty. It’s actually quite different in the he enjoyed quite a sheltered and normal life. i don’t believe there was anything he needed that wasn’t provided for him.
Perhaps that’s one of the problems? Growing up with too much, to the point that you fail to appreciate the little things that most people never have, like a nice home with two parents at home and three meals a day, a college education, etc., etc.
He wasn’t mentally ill as some have posted, nor did he have a death wish. He just made really made a series of bad decisions that led to his death. Had he made better preparations, rather than doing sit ups and pull ups, and pulled together some pieces of equipment, knowledge and food, not to mention maps, a compass and a few other minor things, like oh, I don’t know, maybe some antiobotics or medicinal items, he might have been fine.
We’ll never know.
He did manage to escape though.
look
some people here do not realize what they are saying. Chris REFUSED to take a map with him. He wanted the WILD! He isnt selfish, he’s just tired of this sick society. We’re all arguing over somthing , and chris was right; people are mean to each other. why? He did what he wanted to do. And some ignorant people don’t realize that! he died happy because god’s light shone on him. Its because he was so full (meaning intelligent, good minded)…that he did what he did!
To “someone”
REFUSING to take a map into an “wild area” such as McCandles ventured into is not only stupid, it’s irresponsible! Society may be “sick” a YOU see it but like it or not, it’s the only society we have so you’d better learn to deal with it. It’s not going to change to suit YOU. “People are mean to each other” is a pretty generic statement don’t you think? Everyone isn’t mean at all. There are people that are actually nice – I know because I’ve met some of them. To me, that means that there is always hope. I guess you’re just a “glass half empty” kind of person, huh?
God’s light shines on everyone, even those that don’t believe.
As for “being ignorant” because we don’t realize that he “did what he wanted to do” I think most posters realize that. Have you really read the posts, or did you browse one or two and then make your assumption?
Lastly, how can you say the he was “full, intelligent, good minded” and then skip off into the wild to live off the land completely unprepared? I have no doubt that he was intelligent at all. But good God, to flit off into an area to do somehting you’re completely unprepared for is irresponsible.
You can’t make up your own rules as you go along with your life annd expect everyone else to just get out of the way and let you through. Sometimes that will make you step on someone else’s toes. Case in point, McCandless’ family. I guess they just didnt’ matter anymore because he decided to shun society because it was unpleasant to him? Hello… they have feellings too!
It seemed that to McCandless, it was all about him. No one else mattered.
Seen the movie? Now read the book. It’s been updated by Krakauer.
“The sea’s only gifts are harsh blows, and occasionally the chance to feel strong. Now I don’t know much about the sea, but I do know that that’s the way it is here, and I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind death stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head.” It speaks for itself. Argue with that.
Zac I think you make a great point with your quote, and I can’t dispute it or its apparent relevance to Chris and his journeys.
But should you not also prepare when deciding to measure yourself? For example, suppose I’m a 240 lb lifelong couch potato and decide one day I’m going to run the Boston Marathon. Would that not be bald-face foolishness? There is no way I will win, or even finish. If I push myself too hard I could likely die from the exertion. People would rightly view me as stupid for even trying without preparing first. If a couch potato wants to measure himself by running a marathon, should he not prepare first?
This is what I struggle with in Chris’ story. I don’t consider myself in any position (yet) to make a judgement about him because I feel this is a fundamental but unanswered question still biting at me.
Some things Chris did in Alaska I can understand. People deride him for not taking a map but in my heart I can understand the reasons he may have used for not wanting one. The same with a compass. He was on a purist’s journey, and a purist can only go so far before he feels he’s cheating himself out of the pure experience he seeks. An easy victory looks good on paper but it is no satisfaction to a seeker.
But there are other things he did that seem to me reckless and irreconcilable with how one should prepare to “face the beast within” as Chris implied. Just as the couch potato has no hope of a purist’s experience of a marathon without preparation, one has no hope of purist’s lone survival experience in Alaska without a basic knowledge of survival, of preserving flora and fauna for the possibility of an unplanned extended stay (as happened to Chris), of basic first aid should you injure yourself (as apparently happened to Chris’ shoulder), of understanding your metabolic needs and the truly profound energy and time you must dedicate to the pursuit of a balanced food supply.
I guess ultimately I may not truly understand his internal motivation for doing what he did. Or, I may be forced to admit that Chris truly was just bumbling along with no real desire for a test at all. And I hate to admit that! It truly bothers me, because I think it’s obvious that Chris’ internal goal was not simply to live off the land and come back after a while. He was after something more primordial, more threatening, than that–or at least that’s what I hope for. I think he wanted a form of an ultimate test, a test where you either succeed, or you die trying. Beautifully simple, pure, and only as true as the possibility of death is. So I feel I can determine much of what he did not want, but the negative answers are not answers really.
It just seems to me that, without at least preparing yourself to face the beast, you might as well grab a revolver and play Russian Roulette: certainly an intense experience but one in which the only thing separating you from victory is simple bad luck. In a true test of the self, preparation seems to be all that separates you from an almost assumed loss at the deadly claws of the beast. To not prepare is to rely on the roll of the dice, and nothing more. And that is not a very good test, and certainly cannot be a pure test.
What am I missing?
I am writing a paper on into the wild and Chris Mccandless for a english course in college and i really appreciated reading all of these different viewpoints. you guys really helped me narrow down what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it
First what I think is that his family in the book it clearly states that his dad didn’t pay attention, the way Chris wanted him to. If they fought behind our backs we wouldn’t “know” we only “knew” what’ is in the book and what adventures Jon Kraukauer tells us; like the paths he takes when he closely separates from his family and just left. In the book (p.18) it says Alex was very intelligent, the path he chose maybe as what I thought was because of anger. The anger inside him might have just been stored up in him for many years but he released it when he had the chance and left his family. Chris never wanted to disrespect his family in any way. So what I think was that he didn’t want to show them or give them any signs of him doing anything out of the ordinary.
There are so many more people who have done something good, lived life in an honorable way, given to benefit others and they are not recognized to the extent that this obviously self centered deluded boy is. The power of Hollywood and the media to distort things and basically brainwash the masses. What a sad, pathetic, egocentric nation we have! Millions and millions of children are orphaned in this world in 2010. Where are the proirities?! Save the Earth! Huh! Save the humans cause they are destroying themselves!
im robert
that’s cool
Chris Mcandless isn’t special guys. I was just like him when I was his age and so were MANY of the people I knew. I and many friends I had back then were all “rejecting societies norms” and all that as well. I spent months bumming around California, living in tents, living out in Yosemite park. My adventures never got as extreme as his did, but that’s probably why I lived to talk about it and he didn’t.
