I received a comment over the weekend from a reader who knew the real Chris McCandless. As you may know, the movie Into the Wild was based on the journey Chris McCandless, played by Emile Hirsch, had across the country and into Alaska. She said:
“I grew up with Chris… the whole situation was tragic. He was a light from the beginning.”
I’ve heard from cool people since I started this blog in September, but I found this comment especially unique and special.
Remember his last diary entry, “Happiness only real when shared.” How true.
Into the Wild comes out on DVD March 4. Bell Guy has it in his Netflix queue. I can’t wait to see it again.
I do find it continually amazing the number of connections we can make around the globe through a blog-site. I thank you for making interesting posts that inspire us to dream as we walk through life.
-C
i don’t know if i’d be able to watch it again. it was such a powerful film. hal holbrook just killed me. and that last shot of emile, haunting.
How cool is that! I am looking forward to seeing this film.
His last diary entry has always been my mantra, only it’s a bit different, word-wise: “The only way to multiply happiness is to divide it.” I didn’t have the fortune to see the movie at the theaters, so I, too, look forward to its release on DVD. I hope all is going well with BG since your last blog revelation and that he understands patience in the formation and progression of your relationship. 😀
I watched this film for the first time on Friday night and was completely blown away. The fact that Chris came to the realization that “happiness is only real when shared” hours before his death, moved me more than anything has ever done. I had not heard of Chris McCandless or his adventure … and I am now fixated by it all. Emile Hirsch was phenomenal in the role and I am amazed at the lack of recognition he received for it … WOW! I am going straight to a bookstore tomorrow to get the book so that I can relive the whole experience … a truly inspiring and human story.
All the way from South Africa 🙂
Never met Chris but I knew some of his family. His nephew, son of Sam McCandless, was my best friend. I have been on Chris’ father’s sailboat and he took me to see “The Last of the Mohicans.”
I remember the news of Chris’ death way back when and they were interviewing the family, etc. I am interested to see the movie.
I did knew Christopher’s sister, Carine when I was in high school. I had just blogged about it few days ago. Haven’t seen the movie yet.
http://underthehill.wordpress.com/2008/03/04/robriefs-342008/
First of all I vave to say sorry for my bad english … I’m italian.
Then, a question.
Is it possible? The real Chris McCandless is completely disappeared behinds movie, book and … money.
It seems It is impossible to find something (writings, photo ecc..) that is writen or done really by Chris … completely diappeared in the name of business …
The movie is quite far from celebrate what Chris McCandless live for.
Gino
I read the book this past week and found it to be absolutely compelling. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a few hours. For whatever reason, I am totally fascinated by Chris McCandless. Ironically, I think this young man would be appalled by the fact that his life is now not only the subject of a best selling book but also a major motion picture as well. It seems that Chris revelled in anonimity and that posthumously, he is not just an American folk hero but a celebrity. I believe he will be a lasting legend and tribute to the free spirit that lurks inside all of us.
Does anyone know where I could go to read some of Chris’ journal entries or see more photos? My email address is mbex77@aol.com
I saw the movie a week ago today and it has haunted me the entire week. I was compelled to read the book just to ensure that the movie wasn’t somehow hollywoodized. Both seem to ring true to Chris’s convictions about life. What a remarkable individual. Disturbed, yes, but who isn’t in this crazy world we have built for ourselves.
Chris’s spirit has touched me like Eva Cassidy. Interesting how “alive and well” they are both here with us today. Probably much more so than if they had lived.
I had started to read the book… it had looked interesting to me….. never heard of it, then the movie came out. I watched the movie – which told me the end of the book. I was aware he died…but I was not prepared for how much I was going to love him. Chris was such a great guy and I think all the time that I wish I could have been there for him. Some people should not leave so soon. I’d like to have been able to sit and discussed his thoughts on life and nature,space and time. I liked his crazy “out of the box thinking”. And I hate that he died for it….I really hate it. He seemed really nice…I’m having a hard time with it…ughhh!!
I just watched this film and I am haunted. Although I knew about Chris I had no idea that his journey killed him. I will forever remember him and I am better for knowing that he was bold and brave enough to do what he needed to do.
I am also very sad that he only found out to late that there is nothing without the company of others.
His life will be remembered.
If anyone knows an email address for his family I would love to convey my respects(after all these years)
Live free
Sean
On one more note
He lived and died on his own terms. I just wish that I could have been one of the few who had the privledge to meet him.
See you around Chris
I saw the movie last friday. Not sure where I was, but I had not heard of his story before. I have thought about little else since watching. Something was missing. Penn conveyed him as a hero; a philosopher, but, it seems with little heroic personality.
After reading several pieces on schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder, and pieces which draw a nexus between Chris’ behavior and very common, established symptoms of serious mental illness, I am convinced he was taken with a severe condition.
I suggest looking at the online excerpts from a book called “Schizophrenia: The Bearded Lady Disease” (excerpt #717) and see what the author says about Chris.
Chris, it seems, was a very talented, compassionate and principled soul. But he was also very ill. That truth doesn’t taint who he was.
After reading into schizophrenia, it is impossible to consider “killing the false being within…” as the poetically philosophical musing that Penn and Krakauer believe; rather, it is the rant of a very sick man, who just some happened to be poetic.
“the false being within” is the “you” that participates daily in the unreal experience of this “world” or “society” we live in…it’s the “you” that kills the real you. not schizophrecia.
i think chris would be glad he has touched so many people, and would be even happier if we let it stick and help change our “world”.
peaces
Bree,
If you read the book, Wayne Westerberg describes Chris’ “gaps in thinking”: How Chris couldn’t smell the rotting in his apartment that Wayne quickly identified as chicken he’d cooked in his microwave, not knowing he needed to drain it. Krakauer uses the story to foreshadow his innocent errors in common sense that cost him his life. Krakauer missed it. The loss of Olfactory senses, the inability to smell, is a red flag indicator of the onset of schizophrenia. As well, Chris needs to be told when he works at McDonald’s to shower; his manager always remarked that he smelled “awful.” He was living in the desert area of California, he had traveled before, he was a well-heeled kid, he could have, as he had before, found a hose, soap, etc. Why was it a problem? Because, again, at the onset of schizophrenia, the person loses their sense of smell, they can’t smell themselves and out of fear-like not being able to hear yourself and you talk loudly- they need to punctuate body odor to identify themselves. His third person letters while canoeing are not nearly as poetic. They are scary: “Alex said ‘hi'” Third person, loss of identity, the ability to see oneself. Schizophrenia.
Chris’ message, like many schizophrenics, was moored in decent and admirable truths. His illness doesn’t diminish his talent and his heart. But he was very sick. We have two camps of thought on Chris Mccandless: Hero or fool. I find more comfort in recognizing his aim and talent…and accepting his illness.
As he noted, more than money, more than possessions, and more than the need more heroic idolatry, give me truth.
I didn’t know Chris Mccandless but I think schizophrenia is a stretch. I know plenty of people (especially people who used to follow Phish around, etc) that stink and don’t care or become acclimated to it. I think 3rd person was just a writing style. When I see the movie or read the book, I think maybe bipolar but we’re all a certain degree of that. Just because he went against the grain, burned money, didn’t shower and so on, doesn’t make him crazy.
Chris ‘did’ care that he stunk. He left the McDonald’s job, offended. He probably felt very disoriented that he couldn’t tell. I don’t think the 3rd person was a writing style. Please refer to his passages on his trip to Mexico. He seems most confused in more settled areas-confused- he arrives in Alaska and stablizes, and then devolves into his 3rd person speak.
I’m not attacking his ‘going against the grain.’ In fact, I’m not attacking him, at all. I’m not calling his idealism “crazy.” But it seems quite clear that he was very sick. Again, if you get a chance, look at the book mentioned in my above comment.
I think to memorialize someone is more than creating an idol. It should honor and show honesty for their struggles, and, in this case, the prospect of illness (at least seriously entertain it), and possibilities less fashionable or poetic than “anti-materialism.” It’s unfortunate that so compassionate a man’s life has attracted rapacious and morbid fascination in the name of “freedom chic.” Tragic.
Where have you found chris’s writtings, are there copies of his journal or any of his pictures??
In the book, Krakauer has many of his entries (though, there aren’t as many as I thought there’ be). He lost film, exposed it, and a notebook along the way.
This guy got owned by Alaska. gg
Cervantes,
That is just a jackass, extreme-sport douche of a comment. Absolute jackass. I would imagine skateboarder/surfer? Dope.
He is a hero in his own right! The guy did something amazing and inspired so many. It wasn’t win or lose for him. He knew the risked that were involved, but that didn’t stop him. I wish I had the drive and ability to shun my fears like him. That guy lived more then I ever will. I see that you are just bitter. In May I am heading to Alaska for the second time. It is an amazing place. I will journey up to the bus and take my picture like so many before me. I think maybe you should go see the area you might change you opionon on the situation. The reason they haven’t take the bus away is because of the tourism money . You should be thanking the people that are inspired by his story for bring more money to YOUR state. He didn’t drive for this attention or ask for it. It followed him due to his amazing story.
