Into The Wild Chris Mccandless Selfish Essay

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An admirable man. To some people Chris McCandless was a courageous individual, to others, he was a reckless idiot. Based on a true story, Into the Wild by John Krakauer follows the tragic journey of a young man who gave up everything in search of true happiness. Growing up as a wealthy white kid on the tidy Virginia streets of Washington DC— Chris’ picture-perfect family was far from perfect. From physical to emotional abuse, his parents manipulation made it a troubling childhood. In his sisters novel, The Wild Truth, she shares a note that Chris wrote to her months before his departure: "Once the time is right, with one abrupt, swift action I’m going to completely knock [our parents] out of my life. I’m going to divorce them as parents… I’ll be through with them once and for all forever.” The breaking point for Chris was when he found out his Father had a secret second family. During his senior year at Emory University, he isolated himself from friends and family. After graduation, his …show more content…
He found that the real challenge is stopping and using all the senses you have along with intuition to find out what is right for you— he found his path. McCandless gave to those who are struggling to find themselves, and proved that there is a chance for people to do what is right for them. These ideologies tell us about his societal views. He goes on to say that careers are “twentieth-century inventions,” and that he does not need one. During this century young people began to live different lifestyles and change their expectations of society. Overall, Into the Wild is a highly polarizing book. The love/hate relationship will all depend on your view of Chris McCandless. You will either admire his transcendentalist philosophies, or be infuriated by his pure selfishness. Into the Wild is a striking read that will leave you with something