There’s a few things I learned from all those ridiculous and stupid adventures of my youth.
Society is flawed but so am I learn to live with the flaws of society and make it work for you.
Everyone is angry at their parents some have justifiable reasons most don’t. Carrying that anger around forever will destroy you.
Your relationships with people make live worth living. Isolating yourself and running away from that won;t make you happy it will only leave you to face your unhappiness alone. That might be good for some but eventually you need to face what makes you unhappy.
Freezing and starving alone at the top of a mountain is not a lot of fun. I’ve been there don’t want to go back. Fortunately for me my adventures never took me to places as remote as Alaska.
I’m 31 now and I know when I was his age I would be inspired and impressed with this story. Now I shake my head. What a waste he met a lot of people who cared for him and he turned his back on them all. He abandoned his family his friends all for a delusion that lead to his ultimate doom. I don’t see anything inspirational in his life.
Want to know an unbiased opinion?
How about you read “into the wild” by john krakuer it should tell you everything you need to know. John spent countless years retracing mccandlesses footsteps and even himself admitted that chris’s motives were obscure. one of you mentioned a role model of his, jack london? Jack was the source of his motive for this suicide mission (yes i belive it was a suicide mission, ill tell you why) but Jack wrote of all of mccandlesses passions, his hate for capitalist society and glorification of the primoridial world.
Chris was enthralled by these tales but seemed to forget that these were FICTION. Chris just happened to forget that Jack was a fatuous drunk who died on his estate at 40, and spent only a single winter in the north, was obese and pathetic, maintaining a useless existence that barely resembled the ideals he put in print.
this was a suicide mission for sure. HE HAD A FUCKING MAP, it was proven many times but denied by hollywood when they made the movie, and he let his only source of food rot. he abused his priveledge to live..
we should not judge him….he is not here to defend himself..
That swings two ways, just leave me be.
I have watched the movie and find it hard to believe a well educated guy would’nt have read the entire book on edible herbs before eating the wrong ones, He had ample time during his travels to brush up on every page and know the herbs inside and out and know what to look for in dodgy ones.
As for leaving his family i kinda see what he was trying to do his parents got the same educational benifits he did and they made his life hell by treating eachother like crap I think his sister knew more about where he was going than she let on but understood he needed time to find out who he was and where his place was in the world.
as for starving or being poisoned there was a river nearby with a stock of fresh fish,
and the berries he would’ve checked thoroughly before eating being so far away from medical help instead of his health being an after thought.
everyone has times in their life when they just want to get away from it all and get some clarity and if you have never wanted to escape reality you’re eiher a liar or have more money than braincells.
Chris did’nt go there to change the world he went to clear his head and find himself, Maybe the final realisation was that society is something he would haveto someday return to and he could’nt live in the bus forever and coming home would seem to him like he failed to achieve what he set out to do.
whatever the truth is nobody would even care or sit in judgement on their own lives or dreams had he survived he would be just another nameless wanderer that everyone sees on the street yet tries to ignore because as the saying goes, there but for the grace of god go I.
in lamen terms if circumstances were different that could be you on the street and unless you walk a mile in their shoes what do you know? nothing atall.
so christophers death although sad and tragic has maybe opened our eyes a little to the fact money does’nt buy happiness. but some of you are too materialistic to understand the point he was making, he had a dream chased the dream and lived the dream but reality is cruel and he learnt that too late but he did what he set out to do and got where he was longing to be thats a dream come true.
Independant of everything and everyone he made it to alaska when 60% of americans have never even left their hometowns or states thats what inspires people not the way he did it but the fact he dared
If Chris McCandless had gone “Into The Wild”, done some camping and hiking then simply gone home and lived his life no one would even know his name. However, Chris died in the “Magic Bus” because of a series of easily avoidable mistakes. Because of his death, he’s become an icon of sorts – different things to different people.
It’s not the fact that he spurned society and went off on his own, hundreds of people did that long before Chris was even born. It’s the fact that he died doing it. And he’s not the first to do that either.
Speaking for myself, his death didn’t open my eyes to anything at all, except that maybe a person should be completely prepared for whatever they set out to do.
In the end, McCandless was living his dream of spurning society and being by himself but when death came knocking, he begged for help from anyone that might be happening by. Maybe it’s just me but to me that seems rather selfish…. as in “stay away from me unless I need your help.”
I think that most of you are looking to much into his death. Yeah he was kind of moronic and very obviously not prepared for what was coming with the winter months in Alaska but he was a cool guy and I admire him for having so much spirit. His story inspires me to love my family and friends and to cherish my relationships with people. His story also taught me about the importance of living a fulfilling life. I feel like Chris dies happy, mostly because he specifically said so. As readers I think it is our responsibility to learn from his mistakes and appreciate what he did.
Analyzing his death proves nothing and honestly degrades what he was trying to do and his story.
Shit.
No disrespect for the deceased but I don’t see any source of inspiration in Chris’ story. Sure it’s an interesting story, sure Chris was special in his own way, but he was also young, reckless, and not very sure/secure of himself. I don’t think there’s any lesson to be taught. If you people think that happiness is being naked and alone in some forest (as some people actually suggested) then maybe we should go back living in caves like in the neolithic age. So you lot are hypocrites just by using the computer that you are using.
For me a truly inspiring story is that of Aron Ralston, which also involves the detail of staying alive. Peace.
If any of you had met McCandless on one of his, shall we say, worst days, you probably wouldn’t have given him the time of day, much less worshipped him for some kind of god. I’ll bet you would have given him a wide birth had you come across him sleeping in his car off the trail not having bathed or shaved in days.
Don’t even attempt to say different either.