Watching the mover, I kept wondering if the literate Chris McCandless had seen the movie “Jeremiah Johnson” which could have inspired him? In that movie, Robert Redford’s character, also spoke with disdain of ‘society’ and learned to make a life on his own in the wild.
I would also recommend to McCandless fans another movie, based on a true wild west story from the 1800s, about a female adventurer, “The Ballad of Little Jo.”
Both of these movies will help feed your hunger for natural adventure.
Ooops – I meant ‘movie’!
Well Frank easy to pass off Chris as a headcase it makes our cosy lives stay cosy ! He may have been a bit crazy but who isnt , at least he got off his backside and did something positive; even though he died in the process he shone a light in the darkness ( maybe even for shrinks and therapists and crazy people too ) but most of all for us people with safe lives who need shking up sometimes ! All the best Chris and I’ll see you on the other side ….Tim
Tim,
I didn’t pass him off as a headcase. He was mentally ill. Who are you honoring by denying that? Him? You? Your lifestyle? The difference I’ve discovered between “extreme sport” people and seriously accomplished athletes/fighters is that the accomplished hate the violent part. They truly understand the danger. Cops, firefighters, park rangers and people who are not weekend warriors, don’t relish dangerous behavior because they understand it.
Large groups of people standing around watching people put themselves in danger, or encouraging talented people/artists to destroy themselves, has always been the way with untalented wannabes. People who have really gone out there and risked their lives wish that others wouldn’t feel compelled to encourage risky behavior.
Perhaps Tim, you should read up on some Buddhism; after the journey, the man grew a paunch. Try to apply that to your thinking. “See you on the other side, man” is trite and silly…and unaccomplished.
I’ve never considered the possibility that other people felt as a feel. That there’s something more out there. As a student today, I sometimes listen to my friends, the people around me. They speak of things all tangible, shallow. Money, careers, “happiness.” I’m not sure if going into the wild is the way to find it but I know that the “it” does exist. I hate to see my life 20 years down the road with a family, 9-5 job, and once-year vacation. When did life become so predictable, planned, empty.
Thanks McCandless,
For Shedding Some Light In The Right Direction.
when i first saw the movie it moved me so much. it made me want to go out into the wild and go on the journey he went o ..
i told my mom bout the movie and wat i wanted to do and she actesd like she didnt care, but that doesnt bother me at all
i believe in wat i want and no one can every change that
im going to the bus this summer with my mom
sjhe saidd she wouldnt mind takeing me
she told me that she lloked up someinforamtion about later that day i told her bout it , and she said it mit be a good thing to go to so im excited to go
i will cry if i go int the bus cus i told myself if i went i was going to not cry but i caouldnt help myself.. but i will cus no matter what i just cant wait to go on the same journey that the man went on he isnt crazy
people alwasy do wat they want to do no matter
we wat they say ..people never listen to other poeple
we never listen we always have to take it up for ourselves and learn our own way
Mentally Ill. I don’t think so. I came of age in the 90’S. Grunge was in. I just read this book last night. I can relate to this man. How many people are facing or have already foreclosed on there homes. How Many really needed a Mcmansion anyways. We now have smaller families than our parents and live in homes twice as big or more. I live in Jupiter Florida and watched a sixteen year old get a BMW SUV for her 16th Birthday. It’s common to see my daughters TEENGAGE Friends carrying $500 purses. $400 video games for Christmas. Video games that cost $60 a piece. How many of us pay $30 to have our feet washed and toes painted. I get why he was searching. He saw what we as a society are becomming. Our American Society is sick. He was just very aware of it. yes what he did was exteme but, he made me think. Not just a little but alot. What are we becomming and what are we doing to our children. Thank you Chris for opening my mind.
Hi,
I just watched today the movie about the young man’s quest into the wild…leaving behing any family ties and earlty possessions…trying to make sense of the world and just concentrating on the vital issues of survival in the wilderness…
I watched he movie a few days ago and found it moving. Emile Hirsch’s portral of Chris McCandless was very touching. I have to admit actually not even knowing this was based a real person, I did think what a naive and idealistic young man he was. It seemd crazy to me as a 45 year-old woman that someone would burn their money when they are in the middle of the desert. Rejection of our materialist society aside (which I can totally get with) this just seemed a bit extreme and lacking of forethought to me. I don’t get the cult hero thing. He seemed like a very good young man, but also somewhat disturbed.
But – I have question. I’ve seen some of those pictures of the real Chris at the bus. Does anyone know how they were take? I assume he had a camera and took them himself, but I haven’t seen mention of it specifically.
I’m hoping that people will think hard before they idolize C. McCandless. He wasted his life for nothing! So inconsiderate of his family’s feelings.
I find it amazing how some people grow to become “legends” when what they truly did in life wasn’t really that spectacular.
In fact….one could view McCandless as particularly ill prepared (and even a bit mindless) for his journey…whether that was intentional…or simple absentmindedness will be up for debate.
Why he didn’t take a simple compass, topographic map, and some simple provisions is beyond me.
Why would a young man who is trying to reject all of society’s material possessions carry a compass or topographical map?
He was trying to live as naturally and unbound as possible. People mock what they don’t understand.
Chris wasn’t crazy at all. It’s our society that has gone schizo.
The fact that everyone is judging him for what he did just shows that he still makes people feel insecure abt themselves. I’m a believer of the materialistic world and wouldn’t let go of all the comforts that money can buy. But if you can’t appreciate his idealism, please don’t pass him off as another guy with a psychological disorder. Who are we to say how someone else should live his or her life?
Frank,
I understand your willingness to make people understand. This is something that derives from personal experience. In some of your replies, you are bluntly bashing people on their thoughts. Just remember, if you have ever read unto Buddhism yourself, that we are all beings that share thoughts and ideas. Some people may have different thoughts than others but that does mean that they are misled or wrong. In my opinion, people learn best when they learn it for themselves. Put an idea into play, and watch it unfold.
As far as the topic of Chris goes, I have seen the movie but have not read the book. The movie inspired me on a whole new level. Yes, there have been many people that venture out and/or live in nature. But I think what makes Chris’ story stick out is that he came from a background that most of us can relate to. Some of us may dream about doing things that Chris has done and that makes him seem like an inspiration. Some of us may be so inspired by Chris’ story and follow his footsteps. But the fact is, this was something that he obviously felt compelled to do and he didn’t just put half the effort into it. That’s what truly inspires me and keeps me knowing that anything can be done with the right attitude and effort
My partner and I watched this movie last night and I am still in awe and quite speechless. You have to wonder how much is real and how much was to make a good movie. I had no desire to see this fim (except to watch Emile Hirsch, but who wouldn’t), but am very glad that I did.
I’m really torn between the material world and the true state of the world. The fact that we have so much and others have so little. The fact that it’s how much money you make that seems to be the most important idea around.
While feeling deeply saddened for Chris’ family, especially his sister, I completely understand why he did what he did. I wish I had the cahoonas to do the same thing (at times). If we all took his philosophy and adapted bits of it into our everyday lives…WOW…what a world it could be.
One more thing…a kind of an “aha” moment…the root of the whole movie in one scene…when he was blown away that you have to have a permit to go down the river…this world has WAY too many rules and regulations that don’t make sense.
Well..that’s it…thanks for lettiing my have my say.
Kalia, all well put…Frank, I’ve read the book, I don’t see a lot of information leaning towards schizophrenia, but thats not my job…whatever…and as he said he led a happy life…hows yours? I admire him greatly for the life he led, and I am so glad he’s touched me, and many others the way he has…his ideas and experience all help me to deal with mine…thanks Chris, you were/are still an awesome human…bree
I can relate to chris alot, sometimes i think about just leaving everything behind and just heading to some forest and living there for awhile. But sometimes I think how scared id be out there all alone. I’am not a really brave person, but i think it took alot of guts what chris did. What chris did, risk his life for his dream to head in the alaskan wild, has deeply changed me today. I think it took a true human being to do what he did.
I watched the movie when it hit theatres and had no idea what/who the film was about. My boyfriend and I left the theatre speechless. I was touched by the story of McCandless and the way he lived and died. Although many knock him for how careless he was I think he was brave for following his heart. Society has made people believe that money is everything when in reality money is not needed to achieve true happiness. It’s true, he made several mistakes that ultimately cost him his life, but he died doing what he believed in…living off the land away from this cruel, materialistic world. The book is even better than the movie and I recommend it to anyone who is as fascinated as I am by Chris McCandless.
I find myself stuck in what to think. While I do believe that Chris was a lovely person, creative thinker and somewhat kind person (to a few), I also think he was a slave to his mental illness issues. To change your name, leave your family (including a sister whom he appeared to love deeply), and ossicilate between two identities while you travel the country seems at once lovely and at the same time tragic. Yes, he wanted to escape this material world and that is a mantra for us all to explore, to live simply while others simply live. However, I believe his need to escape was the result of the OVER stimulus of a normal world–a need to quiet his inner voices–which I see, along with textbook examples of onset, as mental illness at its finest. Some would argue the line between genius and crazy is a fine one, and indeed it is. The Chris in the movie walks on the genius side, I think the Chris in real life was haunted by the other. Profound, a great place to talk from , but a tragic story of how mental illness, left untreated or denied, can lead one to think they are great while really being sadly normal. Plenty of people die on the streets of cities everyday who have “left society”. Leaving does not mean leaving the world for the wild, just checking out for “the wild you create”. Chris did that. Alex, too.
