AP Lang Reads: Into The Wild – Jon Krakauer

In April 1992 a younger man from a well-to-do household hitchiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His title was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in financial savings to charity, deserted his automotive and most of his possessions, burned all of the money in his pockets, and invented a brand new life for himself. 4 months later, his decomposed physique was discovered by a moose hunter.

As I flipped by the pages of Into The Wild, I used to be swallowed by exceptional questions similar to “What does it imply to really reside? Is it discovered within the comforts of society or within the wild unknown?” Into The Wild was assigned as the primary ebook in my AP Language class. This ebook challenged me to consider freedom, materialism, non-conformity, privilege, transcendentalism, and the pursuit of objective in a method I hadn’t thought of earlier than. As we dove into McCandless’s story, I couldn’t assist however marvel: what would drive somebody to desert all the things for a lifetime of solitude? As I swam to the final pages, the ebook thoughtfully provoked my considering course of and gave me the solutions I yearned for.

Into The Wild is a real story a couple of man named Chris McCandless who deserted all his materials possessions and launched into a journey marked by objective and discovering out the true that means of life. He got here from a really rich household and embraced a nomadic way of life. Chris was charming, clever, and handsome, which have been a couple of of his many privileges. Looking out for his true identification, wanting to flee from society’s judgment, and looking for an genuine objective, he treks into the wild with out a lot preparation, cash, or anybody to depend on. He minimize off communication from all relations and as a substitute relied on the connections he constructed all through his expedition. He discovered that the actual that means of life didn’t all the time root in possessions and that there was rather more to life whenever you turned one with nature. Sadly, by his tumultuous voyage, he ended up succumbing to hunger and malnutrition.

The principle themes in Into the Wild are non-conformity, privilege, and man vs. society. These concepts are woven all through the ebook. Some quotes that stood out to me highlighting these themes have been:

1. “On weekends, when his highschool friends have been attending ‘keegers’ and attempting to sneak into Georgetown bars, McCandless would wander the seedier quarters of Washington, charring with prostitutes and homeless individuals, shopping for them meals, earnestly suggesting methods they may enhance their lives… Chris didn’t perceive how individuals may very well be probably allowed to go hungry, particularly on this nation, he would rave about that form of factor for hours.”

In contrast to most individuals, he didn’t care to celebration or bask in issues in opposition to his morals. He abided by his beliefs rigorously and strictly. It goes to point out that privilege might not have been the main trigger for Chris’s choice to enter the wild; possibly from a younger age, he discovered true mild to find his place on the earth.

2. “It was a special story with Alex. He was the toughest employee I’ve ever seen. Didn’t matter what it was, he’d do it: the underside of the holes—jobs the place you’d get so rattling soiled you couldn’t even inform what you appeared like on the finish of the day. And he by no means give up in the course of one thing. If he began a job, he’d end it. It was virtually like an ethical factor for him. He was what you’d name extraordinarily moral. He set fairly excessive requirements for himself.”

Chris’ nonconformist identification peaks out on this quote as a result of most individuals would keep away from doing soiled or laborious jobs, however Chris embraced these jobs. He was a respectful member of his workforce and lent his hand to anybody in want. He pitched in additional than was crucial. I selected this quote as a result of it’s a agency instance of Chris’s persona; it reveals his do-good and moralistic facet. I hook up with this quote as a result of I discover it heroic and highly effective how Chris, coming from such a privileged background, continues striving to be a tough employee.

3. “You would inform straight away that Alex was clever,” Westberg displays, “He learn quite a bit. Used loads of huge phrases. I feel possibly a part of what bought him into bother was that he did an excessive amount of considering.”

Right here, Alex’s instructional privilege is on show. Due to his big range of data, particularly in literature, he discovered it simpler than most to converse and immerse himself in small discuss with others. He had an intelligible, interesting issue to him.

4. “Chris was good at virtually all the things he ever tried.” Walt displays, “which made him supremely overconfident. When you tried to speak him out of one thing, he wouldn’t argue. He’d simply nod politely after which do precisely what he needed.”

This quote explicitly explains why Chris McCandless ended up on this scenario of unpreparedness. Chris was all the time a vivid baby, one other one in every of his privilege. He all the time nailed down all the things he did with out failure. This led him to imagine that he can be simply capable of reside within the wild with none psychological or bodily preparation.

5. “Why would anybody aspiring to ‘reside off the land for a couple of months’ neglect Boy Scout rule primary: Be Ready? Why would any son trigger his mother and father and household such everlasting and perplexing ache.”

I feel this can be a important quote because it highlights the first thought technique of the central following Chris’s story. Even I puzzled what may have induced the connection between him and his mother and father to turn out to be so fragile? or, “have been his mother and father actually so horrible, that he induced them a lot ache and struggling?” I feel these are each very legitimate questions as a result of I imagine if Chris’s ultimate purpose was to reside his life linked with nature and actually diving into transcendentalism, he may’ve simply left his mother and father a warning as a substitute of vanishing.

6. “McCandless wasn’t some feckless slacker, adrift and concedes, racked by existential despair. On the contrary, His life hummed with that means and objective. However the that means he wrested from existence lay past the snug path: McCandless distrusted the worth of issues that got here simply. He demanded a lot of himself–extra, in the long run, than he may ship.

This quote shows how Chris needed to reside his life with true that means and intention, and whereas some might say the way in which he went about this purpose was incorrect, his core beliefs have been one thing to offer respect to. He was totally formidable and was a real nonconformist all through his life. He all the time needed to push his boundaries, assume outdoors the field, step previous his consolation zone, and expertise life’s larger that means and the facility the fantastic thing about nature holds. He embraced transcendentalism and led a life freed from materialism however filled with objective.

One thing I didn’t take pleasure in about this ebook was the variety of characters; although they have been essential to this story, I discovered myself going again and looking for who they have been. Additionally, a number of the POV modifications have been a bit onerous to understand with ease.

Though Into The Wild wasn’t the style of ebook I might usually choose up, it invited me to bask in my ideas and requested me to ponder on my opinion on objective, that means, and supplies. Into the Wild challenges readers to mirror on the complicated nature of freedom, privilege, and the need for deeper that means. By way of Chris McCandless’s journey, we’re reminded that non-conformity usually comes with penalties, and pursuing objective will be each admirable and tragic. I imagine that although Chris McCandless launched into his journey with the proper motives, sadly, as a consequence of his irresponsibility and possibly even elements of his privilege, his final destiny raised questions. In the end, his story is a robust exploration of the human spirit’s seek for identification and fact.