Society’s values influence people to construct their personal mores around them, and those who do not are not accepted by society. In our society, those who have well-paying careers are valued above those who do not. So when McCandless decided against following the path society expects him to, his parents were upset. “Chris informed his parents that he had no intention of going to college. When Walt and Billie suggested that he needed a college degree to attain a fulfilling career, Chris answered that careers were demeaning ‘twentieth-century inventions,’ more of a liability than an asset, and that he would do fine without one, thank you” (114). The haughty tone with which he ends the sentence shows his confidence in his decision to live how he wants to live rather than how society expects him to. His parents, who McCandless sees as conformists, want him go to college so he can have a career that is “fulfilling”, which to society seems mean wealth. However, McCandless chooses not to be a conformist by rejecting the path that society deems proper and …show more content…
The truth is that in our society education is highly important to have stability in life, so it makes sense that his parent were worried when he said he did not want to go to college. If I was in their place, I too would have wanted the best for McCandless and insisted he get a good education. I do think that McCandless is admirable for following his own path and not worrying about society's standards. At the same time, he seems a bit selfish despite his charity. He seems like he wants to impose his views on others because he thinks he is right, and when people do not completely agree, he cuts them out of his life. His stubbornness and withdrawal caused his family a lot of pain and worry. Even though he is kind to many people, I think he is inherently selfish to the point of being
In the book “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless had many decisions to leave his old life behind and start over. Chris’ decision to leave was justified for the following reasons. When he suddenly disappeared, it made it easier for him to let go of his past and focus on what he wants to do in the future. McCandless could make all his own decisions, nobody had a chance to tell him that he could not leave and certainly did not allow anyone to find out where he was going. Finally he didn’t agree to social norms.
College was a chance and opportunity for higher learning discoveries of McCandless’ strengths and weaknesses. Attending Emory University and receiving exemplary grades was another achievement that he was able to do on his own, “His grades were nearly perfect” (136). If McCandless was indeed insane, he would not have been able to receive the grades he did, he had to follow the rules and not be an outcast.
A large amount of young people will hear McCandless’s story and become inspired. They become inspired to leave their homes, families, jobs, and money to go out and experience the world with just the clothes on their back. They do this to attempt a journey of self discovery. He inspires people to do things just as he did. The results were death and yet his story still encourages people to do as he did.
Mccandless sense of self confidence while trying to find his identity helped him to progress in life, but was also his greatest downfall; Into the Wild demonstrates self confidence as not an unacceptable trait to have, but the significance of the negative or positive effects it can possess. Confidence played a big role in Mccandless life, so much that he created relationships with his family and other people that caused him to go on his adventures. Throughout this book Mccandless expresses his hate towards his parents. When he was old enough to realize that his dad had cheated on his mom this particular aspect changed him.
Chris McCandless may first be described as a rebel and his inclination to abstain from the family he was brought up with. Krakauer says that he 'believed that wealth was shameful, corrupting, and inherently evil '. Despite that, Chris always liked money. Chris was also a very independent person who had a strong relationship with nature. Chris was also the kind of kid to always get good grades, without even trying to.
McCandless based many of his actions on things he read by his role models. He developed an ideal society on the teachings of authors like Estwick Evans. Estwick Evans says, “I wished to acquire the...virtues of savage life; to divest myself of the...imperfections of civilization...and to find...more correct views of human nature” (Krakauer 157). McCandless, therefore, rebels against society in order to enjoy the savage life. Chris
In life some feel the need to prove something to others. That they are better, stronger, or even more intelligent. Whatever the case may be people will go through extreme measures to prove themselves. But who do we really need to prove anything to? Is it our parents?
People rebel when no justice being served. It is understandable why people act a certain way. Have you ever loved someone more than yourself? A person is your biggest pride and joy to be safe? Can you imagine how it feels to no longer have your pride and joy with in a split second, due to the way they look?
Chris McCandless was in his early 20’s, he was the kind of that guy that wanted to learn and experience life without all of the material things. He wanted to be independent from his parents and friends so Chris did something that would be insane for most of us humans but to him, it wasn’t. He went into the wild of Alaska for months, in fact, McCandless even thought he could make it out alive at the end of his journey. As a matter of fact, he was known as being a risk taker and enjoyed being out and about in the nature side of the world. Many would believe that Chris McCandless went into the wild to purposely kill himself; however, I myself believe that McCandless did not do it purposely.
Everyone sets their goals at different expectations than others which is why you typically don’t go for the same goal as other people. The adventure that McCandless went on was dangerous, but it fit his expectation to be independent and to find where he belongs. McCandless valued self-reliance ,he needed to be his own person, with his own vision and way of thinking so that others wouldnt influence him along the way. He recognized that the only way for him to find his own truth would to be self-centered and focus on his own being first, without others clouding his sense of
For this, McCandless should be admired for his views for allowing him to live his best life. In conclusion, McCandless is not a reckless individual who perishes due to arrogance. Instead, he is admirable because his ideals have allowed him to live with true happiness. He waits long years and even breaks his values temporarily in order to achieve his goals.
Chris McCandless abandoned the modern world and chose the wild because he believed that he could improve himself through living in the wild, and found the true happiness of the life. McCandless abandoned his wealthy family because of his complicated relationship with his father, and he was ashamed with his father’s adultery. Therefore, McCandless believed that human relationship was not the only thing that forms happiness, instead a man’s connection with the nature brings joy as well. He also believed the habitual lifestyle was not what people were meant to do, and people shouldn't have more possessions than what they need. For this reason, McCandless traveled with little effects.
It took just forty five days for United States citizens to acquiesce their rights to freedom and privacy for the sake of safety following the events of September 11, 2001. Forty five days is how long it took the United States Congress to pass a law that gave up the very concept of liberty upon which this country is founded. The morning sky was a brilliant shade of blue with not a cloud in sight in New York on that fateful day of September. That all changed at 8:45 AM when a Boeing 767 jet plane tore into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Eighteen minutes later, a second Boeing 767 bit into the sixtieth floor of the south tower.
McCandless values education and is an intelligent man who graduates Emory University with a degree in a grueling major (Krakauer 20). He never contributes much effort into school since the work was easy for him, unlike his colleagues. This makes him extremely confident in all his abilities and is never faced with any problems. The absence of conflict affects him and provides a belief that to find his individuality and identity, he should find something to test his life skills. McCandless is also able to gain traits of being stubborn.
It is also obvious that the disdain he holds for his family specifically his father is a driving force in his rejection of the traditional American dream. Though McCandless rejected human contact by leading a solitary life on the road and in the