Cheyenne Santos
AP Language
The Unknown Nobleman:
Some readers admire Chris McCandless (Alex) for his courageousness and noble ideas, while others fulminated that he is a reckless idiot, wacko, and narcissist. I believe that Chris is very courageous, and had a dream that he was determined to conquer. In the book by Jon Krakauer, Into the wild, there are many examples supporting his courageousness, as well as his noble ideas.
Beginning in chapter 1, Chris McCandless replies to Jim Gallien, who had asked for his name, by saying “Just Alex”. Chris changing his name to Alex has a lot to do with him beginning his journey, so nobody that he knew could track him down. It also shows that he was smart, knowing not to give up real information about himself. He knew that giving out his real information could damage his plan, if Gallien decided to report him.
Another example is in chapter 3, when Westerberg was talking about McCandless, and said “Didn’t matter what it was, he’d do it: hard physical labor, mucking rotten grain and dead rats out of the bottom of the hole- jobs where you’d get so dirty you couldn’t even tell what you looked like at the end of the day.” This shows how much of a hard worker he was, and his persistence to continue to make this journey successful. This also shows how respected Chris was to those around him and what type of an impact he had on their lives.
One last example from the book is in chapter 6, when they were talking about the ride with McCandless and Franz, “McCandless, however, wasn’t living right at the springs; he was camped by himself another half mile out on the bajanda.” McCandless prefers to keep his distance from others, although he stays close enough to be able to receive supplies and support from others when needed. He remains where he will not be bothered by others, but where he is still within proximity to fulfill his needs. It also shows that he had the ability to meet people anywhere he went. Not only was he able to get supplies from people that he met but he made solid relationships with people, which adds to his respectability.
Some people may argue, saying that if McCandless knew what he was doing, then he would’ve been more prepared, and he wouldn’t have died, but he didn’t die from not being prepared, he died from a poisonous seed, and nobody knew that it was poisonous until after he ingested it. He may not have known exactly what he was in for, but he adjusted to this new lifestyle, and did what he needed to in order to survive.
Throughout Chris McCandless’ life he has been able to encourage people to live an adventurous life, and only through adventure can you really experience your life. Chris McCandless has inspired me to try and find the meaning of my life and to not be afraid to fulfill my dreams, even if I become “lost”.