Into the Wild Chris McCandless is a Tragic Hero Essay

Jon Krakauer, fascinated by a young man in April 1992 who hitchhiked to Alaska and lived alone in the wild for four months before his decomposed body was discovered, writes the story of Christopher McCandless, in his national bestseller: Into the Wild. McCandless was always a unique and intelligent boy who saw the world differently. Into the Wild explores all aspects of McCandless’s life in order to better understand the reason why a smart, social boy, from an upper class family would put himself in extraordinary peril by living off the land in the Alaskan Bush. McCandless represents the true tragic hero that Aristotle defined. Krakauer depicts McCandless as a tragic hero by detailing his unique and perhaps flawed views on society,†¦show more content†¦After graduating from Emory University in Atlanta, McCandless’s parents offered to buy him a new car as their graduation present. Contrasting what most teenagers would feel about this news, McCandless was sh ocked and offended, he â€Å"couldn’t believe they’d try and buy me a car† (21). McCandless did not believe in the idea of tangible gifts, he explained to his sister that â€Å"he would have to be real careful not to accept any gifts from them in the future because they will think they have bought [his] respect† (21). McCandless near insecurity of gifts, and his longing for a peaceful and moral world caused him to want to search for another life. After burning his wallet, giving all his remaining money to charity, and leaving his beloved car behind, McCandless abandoned his family and hitchhiked his way west as far as possible. These actions and ideas that McCandless developed while studying in college were only a blueprint for his tragic flaw, which would further establish itself while traveling alone in the West. While on the road and meeting people all over the country it becomes apparent that McCandless tragic flaw is in part to do with his love for simplistic beauty but also because of his fear of forming long-term relationships. Since leaving his old life, McCandless took the role of a vagabond, which he greatly enjoyed. One of the people he met on his adventure was an older man named Ron Franz. AsShow MoreRelatedChris McCandless is a Tragic Hero1005 Words   |  5 Pages In what could have been Chris McCandless’s last contact with humanity he tells his new comrade, Wayne Westerberg, â€Å"If this adventure proves fatal and you don’t hear from me again I want you to know you are a great man. I now walk into the wild† (Krakauer 3). For 112 days Chris lived off the harsh Alaskan land. For anyone who is brave enough to travel on the stampede trail and cross the treacherous Teklanika River you will come across the Fairbanks City Transit System Bus 142. Once a backcountryRead MoreInto the Wild: Chris McCandless is a Coward1193 Words   |  5 Pageswhether an individual is to be considered a hero or a coward lies in their death. The difference is the impact, and the impact differs for a hero than a coward. When a hero dies, the magnitude of the impact on society is greater as society reflects on all the positive achievements that have been accomplished. Their death is more of a rebirth of a soul, the rebirth of hope. However, a coward dies many times before their actual death. The mistakes and tragic falls are considered to be these multipleRead MoreInto The Wild By Chris Mccandless1157 Words   |  5 PagesInto the Wild details the events that lead to the death of the pretentious Chris McCandless. An overconfident vagabond, McCandless causes his own death. Krakauer does his best to turn McCandless into a sympathetic, relatable figure, by appealing to the reader’s logic and emotion, but ultimately fails. By exploring McCandless’ personality and background, Krakauer makes an appeal to logos. From the very start, Krakauer states â€Å"Alaska has long been a magnet for dreamers and misfits†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (4). Is McCandlessRead MoreInto The Wild By Chris Mccandless1989 Words   |  8 PagesIn April of 1992, a young man of the age of twenty-four, later determined to be Chris McCandless body, was discovered in an old Fairbanks bus in the Alaskan bush. Four years after his death, Jon Krakauer wrote a novel titled Into The Wild, the book traced McCandless s journey around much of the United States, across the West side of Canada, and even down to the boarder of Mexico. Over the many years since his death, speculations have arisen about how death was brought upon him. Most believe starvationRead MoreInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer1642 Words   |  7 PagesChristopher McCandless may be one of the most intriguing characters in nonfiction literature. In Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer, C hris McCandless gives up all of his worldly possessions in order to move to Alaska and travel alone into the wilderness. Chris seemed to lead a very privileged life, as he came from a fairly well off family. Chris was intelligent, having graduated from Emory University with a degree in anthropology and history. There is much ambiguity as to why Chris suddenly decides