My current English teacher bestowed this novel upon my class, I read it and I learned from it. I know age is not a matter here, but I am turning sixteen in exactly twenty days, and all I care about is discovering what I will be like when I become Chris’ age–not the gifts others will hand over to me, or the new car that might be waiting in the driveway, or the three tier cake that has my name scrawled in green icing at the tippity-top–I want to find the courage that Chris possessed. Do any of you even realize how hard it is to drop the security life has to offer you and leave everything you have behind? In an earlier statement one of you said it takes more courage to not abandon the people around you. Really? To risk not seeing them everyday, to know that you are causing them pain by not being near them is cowardly? In all honesty, as a majority of people on here have said and I quote “He was brave”. I cannot describe to you how courageous that young man was; he was purposefully ill-prepared, he tramped across the country with no penny to his name (He did receive handouts every once in a while, but that is to be expected due to the way our society is established–Nothing can be done without money, even a stay in nature)
All of you have opinions–Albeit, some are nonsense and are just a bitter excuse to spend your pointless day harassing others who have found this young man to be a motivation.
You know what? Who am I to pass judgment on the deceased, it’s callous of all of us to try and deteriorate what one man thought was essential. We all view life through different eyes, and every once in a while we catch the same peripheral view as our neighbor, be grateful for the times we do.
Rest In Peace, Chris McCandless.
I could not agree more! Everyone is different and we all deal with life how we see fit. There are people in this world waaaaay more stupid than Chris and more selfish than Chris. Everyone needs to stop judging him because we can NEVER know what he really did, thought, and wanted to do because sadly he is gone. Why can’t we just let him rest in peace instead of calling him dumb and useless, etc. He did what was right for him, he was not suicidal, but he knew what he was doing was incredibly risky. So is sky-diving or even driving a car, but people do that everyday and don’t get blasted and called horrible names for it! Lastly, yes, Chris hurt his family by leaving them like he did, but most children do things like that at some point or another. For those people criticizing him, did you even read the book or watch the movie? Because according to his journal he was ready to head back to the “real world” and to reunite with him family. I just can’t get over the people that are being so disrespectful about someone that can’t defend themselves. I know that the truth is stretched a bit in the book, but of course it’s going to be since Chris can’t write it himself.
Morgan, you are incredibly insightful and mature for your age. Don’t ever lose that or your open-mindedness. The world would be better off with more people like you. The book really spoke to me too and I’m really glad I can across your post because almost all of the blogs/discussions about Chris were incredibly mean, rude, and disrespectful. I’m glad I’m not the only one inspired by Chris.
Everybody’s gonna die.
ok guys just leave the dead alone anyway he dont give a fuck on what we say against him… he live his life the way he wanted it to be… maybe of his spirited youth he intentionally or neither oblige himself for his responsibilities either of this could occur on his sense but still he pursued his will of path to adventure… he did not want to make a deal out of it he just wanted to do it… theres neither of us have the right to tell him what to do with his lfe because we all have different circumstances and we all have different levels of thinking… but i am very sure of this there were only few like him who ventures to pursue their dreams despite of the odds at risk.. men like him makes great discoveries for themselves or maybe for every sentient beings.. I personally admire his spirit… despite of his foolishness… his realization paid off… HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED.. he does inspire a lot of people… he did not have to inspire the haters out there he just wanted something to share, something of different experience…
WOW! your all hoes and you can eat my traskh and lick that cow fully in the moouth. chris was a bum and now hes dead so suck it
hahahaha
Personally I think Chris was unique and he had a dream which he actually accomplished. I know I hardly follow through with any of my dreams…so he really is someone to look up too! And if you think he was an idiot, keep it to yourself! What good can come out of you being so negative about someone, especially someone you didn’t even personally know??
Its totally disrespectful to slag off the dead, so don’t do it.
To quote little thumper……”IF YOU CANT SAY SOMETHING NICE, DONT SAY SOMETHING AT ALL”
NUFF SED!!!
R.I.P MR SUPERTRAMP
I recently read Into the Wild and watched the movie and I couldn’t help bu t searching Chris mCcandless on goodle ,youtube ,blogs everywhere I am just so curious to know more about him.I admire him for his courage and what he did going out there on his own doing what he WANTED to do and he obviously touched everyone he met on his way to his adventure.Sometimes I just wish I can do what he did because at this point of my life I dont know who I am anymore,anyways I dont think I can ever do what he did but he will stay in my heart and I hope to God that I can meet him one day and have long talk because I know we would get along instantly hahaa.I love you Chris and always think about you!
its u all that are stupid he did what he wanted hes happy it doesint matter if what he did was stupid or not it doesint have anything to do with you people
stop insulting the dead!!!
I believe he was an intelligent man, but was un-prepared and hadnt thought his journey through properly, I think during the end of his time his body started to wear down, and he didnt realise until it was too late and was too weak to do anything about it. Kinda sad really.
RIP.
The thesis that McCandless was a troubled youth, scarred by years of parental strife, rings true with me. He was emotionally unbalanced. In his quest to find inner peace by escaping all human association, he did a very unwise thing by venturing unprepared into the Alaskan bush. As Dirty Harry said, “A man’s gotta know his limitations,” which Christopher obviously did not. However, some of these condemnations of him are extremely mean-spirited and unnecessary. He was not a murderer or child-molester, just a troubled young man who, through his own foolishness and naivete, brought about his own demise.
The thesis that McCandless was a troubled youth, scarred by years of parental strife, rings true with me. He was emotionally unbalanced. In his quest to find inner peace by escaping all human association, he did a very unwise thing by venturing unprepared into the Alaskan bush. As Dirty Harry said, “A man’s gotta know his limitations,” which Christopher obviously did not. However, some of these condemnations of him are extremely mean-spirited and unnecessary. He was not a murderer or child-molester, just a troubled young man who, through his foolishness and naivete, brought about his own demise.
Chris did what he believed in and if he hurt people along the way, he realized on the end. I’m sorry if people do not believe the same things, but don’t go hating on Chris.
This harsh criticism of McCandless is uncalled for. He’s not a criminal. I suspect the anger is fueled by the hero worship and accolades heaped upon this disturbed individual.
Haters gonna hate
He give a more the half of life for the people.satisfaction and finally when he realized his quest for why he should think about them…certainly he did when he died and realized the love..but where he got this realization people? are u a dumb ass..! he did what he was supposed too, common people u can’t give all your life running around people, making money…just enjoy it and do what u want to do..i bet most of the people even haven’t moved out of their state..try it and u’ll find..why..