There`s a few places in this world where he could escape from the society and live for his ONLY own.
Unfortunately those places are extremely difficult to live although beautiful sometimes. Robinson Crusoe had easier task with tropical island.
DeeDeeDee
I have spent countless hours in my own life trying to figure out who i truley am, and anyone with wherewithall to read this site or interest themselves with this story or info like it, along there journey are way ahead of the rest of the people out there just trying to fill up a house in suburbia with crap they don’t need. The point that bothers me about the whole story is Chris MC might of done some things wrong or right or indifferent to some, but the truth that lies within the story is the meaning it gives to alot of people. These are the people who will take the time out of their big business lifestyles long enough to watch this Movie or read a book that doesn’t tell them how there 52″ plasma works.If we could get more folks to just start to think a little about where they are in life, just try to understand how they want there lives to be and if there is something that needs changing to go ahead and change it. not wait for the world to fix it for them,teach yourself things,learn…anything and pass it on. If you have kids teach them don’t wait for the teaches to do it there not going to and your just going to end up angery at someone for not doing somthing you should be doing in the first place. That it was Guys like Chris were just plain tired of. Sick I don’t know know, we’ll never know but if thats a mental patient then we need to have some more floating around. Stop looking at the particulars that killed him or didn’t, personally I think he would want anyone taking the time to analize this so much to just look at the big picture. Go home and give your family some love and learn to get out of the life whatever your GOD is what it is meant to be, filed with happiness and if yours isn’t change it only you control that.
Chris Mccandless, hmmm, i read the book, i saw the move, this was a person who chose to committ sucide because he felt his parent deserved it for being hypocrites. I thought he was the most selfish, cruelest, idot that ever walked the earth. I think he was gay too, everything about him screams out that he himself couldnt come to terms with himself. THere was a stream full of fish right near him, i think the S.O.S. note was written right before he died, if he really wanted help he had many chances to get more food and equipment before he even entered the area, many people offered to buy it for him. He had many chances to leave, over the god damned river wasnt the only way out. He chose his fate….a pathetic disgusting vengeful human being!
he is a dumb ass! i agree with Audrey M. but there was not really any way out except the river. the other way was unknown and he had no idea what to do. he could of gone south and crossed the river at a wire the goes across the river but that would be hard.
I am amazed…..that a man that was utterly unprepared and gave no forethought to survival of himself, nor felt any obligation to his family by sparing them the agony of losing a family member in the awful way that he died…can be idolized by so many! Utter stupidity! Another perfect example of “city” idiots idolizing a self centered & spoiled BRAT that couldnt or wouldnt face life’s responsibilities and owe up to them, thus “running off ” into the wild and claiming to be some sort of born again mountain man…..Tragic
A former Law Enforcement Officer and Ranger
City idiots, yea i can agree with that, but it sounds like your about as deep as puddle in the desert,have you ever considered anything like the fact that most of the laws you spend your time governing are made for city idiots like the ones you make reference to in your blurp. People like you are exactly why guys like Mcandless take off in the first place. Over opinionated and no knowledge just part of the problem, in todays world just to many guys like you running around thinking your solving all the worlds problems by running your mouth. try doing something for someone that actually means something, that doesn’t mean fining them for not having a life jacket on while paddling there canoe I mean something that really means something. Turn off american idol and shut up asshole.I don’t really think anyone idolizes the guy for not preparing properly or dying If you could comprehend what you read then you would be able to tell that there just some people who can relate to slowing down the ridiclous pace of life and look around for while, stop spending every waking moment trying to figure out how we can get more shit in the mini van to take home and prop up next to the big flat screen in the living room. If your opinion on this subject matter can’t be any more intelligent than go back to your fantasy football site and chat with them i’m sure you’ll have plenty of chest beating budlight drinkers there to discuss all the top football trades with
Nighthawk,
I’m surprised that you even mentioned your profession. You people that choose a life of “law” enforcement are ridiculous! You use the term “city” people when your dumb ass enforces laws of not safety or reason but because the government wants it on people who work honest and hard for little wages. You sit on your ass wasting expensive gas for 8 to 10 hour shifts doing nothing more then pulling people over because their headlight is out, their registration sticker is invalid or whatever other BS you can come up with. You live for nothing. When my mom’s house was being broke into and vandalized while she was in it the police she called the moment her door was broke through were in the middle of pulling a teenager over for failure to signal. They did not come to the call even though they were less then one block away and 4,700 dollars worth of stuff was stolen or broke. None of it recovered and the people never found despite two costly finger printings done in the house. Where was this Law enforcement then? Police have lost what their main duties are and now enforce pointless costly laws on hard honest working people, while they sit in their car and do dick squat, while they drive past a women with a flat tire in the rain or pull up behind a low class person who is having car problems to write them a ticket for a license plate cover that isn’t even interfering with the view of the plate numbers, then leave them there and offer no help but only more agony. Chris grew up with parents like you, that have lost sight of what the world and of hospitality and of family. He saw what the world was becoming and what everyone was getting caught up in with money and materialistic things. He knew there was more to the world then the life he has been shown and that happiness could be found without materialistic things and money. He didn’t bring a compass or a map because he was separating himself from all of these things and living life as natural as possible. You scrutinize him saying hes dumb why didn’t he use a map he killed himself if he would have been better prepaired. Did him giving away the twenty four thousand dollars not symbolize enough in your penile mind that he didn’t want this aid, he wanted to do it all at hand without the use of these things. To say he killed himself cause he didn’t have a map is to say he was stupid for not buying a plane ticket to Alaska instead of tramping across the USA. How you missed this in reading the book and seeing the movie shows your narrow mind and ignorance and how poor your horizons are. That’s why he also left a cell phone his identity and everything he possible could behind, to completely put himself “INTO THE WILD”. For you people to not see this and wonder why he didn’t take a map or proper supplies have completely missed his purpose and are so caught up and narrow minded you probably never will understand why he left all these things behind and ventured off as natural as possible. Then for you to post a blog on here talking about how stupid he is and bad mouth him and make the remarks you make is just complete ignorance. You will not detour our thoughts and what he symbolizes in our minds… You can not destroy what you do not understand.. On the contrary “To each his own” Its not because he was not intelligent, his school and grades and writing prove to you he is smart and he was aware of the dangers and risk but he was doing this to separate from these things. U support his attempt, his courage, and his bravery you think leaving all these things behind was easy for him, missing his sister the one important family member to him. No it wasn’t it was just what he wanted and something he felt he needed to do to not lose touch with his inner self and it took far more balls then you have. I admire these aspects of his journey and his attempt even in bliss he did what he felt was the right thing and above all what he wanted. He lived without limitations and that is far more then most of you can say. You’re the ones scared to cross you let life limit you.. he did not and I applaud that alone about his trip.
I just saw the movie and have not read the book. All through the movie, I kept wondering why I should empathize with this fellow. We all admire those who act on their dreams, but there is a fine line between dreamer and fool, and I am afraid that Chris McCandless comes off as being on the fool side of the line (or mentally ill, as I think a good case can be made). I have spent a good deal of my long life in the wilderness that I love, including in Alaska, a lot farther from civilization than Chris ever got. After a close call, when I was young, I realized that there was no point in being unprepared. I could get everything there was to have out of the wilderness experience being prepared as I could if I was not. Going into the wilderness without a map, without a compass, without adequate food, and without a basic understanding of the land one is dealing with is simply asking for trouble, and that is what Chris McCandless got. Perhaps that is what he was seeking, to get into trouble in a way he could not get out of. To do what he did is disrespectful of the land (the animals he poached out of season) and disrespectful of the people who might have to set out to rescue him, as well as disrespectful of those who cared about him (that is the worst part of suicide, those one leaves behind). The story is tragic, but one perhaps more for the Darwin awards than for idolization.
Most of us are like caged mice on a wheel,doing the same thing over and over, day in, day out,hating our jobs but not knowing how to escape, or, scared to take the leap to escape, scared of taking the chance to perhaps grab something more worthwhile. He chose to jump off the wheel and explore Gods beautiful world.Theres so much more to life than the 9 to 5 grind,groceries, and bills. But the thought of leaving it all behind, and jumping into something so out of the ordinary is extremely scary, the majority of us fear doing it. I admire what he did, and I can understand in a sense what he was craving..But I really think he shouldve been more prepared.
God bless his soul. ^/^
Just a thought: one can be mentally disturbed, but spiritually astute. Perhaps McCandless had what could be clinically described as an illness–what he certainly had was a need to find and claim an authenticity in his existence. Maybe that’s what We–“healthy” or otherwise–respond to in his story.
