Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a true story about the life of Chris McCandless, who abandoned his family and personal belongings after college graduation to live off the Alaskan reservation. After his corpse was discovered, Krakauer wrote an article about Chris’s expedition as a vagabond. Through the feedback he received and with research and interviews, the author was able to retrace Chris’ steps and compile this brilliant, groundbreaking biography. This is a story written in the perspective of the many helpful people Chris encountered along the way that assisted him on his journey. Although some may have viewed Chris’s path to be feckless and irresponsible, I found his desire for adventure to be an inspiring page-turner, the embodiment of a curious, bold American spirit.
From the very beginning, you find out about Chris’ death leaving you questioning his initial motive and personal background. The event of his death hit me with surprise, but the mystery shrouded around his reason for adventure kept me interested and itching to read more. We find out that ever since he was young "there was always a little wanderlust in the family, and it was clear early on that Chris had inherited it” (Krakauer 75). At age 8, the precocious child went on his first backpacking trip with his father to Shenandoah. As he grew older, he would venture out on his own, curiously exploring the unknown. Two years before his death during Chris’ trip to California, he discovered that his father “continued his relationship with Marcia [previous wife] in secret, dividing his time between two households, two families” (Krakauer 84). Through his resentment, Chris continued to live his life as a lie, harboring his feelings from his parents. His emotions continued to boil as time went by, avoiding his friends and family until the day of his graduation.
Chris was a chivalrous young man who befriended many interesting strangers while he drifted across the country. Throughout the book, each chapter contains the story of each individual Chris met and some whom he revisited from time to time. He was always saved from a tight situation by good Samaritans who gave him a lift, fed him, offered a job, or even a place to stay. Soon thereafter, he would always make a lasting connection with them within the short amount of time that they had together. In the early chapters, we get introduced to many helpful people, but one man stood out the most - Ron Franz. He had asked Chris if he “could adopt him, if he would be my [his] grandson” (Krakauer 39). Franz took Chris under his wing during his encampment at the Salton Sea and became invaluable to Chris, giving him rides to San Diego and even Colorado. When Chris dodged the request, it was a very disappointing and depressing moment for me, but I was amazed at Chris’ ability to immediately bond with anyone he meets. Deep down inside, I knew he wouldn’t accept the proposal. He had a goal, and stubborn as he is, he wasn’t going to settle down until he had accomplished it. Many tried to stop him in his tracks, warn him about the dangers of Alaska, but their words went by Chris unfathomed. All they could do was assist him and prep him for what lied ahead. As introduced in the first chapter as the last human being Chris met before his demise, a man named Jim Gallien gave him a lift to Denali National Park, Alaska. Gallien tried vigorously to dissuade Chris but failed miserably at every attempt. As he dropped Chris off, Gallien lent him a pair of boots, his phone number, and his lunch. Chris was supported throughout his adventure until the very end and he wouldn’t have made it thus far if it weren’t for every single individual that he came across.
Although we read about Chris’ death before the remaining chapters came into play, the curiosity of how he lasted for 100 days and how he died inspires you to side with his idealism. He had abandoned his family, his Datsun, and donated all his money to charity – he had nothing else to lose. Chris was camped in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness surviving off small game, but it was obvious that he was living his dream. Many negative letters targeted Chris’ stubborn idealism, but this foolhardy young man was bold enough to escape the puppet strings of society. We all live according to the norm, trapped within the boundaries of rules and regulations. It’s inspiring to see that someone had the courage to step outside the circle. His death was unnecessary and could have been avoidable, but even till the very he remained happy. On a blank page torn from a book, he wrote, “I have had a happy life and thank the lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!” (Krakauer 136). The ending leaves you feeling sadness, but at the same time you realize that Chris was at peace the moment he set foot on the road. We should all learn from him. Not necessarily living life as a vagabond, but to strive for whatever makes you happy.
Krakauer did a great job organizing the flow of the story, but once he included his autobiography, it became a turnoff. He mentions his indifferences with his father and a life-threatening situation where he was stranded in the mountains of Alaska. It’s great to see that he’s safe and that he can sympathize with Chris on a similar level, but it was definitely unnecessary in the development of the story. Instead of taking up the two chapters leading into the climax, he should have added onto the “Author’s Note” at the beginning of the book. Your respect for the author might increase after reading his personal problems and life accomplishments, but skipping these two chapters wouldn’t affect the story. Overall though, his writing tactics are still phenomenal. The organized mess as the story progresses reminds you of Quentin Tarantino films and how they became masterpieces. With Krakauer’s autobiography placed aside, Into the Wild comes close to being one of my personal favorites.
Whether Chris was idiotic or a unique human being, he had an interesting story to tell. The chapters were organized in a way that randomized his chronological timeline, but also it kept things interesting from beginning to end without the need to dread for the climax. As the story began to develop towards the end, you piece together the events and realize the beautiful story behind Chris’ life. The author did a great job tracking down everyone that Chris came in contact with on the road and accumulated many interviews. Without everyone’s help, this biography wouldn’t have been as interesting because every individual was responsible for a part of his story.