Seriously, it was his own life. He did with it what he wanted. He wanted to live alone, in the wilderness. I would love to do that for a little while. Just because his story was publicized you all think you have the right to say whether he was right or wrong? That’s exactly whats wrong with modern day society. Everyone like you. I think he was just another human being, just living how HE thought he should for the time being. It sickens me to think that all of you could judge him the way you are, GET OVER YOURSELVES. You go fucking try doing what he did. See how far you get Assholes.
zila,
what are you 18, 19, 20? He needed intervention is what he needed because he couldnt get past an issue with his father, he left his family and basically destroyed them. It was cruel and on purpose to spend two years letting them suffer, and wonder, just because they were imperfect, so was he very! People who knew him at the slabs knew he needed some sort of psychiatric intervention. And guess what most people dont do what chris did because it was stupid!!!!!!!! And if any of us did we certainly would have brought more supplies, CHris was lost, naive, cocky, and it vengeful against his family for not being perfect. In the end and based on evidence i realized the mistakes he made per supplies, etc, but it was too late then. And you talk like you know some of it but not all of it. Research my friend beyond the movie and certainly beyond the book. I hope they have gotten that bus out of there forever and you sound like a snotty nose,cocky kid who by the way is judging the rest of us because you think we judged him. This isnt about freedom and living the way you want to, this was about stupidity, psychiatric issues, and cockiness. And he paid, but the people he left behind paid terrible and still do. And do you think you could write without calling people curse words.
Who thinks of anyway chris used to learn about him self?
I’ve read the book and seen the movie. I understand how people can praise him or criticize him. He did more than most in just following his dream. But the problem I have with him and the whole freaking thing, Is reguardless of poison berry’s or ranger stations, the tram a quarter of a mile away. Is that when he tried to cross the river and it was to high. To me if you have ever ever been to a river just to fish or whatever you’ve tried to walk down it to find a place to cross. So I really really just can’t fathom why in the hell he would just give up on the idea of crossing the river. To me its just common sense.
ok, i understand that alot of you dont enjoy Christopher McCandless very much. but he did what he wanted to do. and it never affected you or had anything to do with you so why do you care how he died? sure, he got a book and movie and magazine article written about him, and a LOT of publicity. but if you actually READ those articles, its absolutely obvious that he wasn’t the kind of person that would do that on purpose. he wanted to go out, and live. he did what he had ALWAYS wanted to do. ok, so he killed a moose/caribou. one, im sure you aren’t very ‘off the hook’ because of all of the pollutants and chemicals and just by NOT RECYCLING. chris was a very eco-friendly guy and he HATED himself for killing that innocent animal. he wouldnt even start aforest fire(SOS) to save his life. he died instead of burning some dead old alaskan trees. his life had nothing to ever do with you, so just leave him alone.
this is kind of like going up to a druggy and yelling at them for not being able to provide for their family. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU. and, you cantdo anything about it now, so stop stressing yourself out. just let it be.
I love how some will just pick out one sentence from a comment they don’t agree with and write a paragraph about it. The man followed his dreams, yes? He was happy and thats all that matters. Hes not preaching to the world that everyone should do this…heck hes dead, have a little respect. Everyone lives their own way and not one single lifestyle is the “right” way- there isn’t one. He died fulfilling a dream and I’m not romanticizing this but how many people have actually done that? Sure he could have saved his own life with a bit of common sense but honestly many people could have made the same mistake. His death is a tradgedy but he followed his dream. Say what you will about him, I only hope that we can all be as happy as he was at least once in our lives.
beautiful.
There will be no way to satisfy every single individual with regard of McCandless actions. Foolishly to a certain degree because beings who are happy with the comfort and easiness technology brings about, have no purpose to agree with McCandless’s actions or beliefs. Hero because McCandless did reckless things the average American thou shall not dare to experience, yet still remains the fact that while he was at joy, other where at despair due to his actions.
At any rate, the perspectives taken by many may harshly oppose McCandless often contradicting statements as a deadly punishment for going against Mother Nature unprepared and even scared as stated in the beginning of the story. Whereas, followers and believers of McCandless might remark that he did the “right” thing by throwing away the privileges and luxuries that many of us can’t not even reckon to consider as a good outcome.
The pursue of happiness differs from person to person and whether it was stupid or brave what Chris McCandless did is not up to anyone to decide but himself. He was consciously aware of the consequences the journey would bring, yet he did what he thought was best for him. He had achieve “Utimate Freedom.”
As I mention before, his actions might be question or admire, but the one being able to judge his or her actions is that person himself.
Hey, I wasn’t knocking the guy. It’s just that that particular line resonated with me. He was young and dumb, like we have all been. To that point, he was able to push himself mentally, and his body followed. He crossed a line though, and his body simply couldn’t hang. Admirable in a strange way, but as others have stated – no very bright.
i just watched the movie about him.. and started to adore his wisdom.. i know he made wrongs this and there, but hey, when you are in a desperate situation, what other that you may think about, plus, you are alone and nobody to discuss with. and, nobody perfects. everyone makes a mistake, include Christ McCandless
young age, do not have enough experience, what else he can do.
R.I.P Christ
Since when is wanting to discover yourself after a lifetime of being controlled by an abusive father and possibly mother selfish? What would you have done if you grew up like he did? People who are materialistic and aspire only material things will never understand the message he was trying to convey. In his mind if he didn’t go a little unprepared then there was no challenge.
Playing it safe and prepared was not what he wanted to do. It was his life and he died smiling in a photo holding his good bye note. Most people at that age are not bright yet and youth is about testing yourself. He actually had the balls to go out and do it. He knew he might die but why is that of anyone else’s concern. He was hurt by his family and did not feel he owed them an explanation-living your life the way you want to live it is not selfish-it is your right.
Chris was after an adventure, and whats an adventure without a risk? He could have brought maps and whatnot and completely eliminate any risk, but thats not what he wanted. Its his life, and for the most part he knew what he was getting in to. Don’t disrespect him by calling him stupid. He lived how he wanted to live. He lived a happy life.
Chris was after an adventure, and whats an adventure without a risk? He could have brought maps and whatnot and completely eliminate any risk, but thats not what he wanted. Its his life, and for the most part he knew what he was getting in to. Don’t disrespect him by calling him stupid. He lived how he wanted to live. He lived a happy life.
Not stupid, but unprepared….very unprepared. You are write to say take a risk, but don’t you think even the greatest of risk deserve some semblance of intelligent thought?
I met right
He was starving when he tried, you know you don’t think clear when you’re in that state right? I think a lot why do we care more about existing and not living.