In thinking about Chris McCandless, I was reminded of Robert Falcon Scott, the British polar explorer who got to the South Pole in 1912 a month after Norwegian Roald Amundsen and then died before getting back to base. Historians now look at Scott’s expedition as suffering from poor planning, inadequate equipment and provisions, and inexperienced leadership. Scott was convinced that he could improvise and get through with good old British pluck and that he did not need the kind of native knowledge about polar travel that Amundsen gained from years in contact with Eskimos. Scott and his four companions died (either from starvation or scurvy, no one knows for sure) during a horrific trek back from the pole. Amundsen and his team returned from the pole in excellent health. Scott was treated as a hero by the British and much of the rest of the world, while Amundsen was either ignored or treated with contempt. Why? Amundsen, with his meticulous training and planning made it look all too easy. Scott faced incredible hardships (many of his own making) and died in the trying. He kept a diary that makes stirring reading and created a mythology about Scott as a great hero. In my book, the real heroes are the ones that apply all their faculties to anticipate and plan for overcoming difficulties and hardship, like Amundsen, not ones who refuse to plan and refuse to seek advice, and go out into the wilderness thinking that simple courage is all that is needed, like Scott and Chris McCandless. McCandless could have learned all he needed for survival in an hour of conversation in any outdoor store in Fairbanks. It is a wonder to me that we idolize the foolish adventurer and give no credit to the thousands of wilderness visitors who take the time to be prepared, so that they don’t end up like Chris.
I listened to the book. One thing I don’t see mentioned much in this blog–perhaps the most important– is that Chris figured out in the end that he wanted to become part of society again. He wanted companionship, to face the one thing he’d run from his entire life: intimacy. That is the one area where Chris played it incredibly safe. Given the debate about whether or not he suffered from mental illness it is ironic that he came to these conclusions with the “lucid” mind that apparently is a gift of the ladder stages of starvation. What all of Chris’s wanderings and final Alaskan adventure gave him was a profound appreciation for what he lacked: a purpose greater than himself, be that purpose intimate relationships, a family or a cause of some kind. Chris finally grew up. Chris’s life, like many interesting lives before him, can be a light to anybody willing to look inward into their own fears. All of us have a journey of some sort to take and demons of some sort to cleanse. Not every journey has to occur in the wilderness. Nor does someone have to forsake modern life to live a simple life. Life is far from perfect but I’ll bet in the end Chris would agree it is not only worth living but worth the effort required to face the difficult aspects unique to each of us.
I returned from Iraq a little over 4 years ago. I wanted to watch into the wild because i long to be back into it, watching the movie was kind of being closer to Iraq. There is just so many damn rules in the military i had to get out. I had no clue what i was about to watch and never heard of Chris. After watching the movie, I bought the book.
The book i read in less than five hours. I cried when he tried to go back home and couldn’t, when he was lost in the canals, when he was hungary. I know those feeling. One is tired and drained. He really had no idea that those other paths lay around him. I don’t even know who Chris is, and I miss him. I kind of wish I was there with him those years.
I don’t understand how some of the blogs can be bad mouthing this guy. He did what every young man fantasizes about doing. Everyone talks about how he died because he was unprepared. Life is a gamble you never know when your time is gonna be up. Live it to the fullest. As far as Frank and the whole schizophrenia thing is concerned. I don’t think someone with mental problems could survive for 2 like he did.
“2 years”
Just want to voice some support for Frank. A lot of people seem to really upset by the suggestion that Chris was mentally ill, but seem to miss the compassion with which Frank posits this. I don’t think we’ll ever know whether Chris was mentally ill or not, but it is a valid suggestion, especially when you consider some of the points made on other websites:
1) chris never mentioned that he’d been poisoned in his diaries and in fact, the wild potato plants he’d been eating aren’t toxic – or not enough to have killed him
2) the river near by was filled with fish that are easy to catch by making a trap or using a rod (which he had with him according to coroner’s report)
3) if chris had walked up or down stream he could have crossed either by way of manual tram or at a shallower part of the river
4) there was also a track out of there, which he could have followed
5) he had a map (according to coroner’s report), so he could have found that manual tram or that walking track.
the film and book are clearly romatacized, but that doesn’t make them any less powerful or inspiration or chris any less of a person or his story any less tragic.
the story of chris mccandless is an amazing and inspiring one. yes, he was unprepared and yes, there are so many simple things he could have done to prevent his death but the fact that he wasnt afraid to attack life head on with no fear and that is what makes him an amazing and admirable man. being prepared wasnt his style, he wouldnt be who he was if he prepared for his trip. his life was a series of risks and impluses. you cant hate someone for wanting to live their life in thier own style.
chris mccandless has the courage to pursue and even challenge what most of us are afraid of even living- life.
everyone will have their own opinions and thats mine, his story completely changed my outlook on life, on what i really want out of life. i dont think his story is meant to encourage you to follow in his steps but to take a page from his book; life your life according to YOUR OWN standards and fuck what everyone else thinks, or what you think is expected of you, live your life for what YOU expect from you.
to me, chris mccandless was an utter hero and his life and story were meant to inspire and better us. and for me, he has.
i dont know why everyone is leading to the conclusion that he is ill. maybe he was just trying to be happier. i find myself thinking the same way as chris. so am i automatically ill too just because i believe society is messed up and that i dont want to be apart of it? because i can’t stand how everything is always about material things? if i could live out of a backpack and just be out in the wild and see the pure beauty in the world than i would. chris wasn’t schitzophrenic, he just knew what he wanted. and he didn’t waste his life. the wild was his life and thats why he did what he did. im jealous of chris that he got to experience all that. and how your family feels shouldnt stop you from what you want to do. because if they do then they are the insincere ones…. so stop criticizing him.
I criticize Chris McCandless, because the central prevailing fact about him is that he is dead, and he could have prevented his death with the simplest of precautions. He could have been all the independent, romantic, living-off-the land soul he wanted to be without killing himself. We never get to see what kind of amazing person he might have been as an adult, because he essentially took not even the simplest efforts to survive. Being foolishly unprepared for what you will encounter in life is not romantic. Living your life as you see it is the most important direction you can give your life, and if you take some care, even if only a little bit, you can live however you like and survive to tell your stories to your friends and grandchildren. Living a life outside the influences of modern civilization is a great notion — I am all for it — but doing it so foolishly that you kill yourself, what’s romantic about that? Listening to your own drummer doesn’t mean that you have to live a life outside of common sense. I just don’t understand why we idolize Chris, when there are plenty of living people who have done exactly the same thing as he, but with enough sense to survive.
I first read “Into the Wild” in 1999 while living in Anchorage. Immediately I was in love with the book. I was also 16. The book has remained my favorite and when the movie came out, I had to see the adaptation from page to film. I have to say, it was done so quite brilliantly. Then, I read the book all over again. There was such a battle between my emotions over the book I was completely surprised. People say he shouldn’t be chastised for his poor judgment of the ferocity of the wild, while the rest are convinced he was another poor soul to fall victim to the hold of the wilderness. Living in Alaska, it is easy to understand the charisma of nature, however, it is also quite easy to understand the need to be prepared…always! People don’t want to accept the mental illness side of the story because they see a freedom in him that is missing in their own life. Tina, you mention that you would also prefer to leave society behind, but you don’t actually do it. There are many of us who would chose to have it that way, but do we really act upon that? He is idolized because he lived the last years of his life the way he wanted, and we are all jealous of that. Out of respect for Chris, we need to stop analyzing his choices and asking “why?” He felt the need to do something else with his life and went with it. Mental illness prevented him from fully preparing himself for the worst, instead, just assuming it wouldn’t happen. It is a terrible tragedy, but he deserves to rest in peace.
First off, Chris McCandless wrote in third person because he planned on writing a novel about his travels, had he not died in the process. Secondly, there’s a fun little thing called sensory adaptation. Such as, if you’re in a room that smells weird, after a while you don’t notice. Well, extend that for two years, and I’m sure chicken in the microwave seemed insignificant comparatively, not a sign of schizophrenia.
