Chris McCandless: he who dared

This year, Christopher Johnson McCandless would have turned 42 years old. Yet this year marks the eighteenth anniversary of his passing. His name may be obscure, but the biographical work “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer and director Sean Penn’s film adaptation may seem more familiar.

McCandless was born to an affluent family on Feb. 12, 1968. He graduated from Emory University in 1990, after which he proceeded to donate the $24,000 remaining in his education fund to the charity Oxfam. Then, he severed all communications with his family.

For two year, McCandless wandered the continental North America, taking on odd jobs and subsisting on bare necessities. Ultimately, his journey led him north into the Alaskan wild where he met his untimely death.

For some, the actions of McCandless seem insane. And his character seems totally alien in comparison to that of an average individual. Yet, looking beyond how novel his story appears, McCandless’ intent, at its base, is one that can be seen in the human character.

As English teacher Holly Dietz remarks, “There’s something about being authentic that [McCandless] was going for there. Like a hunger for something that’s real. You know, something that’s not fabricated by society or whatever . . . stripped down, essential self, and sometimes you get there by placing yourself in extreme situations.”

McCandless’ experience in the Alaskan wild with a minimal amount of provisions, while admittedly foolhardy in many respects, could have been an attempt to be rid of superficiality and pursue an “unpackaged” existence. It resonates with how originality and novelty are oftentimes celebrated characteristics, and sincerity being a commendable quality.

Sophomore Daniel Gorn adds, “I think [McCandless] is embodying the id of the human psyche, and that is something that everyone can relate to. Because what he lived, for that period of time, was unrestricted freedom. He had just graduated college before that, so he could have had a comfortable job, made a lot of money, the picket fence, the golden retriever. But instead he set out to do what he wanted to do. That doesn’t make you crazy; that makes you sane. What’s crazy is not doing what you can do, curled up in the house in the fetal position, pretending that life’s not existing. That’s crazy. I think everyone can relate to wanting to just go: to not be restricted by money and societal pressures on everything. To just live, do.”

AP Biology teacher Katherine Ward comments, “[McCandless] is on an existential search. I think he was looking for some sense of efficacy . . . I think at some point, you aren’t really sure what they’re capable of, and at some point, people need to find out what they’re capable of doing…From the standpoint of a teenager, you have no sense of that because somebody else takes care of you. So when you’re first forced into that is probably when you’re in college.”

Ward adds, “Now I think [McCandless] took it to the extreme. Am I able to take care of my own stuff without having to work within a system; without having to be part of a system that I do or don’t believe in? Now, is that admirable? I think it just is. I think it just is the experience of being human.”

Almost any person will elect freedom over confinement to a set of dictated principles. Almost any person will chose authenticity over superficiality. Almost any person will pursue a life with a purpose and greater understanding. Almost any person will want to know themselves, perhaps in the sense of their own abilities.

McCandless’ true thoughts and motivations for what he did are virtually unknowable. We can only speculate based upon writings this person left behind, the experiences of people who interacted with him, and each individual’s personal thoughts and opinions.
To this writer, though, Krakauer’s thorough investigation leads him to believe that McCandless’ experiences alone and in the wild are symbolic of these ideas: of freedom, of pursuing happiness, of seeking understanding.

Yet at the same time, McCandless’ tale represents the line that divides ideology and reality. While humans can and have followed an idea to great lengths, their pursuit ultimately stands to be limited by the fact that humans are, well, human. There is a divide that separates what can be done in life or death, and as in the case of McCandless, you only need to cross the line once to terminate the journey.

In effect, McCandless should not been seen as an absolute radical. His actions may have been “extreme,” but fundamentally, he can be seen in many, many people. In no way is he reflected in every individual to the same degree of extremity. Yet every person can find McCandless in some way in what they do, what they think, and who they are.
Happy holidays, Mr. McCandless.