The only reason people are saying he was stupid is because he died. If he did die and made it back to the world he would have been miserable. He left because he didn’t feel that the madness of the world was for him. He learned so much about the world and people on his travels that none of you would understand unless you did the same thing as him. It is a very sad thing that he didn’t know about the bridge over the river, but he didn’t have a map because he choose not to. I feel he wouldn’t have gone back to his town, he would have kept moving, kept walking. He had tasted it and loved it. So I’m glad that he found him self and lived with himself. Without anyone telling him what to do. I will forever cherish that.
Everyone has to admit chris had his flaws. He held a grudge against his father that was in the past. He was over confident, and not cautious. Still even if he is all of this at least he did what he wanted to do with his life. Instead of all of us who just want to eat drink and get married. He broke out of that cycle and lived. You should not criticize him for wanting to go out into the wild. All you should really care about is that he was at least happy. Most of us can not say that. We might be okay with how our life is going but we can never be truly happy until we do what we had dreamed. So until you have actually lived like he has you do not know what he felt.
“Anonymous
Everyone has to admit chris had his flaws. He held a grudge against his father that was in the past. He was over confident, and not cautious. Still even if he is all of this at least he did what he wanted to do with his life. Instead of all of us who just want to eat drink and get married. He broke out of that cycle and lived. You should not criticize him for wanting to go out into the wild. All you should really care about is that he was at least happy. Most of us can not say that. We might be okay with how our life is going but we can never be truly happy until we do what we had dreamed. So until you have actually lived like he has you do not know what he felt.”
Speak for yourself about what this young man did, in fact you should think wisely of it. Yes go live life but do it in a manner that suggest wisdom on level. I grew up with nothing in Newark, New Jersey, and decided to see the world, so I joined the military. From California to Alaska and all points in between. I have met men and women from all walks of life; even a state representative’s son during my time in the Marines…….all with their own reasons. In reality this young man was searching for happiness and it was around him all the time. Your life is your life, it may be jacked up; but it’s your life!! I think you should read the book again and watch the movie again then make an analysis!!
Loved the eat, drink and get married part and made me think that it’d suck to be the same, like everyone doing the same equal thing in our life’s.
Now I agree with this!!
I understand both sides. But escaping and punishing your parents, sister and friends is not the way
who will live 4ever?
Lol All the comments I’ve read of people insulting Chris, they’re full of anger and they seem pretty arrogant, I bet they’re not sensitive at all, I admit Chris did not make a wise choice when going there without knowing or having experience but he showed what true freedom is, THANKs ALL OF YOU SAYING THAT HE WAS DUMB FOR BEING FREE, NOW I KNOW WHAT HE MEANS AND WHY HE DID IT, It was his life and yea go criticize him but let this fucked up people of today like lady gaga, ke$ha, lil wayne teach our society all that crap they sing, I liked Chris story way better and I WOULD DO IT, it’s passion being out there living free. I bet you all had a dream and forgot it because felt pushed to leave it behind, he had the courage to keep it and make it and even tho he DIED for making HUMAN MISTAKES he died HAPPY, I think it’s material to think and concern too much about health and living without being in a risky situation, live your goddamn life, we’re wild animals too, we just created some discipline. Some generations ago when honour was something appreciated a man was considered honorable for killing a bear does that makes him dumb for playing with his life? NO.
READ READ READ READ READ WHY IS MORE IMPORTANT TO EXIST THAN LIVE. you know the difference? He lived more than what he existed, we’re here to live not to exist and the point of being in this world is not to obey laws and society protocol and keep us healthy, there’s something called natural instinct that it’s used for something else apart from surviving. READ READ READ READ READ READ
THEY SAY ”he died from being stupid” but you don’t say that to all the people doing fucked up drugs and dying off OD or maybe suicide like Kurt did, it’s funny how I hear more Chris being called stupid and not all this people who killed themselfs because of society’s pressure maybe Chris felt the same but SMART-LY HE DID tried something but at least he did and found a solution, he made a mistake and didn’t plan but that’s x100 smarter than a lot of people out there that are actually considered smart but can’t even find a solution to them life’s drama. People are just more depressed and
Chris was a foolish man who was illogical. He did not bring any form of communications, or compass, map, etc. He could have survived with ease by bringing these materials.
I think he certainly was running away…
running away from an imperfect family in which he was part of the inperfection and to blind to see.
running away from conformity, viewing life as just rats in a rat race, he was blind, that is only one side of humanity not all of it.
Running away from logic, reponsibility, compassion, decency…
Running away from the fact he was gay and could not come to terms with it…Chris ran, he ran so far he couldnt come back, a hero…no, an icon….no a person wo through their life and loved in the garbage when so many oters would have loved and appreciated that same life….i hate this story i am a mother of four and i think i would be absolutely devestated if any of my kids did what he did, i would know that the child didnt and couldnt love me, what kind of souless creature was he, two years he made them suffer before he went into the alaskan wilderness with a massive ego, idealistic ridiculousness and a bag of rice, idiotic! And unforgivable
I keep seeing these comments about how he was so cold how could he do this to his parents over and over. What are you people talking about??? This wasn’t a child. This was a grown young man. is he supposed to be indebt somehow and owe his parents something for his entire life? People enter war at 18 no one likes it but no one says “how could they?!” That line of thought is ridiculous. He endangered no one but himself.
This post was meant for another but this computer keeps messing up what i click on.
I respect chris because of his courage his will and because he went all the wa y to acomplish whathe wanted
accomplished what he wanted? assuming what he got was what he wanted, he coulda saved himself the time and jumped off a bridge
You can’t say Chris was a fool. He’s a man that wanted to be independet from our modern society’s norms and values. How he did it and how it went doesn’t make him foolish. Because he refused to carry a map and the fact that he abandonned his family doesn’t make him a fool. It’s his opinions, not yours! I totally admire his picture of the modern world and i certainly agree on most points. But the fact that he made some mistakes doesn’t make him foolish. I wouldn’t adapt his way of going into the wild, but yet I admire his dreams and way of thinking!
It’s meant for us to focus on his dream, not on his failures.
How perfect we all are? How many times in your life has anyone either fallen and/or almost fallen after taking a shower/bath because they were too much in a hurry or wasn’t ‘clearly’ paying attention to minor details? Studies have shown many people have died simply by falling from taking a shower…an unfortunate accident. What has happened to humanity that we judge so quickly? Are any of us perfect? If so, then please judge, please ridicule, and please speak your mind on how ‘stupid’, not only Chris was, but how ‘dumb’ he was because he could not escape in what many consider the most harsh conditions to survive in (btw-he did it for over three months with simply a 22., 10lb of rice, and limited supplies–try that and then get back with me).