Chris McCandless was not a hero, because he did nothing heroic. What he did was something few of us will ever be able to claim: he actually lived up to his ideas and ideals, his dreams and his goals. He lived and died on his own watch. He pushed aside “money, power, [and] fame” for truth. The simple, inevitable truth that only nature can provide, due to it’s being unobscured by man. He did indeed have a map, but it was outdated. When this world is becoming increasingly more urbanized and industrialized and capitalized, the only way to feel remote, lost, and in touch with nature is not to know you’re stuck inbetween two highways and a few miles from cabins. So many of us talk, talk, talk about what people SHOULD do, about what we WANT to do, about how modern society is so materialistic and ignorant and selfish- but here we are, sitting at our thousand dollar laptops typing it to groups of people who we will never know, never meet. who will never be anything more than a screenname to us. what Chris McCandless did was defy society in an unconventional way that is only thought of as “crazy” because it is so outlandish in the minds of someone sitting inbetween concrete walls, in a luxurious bed, with a pantry full of food. “Who would give this up?” we ask. “Especially since Chris’ parents were wealthy- why would he want to do this? Surely, he was an idiot. Already graduated from college and he’s that dumb?” But here’s the thing- that’s probably what drew him over the edge. McCandless said something that will stick with me for the rest of my life, and is surely enough argument for anyone in opposition of his accomplishments:
“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”
These were his ideals. These were the things that despite what every other person may have told him, he lived up to- because in a world as corrupted as our own, what truth is there really outside of pristine, unforgiving, untrusting Mother Nature? As far as him going unprepared, perhaps the way he challenged himself was truly transcendental– if you’re detaching from society, so should you not also detach yourself from the products of society? Chris McCandless wanted to LIVE in the true sense of the word. For, in the words of Emerson, “we are always getting READY to live, but never LIVING.” McCandless LIVED in the way perhaps God intended man to live– in coexistence with nature, subject to natural disasters and merciless wildlife. If we are so concerned with “playing God,” are we not altering our own lives by caging ourselves? McCandless isn’t the only one who has desired to escape from such things- he’s just the most well known so far.
By the way, death does have a way of making people famous and turned into global heros. Hmm, let’s think, oh I don’t know, Van Gogh, Anne Frank, Thoreau himself, Gregor Mendel [contributed to the foundations of genetics], Emily Dickinson, Bach, Franz Kafka, the list goes on. So yes, plenty of famous people may have been nobodies had they not died. But point is, they did. And if that’s what it took for the world to realize the amazing things they did and created, then that’s what it took. We’re a pretty apathetic society, conditioned to the extreme- so it takes quite a bit to grab our attention, don’t you think?
I should add that I’m idealistic and 18- and Into The Wild changed the course of my future. Catch you on the Appalachian Trail! [Gotta start somewhere]
also, the fish in the river were plentiful, but too small to actually live off of and sustain body weight from.
thanks.
Just can’t really get the point of claiming that Chris was was stupid\mentally ill, cause he didn’t use this, didn’t do this, this or this to safe his life at the latest period of starvation or when he wanted to get back home.
This is all ridiculous and only proves how many narrow minded people are around us!
Living our lives, making everyday decisions, we take into account numerous things, related factors, and even closest friends sometimes don’t have idea about the background, which leads to this or that choice.
And it’s amazing how quick some people around are ready to declare that we were crazy|idiots|etc to do smth. without even knowing what was really going on, having in mind just few facts.
This especially refers to stories like Chris’, when there were no witnesses of his struggle.
I trust he was clever enough (more then enough!!) to take into account most of things you list judging him, and i’m sure he had many reasons to choose his way. The fact that we don’t know them means nothing here.
He wanted to live, and he struggled to live,and so i believe he have done everything possible in the scope of his beliefs to stay alive and come back home.
Also one can’t ignore the presence of fortuity, when even one small thing can change the whole story up side down.
I just can’t admire a person who was too stupid to save his own life. He belongs in the Darwin Awards, not in a Pantheon of Heroes.
Many people admire him because he had the gull to leave it all behind while the bulk of us refuse to open the door to our cages. Like many naturists, he was sick of abiding by your rules and ideals. Because of what he did, he now stands out. That’s what admirable about him. But nobody’s asking you to admire him, Roy. I know I don’t. Nobody really knows exactly what happened to him, Roy, so you don’t really have any place to say he was too stupid to save his own life. He either tried as best he could or he made the decision not to. Take the story for what it is and believe what you want to believe. Partake in the 2 Big Macs for $3.50 deal at McDonald’s and enjoy the rest of your monotonous life.
i have seen the movie and read the book and would love to beleive that “alex” wasnt mentally sick, he sends a message that he just wants to live alone and free off the land, i have been on the bus and spent a week on my own living at the site of chris,s final days, i also fished the stream beside the bus and found it bountiful, i had just wished he had made better choices in his last few weeks, rest in peace chris, mick from dublin, ireland, you have changed the way i live my life.
People here who seem to find something to emulate and admire about Chris McCandless argue that he was not stupid, that he was not mentally ill, and that he did not choose to commit suicide. If so, why did he die? Not from an excess of spirit, to be sure. One doesn’t die from that. Living your life free of others telling you what to do is decidedly admirable. I feel I have lived my life that way and had plenty of adventure in it. But you can live your life according to your own dreams without resulting in self-destruction. The fact that his dream ended in death should be a cautionary tale to us all: common sense and preparation are not antithetical to living your dreams. Adventure is even better when you survive it.
I read Into the Wild in Outside back before it was a book and read the book and saw the movie. The story is sooo close to my heart. I am the exact same age as Chris was graduated college the same yr and have many of the same personality traits. (Despise the govt, loath the suffering of many because of the greed of a few etc)
I find nothing unusual about trying to live off the land and escape this cesspool of a society we have created. I aspire everyday to get a litle farther “off the grid” and live like human beings are supposed to. When everyday life WAS your exercise, the idea that we are soo lazy we have to go to a gym for exercise disgusts me.
I could have very easily went as far as Chris did and thought about it many times. The only main difference btwn us is I have a very stable and happy family. If not for them, I may have suffered the same fate. I still however spend as much time in the woods as possible away from as Chris would say “The plastic people”.
Chris was a great man in my eyes even though I didnt know him personally. He could have towed the line got some bigwig Corp job and been another un remarkable cog in the wheel of society. He followed his dream for 2 yrs and I envy him for that.
His picture in front of bus 142 hangs in my living room over the woodstove.
Responding to audrey m’s comment further up the page
Maybe if you understood chris and understood what he went through before you make uninformed comments like the only reason he ran away from it was because his parents were hipocrites did you take into account the hell he was put through as a young boy all the lies and deceit he faced from the 2 people he shud have invested he majority of his trust in
Did you even read the book and did you fall asleep during the movie due to the fact you had to get up to go to your predictable 9-5 job
I’ll will give you what chris took with him and you coudnt last a day out there
People need to think
He achieved more than most could dream of in such a short life
He followed his dreams
i saw the film a few days ago knowing nothing about him and it moved me so much. such a strong person have done such a thing. i give nothing but praise for such an amazing person.
we all need to take this mans veiws down deeply.
it has changed the way i see things.
i was so upset and so overwelmed and happy.
we all should be more like mr supertramp.
lemmi
from the uk
I am only 15 years old , but i get sick and tired of people moaning about the smallest things in the world , like my toast is burned , my hair hasnt gone right , whats with all this traffic , and it gets me annoyed. I just wish people can live happy lives and be together for each other , but thats never gonna happen. And after watching the movie a while ago it has stayed with me everyday of my life , and without fail i think of chris everyday and i just want to to what he has done and travel and travel and meet new people and find sanctuary somewhere nice , in my mind perhaps not Alaska but somewhere.
I am getting the book soon and cant wait to read it.
🙂
This movie…was the most beautiful, awe-inspiring movies that I have ever seen. To see, even through an actor, the life of someone who was so sure about what he wanted and determined. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it and just seeing it makes me want to change the way I live. Can’t wait to read the book 🙂
It doesn’t matter if he was “ill” or not. What’s done is done. Chris is gone, why matters not. What matters is that his journey is still very much alive.
The bottom line is that Chris inspired us in many ways. It is clear by reading this thread that Chris’ story captivates many of us. We wonder what he was thinking, how he was feeling and was he scared..? We wonder what we would do, how we would feel..? And then we imagine. The imagination allows us to feel what Chris felt (at least our interpretation of it) and in those feelings we live. We experience.
I will never forget Chris or the experiences I have had in imagining his trek. I often find a smile on my face whenever I’m sitting and thinking of Chris. It isn’t the way he died, it’s the way he lived and irresponsible to his family or not, boy did he live.
RIP Chris
My son was reading Kraukaur’s book Into The Wild. It was required for his Park Management & Recreation class at Kent State University. He writes a paper on it each week. After proofing a couple of his papers, I read the book as well. I can honestly say he lived his life fully and richly seeking what he was drawn to in his world. His last quote shows us all that he learned some important lessons in life even tho he ended up losing his.
i have seen the movie and read Selections from Into The Wild. I think Chris McCandless is extremely inspiring, I wish he could have survived, so I could have met him. I would loved to go on an adventure like this. And it would be awesome if he was alive, he could take people or even help people embark on their adventures.
I think he was a brave young man who followed his heart to explore. I applaud his courage to turn away from what society tells us is the “right” way to live life. I think it is unfortunate that he is not here to tell us his story for himself. He might be inclined to do that or maybe not, whatever the case I am haunted by this young man’s story and I wish I knew him. His family must feel the emptiness beyond what they ever knew was possible. My heart goes out to them and I pray for their peace.
of course he was everything but stupid. this was the whole idea, to try and survive without commodities of everyday life. To be exposed and mostly unprotected. If he didn’t found the Magic Bus he would be dead in a week.
I understand all of us who are moved by the book, a story and movie. I believe that only growth of the soul can be achieved by exposing yourself to different situations and surroundings, that’s where the challenge and the beauty lay, undescovered.
