Into The Wild Tragedy Analysis

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People learn from tragedy and mistakes, not from being perfect and never making errors. Cormac McCarthy wrote how tragedy is the most important part of life and nothing is learned from simply good fortune. Good fortune can only get someone so far in life, it is tragedy that teaches the greatest lessons life has to offer, how to cope with tribulation, and how to learn and evolve from it. Coping with tragedy is a skill that can only be obtained through experience. One must truly live through anguish and suffering before they can learn to cope with it. Managing the pain that comes with tragedy can seem unfeasible at times, nevertheless, it allows us to become stronger. Illustrating the effect tragedy has on the ability of coping, Juliet Capulet, …show more content…
Pain and suffering may appear at first glance to be simply pointless happenings, however, they have the power to truly change people, for better or worse. Seemingly dreadful experiences allow for people to find themselves in the pain and result in revelations about oneself and their beliefs. Exemplifying the impact tragedy can have is Chris McCandless, an outgoing extremist in Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild. Chris sought adventure and new experiences, living off the land and surviving on sheer will. He had survived various near-death experiences during his journeys, however, it wasn’t until his actual death experience that he reached his revelation. Chris made a mistake, he ate something he shouldn’t have and suffered the consequences. He became weak and eventually starved to death. It was through this tragedy and truly excruciating experience that he finally learnt the lesson life had been trying to teach him. He had prefered a fairly isolated lifestyle and was too arrogant for his own good, prompting his disastrous demise. Chris realized his imminent end and apprehended that he would not be able to survive alone, he needed assistance, so he wrote a note asking for anyone who happened upon it for aid. Enduring the pain, he was finally able to grasp the concept that sometimes people need help, and that society, for all of its faults, can be