First, none of us know what predicament he was actually in. Even with the coroner’s report, he had been dead at least two-three weeks in the frozen back country and who knows if he actually sustained an injury and how long it may have taken to heal prior to death (that may have kept him from crossing via another route or finding another path out–yet, by then, starvation may have been the culprit and may have indeed caused his death). As far as a plant, the body’s, especially when partially starved, metabolism changes and the temperature, I’m sure, played a huge role on how fast he digested and burnt what he ate. If he was borderine starving, he what he ate would have metablized extremely fast due to the energy consumption via the body’s temperature in those conditions. I’m not as quick to agree w/the coroner’s report that Chris simply died from starvation because he didn’t personally see any traces of a deadly plant in Chris’s body. I believe Kraukauer may be partially correct with some of his theories based off of studies from fungus in the roots from several poisonous plants. Regardless, again, NO ONE knows exactly why he was unable to get out. I can tell you this. It wasn’t because he was unintelligent.
People forget his multiple and numerous glorious adventures prior to Alaska. So many keep focusing on Alaska, Alaska, Alaska…I’m so tired of hearing about this stupid manual tram 1/4 mile down the road. He had a map. Unfortunately, the map he had was a topographic map that did not show the crossing. It was either an older map or wasn’t updated. Also if he did sustain an injury, as ‘he’ reports on his SOS, then 1/4 mile could have been twenty miles depending on the injury. It’s also ironic that the troopers that found him, those trained in the back country and the terrain were ‘unable’ to identify Chris for weeks. Yet, all they had to do was look in his backpack where his wallet had been the whole time? What type of mistake would one call that? Does that make them just as ‘dumb’ and ‘stupid’ as Chris? People are so quick to judge. One thing we know…Chris ‘appeared’ to be an honest individual throughout his entire journey. We know this because of those he met along the way, his sister, family, and friends; and not to forget his own documentation of his journey that aligns perfectly with what others have verified.
The truth is, Chris was not perfect or imperfect. He was simply HUMAN. How he died will always be a mystery. However, I have NO doubt it was because a lack of intelligence. He aced his classes at Emory, his father was a rocket scientist, and his mother an extremely resourceful woman. He came from a highly educated family and background. He had a college education from an esteemed University. He lived on the road with little supplies for yrs. before Alaska-even during the summers at HS and at Emory. He worked odd jobs to sustain this beautiful life he loved. Chris used the Missions as a way to rebel against the govt., not to take advantage of it. He even decided to leave that behind as well. I’m sure he felt guilty. Did he take any missionaries to Alaska for the three months while he was there? NO!
People need to stop judging. The exact spark and philosophy that forced Chris to live instead of just being alive. Of course he wasn’t perfect. Of course he made mistakes. Who doesn’t? Who hasn’t. But because he died, he become a public figure of disgrace to many, while being a major inspiration to others. Yet, no one even knows the actual cause of death. They can only speculate as I can. What we do know is that Chris lived in this environment for over three months w/very little supplies. Even the most esteemed of Alaskan survivalist will tell you that, in itself, was an extreme accomplishment. He tried to leave. This proves he didn’t go in there to die…but to live; and as far as some of his quotes such as “Happiness only real when shared.” I have no doubt he learned that from his adventures over the past several yrs. prior to Alaska. We also don’t know when he wrote that quote? Before Alaska, after Alaska, and/or prior to his death. One would, again, ‘assume’ prior to his death. For arguments sake, let’s say he wrote it then. That doesn’t mean he had some ‘awakening’ that what he was doing was a mistake. If so, the pictures he took of himself prior to death would have looked different. He wouldn’t have been smiling; and esp. in the very last picture a few days prior to his death.
The bottom line and the same idealism that Chris was trying to avoid, is that society can be cruel…Yet during his journey, he may have eventually realized that there is another way of living without having to face the so called ‘society’ he despised. Hence, “Happiness only real when Shared.” Just because he died doesn’t change a thing. Millions die everyday for making mistakes, and I’m still NOT convinced Chris actually made one. But if he did, it wasn’t intentional and it wasn’t because he starved to death without a purpose. Meaning, he either did get sick by what he ate, or he was injured based on the SOS sign he made. I will always be enlightened and grateful for all the people who documented this story. It has truly has changed my perspective on life, to be more giving (remember, he did dontated 24k to a non-profit org. call Oxfam of America) to not be so self absorbed, and to be kind to one’s neighbor as he was to all that he met along the way. He wasn’t perfect, just like the rest of us, but I will give him credit for his hard work, living life via his own terms and while being extremely content and happy over the course to find his identity.
When I read some of these post…No wonder Chris wanted to get out of this ‘sick’ society! So…He did and did so with Vigor! R.I.P Supertramp!
I think what he did was his choice and people with there comments putting him down for not surviving thats pathetic he did not have a death with he wanted freedom and everybody has different dreams and opinions i think its dumb that when u read these posts the people insulting each other personally you cant make people have the same opinion as you by having a go at them SERIOUSLY have your
own opinion and leave it at that!!!!! I think he showed courage and discovered what he needed regardless if it was wreakless or no prepared thats obviously not what he did andsome people never take a chance in life and regardless of how he did everything happens for a reason.I admire him and from everything i have read i like to think he was a free spirit even if he did leave his family its not like he was living normally and choosing not to speak to them and even if he did whos to say thats wrong NOONE will ever no what really happened behind closed doors with them dont assume if you have a good relationship with your family that everyone dose and look down on them for there choices.
KJ i agree with you very much
McCandless didn’t go to the bus to die, he went to live, or at least what his idea of iving was… and that was living off the land, cut from the apron strings or society. He thought he possessed the skills and information to pull it off as well as the intelligence to make informed decisions. Well, he was wrong on all accounts. The arrogance of a privileged youth and a rebellious nature and the inability to admit defeat or even recognize it resulted in an avalanche of misdecisions and and uncontrollable fall toward his eventual demise from simple ignorance of what was necessary for what he was trying to accomplish. Now he’s dead and just another statistic of an all too soon death.. He’s not a hero, not a saint and not a good role model – neither was Timopthy Tredwell/. But they each paid for their mistakes. There’s no analyzing his death. He died. End of story. He just died. that’s a lll. He just got there before you or me.