Think of it, I’m quite surprised he went on Alaska. It was the beggining of 90-ies, there were wars all over the world-the Balkans, Somalia, Cambodia, Haiti…where one could go to make change. I guess it wasn’t his style though…
The only thing I don’t like of course is the end.
Chris became prisoner of his ideals.
But then he says “”I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!”
So that does it for me.
Watched the movie about a year ago, but I wasnt ready. I watched it again this week and I got it. I connected with Chris and it has changed me. I have read the book this week as well. Im still processing his story. It is so inspiring and tragic. I feel Chris did not want to die. But how lucky for him that he had followed his inner voice at such a young age and lived his dream. How many people can say that regardless of when they die. He was able to say it at 24. To Chris… And so it is.
I just started the book yesterday. Not sure yet if it will stir any emotions or opinions from me… too early to tell 🙂
i just got up from seeing the movie,still in a trance, i didnt know who chris was until today….and from today…i guess i wont forget him until the rest of my life…oh how i wished i was like him….not caring about anything…just being free..i want to be like him…but then again…my cowardice holds me back…anyway….i salute this larger than life character…and a sincere thanks to sean penn for making such a beautiful movie out of it……chris lives
Its funny, I wrote a whole essay to defend Chris and simply came to the conclusion:
There are very few people on this planet that have the courage of their conviction.
I saw the movie and yes it was compelling. It clearly demonstartes the strengths and the weaknesses of human nature and will.
No one can question Alex’s strengths and will, but his weaknesses were that he listened to no one during his travels. If only he had a simple hikers map (topographic) of the area he would have seen that less than 1/4 mile down stream from the bus was a crossing for the river in a manual tram with a cable the forest service installed for hikers and hunters to cross in all seasons. Also, he would have seen one mile from the bus was a cabin fully stocked with unperishable food and provision by the forest service. Both are clearly marked and anotated on the map of the time.
The story is more like a modern “Greek Tragedy”.
The guy was a complete idiot. Those who see him as an American folk hero are even bigger idiots.
No one with a brain in their head walks into the woods without a compass and a map. That isn’t the stuff of heroism or legend, that is just plain stupid and arrogant.
Get a life people.
This young man was clearly schizophrenic. I have been employed in the Mental Health field for 16 yrs now. (Social Worker) and this guy clearly suffered from mental illness. He was very intelligent and like so many schizophrenics, he experienced a psychotic break in his twenties and that illness robbed him of his beautiful mind. He was clearly delusional. Poetic, but delusional.
So sad that he had to die so needlessly.
I have a shelf full of books by and about Alaskans — mostly Alaskan natives— which have amazing tales of surviving terrifying binds in the bush. It does strike me as odd that McCandless’ story captures such a large audience. I guess you have to die to get noticed in the lower 48.
Anyway, there are lots of people who wish to shake of society and go off and live off the land. If you’ve spent any time in Alaska you find them all over the place. Needless to say McCandless was not unique in his goals or ideals.
There is a tragedy to McCandless’ story. But probably not the one put forward by Krakauer and Penn. Nor is it likely he was mentally ill, although I have to admit the notion that he was slipping away into paranoid schizophrenia does have some comfort in a way. It makes the bizarreness of his behavior before finding himself in the magic bus suddenly make sense. The withdrawal from the people around him started well before his 2 years on the road. Here is good article that captures some of this…http://www.chipbrown.net/articles/intowild.htm
But, as appealing as this idea is, the proof is thin. Things that appear nutty about McCandless would likely apply to any kid recovering from a severely disfunctional family. I spent my early 20’s struggling with family demons. I probably would have appeared borderline or some such if someone was viewing my life through bits of journal entries and a cliff notes version of my whereabouts and activities.
So, rather than pathologize McCandless, I prefer to take McCandless at his word: SOS…I am injured and near death……
Its funny how all of his written words are taken literally before this sign. This sign is discounted out of hand because there was no laceration or broken bone involved (per the autopsy). But he could have been injured and was not able to hike out. The picture of him outside the bus has been pointed out as possibly indicating a shoulder injury. If he had injured his shoulder, he hardly would be hiking anywhere because he would not be able to carry his pack with him.
I think McCandless was injured. I think he couldn’t escape the bus again because of his injury. I thnk that its likely that by the time he recovered from his injury, the course of starvation had taken its toll and sealed his fate.
Not as romantically tragic as being poisoned by some seeds (false–proven at the time Krakauer published his book) or coming down with giardia (as some have positulated elsewhere–but unlikely–he still had iodine pills) or slipping into a schizophrenic psychotic episode …
To me its more tragic, because it shows McCandless putting himself in a corner from which he can’t escape. But this version is hardly romantic enough to merit a novel and film, so on with the romanticism I guess.
I am the same age as McCandless and I remember being 24 very well–its funny how cautious you become as you get older. Its not weakness that brings the caution on–its life experience. The longer you live, the more shit you’ve experienced. And it begins to occur to you bit by bit that you are not immortal, or exempt. You come to realize that life turns on a dime, very little is within your control, will power only gets you so far and you can and do go down like anyone else.
Its sad the Chris didn’t learn this lesson bit by bit with age, rather than having faced it all at once in one calamitous disaster that took his life. I think the planet would have been a much better place had he been in it the last 17 yrs…..but perhaps he would not have ever been able to endure the loss of his idealism to the realism that comes with age….
I can understand why people think he was mentally ill. Just recently a mentally ill member of my family went off into the woods and took his own life beside a river that he thought led to the gates of heaven.
Chris may have gone out there prepared to die.He may have been mentally ill
Than again in here i sit.I am not mentally ill. Material things dont mean very much to me.I have traveled all over this country. Met many “kids” who were not mentally ill but searching for themselves because they were sick of the world around them. The same thing i was doing at the time. I had to get lost to realize my family and my hometown was my life. They were what made my life. I dont care much about money or the government. Oddly enough I am enthralled by the things going on in Africa. I dont want a career. I just want happiness. It took a lot of searching to realize how simple that happiness is.
The world has changed.America has changed. We are seeing different results everyday. Is Chris some kind of american hero? I dont think so. However is the ultimate message of say the movie moving?Very much so.
I also had a childhood friend die of a drug over dose last Oct. I was very angry at first until a mutual friend said something to me.He died how he wanted to.He went out how he wanted.We can only wish to so lucky.However sick that may be.
Alex SuperTramp…..even the name he chose……….its not unlike Hercules,……or Odysseus……….heroes ……………in their own respect…………….but Alex was not a hero, no……….he was an anti-hero………heroes go on their journey,…….or they overcome there obstacles and hardships,but, one thing always remain the same they…………………..they all returned to their people …………….and shared their new experiences and new views of life …………………..and how life should be lived……………….,in other words,……………..they brought back with them, a piece of what Is…………………opening our closed minds to new possibiities……..but Alex…….. He was not coming back…………He was waiting for us……….
After seeing the movie, I read the book. Also, I have since read much on the internet from people who condemn him and people who see some part of themselves in him. I am left with the belief that the death of Chris McCandless was a trajedy that he brought upon himself. When each of us is a child, we think as children and think only of ourselves. It’s called selfishness. Many of us have led lives that took us to rock bottom before we could claw our ways back up again. Unfortunately, Chris McCandless died a sad, lonely and painful death. I believe that in the end, he saw past his anger and resentment and recognized his own selfishness. Unfortunately, it was too late for him to survive the circumstances of his life’s lesson. I took invaluable insights from the movie and the book. It’s too bad that Chris didn’t survive and carry on with his life. The insights that his path led him to would surely have helped him to find peace within himself and enabled him to be a happy man.
I am happy that this book literally fell into my lap, followed by the movie which made me begin to read everything I could find on this young man.
I don’t care to debate on what this guy did or did not do the right way when he went into the wilderness.
He died while living out one of his lifes dreams. Who could be against that? He gave his money away to help others and he tried to live off the land like Native Americans. Why is it necessary to bash him?
I hope Chris is smiling and doing well in heaven.
Adonis
read about dick proenneke if you want real spirituality in the wilderness.
I haven’t read the book yet, the movie however inspired me to go out and get it. They usually say that books are far better then any movie. Yet I wonder if I want to read it. This movie it made me cry it literally made me cry because I felt like if I could do what he had done would I have?
How brave Chris had to be to leave the securities of life and to have no one to rely on. Charitable people helping? How hard is that now days when you read and watch tv and all you hear about is an Amber alert or some one getting killed. Innocent people being hurt by complete strangers. It makes me cry thinking about it. I have a son and I think about it through his parents perspective of things.
I cherish my child, and if I knew nothing about where he was, or why he left I dont know how I would have coped. When your child is missing, what do you do? Granted Chris was not a baby nor was he incapable of doing things. Its just.. As a parent you dont see your children as grown adults. You see them as the joy and life you are given they are always your baby.
I wonder though if I read this book, will it only break my heart? The movie spoiled the ending, but Im still hesitant about reading it.
