Comparing Chris McCandless, Jon Krakauer and Everett Ruess

In Jon Krakauer's novel Into the Wild, the main character, Chris McCandless, seeks nature so that he can find a sense of belonging and the true meaning of who he is. However, it is the essence of nature that eventually takes his life away from him. At the end of his life, he is discovers his purpose and need of other people. After Chris McCandless death in Alaska, Krakauer wrote Into the Wild to reflect on the journey that McCandless makes. Krakauer protrays McCandless as a young man who is reckless, selfish, and arrogant, but at the same time, intelligent, determined, independent, and charismatic. Along with the irony that occurs in nature, these characteristics are the several factors that contribute to McCandless death.

Everett Ruess and Chris McCandless were two very different men, with two very different backgrounds. However, these two had the same dream; they wanted to tramp around in Alaska. When looking at Everett Ruess’s story and Chris McCandless’s story, many similarities and differences are present. But no matter what their stories are presented as the main point is that they always followed their own desires. Everett Ruess and Chris McCandless were similar in a number of ways.

Throughout his journey, McCandless met several people who genuinely wanted to help and befriend him. However, he was so committed to his Alaskan Odyssey that he felt like human relationships were just a distraction, not a necessity. One of these people, Ronald Franz, enjoyed McCandless’ company so much that he wanted to adopt him. McCandless reacted to this proposition by pursuing a job offer and discreetly slipping out of Franz’s life. Once the job offer proved to be a fluke, McCandless desperately called Franz and asked for a ride. By asking for help in the form of a car, McCandless demonstrates that his journey was beginning to challenge his beliefs. Although McCandless was initially against materialism, he was beginning to realize that it was also beneficial to his journey. By abandoning his old beliefs, McCandless demonstrates that exploring nature is an experience that can significantly change one’s beliefs.

Everett Ruess was one of the three men who went off by themselves to conquer just like McCandless, even though Everett “…was after the beauty…” (Krakauer 87). Gene Rosellni is kind of like a story like Mr. McCandless because they both had a career ahead of them and went to great schools, but decided to live out of his backpack. John Waterman is another one that kind of was in the same position as Christopher because he also had a good life but decided to leave it all behind

Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, describes the adventure of Christopher McCandless, a young man that ventured into the wilderness of Alaska hoping to find himself and the meaning of life. He undergoes his dangerous journey because he was persuade by of writers like Henry D. Thoreau, who believe it is was best to get farther away from the mainstreams of life. McCandless’ wild adventure was supposed to lead him towards personal growth but instead resulted in his death caused by his unpreparedness towards the atrocity nature.

Throughout history, people encounter a stage in their lives where they feel the necessity to assert their independence and challenge their abilities and self-worth. In the book, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, the author shares his understanding and kinship with the main character, Chris McCandless, a young man who thrusts himself into a life of solitude and a harsh environment during his search for meaning to his life. Krakauer depicts himself and McCandless as modern day transcendentalists with an abundance of competency, resourcefulness and skills as naturalists. Although McCandless chose to experience a life of solitude and face the hazards that nature presents, his lack of preparedness prevented him from completing his endeavor successfully.

Teenagers and a lot of young adults have commit in a lot of adventures by going into the wilderness, in which they are seeking of high risk and freedom. Krakauer an American writer and mountaineer, who is the author of best-selling non-fiction books wrote this book about Christopher Johnson McCandless and he talked about how he believed that he died by a simple mistake that he made in the wilderness of Alaska. Jon Krakauer tried to communicate to a special audience which narrowed down some of his techniques that he used and still manages to keep McCandless as a special human which is a big accomplishment for him. In this essay I'm going to use the writing of Krakauer to show how he trying to make us believe that Chris was like any other person and that he died because of a simple mistake.

Do you ever have your moments when you want to get away from everything and everyone sometimes to be alone, be able to do what you want, to be yourself, or maybe to just think? I know I do and that's what Chris McCandless did by going into the wild. Although many may argue that Chris McCandless’s literary heroes were his motivation for going into the wild, I believe that McCandless’s main reason for his adventure was his problems he had with his parents..

Throughout his life and journey, McCandless identifies himself distinctly through his actions. In McCandless’s lifetime at home, he was always a very confident person and never did as he was told. During school, he never followed the rules, as a runner, he always pushed himself, his actions weren't like the other individuals in his community; he never really fit in with society (Krakauer 108-112). During

A quote from William Bolitho states, “Adventure must start with running away from home”. Into the WIld is a true account of an individual who seeks the natural land of Earth to develop a better life for himself. The author, Jon Krakauer, publishes the series of events that lead to the death of a young nomad, Christopher McCandless. The mysterious death of the runaway intellect was investigated by Jon Krakauer, an editor who retraced McCandless’s steps and interviewed everyone that had an interaction with McCandless or his alias, Alexander Supertramp. McCandless left everything behind, including his wealthy and bright future, to start a new life as a nomadic hitchhiker. He intended to begin a life of religious philosophy, connecting with nature, to connect with himself through optimism, self-reliance and nonconformity, a life of transcendentalism. As he traveled around the Western United States, Christopher McCandless lived an optimistic life which allowed him to overlook the dangers and hardships of his journey detached from society.

    Krakauer uses a triad to illuminate how educated and experienced McCandless was in his life. He deliberately uses the words of average Americans to highlight the positive experiences coinciding with McCandless’ travels. He quotes, “‘He was smart. He figured out how to paddle a canoe…’(Krakauer 46).” In his two year journey, McCandless experienced a lot and Krakauer ensures that point comes across throughout the pages. He goes on to add, ‘“He’d figured all that out on his own,’” Krakauer adds a sense of confidence to his image of McCandless, ‘“I felt sure he’d figure out Alaska, too’(Krakauer 46).”

As a kid, he was athletic joining sports and wanted to join without the fact of learning how to do it. As he grew older, he joined his cross country team in high school. His father Walt states, “He resisted insisted instruction of any kind” (111). When McCandless sets a goal, he was going to achieve it,no matter the consequences . For example he chose to run away from his parents and society in his trips he made during summer.

In the book Into the Wild, the author, John Krakauer, writes about his own life and experiences in an attempt to “throw some oblique light on the enigma of Chris McCandless.” John Krakauer succeeds most in shedding light on Chris McCandless through writing about his experiences with his own father. Lewis Krakauer, John Krakauer’s father, was apparently a very intense man who tried to force his children to become doctors and lawyers. John Krakauer says that when he “did not enter Harvard or any other medical school but became a carpenter and a climbing bum instead, an unbridgeable gulf between us widened.” John Krakauer’s feelings toward his father are very similar to Christopher McCandless’ feelings towards Walt McCandless, his father. John

As people grow up, they recognize the “real world” is not as pleasant as they first envisioned. Chris McCandless falls victim to this false advertisement. He originates from a wealthy family who, without a doubt, spoil him with love and introduce him to his adventurous side. At a young age, Chris and his father hike together; the love of nature seems to correspond with the McCandless family. Nature correlates with serenity and silence. Both are essential to balance out a hectic lifestyle while unifying the family bond. To the contrary, Chris does not feel the bond within his family hikes, and instead, he refrains from connecting with others.

The places we visit throughout our lives can sometimes leave a bigger imprint on us than anything else. The novel, Into The Wild, by Jon Krakauer, displays a man, named Chris McCandless, who selfishly goes into the Alaskan Interior alone. The places he visits and the way he connects with the people and places around him before and during the journey help exemplify who he is.