Let him go.
To: e
You seem to know very little about Chris and/or any who died a tragic death throughout history. If you believe otherwise you are simply saying, this person is better than the other. I want to first expound upon your state “The arrogance of a privileged youth and a rebellious nature and the inability to admit defeat or even recognize it resulted in an avalanche of misdecisions and and uncontrollable fall toward his eventual demise from simple ignorance of what was necessary for what he was trying to accomplish.” Rebellion may have played a part in Chris’s adventure but it wasn’t the sole cause. He had been taking trips to California before he ever graduated. He was in the boy scouts for several yrs. and loved the outdoors. He traveled multiple states, met many people,and worked several odd jobs, mostly with Wayne in S.D. His accounts had NOTHING to do with being “privileged.” What is the “inability to admit defeat in an avalanche of decisions?” Chris wrote he had the best of times during his, roughly, FOUR yr. journey on the road. Again, I cannot understand why people just consider his death, which you seem to emphatically consume yourself with, and absolutely have know clue how intellectually bright Chris was. Intelligent people die every day for many reasons (running a red light a killing themselves or entire families. That happens frequently throughout the entire world); and your statement that “he thought he didn’t posses the skills is to live off the land” is also another misconception. You see, he did to live off the land, with enough supplies for four months and was healthy and happy when he was ready to leave. People act as though he was miserable, starving, and an idiot the entire time he was in Alaska. It couldn’t be further from the truth, until the last few weeks. Chris’s only mistake or that we ‘may’ know of is that he couldn’t pass the river. What we don’t know is the injury he sustained, either that day, or shortly afterwards. Chris stated it in his journal and posted a LARGE sign for fellow Moose Hunters that may pass through–showing he needed help. Because Chris is not stupid and would have found another way out had, there is no doubt in my mind that he not injured. Again, this has been clearly documented. If there is a mistake in this tragic story it’s that Chris didn’t let anyone know where he was so they could check up on him, after so many days. I’ll give you credit there. He should have been more thoughtful in that way because there were many who loved him and Alaska is tough terrain. But in a way, that was who Chris was. It was his destiny; just not necessarily yours or mine. He was a loner but enjoyed the company of others based of several individual accounts, and did not go to Alaska to die, as clearly noted in his journal entries. Trust me, if he could have found another route out, especially if his map would have had the river tram on it, he would have done hi best, assuming he had not already been injured by then to make it out. But something happened, which he noted, that kept him from leaving and that something NO ONE will every know–at least not now. Other than that, he survived in Alaska more than most ‘experienced’ rangers could, with limited supplies, for roughly the four months he was there. In a way, his death is a tragedy because he was an intelligent young man going after his dreams, while trying to put behind some of the ‘demons’ he carried along with him but mostly because he utilized God’s gifts to a higher degree than most man will ever do. We have become too complacent and have forgotten that life is actually a beautiful thing; especially when you look at it from a nature stand point and all the corruption he was trying to escape that exists in this crooked world. He gave 24k to charity. That showed he cared. If he was so “privileged” he would have bought a brand new car and/or accepted his parent’s offer for a car after graduating Emory. Just because you grow up in a wealthy family doesn’t mean you are wealthy. Have you even read Chris and Carine’s back story and what they endured? That doesn’t make them privileged because their dad beat their mother and divorce was lingering in their face daily, with both of them being forced to pick sides at such a young age. Who doesn’t have burdens in their lives? He just took a different approach by living off the land, with other people, and working odd jobs in multiple states. He also experienced more than you or I will most likely experience, externally, in an entire lifetime–or at least for most. God’s beauty. He was around it daily, appreciated and valued it, and cared deeply of his surroundings and new experiences, which were many. Hence, that’s why it makes this story so profound and touches the multitudes. It’s not about ‘letting go,’ it’s about remembering someone who did the unthinkable just because he could and wanted to. He followed his dreams and the truth is, most will never do the same in their entire life. He lived more in those four years than many will every live in an entire life. Society has become too complacent, self-absorbing, and can easily point the finger of Chris’s tragic story, when you or the average and/or above average intelligent man/woman could ‘easily’ run a red light tomorrow, by accident, and be “dead, dead, dead.” Your quote, not mine. Because of that, several books, a few films, and multiple threads like this have been up for several yrs. He died in 1993 yet we are still debating his life. In my case, I’m defending it based off of what I know and will cont. to be an advocate for Chris as long as I’m alive. Obviously, even the naysayers, he had some sort of an impact, or they simply wouldn’t respond in these threads. I will stress Alaska one more time. It wasn’t his only adventure. It was just his primary goal of beating the odds, which he did, until an injury or eating something by accident that ultimately pinned him, literally, “Lost in The Wild.”
“Not very bright” is your name? It should be. You completely misunderstood the purpose of Chris treking off on his own. It wasn’t about being safe and comfortable, it was to be out and away from people like you who think that safe and comfortable is the “smart” and only way to live. Chris was alot smarter than you because he realized something you ignore. The fact that we are all going to die and though we can maybe slow it we can not prevent it. Chris lived his life the way he wanted instead of bowing to it like most of the rest of us. I only recently read this book but it was a real eye opener. Chris was an insightful young man.
At Jaimw, who are you directing you response toward–their handle name?
At Jaimw….forget the question, I see it was a general response to from the writer of the article.
Honestly, I see Christopher McCandless as both an admirable hero and a senseless a idiot. For instance, I admire his taste of adventure, courage to stand up for what he believed in,and his ability to let go of materialistic objects. However, I strongly disagree with the way McCandless carried out his ambitions. For instance, why did he have to completely abandon his family,he did love his little sister Carine after all, even if he hated his parents. Also, why change your name to “Alexander Supertramp”? Why live a completely irresponsible life with minimal obligations and no career what with the great academic background he had?
I grew up in Alaska, homesteaded and still have acres of remote property up there. What Mccandless did in being alone and staying with the bus instead of following the game is a modern mindset & made him unable to live life on a basic level in the bush. Alaska Natives, no matter what ethnic group, show us that cooperation and migration are the keys to hunter-gatherer survival. and as we all know, happiness is a byproduct of survival. My personal belief is that he was mentally ill (schizophrenia, given his age and gender) If you are not already wacky, spending 100 days alone in bush alaska could do it!
http://www.tifilms.com/wild/call_debunked.htm
for a scientific explanation of why mccandless — without a cooperative group of hunter gatherers to reap nature’s bounty during the short times it’s available (think trying to butcher a half ton moose by yourself and then preserve it) starved to death
I’ll complain that you have copied materials from an additional supply
I was hitchhiking in Idaho a year and a half ago and this guy picked me up. He went to school at Emory University. We talked quite a bit about Chris McCandless. This one class that he took the professor and students studied Chris McCandless’ papers.