Watched the movie, will read book. I was enthralled by Chris’ character and how genuine must have been to have become so endeared to several people who’s lifestyles were so at-odds to Chris’ own ideals.
I was also inspired at some aspects.
Maybe it was a fluke that he did not eventually come out.
Such an intelligent individual, but what frame of mind was he in during the later days?…
In any case I became somewhat pissed-off that such a clever, honest, genuine person hadn’t managed to find a way to discreetly contact his sister and give her something… a word, message, postcard…
Maybe she just reminded him too much of his parents, but her turmoil was just as real as any of his and seemed a great tragety in the story.
I graduated with Chris in 1986 from W. T. Woodson High School in Annandale, VA (Fairfax County). Although I cannot claim to have known him very well, I can say that in sharing many close friends, we talked in groups at parties about what was meaningful in life. He had a maturity and a vision that only wise, well-traveled men acquire after a full life of experience. At a graduation party, he made a comment to a few of us around him that what we were about to change our lives, and possibly the lives of everyone we would meet, just by living and sharing what we learn from this day forward and beyond. I couldn’t imagine where it came from, but he still inspires me to this day. He’s probably the reason why I became a sportsman of the outdoors, searching for my own “odyssey” in what each of us consider to be “the wilds of life.” Say what you will about his story, but you cannot help but be moved by it and question your own understanding of what courage means.
Every man dies, but not every man lives.
So very true the quote” true happiness is only when shared” So very true.
Hawaii’s version of Into the Wild…
August 23, 2009
Adventurer dies on Kaua’i
Oregonian fell ill after living and foraging in wilderness
By Diana Leone
Advertiser Kaua’i Bureau
LIHU’E, Kaua’i — An Oregon man who gave up his material possessions to live off the land in Kaua’i’s Kalalau Valley this summer in an adventure reminiscent of the “Into the Wild” book and movie died suddenly Aug. 14 of an acute respiratory illness.
Kenny Cox, 31, formerly of Eugene, arrived in May and for 70 days lived in the open, gathering and eating fruit, plants and even grass after he ran out of rice and beans. Kaua’i residents who befriended him after he came out of the wilderness area in mid-July recalled him as free-spirited and down to earth.
“I was so impressed with him as a genuine person,” longtime Hanalei resident Jack Smith said of Cox. “He was very quiet and shy and introverted, but he was comfortable with who he was. … He was a sweet spirit.”
Cox had flown his parents here for a visit on Aug. 8, but just days after they arrived, he complained of a headache and general soreness, a fever over 102 degrees and rapid breathing, his father, George Cox, said in an interview with The Advertiser. But Kenny refused to go to a doctor and said he’d been through something like this before.
not a ‘9-to-5 guy’
His parents called an ambulance late the night of Aug. 13 because Cox’s breathing was so labored. He died of acute hemorrhagic pneumonia with sepsis early the next morning while en route to Wilcox Hospital, doctors told George Cox.
“I don’t think he had any idea of the severity of his illness,” George Cox said.
George Cox brought with him to Kaua’i a copy of the book “Into the Wild,” which tells the true story of a young man who rejected a conventional lifestyle, gave up all his money and died while living out his journey of self-discovery in the Alaska wilderness. The book, written in 1996, was made into a movie of the same name in 2007.
“People have told me ‘that’s Kenny,’ ” the elder Cox told the Eugene Register-Guard newspaper.
Though Kenny Cox embraced his wilderness venture, George Cox speculates that he may have been weakened by it, particularly by drinking untreated stream water. Even after returning to “civilization,” he was still camping under a tarp with a sleeping bag and no modern conveniences.
Cox said his son told him he failed as a spear fisherman during his wilderness stay but did help a hunter catch and cook a wild boar in the valley, which he said was “some of the best food I’d had in a while.”
The Kalalau Valley foray wasn’t the first time Kenny Cox had gone alone on an adventure, his father said. One time he hitchhiked in Mexico for seven months with little money, eating from garbage bins.
Even when Kenny was at home, he “wasn’t a 9-to-5 guy.” After graduating from the University of Oregon in 2001, he bought an older home, fixed it up and rented rooms, while he lived in the backyard in a tepee.
Former athlete
Though George Cox is shocked that his son is dead, he draws some peace from the connections Kenny made here with others who shared his interests in “being organic and free,” he said.
“Kenny was down here trying to live off the land and be close to nature and not impact the environment too much, so we had a lot in common in that respect,” said Joyous Macabea, who had known Cox several weeks. The Coxes were staying at her home for a few days when he went to the hospital.
“He was very free-spirited in his way of life, not pursuing a conventional way toward material gain,” said Josh Dubin, a Moloa’a farm worker. “He was very much on his own journey.”
His new friends had no idea Kenny Cox had been one of the nation’s top prep wrestlers in high school. But his college wrestling record at the University of Oregon had more losses than wins, and he told the Register-Guard in 2001: “I’m ready to move on. There are no hard feelings, and I’m excited about a life beyond wrestling.”
High school wrestling coach Randy Robinson called Cox “easily one of the greatest athletes ever to come out of the state of Oregon.”
But even a healthy young person can be knocked down quickly by certain diseases, said Dr. James Ireland, an assistant clinical professor at the University of Hawai’i-Manoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine.
illness a mystery
Ireland said he can’t speculate as to what specifically made Cox ill. “There’s probably a list of 100 things that could have done this,” he said, including pneumonia caused by a virus, bacteria or fungus, and leptospirosis, a bacterial disease that people can get from contaminated stream water in Hawai’i.
“What’s unfortunate about these overwhelming infections, whether from bacteria, virus or whatever, is there is a small window in which you can be treated,” Ireland said.
Not long after coming out of Kalalau, Kenny Cox heard a message on generosity at the Church of Christ in Hanalei, which moved him to offer his family plane fare to visit him, George Cox said.
“I think sometimes when God knows the end of your days, he orchestrates events for your leaving,” George Cox said. “So now can be a time of rejoicing instead of a time of sorrow.”
Kenny Cox is survived by his parents and three sisters, Lisa Wood, of Colorado; Hannah Strimmer, of Corvallis, Ore.; and Christa Dizon, of Portland, Ore.
Ron Bellamy of the Eugene Register-Guard contributed to this report.
Speaking from the heart of a loving parent of a brilliant son who has been trying to escape from the “voices in his head” the “internal demons” the depression and panic/anxiety attacks that have plagued him for most of his 20 years of life…life in our conventional, structured, penal system SUCKS for people like my son and Chris.
Many of you have mentioned our law enforcement officials. How can a parent argue when their children ask them why the police force is so inclined to fine and stop them for small infractions, when so many others really need them to be doing what they swore to do in the first place “to serve and protect”? Give a man a gun, and you give them the power without the respect to govern and rule over others. In the news today a mom was killed and her toddler is in intensive care because police chased a person for a “minor traffic infraction” The “chase” ended up killing a young mom and injuring her child. They are charging the driver for involuntary manslaughter. What about the cops that chased that driver? Did they not play a part in her death also? Why not have the police officers take a picture of the license plate and send them a fine for the “minor infraction” in the mail? Has technology not provided that as a safer choice?
My “outside the box” son is not having a great time living in this society of ours. He is not violent, has not gotten in trouble with the law, but his way has made his younger sister and parents suffer along with him…much as Chris more than likely did. The difference is that my son loves us and cares about us profoundly. He is aware that he needs his family, as much as we need him. He is braver than Chris because he is confronting his “demons” rather than running away from them. He is trying to figure things out amongst the pain. That is way braver than selfishly disappearing, escaping your past, blaming your fathers’ past and lies, and your mother for wanting you to drive a “safer” car or caring what the neighbors may think, and pretending you are someone else. “Call things by their proper given name”…IN THE END…this young man has touched our lives so profoundly by saying…I figured it all out too late for me…but it is not too late for YOU.
Chris provided an ending that all his loved ones feared for him…his DEATH. Great minds can create greater conflict. Great minds are also quite selfish and egocentric. They cannot make sense of other’s pain and assist others…they are consumed with THEIR needs alone. Chris was blinded by his own drive to go to ALASKA. Nothing and nobody could stop him from creating his own conflict that lead to his death. I feel horrific sadness for his family members (members of his family that he withdrew from without regard), but I am happy for Chris…because he left us thinking he had had a good life. How sad that the only reason we exist became so clear to him in his final days…when he could finally think clearly…when he figured out that FAMILY and LIFE is to be lovingly shared. I hope others will learn this ultimate lesson without the sacrifice Chris had to make. Life means love…live it however you choose, but LIVE IT, LOVE IT, and SHARE IT.
Chris’ family suffered and will continue to suffer for the rest of their lives over his loss. They are not bad people…they had their own set of struggles…but they did not beat him or his sister, they provided, and they seemed to be demonstrative albitit maybe too much through material gifts, and being proud of what Chris considered “conformative” accomplishments. I agree that they were caught in the societal trap most of us live in, but they are good people learning their own life lessons.
