Mrs. Seay
Honors English III
8 September 2016
Into the Wild Essay
Into the Wild was written about a man named Chris McCandless who did things his own way, despite his parent's wishes. After graduating college, he left for the road and eventually never came back. He was smart, too, achieving high marks in all of his classes. However, he liked the thrill of being alone and on his own. Chris led a very interesting lifestyle, doing what he wanted when he wanted, regardless of what anyone around him said. In some ways I think very similarly to Chris, in others, my views are radically different. Like Chris, I understand what he feels being independent and why he would want to feel that way as much as he could. He was also very ambitious …show more content…
He would push himself to be independent of as much as he could: friends, family, people money, technology. “Said he didn’t want to see a single person, no airplanes, no sign of civilization. He wanted to prove to himself that he could make it on his own, without anybody else’s help” (Krakauer 109). The only thing Chris would allow himself to be dependent on was nature itself. “The boy could hardly contain his excitement. He was, at long last, about to be alone in the vast Alaska wilds” (Krakauer 111). He found thrill in being independent. I find this thrill also, admittedly not having to go to the extreme length Chris went for his thrill. I found excitement in little things that make me independent from someone or something. Not having to use a calculator all the time, driving, staying home alone all give me a great feeling of responsibility and independence that I find exciting. Often I think about the future of me going to college and being completely responsible for myself, and I find that most exciting of all. Though, Chris obviously did not think college was independence but it was the same feeling evoked, just different extremes needed to do …show more content…
He let nothing stop him from doing what he wanted, living on his own in the world. He donated all his money to a charity against world hunger and hit the road, leaving all family and friends, by choice. “I have a college education. I’m not destitute. I’m living like this by choice” (Krakauer 36). Chris makes it clear that he is doing what he had wanted to do. I think highly of Chris because of that because I understand how many people set goals for themselves, ambitious ones, and don’t really do much in the way of achieving them. Besides just living independently, Chris had a sub goal to visit the Alaskan bush. Traveling to the bush was a main goal for Chris, albeit he did not make it out alive, he achieved his goal nonetheless. “I have my soul set entirely on my Alaskan Odyssey and hope to be on my way no later than April 15” (Krakauer 40). Chris was planning to leave Wayne, someone he met on the road and worked for, on April 15th to Alaska. Wayne tried to convince Chris to stay a little longer before he left but he kept to his plan and left the day he planned