One time I was hitchhiking in western South Dakota and this lady picked me up. She said that she and her boyfriend picked up Chris McCandless hitchhiking in South Dakota. It’s a small world.
“Chris McCandless Revisited”
http://tim-shey.blogspot.com/2010/08/chris-mccandless-revisited.html
The question is always ‘why’, and the answer is always ‘who knows’ ?
I grew up in Southern Africa…and have worked as a field guide, game ranger, mountaineering guide, river guide and cultural guide for the greater part of my life in Botswana, Nambia, and South Africa.
I come from a poor family, with my Mom living in South Africa and my father living in Nambia. Like Chris, i don’t really have a relationship with my father…However i do love my mother very much and could never abandon her, like Chris did his family. I do understand why he felt the way that he did.
Maybe Chris was foolish, Maybe Brave, or like some of you call him…STUPID!
I just spend to years babysitting rhino’s in the Northern part of South Africa.
I think poaching is stupid!
I think poaching is foolish!
By the end of 2012 there will be no more Rhino’s left…
Soon there will be no more great wilderness for us to have adventures in…
There will be no more wildlife or magnificent forests or unpolluted rivers for us to enjoy!!
I spend a great deal of my time out in the wilderness and it saddens me greatly to come back to the city and see yet another shopping mall where a beautiful open landscape use to be…
Society has became, has taken the form of a VIRUS…WE WILL CONSUME UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING LEFT FOR US TO CONSUME…
Why can’t we live, like the San people ( bushman) in harmony with our surroundings????????????????????????????????????????????
I admire Chris, and i do feel the need of removing myself from this poorly constructed system or prison to live in harmony, in nature, along side nature, in solitude until my time comes.
The San people use to say: to die is for the wind to blow away your footprints.
After reading all these comments and while writing my own, i can’t help to thing of the electricity i am wasting and how i am still contributing to a system which is busy destroying all that is dear to me.
You do not need electricity, the latest car or fashion item, you do not need a new bike or computer! Why do you want a face-lift or a new cell phone…
You need only that what is necessary: Basics my darling. Food, shelter, water,etc
I am done preaching….Chris might not have been the brightest spark, and the boy did get himself killed. But he had a point.
i will rather be alone in nature, than be part of the destruction!.
I am going back to my San roots, to live life like it was intended…the way it was before Africa was colonized by the Western world.
Shumba
…..you guys are all ridiculous…Chris McCandless was a stupid radical that went too far to try and figure out what true happiness was..and to those people that think that he was all “happiness is when it is shared” that is bs…he said so himself that relationships was a hassle and wouldn’t bring one joy…and to all those people who believe he did something about his “dream” and became a happy camper in the wild, well think again…he knew that there was a chance that he would die out in the wild, but when the time came, he panicked and wrote and SOS letter to whomever would be able to help him..so if you guys don’t analyze this book thoroughly stop pretending that you think you know what you’re talking about..because you don’t..this isn’t some story about a brave guy defeating all odds and living his dream…no he was too rash and sudden and stupid for going out into the wild without any preparation…and one crucial thing that people keep on forgetting is that HE DIED EATING WILD PLANT SEEDS…..now some research could’ve prevented that, no? and so many of you guys are all “we don’t need money! we don’t need cars or electricity!” but how many of you really are going to get your butts of your chair and actually live a life without anything??damn none thats how many…..all talk and no walk…
Again, you are simply looking at this wrong. It’s not all about life or death. He wanted to beat the odds yes, but more importantly he wanted to live free of the stupid worries that plague us everyday. That was the happiness he sought. It;s very likely that if this avenue of escape didn’t present itself in his mind he’d have just outright killed himself like the so-called normal angry kids. It was never about being safe to him. Really I think all the people that attack him are just jealous of the attention his death got him. You have to admit that’s stupid since Chris never planned the media strom and would never have suspected such attention. Everything he did he thought he was doing anonymously.
The guy just needed to work stuff out in his head and then go back home… He made the mistake of not being prepared and paid the ultimate price. Nature is an indiscriminate killer.
@Pepper…He was prepared. He survived almost four months in one of the harshest, if not the harshest, terrains in the world. He had been preparing for this his entire life–just didn’t know it until his teens. He failed via the Tek River. He didn’t expect the water level to have risen so much in just a short period. Remember, it was full of ice and an easy crossing when he first trekked the roughly 25 mile trek. But, in a way, I guess one could call that not being prepared. I just hope your definition is the river and not his living conditions. Because he clearly documented via photos and journals he was well fed until it was time to leave. If you are speaking of the time he spent in the wild, you have been misinformed. Yes, Nature is a Beast! I’ll agree w/you there.
Plus, I don’t believe it was all about working stuff out in his head. People forget the many trips in HS, over the summers, and the two yrs. prior to Alaska. He may have felt led it was his final calling to destroy the angry he was holding twds. his parents but in a sad/tragic way, I believe he accomplished this while in the while. He makes reference to it into a book phrase and poster he created. He was looking for solace but not only in Alaska. That’s just where his story ended. Since we don’t know the rest, we’ll never know what or where he was heading next–most likely he was heading home. But that’s just my theory.
Three examples:
CM because of how he thinks/believes goes into the wilderness alone and ultimately unprepared, including not knowing how to keep himself fed in the wild, and he dies as a result.
A delusional and psychotic young man walks alone into the same wilderness and ultimately unprepared, including not knowing how to keep himself fed in the wild, and he dies as a result (same death as CM).
A third young man of average intelligence gets kidnapped and then dumped into the same wilderness alone and ultimately unprepared, including not knowing how to keep himself fed in the wild, and he dies as a result (same death as both above).
Given the above information and the same outcomes:
Should we feel sorrier for any of these folks than for the other(s)?
Are any of these folks somehow more admirable than the other(s)? If so, why?
Are any of these folks more responsible for their deaths than the other(s) are?
book sucked and i burned the movie!