How many of us have NOT uttered any of these phrases? “What will the neighbors think/say?”…”Go to college, get a degree”…”Drive a fancy car”…”Don’t be loud”…”Stay in your own personal space”…”Work hard. Make money. Buy a house.” “Hard work is what it is all about”.
What could my husband or I have done differently to make our son’s journey better/happier? I can honestly say I have no regrets…other than that my son was born thinking outside of the box. I only regret it because it causes him great pain. I can die knowing I have loved my son unconditionally, even through his personal verbal attacks of everyone around him when he feels “dark”. We have loved our troubled young son with all our hearts, soul, and yes… money. We have spent a lot of tears and money to assist him with his rebellion and dark thoughts, to provide him with life coping skills, to be there when he needs to vent on how horrible life is, even if it depletes us over and over again. We have always been there for our son and we will always be there for him. That is the meaning of family. FAMILY…members of a group/click/gang. In the end, that is what makes life worth living. WE ARE FAMILY.
My biggest fear is that my son will go through his entire life with dark thoughts, anger and frustration. In fact, I fear him doing something that, to people who adore and love him, will destroy them…that he will choose death over life.
God only knows what Chris’ last days were like…or that he selffishly contributed to his untimely death. I do not believe that such a fine young man wished to die. He searched for meaning, he found it, and then he could not put it to use because he was going to die. That is his sad, tearful lesson to us all. The only saving grace for his family is his farewell note…that he lived a good life and was thankful for his 24 short years. He died alone, scared, and with the wisdom that he needed people.
My only wish for my son is that he can find happiness…even if it has to be “In the Wild”. I am willing to accept his freedom of choice, if it means he will be happy. Hopefully alive and happy :o)
I just watched a bit of the movie yesterday and read what ever I could on the web. Really only one thing comes to my mind…. Chris took the easy way out, I mean as I think about it, it seems he had some issues with “life” as we know it and chose to “run” from it instead of meeting life head on. I would love to just drop everthing and go live off the land,as I am sure millions of others would agree with doing the same, its my thoughts however, that most people are to responsible to do such a thing. If you want to get rid of all material things there is a way to do it with out running to the wilderness, after all if we “all” did what he did, there would be no solitude in the wilderness….only in the things we left behind.
I just watched the movie version of Into the Wild. I greatly admire Chris’ idealism and I completely agree with him on the over emphasis on materialism in our society. The journey he took after graduation from college reminds me of my own – many years ago. I did not wander aimlessly around the country but I did lead a pretty free and adventurous life. During that life I did learn a great deal about camping and backpacking. Venturing into the wilderness without a proper map, compass and supplies is completely crazy. I do believe that Chris was suffering from mental illness, but remember that some of the greatest geniuses that ever lived were mentally ill. Because a person is mentally ill does not mean that they have nothing to offer us on insights into the meaning of life. I do think young people should try to emulate him – just plan a little more carefully
I did not read the book but the film moved and angered me. I am always moved by the waste of life and angered by the way he put his family thru hell. He could have gotten them on board with his plan to see the country but he never gave them a chance. How you starve to death in the SUMMER, with a gun, shelter and a fishing pole amazes me. He got a lot of help from people in the lower 48 but his shortcomings quickly became evident as soon as he was alone.I believe that his death was equal to suicide with malice toward those who loved him. This film should be seen as a cautionary tale for would be mountain men and hobos.
im goin to Alaska when i Graduate from high school. i jsut watched that movie an hour ago and it was really cool. im doing somthing very simalar to what he did only mine is for fun
For a truly inspiring story, read Edges of the Earth by Rick Leo. He left civilization and survived the elements in Alaska with few resources, raised a son, and lives to talk about it. I knew him well in college. He did this for all the right reasons (as opposed to McCandless).
He is my idol. I want to devote my life to succeeding his goal of pure peaceful solitude.
I found the book just wandering the aisles of a Borders book store one day. I could not put it down. It said there was a motion picture which I immediately went in search
of next day. I watched the movie at least 5 times and discovered something new each time. Chris was not crazy.
He had a lot of guts, courage. I did not agree with his
disdain for his parents and the complete disconnect from
his family. They got a very raw deal. But, this is his story.
Nonetheless, I found myself rooting for him at every turn–
he seemed to be always on the outside looking in. Consider yourself blessed if you’ve never known what that feels like. Chris eventually fell victim to his own nievity and
rigid thinking. It also seems he entered his Alaskan shangrala not really caring if he would return, or not.. I
truly believe there is more to this story than what is
actually being reported. The true answer to the question ” Why?” will never be known. His story has effected my life
for the better. He is one of my heros. I love the movie–
it is both powerful and thought provoking, throughout.
Emil Hersch was magnificent as he played the thoughtful,
sensitive, caring, happy go lucky, Chris McCandless. It was
as if Emil had made Chris’s story, his own. It was so
convincing and beautifully done. I could not hold back my tears. This is all Oscar territory
to me, including Sean Penn’s outstanding directing and
the breathtaking scenic vistas of the American West
and Alaskan wilderness, he so thoughtfully provided.
Yes Chris, ” true happiness must be shared “. You showed us. God bless, and rest in Peace.
I can relate to this book/movie on a number of levels. I am 60 years old and can relate to the generational rebellion that played a major role in Chris McCandless’ journey. When I got back from Vietnam, I spent a year hitchhiking around the country. Marijuana, mescaline and LSD, free sex, and owning little seemed the perfect antidote to my parent’s materialism. I also have a teenage son and I can relate to the pain his family must have had to see their son reject them and their values, and to die such a lonely death. Finally, I work as a psychiatric nurse. I am not qualified to diagnose patients, but one of my first thoughts after finishing the movie (I read the book afterwards) was that he was very possibly mentally ill. His behaviors have many of the earmarks of schizophrenia.
How are you going to say that it was a selfish thing to do and that he wasted his life?
First and foremost who’s decision was it to hitchike to Alaska? His. He wanted to do this for himself, he wanted to find some meaning to life, and happiness. If he wasn’t happy living with his family or even in civilization, then why keep doing something he doesn’t want to do?
Secondly, that was not a waste of life. Humans are born to die, essentially. Chris loved nature, and he got to fufil his dream by actually making it to Alaska, he even said that he had a happy life in his last statement. It’s his own life, he made the decisions, not you. Don’t try and dictate a deceased man’s choices, you can’t change it so stop criticizing.
-Sam
Just read the Book by Krakauer, not seen the movie. Chris was part of the human bell curve, as we all are, more or less. It is easy to accuse him of insolence, stupidity, incompetence, and any other pejoratives, for how his death happened, particularly by any of those alaskans (I use the small “a” purposely, for those) who think they are so superior to the rest of the universe, particularly when they are the third highest on the suicide rate by state. You can expertly prepare for a trek into anywhere, and get struck and killed by a beer truck leaving your house. There is no moral right or wrong in Chris’s story, In many ways I admire him as apparently many people who have actually met him do. However, in the end, it’s just that, his story. We all have one, really.
RESPECT to Chris!!!
Rusty from iser mountains/czech republic/europe
i have read both the movie and the book and i am currently writting a paper on Alexander Supertramp. in reading the book i have come to the understanding that he may just be bipolar im not disagreeing with the people that have mentioned he is schizophrenic this is just food for thought. Alexander lived life with an extra degree of intensity unlike most people. in the book it is expressed he had a hard time dealing with his father but to generalize this he had a hard time dealing with how fake and phoney the world really was. Chris was in touch with his soul(his true self) while many surronding him are still holding on to their egos. Being bipolar is the ongoing struggle a battle between the ego and the soul. the soul being the one that expresses freely and wants to be free and the ego is the one that attempts to supress any soulful emotion. if the ego wins the body goes into depression but in Alex’s case his soul overcame the ego which lead him to be in the state of mania. in the manic state you feel great determined and take bigger risk. Alex didnt like the life of conformity where he continued to feel dead so he instead choose to rebel against society. Chris went through more adventure in those four months that most people wouldnt in their whole life he is a heroic person.
a friend urged me to read the book and see the movie.
I guess I took something diffrent away from this story than most. after my spouse passed away from cancer I often questioned the statement “it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all”. and I can honestly say that even with the pain it is better ,by far , to have known love. this young man never got to experiance the great joy of love. of making that amazing connection with another soul, of opening up ones heart and sharing with someone that is truly special. even if for a brief period in time. I saw a young man that never learned that true happiness comes from within not from where you are at. that material possessions truely are irrelevant, if you have them or NOT, makes no diffrence, they do not define you, only you can do that. that the world is what we ,ourselves percieve it to be, if you think it is cold, dark, and lonely, then it will be. that sometimes it is up to each one of us to give the world a lil hope thru a warm greeting or even a smile. I saw a young man that was holding on to anger and died scared and alone. and yes I am aware of the very poetic things he said about life, but there was also some negative things, a conflict of sort.
by the time I finished the movie I was openly weeping.
weeping for this lost soul. may he find peace and happiness in the next life.
just my opinion.
I watched this movie twice with my father in the weeks before my dad passed away. I still don’t know what to think. Matter of fact, we watched it together the day before his passing. I am still haunted by all of it.