Christopher Mccandless In Into The Wild

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Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts. (American Heritage® Dictionary) This is embodied perfectly in Christopher McCandless, Into The Wild’s main character. Throughout the film, we learn several of his positive and negative attributes. For example, at the beginning of his life, he is portrayed as a very ambitious young man; he is driven and determined to do things his way. He is courteous and educated, both intellectually and morally; but his plans differed from those his parents wanted to impose over him. He felt …show more content…
His true, raw self was ecstatic: finally feeling free from what he deems as shackles. On his journey, he met several people with whom he shared life-changing experiences and took important advice from. He chose the nomadic life and everything that came with it: no attachment to a specific location due to a job, no fixed schedules, exemption from unnecessary social interactions and the power to decide his future for himself. He held a special value towards his sister and some of the friends he made along the way; this proves that he was grateful for every moment in which he was able to live life the way he wanted. Eventually, Chris went as far as cutting himself from these people as well. Growing fond of a person meant that he had some sort of connection with them and that is something that evidently disturbed him. This was noticeable in his relationship with Ron Franz, whom he left cold-heartedly, almost without remorse. He then began to alienate himself from any and all social contact, which ultimately led to complete isolation in the cold Alaskan grounds. From his point of view, this ‘alienation’ is something he had to do, for it was the only way to truly be in contact with himself and live life the way he feels it was meant