What defines a person as a hero? Somebody who is admired for their courage, nobility and achievements? What about a fool? Somebody who lets their inexperience and selfish dreams guide them to their death? Both of these terms could be used to describe Chris McCandless and his trek across the country to his destination of Alaska, but which is he really? To author Jon Krakauer, he was a hero and his courage should be admired by all. To Alaskan natives and to the public, he was a selfish kid with a death wish. McCandless willingly walked into the wild, ill prepared to face his destined fate ahead of him. McCandless lived an average life with an average family, just like everyone else. He had loving parents, although not the best relationship with his father, and a loving sister. McCandless’s fascination with nature began with his father taking him hiking on mountains, yet he was never satisfied. So when McCandless graduated college with above average grades and a secure life ahead of him, he left. He left his home, his family, and, eventually, his life. Chris McCandless left home with only a bag of rice, a blue sleeping bag, the clothes he was wearing,…show more content… He only wanted to do want he wanted, with his family never in mind. They saw a bright future for him, yet he refused. Leaving only a note behind and never any postcards, McCandless left his family questioning if they’d ever see him again, which he answered by his death. Jon Krakauer provided a quote from Chris’s friend Westerberg, whom he’d met along his trek. “Not speaking to your family for all that time, treating them like dirt” Krakauer quotes Westerberg on page 64 of Into the Wild. The quote shows how even the people Chris came to know thought he was foolish and quite selfish for leaving his parents in the unknown and taking their love for granted. A family is a love that can never be
