Chris McCandless was a young man who hiked into the Alaskan wilderness with very little preparation. His story was made famous by the book Into the Wild, written by Jon Krakauer. Unfortunately, Chris McCandless’ death was also a result of his journey Into the Wild.
In April 1992, Chris McCandless arrived in Alaska and began hiking into the wilderness. He had very little experience in survival and did not bring enough food or equipment with him. As a result, he soon began to starve and died in early September 1992.
The exact cause of Chris McCandless’ death is unknown, but it is believed that he died of starvation. His body was found several months later by hikers who were able to identify him from the Into the Wild book.
Chris McCandless’ death is a tragedy, but his story continues to inspire people who read Into the Wild. His journey Into the Wild was full of adventure and taught us that we need to be prepared when we venture into nature.
Chris McCandless’ death, while tragic, was due to his own lack of knowledge and awareness.some people may have thought that outside forces were at play in his untimely demise, when really it was simply a mistake on McCandless part.
When Jon Krakauer published an article aboutMcCandless in Outside magazine, he received hate mail from readers who blamed him for the young man’s death. It was initially believed that McCandless had confused two similar plants- the wild potato and the toxic wild sweet pea- and accidentally poisoned himself when consuming their seeds.
However, upon further investigation it was revealed that the wild potato is in fact not found in the area where McCandless’ body was found. It is now believed that he mistook the roots of the toxic sweet pea for those of the wild potato. This mistake ultimately led to his demise.
McCandless’ lack of geographical knowledge can be accredited to his arrogance and desire to find himself. He foolishly thought that he could survive in the wild with little to no experience. His death could have been prevented if he had taken the time to educate himself on the area he was planning to venture into. Additionally, if he had told someone where he was going or even left a note there is a chance that somebody would have found him before it was too late.
Chris McCandless’ death was a tragedy that could have been prevented. His arrogance and lack of geographical knowledge led to his demise. However, his story has inspired many people to venture out into the wild and find themselves.
After further research, Krakauer discovered that McCandless had been poisoned by the wild potato plant’s seeds, which were not described as being toxic in any published text. Alaskan residents had previously dubbed McCandless as “ignorant” and “unprepared” for supposedly confusing the similar plants.
While McCandless’ decisions might not have been the wisest, they were common for young men his age who go into the wilderness seeking adventure and never come back.
The Into the Wild Bus 142, where McCandless’s body was found, has become a pilgrimage site for young adults.
Despite this, Into the Wild has been criticized by some as being overly romantic and idolizing McCandless’s actions. Krakauer has been accused of exploiting McCandless’s story for commercial gain. However, Into the Wild is widely considered to be a classic of modern nonfiction and continues to inspire readers around the world.
Although John Waterman and Carl McCunn were similar to Chris in many ways, their stories ultimately ended differently. JohnWaterman was severely traumatized and obviously mentally ill, while Chris was neither of those things. Additionally, when Chris made a mistake, he did not expect to be rescued like CarlMcCunn did. As Krakauer stated: “It is not unusual for a young man to be drawn to a pursuit considered reckless by his elders.”
This was part of the Into The Wild book where Krakauer was Montaigne in his essay, talking about how young men are often reckless. Recklessness does not mean death wish. And this is an important distinction that Into The Wild makes. Chris wanted to live; he did not want to die.
Krakauer argues that Chris McCandless’s Into The Wild death was a preventable tragedy. Krakauer believes that if Chris had not been so idealistic and read more into Jack London’s works instead of just admiring him from afar, he would have realized that what he was attempting (walking into the wild with little food and supplies and no knowledge of edible plants) was foolish and would likely lead to his death.
Chris’s Into The Wild death could have been prevented if he had not been so naïve and read some of Jack London’s works instead of just admiring him from afar. Chris McCandless was an intelligent man who made a foolish mistake because he did not have the experience or knowledge that he thought he did. If Chris had taken the time to read some of Jack London’s work, he would have realized that what he was attempting was foolish and would likely lead to his death.
Into The Wild is a story about a young man who makes a foolish mistake and pays the ultimate price with his life.
McCandless’ death was caused by his own drive to test boundaries and not from arrogance as some have assumed. It’s tragic that he didn’t realize there were already survivalist cabins close to where he was staying in Fairbanks bus 142. If Chris had known about these resources, it would have been easy for him to avoid dying. Furthermore, another crucial issue which stopped McCandless from leaving the wilderness was failing to cross the Teklanika River safely.
In Into the Wild, Krakauer expertly uses rhetorical devices to provide insights into McCandless’ character. Krakauer employs pathos by providing intimate details of McCandless’ final days, making the reader feel empathy for McCandless as he slowly succumbs to starvation.
Furthermore, Krakauer uses ethos to establish his own credibility as an adventurer who can understand McCandless’ allure to the wild. Lastly, he uses logos by detailing the events leading up to McCandless’ death in a logical manner, providing readers with a clear understanding of how McCandless could have prevented his own demise.
The book Into the Wild is about a young man named Chris McCandless who hitchhikes across America and eventually into the Alaskan wilderness. Chris McCandless was extremely intelligent, finishing high school a year early and graduating from college with honors. He was also an experienced outdoorsman, having gone on numerous backpacking and camping trips in his lifetime.
Chris McCandless’s story is heart-wrenching because it is so preventable. If only he had known about the cabins near by or the fact that the river he was trying to cross was too dangerous, he could have easily avoided his untimely death. Krakauer does an excellent job of making the reader feel empathy for McCandless while also providing insights into his character. Into the Wild is a must-read for anyone who enjoys adventure stories or wants to better understand the allure of nature.